Mix and mingle with your fellow communications professionals over dinner at a favorite local restaurant during Orange County Restaurant week. We have a reservation for up to 12 people at Seasons 52. The cost is
$38 per person for the pre-set restaurant week menu special, tax, and tips. It’s the perfect, low-key opportunity to join a small group of 10-12 professional communicators for an evening of great food, conversation and networking.

Please click here to RSVP. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Thursday, Mar. 1st @ 6:30p.m.
Seasons 52
South Coast Plaza (next to Bloomingdale’s)
3333 Bristol Street #2802
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
http://www.seasons52.com/

Mix and mingle with your fellow communications professionals over dinner at a favorite local restaurant during Orange County Restaurant week. We have a reservation for up to 12 people at Opah. The cost is
$38 per person for the pre-set restaurant week menu special, tax, and tips. It’s the perfect, low-key opportunity to join a small group of 10-12 professional communicators for an evening of great food, conversation and networking.

Please click here to RSVP. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Wednesday, Feb. 29th @ 6:30p.m.
Opah
Aliso Viejo Town Center
26851 Aliso Creek Road #C
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
http://www.opahrestaurant.com/

• Natural-Born Leader Or Want to Expand Your Leadership Skills? We have openings on the IABC/OC 2012 Board. Serving on the board is a great way to expand your involvement in IABC and the Orange County communications industry. And, we make it easy to participate, often combining board positions so that our members can share tasks and better manage their involvement. We are looking for board-level leadership in the areas of membership, administration and sponsorship development.

• Social Media Guru Or Want to Learn More About Social Media? Support IABC’s efforts to spread the word about our great services and programming through social media avenues. We primarily need volunteers to help with managing Facebook updates.

• Handy with a Video Camera Or Want to Engage with more IABC Members at Meetings? We need a team of people who are interested in sharing video-taping responsibilities at our monthly meeting and engaging with attendees to create short videos for the IABC/OC website and social media channels. (Familiarity with a Flip camera preferred; we will supply the camera.)

• Expert Planner Or Want to Expand Your Planning Skills? Join the IABC/OC event-planning committee to help celebrate the chapter’s 35th anniversary in 2012, as well as coordinate other planned events. This committee is a great first step toward getting more involved with IABC as you’ll work to showcase the chapter’s offerings and celebrate members in honor of the 35th anniversary milestone.

• Love Numbers Or Want to be a Communicator who Knows Numbers? Help our finance committee by tracking the chapter’s budget expenditures and keeping our financial administrative processes on task.

• Great Sales Person Or Want to Make More Business Connections in OC? Join our Sponsorship or Corporate Membership committees to help organize outreach to OC companies. If you’re looking for a short-term commitment, we need volunteers who can help with phone calls during membership months, which happen twice per year. (We are actively seeking volunteers in this area for February/March.)

Members: Tell us About Your Professional Achievement or Special Talent
We have created a special place on the IABC/OC website to highlight the professional accomplishments and unique communications work of our members. Just completed a new communications campaign? Publishing a book? Presenting a keynote at a conference? Let us know and we’ll showcase your special accomplishment or communications campaign to fellow members on OC.IABC.com. Please see contact information below for submissions and send us 2-3 sentences on your highlighted work.

Anyone who tells you traditional media is dead hasn’t been paying attention. On the other hand, there are more ways than ever to get your message out. Every new media opportunity presents its own set of challenges.

Media communications expert Mark Bernheimer makes his return to the OC chapter, with an insightful and updated presentation filled with entertaining lessons learned as a veteran network news reporter.

You Will Learn
• The simple, two-step formula for effectively conducting any news interview
• Four productive alternatives to “no comment”
• The secret to “reporterless” communication via YouTube and other venues
• The key to powerful, message-oriented sound bites for any audience

It’s much more than a lecture.

Mark’s highly popular presentation relies heavily on video clips, audience participation, and even a surprise or two.

We hope to see you there!

Luncheon Fee
Pre-registered IABC Members: $30
Pre-registered students: $20
Pre-registered Guests: $40
Please note that walk-ins pay an extra $10 at the door

About Our Speaker
Mark Bernheimer is the founder and principal of MediaWorks Resource Group. He spent 16 years as an award-winning TV journalist for CNN and served as a freelance correspondent for the National Geographic Channel. He now applies his considerable journalistic background to help clients anticipate reporter behavior and formulate ideal media messages.

MediaWorks is an innovative media training and communications firm based in Los Angeles, providing outstanding professional coaching to executives, doctors, researchers, and anyone else called upon to address the news media. Other services include media relations consulting, presentation skills training, and corporate video production. Mark personally leads MediaWorks’ training sessions. He is assisted by some of the news industry’s most respected veterans.

Where
Scott’s Seafood
3300 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1806 USA

Please RSVP before Tuesday, February 14, 2012 by clicking here.

Nationally known brand expert Sandra Sellani, author of best-selling business book, “What’s Your BQ?” and VP of Marketing for NVISION Laser Eye Centers (www.nvisioncenters.com), will share her secrets to building your brand for 2012 at PCE’s Workshop and Networking Event being held on February 7, 2012 at Prego Ristorante (18420 Von Karman Avenue Irvine, CA 92612-0530) in Irvine. Check-in/networking from 5:30PM – 6PM; Speaker from 6PM – 7:30PM; Networking from 7:30PM – 8PM.

Co-Sponsored by the OCAMA, IABC, OC PRSA and OCAF.

In her workshop, Sandra will help you discover what makes you unique, steps to create your own brand, and how to build that brand among your clients, potential clients, partners and others. Branding yourself will help you break away from the competition and become known for being the obvious choice in your field. This will ultimately enable you to stand out when doing proposals for new business and in keeping existing clients.

You will benefit by :

• Taking the BQ Test to ascertain your brand strengths and weaknesses
• Discovering how to define your unique point of differentiation
• Understanding the differences between name recognition and brand recognition
• Finding out how to stand out from the crowd
• Learning how to make your first impression memorable
• Understanding how building your brand gives you a sustainable competitive advantage
• Learning about the VRIO Branding Model, what it is and how it works
• Seeing case studies on how branding has made a difference
• Exploring what efforts are needed to create your own brand

A copy of Sandra’s book, “What’s Your BQ?” will be provided to each attendee (who RSVP’s by 2/1/12). For those who RSVP after 2/1/12 and for walk-ins, books will be available after the event. Sandra will personally autograph books for attendees.

Please RSVP by clicking here.

Start the new year on a high note by joining us for a luncheon featuring William G. Briggs, Dean of the College of Communications at Cal State Fullerton.

We all know that the communications field is changing fast–we see it every day in our jobs. At our January meeting, Dr. Briggs will talk about where communications is headed–and how we can keep pace with the change. You will be able to use this insight as you plan for 2012 and beyond.

Dr. Briggs is a leader in our field, and has been recognized as an IABC Fellow, which is our association’s highest honor. He taught public relations and mass communications for more than 26 years at San Jose State University, where he served as director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Briggs as our guest. We hope you can join us for a great lunch, great networking and a fascinating look into the future of our field.

LUNCHEON FEE
Pre-registered IABC Members: $30
Pre-registered students: $20
Pre-registered Guests: $40
Please note that walk-ins pay an extra $10 at the door

WHERE
Scott’s Seafood
3300 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1806

RSVP
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

REGISTER

If you were lucky enough to register for the December 1 Holiday Mixer before it reached capacity, you were also possibly one of the lucky attendees who not only enjoyed great food and networking, but won a door prize or auction item as well.

The event, held at Prego Ristorante in Irvine and hosted by IABC/OC, PCE, OCAMA, OC/PRSA, SoCal BMA, OC Ad Fed + Ad 2, raised more than $3,000 for Hands Together—A Center for Children and Families. This highly respected non-profit focuses on literacy for children in central Orange County, from infancy to kindergarten. In all there were 22 raffle items and 28 silent auction items, ranging in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

L to R: Dave Peters, Director, Hands Together; Claudia Miller, President, IABC/OC; Robert Kuhel, Board of Directors President, Hands Together.

Prego Ristorante (www.pregoristoranti.com) outdid themselves with hors d’oeuvres like Caprese and CrostiniMisti (toasted Italian bread with a variety of topping: cream cheese and smoked salmon, olive tapanda, bruschetta and more). Dinner was served buffet-style and included sautéed vegetables, chicken piccata, penne primavera and gemeli alla Genovese followed by a selection of Prego’s famous desserts. The restaurant even created a signature holiday martini just for our event!

Fun photography sessions were provided courtesy of Carlos Valle Photography (go to http://vallefoto.smugmug.com/Other/Holiday-Mixer/20433015_BrsBQc#1617154962_293SqsJ to view photos), with makeup courtesy of Couture Beauty. Soothing live music was provided by Leo Fishman and sponsored by Idea Hall. At the end of the evening, a good time was had by all!

Interested in making connections to great communicators and new opportunities to grow in your career? Get involved with IABC/OC, where your impact will make a difference, and your efforts will build your network and skill set. We are looking for volunteers in the following areas:

• Social Media Guru Or Want to Learn More About Social Media? Support IABC’s efforts to spread the word about our great services and programming through social media avenues. In particular, we need a volunteer to help with managing Facebook updates.

• Handy with a Video Camera Or Want to Engage with more IABC Members at Meetings? We need someone who is interested in video taping portions of our monthly meeting and engaging with attendees to create a short video that can be posted to our IABC/OC website (familiarity with a Flip camera preferred; we will supply the camera)

• Publicity Guru Or Want to Build Your PR Portfolio? The publicity committee could use a few volunteers to help promote events and other IABC developments.

• Great Sales Person Or Want to Make More Business Connections in OC? Join our Sponsorship or Corporate Membership committees to help organize outreach to OC companies. In particular, we would like to recruit a few volunteers who can help with phone calls during membership months, which happen twice per year (the next one is in December).

• Superstar Web Developer Or Want to Broaden Your Portfolio? We need help managing and coordinating content updates for the IABC/OC web site, and would especially love to have volunteers who are familiar with PHP.

• Expert Planner Or Want to Expand Your Planning Skills? IABC is forming a committee to plan the chapter’s 35th anniversary next year. This committee is a great first step toward getting more involved with IABC as you’ll work to showcase the chapter’s offerings and celebrate members in honor of the 35th anniversary milestone.

• Natural-Born Leader Or Want to Expand Your Leadership Skills? We are looking for a few IABC members to join the IABC/OC 2012 Board. Serving on the board is a great way to expand your involvement in IABC and the Orange County communications industry. And, we make it easy to participate, often combining board positions so that our members can share tasks and better manage their involvement.

Members: Got a Professional Achievement or Special Talent?
Please share it with your fellow IABC members. We have created a special place on the IABC/OC website to highlight the professional accomplishments and unique communications work of our members. Just completed a new communications campaign? Publishing a new book? Presenting a keynote at a conference? Let us know and we’ll showcase your special accomplishment or communications campaign to fellow members on OC.IABC.com. Please see contact information below for submissions and send us 2-3 sentences on your highlighted work.

To get involved, get more information on volunteering or share your accomplishment, please contact:

Lisa Falcetti
714.918.8228
lfalcetti@golinharris.com

Denise Keddy
949.500.5334
denisemkeddy@gmail.com

Let’s toast to the season and spread holiday cheer! On December 1, join us for a Very Merry Holiday Mixer hosted by six professional associations:

• International Association of Business Communicators, O.C. Chapter (http://oc.iabc.com)
• Orange County Advertising Federation (OC Ad Fed + Ad 2)
• Orange County Chapter of the American Marketing Association (OC AMA)
• Professional Communications Exchange (PCE)
• Public Relations Society of America, O.C. Chapter (OC/PRSA)
• Business Marketing Association, Southern California Chapter (SoCal BMA)

Relax, grab a drink and reunite with old friends. You’ll also make valuable new connections and expand your network for 2012. And did we mention the delicious array of heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts?

Six organizations… one location. If you’re a communicator, marketer, advertiser or PR professional in Orange County, this will be the place to be on December 1. Attendance is limited to 135 people, first come, first served. We hope to see you there!

WHEN
Thursday, December 01, 2011 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

WHERE
Prego Ristorante, 18420 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA 92612
You are welcome to use the validated parking in the adjacent lot.

Click here to register.

SILENT AUCTION
At the event, we will be holding a silent auction to benefit Hands Together — A Center for Children and Families, an early childhood education program in central Orange County for the working poor. Nationally-recognized, Hands Together provides literacy programs and healthcare screening for pre-K children, as well as parental counseling. Its graduates flourish in the public school system despite living in a zip code where historically 60% drop out by the 9th grade.

* * * Please bring cash or your checkbook in case you win something in the silent auction. (We are not able to process credit cards at the event.)

COST
Your registration includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert, one drink ticket and fabulous networking.

$40 for members of the six associations. Please register and pay online by November 28. (All pre-registered attendees must prepay online.)

$50 for non-members who register and pay online by November 28. (All pre-registered attendees must prepay online.)

$60 for all walk-ins and reservations after November 28, regardless of membership (pay at the door with cash or check only — no credit cards)

After November 28, all registrants will pay the walk-in rate. No refunds are available.

Click here to register.

What is the value of corporate communication from the CEO’s perspective? How can companies engage employees and use communication to drive business results? On November 8 we will explore these issues with Chief Executive Officer of Smile Brands, Steven Bilt.

Steve is known as a forward-looking, inspirational leader who believes strongly in the power of communication. Over the past several years, he has led his company through significant change and growth. On Tuesday, November 8, he will talk to us about:

• Smile Brands’ communication activities and how they align with the company’s vision
• How Smile Brands influences and measures employee engagement
• What it means to continuously improve and “enjoy the journey”

This is an outstanding opportunity to see communications from an executive’s viewpoint, and understand the broader role our work plays in a company’s success.

We encourage you to attend–and invite your boss as well! This is our final luncheon of 2011, so we hope you can join us!

Click here to register.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Steve Bilt has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Smile Brands Inc. (formerly known as Bright Now! Dental, Inc.) since April 2000, and was recognized this year with the “Excellence in Entrepreneurship” award from the O.C. Business Journal.

Smile Brands is the largest provider of support services to general and multi-specialty dental groups in the United States through nearly 350 affiliated dental offices in 18 states. The company enjoys leading positions (#1 or #2) in 19 out of its 20 markets, including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston – three of the nation’s top 10 Demographic Market Areas. Revenue has grown steadily over the past several years, and reached $465 million in 2010.

Smile Brands supports partner dentists in the normally time-consuming administrative, financial, marketing, recruiting and information services aspects of their practices. It’s estimated that the average independent dentist spends approximately 40% of his or her time managing various business-related elements of a dental office. Smile Brands relieves doctors of this administrative burden by providing support services that enable affiliated dentists to spend all of their time focusing on patients.

Smile Brands-affiliated dentists benefit from the efficiencies the company creates, as well as the significant patient flow driven by Smile Brands branded, consumer-oriented business model, and therefore earn more income than they otherwise would as an independent practice owner.

As a co-founder of Smile Brands Inc., Steve also served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer from its inception in May 1998 through March 2000. Prior to this, he served as Vice President Finance for Vivra Incorporated, an operator of 250 dialysis clinics in 29 states and specialty physician networks and practices in 15 states. He was with Vivra during its growth from approximately $150 million in annual revenues to over $700 million and through its successful sale.

In 2003 Steve was named Entrepreneur of the Year in an international program honoring business leaders who have created and sustained successful companies. He also became a member of the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame and Academy and has served on the judges’ committee from 2004 to 2007. Founded by $20 billion professional services firm Ernst & Young, the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year program is co-sponsored nationally by SAP and the Kauffman Foundation.

Steve is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization, an international association for chief executives. In addition to his professional career, Steve enjoys scuba diving, mountain climbing, travel and spending time with his family.

Click here to register.