The 2007/2008 year for the Triangle AMA is under way and off to a fast start. The new board of directors started July 1 and has been hard at work. Visit TriangleAMA.org to meet the new board and learn about each member. The task this year is substantial because 2006/2007 broke records for attendance and chapter membership under the leadership of Melissa McCaslin.

The year started by adding an additional month to our programming calendar: August. Our first summer luncheon featured Susan Amey from UNC speaking about “Creating Brand You.” The topic, timing, and speaker were right and over 120 people attended. We now have luncheons 11 months of the year. 

We also held a new type of social on August 9^th at the Duke Fuqua School of Business. In addition to the traditional socializing, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres, Professor Gavan Fitzsimons presented the results of his research on “Product Contagion.” His research detailed how products impact each other and consumer reactions during the shopping process. The examples he presented resulted in fun and interesting discussions afterwards. We are calling these events “Working Socials,” and based on the success of the first you can expect to see more in the near future.

The chapter web site has a list of upcoming programs and registration information.

Other things of interest on the web site include the Job Bank, where you can view job listings or post your resume. We’ve added an archive of newsletters, so now you can see past issues of AMAzing Times. If you are interested in volunteering on an AMA committee, the options are listed on the Volunteer page.

I’m excited that this year is off to a strong start for the AMA. The board is working hard to add value to your membership and bring you the best programming, networking, and learning opportunities in the Triangle.

I look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Sincerely,

Eric Schmidt