New York American Marketing Association (AMA New York) live events will make a major difference in your professional life. Watching a streaming live event or a webinar is convenient, but do you gain the contacts and network that you need to grow your business or career?

When social media first came along, there was a lot of concern about how this evolving communication channel would impact AMA New York live events. Would it be the end of face-to-face experiences? Everyone thought we would be too immersed in social media to bother going to live events. Would we conduct our lives without leaving the office, whether working or socializing?

I am happy to report live events like our feature events, Mix and Mingle, Young Professional Series, and the Marketing Hall of Fame are growing. We offer AMA New York members and the marketing community wonderful opportunities to learn and network with the best and brightest.

Thanks to the support of our hosts, sponsors, and speakers we attract attendees in all stages of their career development, from MBA students to seasoned veterans. Our attendees are marketers from B-B and B-C brands who work in non-profits, consulting firms, universities, and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. Peer to peer networking is vital to your career growth and is the hallmark of the AMA New York.

The key to success is making and sustaining connections. Connections between people and connections between people and brands. Companies that are successful in the digital economy have realized the power of branding. They also understand how shared live experiences contribute to this.

Programming events for AMA New York and our membership has given me new insights and opportunities to explore and interact with marketing thought leaders from J. Walter Thompson, Ketchum, Ogilvy, Deloitte Digital, Forbes, GE, Coca Cola, American Express, Citigroup, New York Yankees and the New York Mets, just to name a few. With the help of committed volunteers, we have produced more than 100 live events, featured hundreds of speakers, and attracted thousands of attendees over the past six years.

Our wide range of topics have included: emerging markets, strategy and measurement, brand management, marketing research, mobile and social marketing, sports marketing, cultural segmentation, youth marketing, and more.

Many falsely believe that the days of live meetings are gone because marketing information is accessible via the Internet. The truth is, live events are more important than ever. The value in our events comes from the human-to-human connections that occur. It is the people that bring the ROI to your time at an AMA New York live event.

“There are so many great communication tools, but there’s still only one way truly to build a real relationship and develop empathy for other people, and that’s face-to-face interaction,“ – Dan Elman, AMA New York member, Managing Member of Elman Consulting, and regular event attendee

Here are four reasons to attend AMA New York live events:

1. Educational opportunities. No matter how experienced you are, everyone has something to learn. Working in a small business venture can often be isolating and without exposure multiple points of view, we can miss new ideas and trends that can impact future results.
2. Networking with peers. AMA New York live events provide a great opportunity to network with like-minded marketers. Often competitors from other organizations can become valuable resources for referrals and best-practices.
3. Encounter new vendors and suppliers. Discovering innovative products and services for your business is necessary to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world. Invest time with our events’ sponsors and turn them into your friends and allies.
4. Position yourself as an expert. When you attend AMA New York live events, you are learning from experts that can assist you in growing your knowledge and career.

Remember to enjoy yourself. Being in business should be rewarding and fun. All work and no play can get old fast. AMA New York live events can add a layer of enjoyment to managing your career growth by mixing a social aspect into your learning efforts. Many of our events have fun aspects to them such as the Mix and Mingle series, sporting events, and holiday parties. Never underestimate the power of a little fun mixed with some interesting people!

“Our live events are critical to the mission of the AMA New York: serving and strengthening the community of marketers in America’s media capital, while advancing and promoting the best in marketing practice today.” – David Rogers, AMA New York President and faculty at Columbia Business School

I hope to see you at our AMA New York live events really soon. This is why AMA New York live events matter.

About Lee Hornick: Lee was an AMA New York board member, and former chair of the Programming Committee, and a member of the Marketing Hall of Fame committee for the AMA New York. He has been a member of AMA New York since 1997. Lee has more than 25 years of experience in conference and events development, fundraising, and sponsorship. He is the president of Business Communication Worldwide, Inc. and senior program director for The Conference Board since1989. Additionally, he is a past president of the International Association of Business Communicators in New York City.

If you are interested in volunteering for the AMA New York Programming committee, contact us at [email protected].