At our recent Spring Professional Development Conference (at McDonald’s University outside of Chicago) I was having lunch with my media manager colleagues from Intel and McKinsey. It was a matter of fact conversation – we were talking shop about our facilities and the daily challenges we face – but at one point it struck me like a thunderbolt: this is what CMMA is all about! In 20 minutes, while noshing on our Chicago-style hot dogs, Best Buy, Intel and McKinsey were benchmarking each other! I was amazed at how simple this was and powerful at the same time. As always, our conversation confirmed how much we had in common and how enlightening it was to share stories.

I’ve been a member of CMMA for over 6 years now and it has been an excellent and fulfilling experience getting to know the folks out there that do what I do – folks who manage teams that create videos, other media and live events. I’ve learned so much during that time. For my company, Best Buy, it’s been a great “return on investment” as well. Our ability to benchmark systems, approaches, vendor partners, etc. in a matter of hours or days is invaluable.

This fall we’ll all meet again at our National Conference in Nashville, TN. Our theme is “The Innovation Conference,” and will undoubtedly be an exciting and educational experience. The agenda is shaping up to be a very cool event, and I expect more of what I have come to enjoy every time CMMAers get together – great conversation, sharing and learning. And fun! I hope to see you there or at any one of our regional get-togethers over the summer.

For more information on CMMA membership, or to watch the Nashville conference presentation video, and a chance to meet the members, visit us at www.cmma.org!

Cheers,

Chris Barry, CMMA President