10 #AMAHigherEd conference sessions to attend in Chicago on Nov 15-18, 2015

The 2015 Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education

If you’re in charge of marketing at your institution, you probably know that the AMA Symposium or the Marketing of Higher Education is going to take place next week.

With more than a thousand attendees, this conference is one of the major events for higher ed marketers, vendors, agencies and consultants.

If you’re looking for a partner or a consultant, it’s probably the event to attend as I’ve counted more consultants presenting at this conference than at any other conferences targeted at digital marketers. Some of the big consulting players in our industry are also part of the organizing committee.

The program counts more than 5 inspiring keynotes and many, many sessions. So, it’s probably better to have a look at the agenda (still offered only as a PDF for this 2015 edition) at home and select the sessions you don’t want to miss.

While I won’t make the trip to Chicago this year, I still went through this selection process, because it’s part of my job at Higher Ed Experts to know what’s out there.

I read all the session descriptions, made a first cut of 19 then a second of 10 sessions – the final selection I’m sharing with you below.

It’s the same process I used to create the program of our the 3rd Higher Ed Social Media Conference and our upcoming 4th Higher Ed Analytics Conference (the call for proposals is currently open).

Big disclaimer about Karine’s selection

There are several stellar speakers and great sessions that aren’t listed below (but you can find them all on the PDF agenda including the 5 keynote speakers).

I made this selection focusing on topics that I found inspiring. I should mention my personal bias for measurement and analytics — and somehow against branding (nothing wrong with branding, I’m just not into it :-).

This list is just a list – it’s not THE list, so if you’re not there feel free to add a comment to tell us all why we should attend YOUR session.

November 16th 10:15-11am

Track 3: Marketing Intelligence
Dashboarding Through the Avalanche of Data
Chicago Ballroom X, Level 4
Roseanna Stanton, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, Senior Associate Dean; Georgetown University SCS; Diana Shaw, Marketing Analyst, Georgetown University SCS

Real-time analytics shows the current status and historical trends of key performance indicators; this data tool helps to minimize team efforts and optimize resources. SCS will share best practices for navigating through overwhelming amounts of data and making data-driven decisions at the pace necessary for dynamic higher education environments.

Track 6: The Deep Dish
More than a Pretty Picture: How to Positively Disrupt the University Holiday Card Formula
Michigan, Level 2
Emily Cavalcanti, Associate Dean for Communication, USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

How can an institutional holiday card be leveraged for brand messaging and recognition? Learn how the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ “We see snow differently” and “We experience peppermint differently” holiday card campaigns incorporated video, augmented reality and social media to engage stakeholders, garner media coverage and build institutional pride.

Here’s the 2014 Holiday Video Card – it was featured in my post on top 2014 Higher Ed Holiday Video Cards.

November 16th 11:15-12pm

Track 4: Leading Operations and Organizations
A Carrot Beats a Stick: Advancing Integrated Marketing by Streamlining the Marketing Communications Contracting Process
Chicago Ballroom IX, Level 4
Tom Hinds, Director of Marketing, Strategic Communications, UC Davis

By solving a vexing issues for its communicators—long procurement times for hiring marketing contractors—UC Davis took the “carrot over stick” approach to advancing marketing communications. The new, preferred-vendor list delights communicators who hire everyone from photographers to marketing strategists, and also advances institutional goals

November 16th 2pm-2:45pm

Track 2: Digital Strategy
Case Study: Rebuilding An Admissions Web Presence
Sheraton Ballroom I, Level 4

David Olsen, Programmer/Project Manager, West Virginia University From print-heavy communication plans to ad hoc social media efforts to an ever expanding number of web sites we are very good at building silos of content. In this session we’ll discuss the data, tools, and strategy that West Virginia University used to pare down and better integrate their Admissions-related communication efforts.

November 16th 3-3:45pm

Track 6: The Deep Dish
The Power of Casting: How to Get Student Stories to Come to you
Michigan , Level 2
Mindy Limback, Director of Creative Services, Marketing and Communications, Missouri S&T

Do you struggle to find the right mix of students to participate in your public relations and marketing efforts for student recruitment, fundraising, or alumni engagement? It’s time to shift the dynamic. No more piecemeal searches to find someone for a marketing piece or a magazine article. Every great tale needs great talent, so why not start a casting call program to encourage people to bring their stories to you? In fall 2012 at Missouri S&T, we created a system to identify students who could be the faces and voices of our institution’s brand story. Spoiler alert: We ended up with a winning ensemble and hundreds of narratives that embody the Missouri S&T brand.

November 17th 10:15-10:45am

Career Strategies in Higher Ed Marketing
Sheraton Ballroom III, Level 4
Kelly Shannon, Vice President of University Marketing and Communications, Loyola University Chicago; Brad Bohlander, Chief Communications Officer, Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Communications, North Carolina State University; Tony Proudfoot, Associate Vice President, Marketing Communications and Brand Management, University of Arizona; Julie Ried, Executive Recruiter, The Ward Group (moderator)

Do you aspire to be a marketing leader in higher education? Want to strengthen your resume with experiences that will get you there? Wondering how to make the most of the job you have? Pondering when to move on? In an extended session geared to mid-level marketing professionals, this panel will discuss smart moves to help you keep your career moving forward. Points of Discussion:
· What do presidents want in a CMO
· Smart choices for professional development
· The value of experience outside the industry
· Experiences to seek to build your resume
· When is it time to move on? And what to look for in your next opportunity.
· How to find a mentor
· Savvy networking
· Smart ways to engage with a recruiter/headhunter

November 17th 10:15-11am

Track 2: Digital Strategy
Clicks and Likes and Overwhelming Metrics, Oh My!
Sheraton Ballroom 1, Level 4
Bridget Dore, Director, Advertising and Digital Marketing, DePaul University; Wes Meador, Media and Digital Technology Consultant

DePaul University had thousands of digital marketing campaign data points that were being collected across multiple sources. There was a real need to clarify data – and turn the unwieldy into meaningful analytics and insights. Learn about DePaul’s comprehensive digital advertising campaigns and how the team leveraged analytics and recruitment systems to outline a method for prioritizing data to ultimately reap a holistic and meaningful look at digital marketing analytics.

November 17th 2:15-3pm

Track 3: Marketing Intelligence
Do You Have the Right Message? Copy Testing ABCs
Chicago Ballroom X, Level 4
Dan Roelke, Senior Media Buyer / Planner, Wisconsin School of Business

Testing your creative, copy and messaging isn’t the luxury you might think it is. Find out how to run A/B tests in your current tactical plan to gain insight into what truly resonates with your audience and gets results. This session will share practical tips on how to set up copy tests and apply those learnings across your prospect marketing efforts.

November 17th 2:15-3pm

Track 6: The Deep Dish
Building a Social Campus Through Cross Campus Collaboration
Michigan, Level 2
Tyler Thomas, Social Media Specialist, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

With an incoming freshman class that has had Instagram since day one of High School, students expect their school to understand social media. But with few resources and low budgets, how do you keep up? By leveraging our greatest resource (people) and implementing campus collaboration tactics and tools, we can build the best campus social experience.

November 18th 8:15-9:45

Advanced Marketing Session 5
Using LinkedIn to Deepen Relationships Throughout the Entire Student Lifecycle
Sheraton Ballroom IV-V, Level 4
Jessica Naeve, Marketing Solutions Director, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions; Saied Amiry, Marketing Director, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions; Mike Peck, Content Strategist, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; Forest Baker, Senior Account Executive, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

Social and digital media have changed the way higher education prospects make enrollment decisions and how students and alumni leverage their networks to accomplish their professional goals. Learn how higher education institutions can maximize LinkedIn to impact the entire student journey – from increasing leads and applications, to connecting with alumni.

[New Post] 10 #AMAHigherEd conference sessions to attend in Chicago on Nov 15-18, 2015 https://t.co/7ln8P2vNBi

— Karine Joly (@karinejoly) November 11, 2015