Top 4 Lessons Learned at the AMA International Collegiate Conference

My experiences from the American Marketing Association's International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans can be summarized into 4 Lessons for a Successful Marketer:

1. Customize to your audience; Keynote speaker Michael A. McCullough, the Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer Miami HEAT, spoke about the huge marketing campaign held the summer of 2010 to secure three of the NBA's biggest free agents for the Miami HEAT: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The We Want Wade campaign was entirely aimed directly at Dwyane Wade cleverly including huge billboards placed on Wade's route to work, home, the grocery store, and the gym.

2. Be Unique; there was a table at the conference at which attendees could drop their resumes in trays for employees present at the career fair. Leafing through the top few resumes I saw a cookie-cutter layout and text. How on earth was my resume going to stand out among the 1500 other resumes?!?! Find something unique and interesting about yourself to grab attention and be memorable.

3. Be Passionate; Beth Ann Brannon, Complex Sales Manager at W Hotels of New Orleans said at her Experience Speaks session that "when searching for the right career path… Be Passionate. Be Involved. Be Informed. Be Humble. But most of all… Be You!" Combine all the time you spend working with all the time you wish you could be doing something for yourself and you will find a successful and fulfilling career will follow.

4. Work hard, PLAY HARD; combining the AMA Conference with its location a block from Bourbon street taught me this cliche is nothing but the truth. If you can work hard and feel that you have put 100% into your work, there is nothing as rewarding as celebrating your hard work. You've got to chill out and let your brain have a break or else you will burn out eventually. Both parts of this motto are to be followed though; if you do not work hard but decide to play hard that night, you will find your work will only pile up and still be waiting there the next day. This motto also creates a great time to get to know your coworkers on a different level outside of the office.

Here are a few photos of the University of Northern Iowa's AMA chapter members that attended the 33rd International AMA Collegiate Conference this year. We worked hard both preparing for the conference and also competing and participating in the conference. With all our hard work, we were able to enjoy a few (maybe too many) nights out on Bourbon street bonding with each other.