The registration deadline for this very interesting, very useful NEMA workshop is next Monday, so run to the website now to sign up!

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The Membership, Development, PR and Marketing Professional Affinity Group Presents:

Best of Times, Worst of Times: Making the Most of What You Have

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Fitchburg Art Museum

Fitchburg, MA

Registration Deadline: April 4, 2011

Registration Fee (lunch included): $50 NEMA members / $60 non-members / $40 students
Click here to register.

This year’s workshop sessions will demonstrate strategies for getting a lot accomplished with small staffs and small budgets. Learn to effectively promote and execute fundraising events; discover ways to prosper as a development department of one; and share ways to get the best publicity possible for your institution. A networking event will also be included in the day’s program.

9:00 am Coffee and Registration

9:30 am Welcome
PAG Co-chairs: Sue Schopp, Independent Museum Marketing Consultant, MA and Leigh Thomas, Assistant Director, Slater Memorial Museum, CT

9:45 am Publicity: Getting the Good, Dealing with the Bad
Michael Byrnes, Senior Account Executive, Matter Communications, MA
Do you wonder how your museum or historical society could get more good publicity? Or what formats, whether print or electronic, would work best for your particular institution? Do you ever have sleepless nights worrying about negative publicity? This session will give you plenty of ideas about how to get good publicity, and will also give you guidelines on dealing with less-than-ideal coverage.

11:00 am The Development Department of One
Lisa Johnson, Executive Director, Stanley Whitman House, CT
This session will focus on achieving the most success with the least staff. Whether you’re solely responsible for meeting your museum’s fund-raising goals or just trying to streamline your development operations, in this program you will discover best practices for prioritizing your goals and making the most efficient use of your time.

12:15 pm Lunch

1:15 pm Speed Dating! (A fun and not-awkward networking session)
In this session, you will have the opportunity to meet and speak with a wide variety of your colleagues. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your personal areas of expertise, as well as to solicit advice or ideas from other museum professionals who share your interests.

2:30 pm Sold! Successful Fundraising Auction Planning From Conception Until the Hammer Drops
Mim Fawcett, Executive Director, Attleboro Arts Museum, MA
Learn to get great visibility for your next museum function and pull it off without a hitch! This session will explore how to develop and execute successful fund-raising events. We will examine one museum’s process of planning their annual auction, and along the way will hear advice about marketing, setting (and reaching) achievable goals and coordinating day-of logistics.

3.45 pm Final Questions and Wrap-up

 Click here to register.

All staff from institutional and corporate members are eligible for the member rate. Not sure if your organization is a member? Just call NEMA, 781-641-0013, to find out.