The Conference Board & SNCR Marriage: This Was Meant to Be
By Paul Gillin, Advisory Board Member, Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board
Shortly after my first book was published in 2007 I received a request to speak at a conference put on by a group called the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR). I had never heard of the organization, but any promotion is good promotion to a newly minted author. I said yes.
That turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. The SNCR conference mesmerized me. At a time when few people even knew what social media was, here was a group of practitioners who were thinking deeply about its implications for markets, institutions, and personal relationships. Among the people I met through SNCR was Shel Israel, whose book, Naked Conversations, had influenced me to write my own; Mike Moran, author of the authoritative Search Engine Marketing, Inc.; Shel Holtz, whose For Immediate Release podcast has been my weekly must-listen for the past six years; Francois Gossieaux, whose later work on tribes would transform the way I thought about online communities; and Katie Paine, who was on track to become the world’s leading authority on social media measurement. And there have been so many more.
Over the past nine years I’ve attended every SNCR conference and research symposium I could get to. Unlike the standard industry events where people go to wheel and deal, the SNCR Fellows gather to swap insights, support each other’s work and develop a shared vision for the future of media. There are no sales pitches; only research and conversation. SNCR events have long been the best-kept secret in social media.
A few years ago I was summoned to New York to give a presentation to The Conference Board. I say “summoned” because one does not treat lightly an invitation from that 100-year-old organization. The experience was SNCR-like. The 40 or so chief marketing officers in the room represented some of America’s largest companies, and they came to learn about the trends that would define their field for the next five years. It was a no-nonsense discussion by a group of very bright people.
The Conference Board has the benefit of a long history, outstanding reputation and blue-chip membership. SNCR has struggled by on grants, occasional sponsorships and contributions from its Fellows. There were times during the last couple of years when it seemed that SNCR wouldn’t make it. But the leadership team of the Conference Board saw the potential there, and today the two groups have announced that they’re joining forces, with SNCR operating as part of the larger Conference Board organization.
My colleagues and I are thrilled about this announcement. The Conference Board will host SNCR’s huge archive of research and case studies and give us the stability to embark upon more long-term projects. The Conference Board will also continue SNCR’s Excellence in New Communications Awards, which honor companies, media, government, nonprofit and academic institutions for their innovative use of new communications tools and technologies. Now in its tenth year, the 2016 awards will be presented during The Conference Board’s 21st Annual Senior Corporate Communications Management Conference in New York City May 19-20.
The continuation of the awards is particularly significant for me, since I’ve chaired the program for the past seven years and hosted the annual gala dinner and presentation. It’s a time-consuming job, but the thrill of meeting so many innovative new media practitioners is well worth the effort. After a two-year hiatus, we’re reestablishing the Excellence in New Communications Awards program’s visibility and looking forward to tapping into The Conference Board’s member base for nominations.
The synergy between these two organizations couldn’t be better, and as a Senior Fellow and Advisory Board member of the new organization, I’m excited to be a part of this integration. So, stay tuned for more, but in the meantime, please visit the new website, www.conferenceboard.org/sncr to find out more about the integrated organization.