Successful Meetings - August 2008 - (Page 44)

Association Meetings > Oil’s Well decreased because fewer people are willing to risk [being in the industry] now.” A FAMILY AFFAIR Members are encouraged to bring their spouses and children to the meeting and their involvement serves a twofold purpose. Hamlin estimates that 75 percent of members bring their spouses, who enjoy the semi-annual opportunity to socialize. “Our A HOMECOMING For IPAA’s mid-year meeting, held June 1921 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, attendees came together for contentrich sessions, followed by doses of entertainment that included the presidential historian Michael Beschloss, who was a big hit with attendees, and a popular golf outing that pits the “Oil Team” against the “Gas Team.” The Broadmoor holds an important place in IPAA’s history—the association was founded there in 1929 during President Herbert Hoover’s Oil Conservation Conference “to give a national voice to domestic producers,” explains Hamlin. “We didn’t return until our 75th anniversary. We got rave reviews and we do plan to go back [again in the future] as long as we can afford it. I am rate-sensitive because not all of my members can afford a place like The Broadmoor.” And with fuel prices soaring, can these members afford to get to their own meetings? Although Hamlin says IPAA does not directly address fuel costs, the association does meet in locations fairly convenient to all attendees. “Most of our members are in Texas, Colorado, and California so it’s not as far of a trip [to The Broadmoor]. We do try to keep it centrally located for everyone,” says Hamlin, adding that “we sometimes go to Florida and hope we’ll have producers there at some point.” IPAA’s end-of-the-year meeting will be in Houston this year and rotates among New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, with Austin appearing every now and again. “We host meetings only in the lower 48, where the majority of our members do business,” explains Hamlin. IPAA’s mid-year meeting at The Broadmoor (center), welcomed members and their families for three days of networking, golf, and hard-hitting sessions. members are very family-oriented and so busy every day that they really enjoy having time to spend with their spouses and children.” At the same time, encouraging young people to attend events helps them to see the value of the association. And, should they follow in their parents’ footsteps and mimegasite.com work in the industry, the exposure could inspire them to become active members of IPAA as well. The 2008 mid-year meeting played host to some 500 attendees and family members, including roughly 30 children, who also attended the final evening’s event, “A Night in Marrakech,” which featured belly dancers, tarot card readers, and other entertainment. “I had planned to have henna tattoo artists, but canceled at the last second because I figured the ladies wouldn’t want to do it. I shouldn’t have canceled though,” says Hamlin. “The kids would have loved it!” More serious events included sessions incorporating current political issues as well as local and international concerns. “At this meeting, we added a speaker on global climate change to address this everpresent and important topic. Dr. William Gray, professor emeritus from the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University gave a very enlightening presentation about this issue,” says Hamlin. “Additionally, we held a session titled ‘View from the Street’ to address the volatility of commodity prices—especially given the recent spike in crude oil. We brought in a financial analyst from Goldman Sachs who predicts that oil prices will continue to $200 and another speaker who predicts that it will decrease by year’s end to around $70 a barrel. We thought it was important to give our members both outlooks. The final speaker on the panel addressed natural gas supply and demand.” Since the upcoming elections could have a major impact on members, Hamlin invited Frank Luntz, the political pollster, to speak to attendees about how they can effectively communicate with their key audiences. She also plans to add a session at the annual meeting in November on how to coordinate a meeting with a member of Congress. “We are a small group,” she says, “and we need all of our members’ help in getting our message out to the current and newly elected officials.” AUGUST 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 44 http://mimegasite.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - August 2008

Successful Meetings - August 2008 Contents Editor's Note Industry Trends Industry Events On the Record Technology Calendar Websites of the Month Personal Success Technology Talk Food & Beverage Pre-Event On Site Tools of the Trade Pre-Event Crude Awakening Oil’s Well Betting on Development The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of No Spa, No Dice New & Improved Bean Counting Places & Spaces Cleveland Palm Springs, Desert Resorts Midwest Meetings San Antonio Yucatan Peninsula Gurus

Successful Meetings - August 2008

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