Welcome to the Winter 2008 edition of Interact!

In This Issue: Club News | AAF News | Upcoming Events | Member Benefits

Club News

AAF Name Changes

At the 2007 conference in Louisville, Ky., AAF Chairman Murray Gaylord, AAF President and CEO Wally Snyder and AAF Executive Vice President of Club Services Joanne Schecter spoke to club leaders regarding the AAF brand, suggesting that they consider changing their club names to better identify with the AAF national brand. A list of clubs that had officially changed their names was featured in our Fall 2007 edition of Interact, and we are happy to report that the list has grown significantly and continues to expand. Many of you may have noticed in Murray Gaylord's January 9 e-mail that the branding initiative continues to be one of his primary concerns as we hope to close in on 100 clubs adopting the name change by the AAF National Conference 2008 in June.

Club Achievement Competition

The AAF National Club Achievement Competition is fast approaching! Established to honor the significant contributions of our member ad clubs and federations and to encourage excellence in areas of club operations, this competition is your opportunity to showcase your club projects and activities on a national level. The official Call for Entries can be downloaded here. Winning entries will be honored at the Salute to Achievers Luncheon at the AAF National Conference 2008 in Atlanta. In addition, cash prizes will be awarded for winning entries in the categories of Advertising Education, Communications, Public Service and Diversity and Multicultural Initiatives.

If you have not already, now is the time to begin preparations for your entries! All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT, March 31, 2008.

ADDY Awards

With over 55,000 entries annually, the ADDY^® Awards are the world's largest and arguably toughest advertising competition. The ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world. To enter your local competition, please visit www.addycompetition.com.

Student ADDY Awards

The AAF Student ADDY Awards Competition is a unique national awards program designed specially for college students. Work entered at your local level can move up to the regional and national judging, just like the work entered by professionals across the country. For more information on the Student ADDY Awards and how to win $1,000 for the National Best of Show, please visit www.thankstotheaddys.com.

Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award

We are now accepting nominations for the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award. This award was established by the AAF board of directors in 1994 to recognize distinguished individuals for their volunteer service to advertising through volunteer work with the AAF. The award is named in honor of the late Bart Cummings, former chief executive officer of Compton Advertising (now Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising), whose extraordinary career was dedicated to industry service and to advancing the social and economic values of advertising.

Nominees for the Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award must have contributed significantly as a volunteer to the advancement of advertising at the national level. Part of that contribution must have been through an AAF local, district or national affiliate or under the aegis of the AAF nationally. The nominee should have demonstrated exceptional leadership in one or more AAF activities including advancement of advertising education, government relations, public service, self-regulation or other services important to the AAF.

Nominations are due by March 3, 2008. For information, please click here.

Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award

The AAF is also accepting nominations for the Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award. Established by the board of directors in 1997, this award recognizes and honors employees of AAF member clubs, federations, districts, and national AAF. The award is named in honor of the late Betty Riehl, who served on the staff of the American Advertising Federation for over two decades prior to her retirement in 1995. Riehl was respected and revered throughout the membership for her dedication, organizational skills, grace, good humor and caring nature.

Nominees for the Betty Riehl Excellence in Service Award should exhibit similar qualities of devotion to duty and member service as were reflected in the career of Betty Riehl. The nominee must be a paid employee of an AAF member club, federation, district or the national AAF. The nominee's distinguished service to her or his organization should be over a considerable period of time and reflect contributions above and beyond the call of duty.

Nominations are due by March 3, 2008. For information, please click here.

Club Spotlight: The Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington

The Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington showcased Washington, D.C. as the "Capital of Making Big Things Happen" with the most successful Advertising Week DC to date. ADWKDC07 brought big name headliners including Tim Russert, Rick Boyko and Stuart Elliott. A diverse gathering of advertising, marketing, public relations and media leaders gathered for the event. With attendance topping 3,134, the week of networking, professional development and education was embraced throughout the D.C. metropolitan community. The Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington will build on this momentum for ADWKDC08, running September 15–19 of this year!

Stay updated at www.advertisingweekdc.com.

AAF News

Advertising Ethics by Wally Snyder

AAF President and CEO Wally Snyder has begun a series of articles examining advertising ethics at the AAF Web site. He hopes to engage the industry and the AAF membership on this often overlooked area of advertising and to generate a discussion about the importance and value of including ethics in the mix when clients and agencies plan campaigns.

Click here to read his first two articles and to join in the conversation!

AAF National Conference 2008

Consumers have more choices than ever before. Marketers must break through—in the right place with the right message—to make an enduring impression.

Mark your calendars to join us at the AAF National Conference 2008, June 8–10, in Atlanta and hear the latest strategies and tactics from industry leaders. Plus, experience the Ad Expo, the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) and the Worldwide ADDY Awards. For more information, click here. Online registration and details on speakers, sessions and other special events are coming soon!

Upcoming AAF Events

Most Promising Minority Students Program

The Most Promising Minority Students Program connects the advertising industry with the nation's most talented minority students. Each year, college seniors are nominated by their AAF college chapter advisers in recognition of their passion for advertising and outstanding achievements both in and outside the classroom. The Most Promising event is not only a chance to honor these students, but also a chance for them to learn more about their field of interest through career development workshops, networking, interviewing and industry immersion opportunities. This year's 50 Most Promising students mark the 12th anniversary of the program.

The Most Promising event will be held February 5–7, 2008, at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan. For more information on the Most Promising Minority Students Program, please visit www.aaf.org/mpms.

2008 Mosaic Career Fairs

The Mosaic Career Fairs allow students interested in advertising, marketing and communications to come together with recruiters from some of the nation's leading companies to learn about career opportunities in the advertising industry. The day includes professional development seminars, skills development workshops, panel discussions with top industry executives and one-on-one résumé reviews and portfolio critiques. Participation is free to both students and recruiters.

The following is a list of confirmed sponsors, dates and locations for 2008:

— Leo Burnett Mosaic Career Fair: February 21, Chicago, Ill.
— The Walt Disney Company Mosaic Career Fair: February 29, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, Calif.
— USA TODAY Mosaic Career Fair: March 6, USA TODAY Headquarters, McLean, Va.

Almost 150 students and over 25 recruiters have already registered to participate in the 2008 Mosaic Career Fairs, so be sure to sign up before it's too late! Visit www.aaf.org/mosaicfair for information on how to register, deadlines, participating recruiters, schedules, transportation and lodging.

NSAC Recruiters Expo

Hosted during the AAF National Conference 2008, the NSAC Recruiters Expo offers companies the opportunity to meet and explore career opportunities with the national finalists for the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). These students have been judged to be the best by the country's top advertising executives in their district competitions.

This year's NSAC Recruiters Expo will be held on June 9, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. For more information on recruiter packages and costs, contact Tricia Ward at tward@aaf.org.

Member Benefits

AAF members are eligible for discounted registration rates for two great upcoming conferences!

eMarketing 8 Conference, San Francisco, April 15 and 16, 2008

eM8 provides an unparalleled opportunity. It will provide you with capabilities to address the urgent transformation and challenges within the eMarketing arena. This conference will contain so much new content and cutting-edge actionable ideas and processes you should bring your entire team. Leverage your marketing opportunities with great keynotes and focused sessions packed with actionable material. Ninety-five percent of eM7 attendees rated the conference "Very Good or Excellent." You can expect to meet a dedicated group of peers looking to add value to their organizations, improve their professional development and further their careers. Register soon as we expect this event to sell out!

AAF members get a special discount rate of 20 percent off by using the promotional code "aaf" at checkout. For more information and registration, go to www.eMarketingAssociation.com.

41st IAA World Congress, Washington, D.C, April 7–9, 2008

London 2000, Beirut 2002, Beijing 2004, Dubai 2006. Next stop... Washington, D.C., April 7–9, 2008.

Every two years the who's who of the international marketing and communications world gathers at the International Advertising Association's World Congress.

With its theme What's Coming Next?^SM, the IAA intends to take its delegates on a journey of remarkable global insights, news and knowledge that few events can provide. With its mix of international and U.S. speakers, content and case histories that are making the news, driving the changes and enabling marketers to network and engage the rapidly changing landscape of communicating with their customers, this is an event you must not miss.

Register now for 2008's must-attend event! For more information and to register visit www.whatscomingnext.org.

AAF members qualify for a reduced delegate rate ($1,350 IAA member rate as opposed to $1,600). To qualify for this rate, please place the code "AAF" in the IAA Member ID field.

AAF Job Bank

Searching for a new job? The AAF Job Bank, part of the Marketing Career Network, is a great resource for finding that perfject job in advertising or marketing. Thousands of top employers in the industry use the Marketing Career Network to find candidates. It's free to post your résumé or apply for a job. Start your search today! Visit www.aaf.org/jobs!

The club services department of the American Advertising Federation is here to assist you with leadership and club management questions, securing resources and information on AAF programs. Please call (800) 999-2231 or e-mail the following individuals:

Joanne Schecter, EVP – club services, jschecter@aaf.org
Jeremy Hoders, director – club services, jhoders@aaf.org
Caitlin Tucker, coordinator – club services, ctucker@aaf.org
Lucille Hill, database coordinator, lhill@aaf.org

American Advertising Federation
1101 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 500 | Washington, DC 20005
(202) 898-0089 | Fax: (202) 898-0159 | www.aaf.org