MY BLOG HAS MOVED

Good Afternoon!

Just wanted you to know that my blog has now moved. You can find me there at http://www.michaelmccurry.net

I look forward to seeeing you there!

Mike

The Swine Flu Outbreak: How to Prepare Meeting/Event Attendees?

The recent outbreak of Swine Flu has raised some concerns and alarm regarding travel to and from affected areas and this blog is aimed at sharing some intelligence with you concerning how to respond to this situation. The WHO (World Health Organization) has currently not issued any formal travel restrictions.

The following article contains some simple information explaining the current status of this outbreak:

http://news.myjoyonline.com/health/200904/29298.asp

As Event Professionals it is incumbent upon us to provide relevant information to our customers regarding risky situations. Above all it is important to maintain a sense of calm. Here are some suggestions for you and your organization regarding a communication plan for the Swine Flu:

Do:

1. Work with your Public relations teams closely regarding all communications on this topic

2. Refer your clients to official news bulletins from government agencies

3. Keep all stakeholders informed of your actions and decisions

• Event staff
• Speakers
• Delegates
• Exhibitors, sponsors
  
• Supplier partners
  

4. Limit information to facts; do not provide opinions of status or severity

5. Update your information regularly and actively communicate the latest actions you are taking

6. Encourage attendees to take personal precautions (get from website)

• Hand Sanitizer
• Food Handling

7. Advise delegates:

• Still looking forward to seeing you
• Allow for extra time when entering into the airports

8. Talk to venues to understand the venue policies

9. Provide hand sanitizer at your events (bulk and personal)

10. Monitor public travel advisory services in your local

Don’t :

1. Panic or use any information or wording that creates alarm.

2. Make decisions without consulting with key stakeholders and PR

3. Act as the expert on this topic (limit information to official sources)

4. Provide information based on opinion

5. Pretend it doesn’t exist. (take actions to address delegate concerns immediately)

Actions are already being put in place by government and health organizations to investigate and take actions to control this outbreak of Swine influenza. The following links are sources of official information with regards to these actions and the actions that you can take.

Basic Hygiene Information to Share

Unlike the experience in Mexico, the United States is seeing less severe disease. Health officials recommend people continue to take precautions to protect themselves as they would from colds and seasonal flu:

Make good respiratory etiquette and hygiene habits a part of your daily routine especially in confined spaces like automobiles, airplane cabins, train cars and the like. Currently recommended prevention methods include the following:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• If you have no tissue, cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
• The use of alcohol-based hand cleaners is encouraged.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with influenza, call your doctor; CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
  

Official information

Centre for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

CDC recommends the following actions regarding

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm?s_cid=swineFlu_outbreak_internal_003

The World Health Organization is the primary organization for communication of issues with regards to public health. Please ensure that you use this as your primary source of information and communication of information regarding this issue:

http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/

General information regarding the phases of pandemic alert

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html

Swine influenza information

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

US Department of Health & Human Services

http://www.hhs.gov/

Recent press release (April 26^th)

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/04/20090426a.html

Airline Information

Airlines have been issuing their own travel advisory regarding ticketing rules and travel to affected areas.

US Airways:

http://www.usairways.com/awa/TravelAdvisory/TravelAdvisoryCenter.aspx

American Airlines:

https://www.aa.com/aa/listNewsAndOffers.do?locale=en_US&method=View+All+News

Travel advisories

Contact your local embassy or Public travel service.

Who Do I Network With?

One issue social media users wrestle with frequently is whom to connect with? Is there a universal magic formula for success with this process and do certain types of people strengthen a person's online experience? In my opinion not really! Since every person is unique and their interests and motivations varied it's difficult to pinpoint one strategy or solution to this question.

Initially I thought it made the most sense to connect only with people in my business sector, the events industry. Quickly I realized my social media experience would be greatly enriched by expanding my horizons. Selecting a connection is more intuitive than structured. Here are four recommended practices, when applied sensibly, that may lead to better decisions regarding your connections.

1. The Bio -- When considering whether to follow/add someone as a connection read their Biography. You will gain insight into their areas of interest and networking focus. If you sense there may be synergy then connect. Personally, if a person does not post a Bio I don't connect with them.
   
2. Silence is Not Golden -- Review the recent history of a potential connection's communications. Connect with people who are consistent. There is no value in the relationship if there is no interaction!
3. Profile Picture -- A person's profile picture can offer insight into their personality and networking motivation. It is difficult to connect with a person having no picture!
   
4. Variety is Spice -- much depth and balance will be added to your networking experience if you seek quality people with diverse backgrounds. Who knows.. that next great idea might come from a connection with someone distinctly different than you!
   

The value and spirit of social media is to enrich the lives of other people and yours in return. By connecting with people embracing that philosophy you will truly discover a whole new universe of collaboration. That is truly powerful!

Do you have an idea to share based upon your social networking experience... please post it!!

Thanks and have a terrific day!

SOCIAL MEDIA - WHATS APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR?

I've discovered in my social media experience there truly is a sense of camaraderie amongst the majority of users! Chances are if you are bold enough to seek assistance with a particular issue/question you will receive a quality response from at least one person, usually many. That is spectacular!

Like most other things in life, the energy and passion you invest into your own Social Media (SM) network will determine the value of your experience! In an online community an individual influences his/her own experience by making choices, conscious or sub-conscious, regarding the honesty, tone and direction of communications with other users. Most SM experts recommend transparency as the most effective choice for communications.

Usually, a person's core values and morals will influence their interactions. Of course that is not always the case, as some users view online social media as an opportunity to play out their fantasies and engage in experimental behavior. This is particularly true in places like Second Life (SL), (http://www.secondlife.com) a virtual world where a person designs an online version of themselves, called an "avitar." In SL an avitar may embody both real and unreal physical characteristics, including gender choice and human/non human appearance. Users have the choice to communicate in whatever context they wish and their behavior is only governed by the SL terms of service. (TOS)

SM is sort of the "Wild West" of business communications, as it is a relatively unrestricted communication forum with many avenues still to be explored. That is both exciting and dangerous. In my SM experience I have learned some lessons over time and here are a few high points:

1. Golden Rule -- Treat other people the way you wish to be treated. There probably is no greater truth in this world ...!
2. Visibility -- Expect that whatever you say or do in a social media application may be seen by anyone and everyone. This includes employers, prospective employers, customers, spouses, significant others, pastors, family, etc.
3. Do Not Self Promote -- Don't make your communications an infomercial for your company or products. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by many users.. instead be helpful to people and request their help, when needed. Build relationships... the business opportunities and recognition will follow!
   
4. Make It Personal -- Show fellow users tidbits of who you are through your communications and actions. People are drawn to other interesting people .... it makes them feel real and it opens the door to finding commonality!
   

I do not have all the "right answers" as to what constitutes the proper way to engage social media but hopefully this article has been helpful to you in making decisions on how to integrate it into your life.

Have a wonderful day and happy networking!!

SOCIAL MEDIA -- SO WHATS THE FUSS ABOUT??

Are you new to the social media community? Whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter or Digg, or some other application, more than likely you are trying to figure out how to best utilize these wonderful networking tools.

As an account manager, my number one priority is to be my customers' (both internally and externally) trusted adviser. The foundation of any business relationship is strong communication. Therefore you should share relevant information with customers to consider in addressing their business challenges. This consultative behavior demonstrates value and builds their confidence in you quickly.

Social Media is a wonderful resource for business people to locate nuggets of information relevant to their job as well as build new relationships. Here are just a few samples of ways to leverage this tool:

1. Facebook (www.facebook.com) -- By befriending someone, such as a new customer, you can access their Facebook profile potentially learning a great deal about them. (their birthday, hometown, relationship status, education, hobbies & interests, etc.) In Facebook everyone has a "wall" a place where they display their interactions with other Facebook friends. There you can pick up other tidbits about an individual. Facebook is also famous for its photo sharing capability which can be very insightful.
2. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) -- has a distinct business feel to it and there is wonderful information here about a person's business accomplishments and interests. LinkedIn has a unique feature, much like amazon.com, where you can review recommendations other business colleagues have made of an individual. You can learn much about a person's business style.
3. Twitter (www.twitter.com) -- tagged as a Microblog site, Twitter is an amazing place to build a network of like minded individuals to exchange information and web links in "tweets". (140 characters at a time) For example if I type the words "hotel cancellations" in the search window every tweet posted with those two words will come up in an answer window. You can then scan through those microblogs to find the information you seek.

The business world is becoming increasingly competitive, especially in the current economic environment. It is incumbent upon us as business professionals to find ways to distinguish ourselves in the business community.

Do you want to be perceived by your customers and business colleagues as a proactive thinker? Then start investigating the value of social media... it is the future of business communications!

TWITTERLY AMAZING!

It is a rapidly changing world we live in, particularly in the technology community!!!!

The past couple of months I learned the value of social media applications such as Facebook (www.facebook.com) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). It has been an enlightening journey, but folks, quite simply, I have much to learn! My latest quest is to investigate an application called “Twitter.” (www.twitter.com)

Briefly, Twitter is a “micro blog” service for people to communicate with one another, staying connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People write short updates, called "tweets” of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to the user profile also known as the personal blog, sent to a user’s followers and are searchable on Twitter search.

The first time I logged onto Twitter the sensation was akin to being in a classroom learning a foreign language! The communications appeared somewhat cryptic and confusing to say the least. With some persistence I quickly discovered Twitter really is a special application with tremendous potential. Undoubtedly, I am a “Twookie” (a twitter term for a Twitter Rookie) but here is a high level overview of my findings so far:

• Using search features, a user can literally find valuable information on any topic and select individual tweets to save as bookmarks called “Favorites.” Bookmarks may be retrieved on demand and forwarded to other users or other social media applications. (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Tweets can re be “re-tweeted” (called an RT) to followers in the user’s online community. Those followers can then share that same message with their followers. So a single tweet can reach thousands of people literally within seconds.
• In a tweet a user can include hyperlinks to any site on the Internet, such as articles of interest, Photographs, music or videos.
• There are Twitter chat rooms, accessible through a related application called Tweetchat (www.tweetchat.com) identified by “Hash Tags” (#). Users may have real time interactions, or chat sessions, with people having similar interests. For example, I attend a scheduled chat session twice a week with a group called “#eventprofs” (Event Professionals)
• A Twitter application is available for cell phones and other PDA’s that will enable a user to “tweet on the fly.” This feature has some extremely powerful benefits! Imagine sitting in a Keynote Session at a large conference with thousands of people. Attendees tweet their questions and comments directly to the speaker using their cell phone. Those same tweets are posted on a screen(s) at the front of the room in real time. Twitter is already being used in this manner!

This article only scratches the surface of Twitter’s capabilities, but one thing is certain, this technology is here to stay and will only evolve further. I am excited about what lies ahead. I hope to see you out there in Twitterland!!!!

Contact Me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeMcCurry

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!

Well, it has finally happened..... I have a blog!!!!

Over the past couple of months I have been investigating what this social networking thing is all about. I am frankly astounded at what I have learned. The Internet is pregnant with opportunity, but like everything else in life it can either be a curse or a blessing. I am curious how much time each day the average person spends engaging in various social networking activities?? What does social networking mean to you, my friends and colleagues?? These are just some of the questions I have running through my head.

Briefly, I perceive social networking as an opportunity to:

1. Expand your circle of contacts, either for business or friendship.
2. Postion, or brand yourself both personally and professionally.
3. Exchange valuable information and insight with other people with unique perspectives, values and opinions.
4. Identify and cultivate business opportunities where appropriate
5. Socialize in a relaxed unintimidating environment.

Needless to say, social networking means different things to different people, and I would love to hear from you ........ Sooooo... please share your thoughts and ideas on this blog... I am sure I can learn a thing or two from you and hopefully vice versa!!!!

Cheers and have a tremendous day!