Six Takeaways from Get Smart 2012

by | Oct 16, 2012 | Get Smart | 0 comments

By Cristen James

As co-chair of Get Smart 2012, you spend a lot of time planning and prepping and organizing for the big day. And the morning of the event, the second you finish the last set-up step, you blink and it’s over. It is one of the fastest mornings of my event planning life. However, I did manage to remember some top moments of Get Smart 2012.

elizabeth christian

  1. Location! With its education-focused atmosphere, professional and attentive staff, tech-ready rooms and FREE PARKING, the UT Commons Learning Center was a great location.
  2. Breakout sessions that scored higher in survey results than any other year! Seemed the only issue we had with all the great speakers, Stacy Armijo, Bill Apogee, Sandra Kleinsasser and our esteemed panel; Ruben Cantu, Rachel Clemens, Kerri Qunell and Mary Anne Connolly, was that attendees had to choose which one to attend.  Great sessions and tips from everyone.
  3. The continued and generous support of our sponsors. Get Smart would not continue to thrive and grow each year without you. Thank you Frost Bank, Julie Tereshchuk, Ann Friou Communications, Texas State Small Business Development Center, Momentum Public Relations, and BlueHornet.
  4. Elizabeth Christian reminding us that simple is still best: listen, read the daily newspaper, be aware of your surroundings, act professional. These are still keys to success in the world of communications.
  5. Hearing from a first-time attendee how thankful she was that there was an event like Get Smart. As an entrepreneur, she likes to network and knows she needs to sharpen her professional skills. But often, conferences are too expensive. She was so thankful that Get Smart 2012 provided hard communication skills and fit nicely in her operating budget. (Real comment, from a real attendee!)
  6. We were trending on Twitter thanks to all of our attendees who couldn’t share the info fast enough!  Check #GetSmart2012 for all the digital goodies.

This handful of moments is just a snapshot of the great event that I was lucky enough to be a part of. I am always amazed and never disappointed by the Smarties I meet every Fall at Get Smart.

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