Comments on: PIMA 2010 MidYear Meeting Notes

By: Lisa Wilson

Lisa Wilson — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:08:43 +0000

Hi, Mike:

I am glad you found the meeting productive. It was a great experience for me to be involved in the planning process. It also enabled me to meet some great & talented folks that I'd not have met otherwise.

I had never attended MarketTech, so it was good for me to experience the feel & flavor of that format as well.

It was the 1st summer/marketTech "combo" meeting &hopefully we've laid a solid foundation for this style of meeting that future tri-chairs can build upon.

Thanks for asking, Lisa

By: Fred Hron

Fred Hron — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:37:11 +0000

I liked the pace of the event … fewer sessions, more time to network. And I think the content of conference was as strong and relevant as any I've attended.

By: Mike Wise

Mike Wise — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:01:06 +0000

Denise, I agree about the networking. As the size of the crowd grows, the need for more time to network and meet new people seems to be an important issue…

Jim, agreed on the life insurance stories. I also thought the presentation about http://www.lifehappens.org/ was extremely powerful. And Rob McGinnis's story about 9/11 and Cantor Fitzgerald was unforgettable.

Stephanie, Kudo's to you, Lisa, and Tony for a terrific conference. THANKS!

By: Stephanie D'Ami

Stephanie D'Ami — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:15:29 +0000

PIMA certainly has strong leadership and does a great job of gathering input from members to provide value for all participants. It's great to hear feedback on the speakers as well as the time we took to do "member introductions".

As usual, I left the meeting feeling quite excited about the opportunities to help people improve their marketing efforts and the potential to be more involved in the future!

By: Jim Gallagher

Jim Gallagher — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:36:38 +0000

I thought the new format worked very well, and the content provided by the speakers and panels was fantastic. The high level of attendance and the 'buzz' at the conference are signals of success.

I liked being given license by Kelly McDonald to be authenically dorky. The juxtapostion of Rob McGinnis' and Pat Wedeking's messages — the affect of life insurance on a large group and on one family — was very powerful. And Marv Feldman's follow up the next morning with the tools and resources created by the Life Foundation should help all of us sell more policies. There was much, much more, and something of value for all I'm sure.

@David — thanks for the props, but I know I'll never match Frank's eloquence. ; )

By: denise friday

denise friday — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:17:11 +0000

I thought the meeting overall was great, particularly since it was the initial conference reflecting the new format. Obviously there will be tweaks in the future, but the PIMA CEO and other leadership are certainly cognizant of the needs/wants of the members and will strive to deliver on those expressed desires. I thought the networking opportunities were particularly good at this meeting, and made several important new and/or renewed contacts.

By: Mike Wise

Mike Wise — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:09:22 +0000

David, thanks for the Comment. I heard a few people mention the benefits of the Northeast location as well. A big percentage of the membership locates in the Chicago-to-Boston, K.C.-to-D.C. quarter of the country. So a location in the thick of that territory bodes well in the context of restricted travel budgets. As you say, kudo's to leadership.

By: David Plate

David Plate — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:22:35 +0000

Hi Mike:

Great perspective… a few other observations. On Thursday evening, I arrived early and attended (uninvited) the New and Prospective Member reception, and was shocked to see as many 50 new folks. This is an important metric for PIMA. I remember my first New Member Reception and was one of just 10. This is an important change, and the leadership should be congratulated. This was also the first Meeting under the leadership of Jim Gallagher of USI. I love Frank Fimmano and yet Jim brings a different and energetic spirit to the event. I can't wait to help out in the months and years to come. Thanks Mike for all you did to join and introduce us. PIMA is unique organization where you can't avoid being introduced. Please don't ever lose this differentiator.

Thanks… David Plate

By: Mike Wise

Mike Wise — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:46:15 +0000

One other thing… I really liked Kelly McDonald's talk on the Latino's and Gen-Y. Tons of useful stuff. Especially appreciated the anecdote about the Cinco de Mayo campaign in Miami!!!