TECNA NOTES

TECNA Highlights - February 2015

Dear Members,

February was a very busy and productive month! Of note, we launched TECNA’s new website and database. Please visit www.tecna.org to view new features including:
• Aggregated member Twitter and blog content on our Trending page• Member’s only pages with access to best practices, member survey data, past Community of Interest recordings, and more. (log in required)
• Social sharing of site content
• New members only directory with advanced search capabilities to better facilitate networking among member organizations and staff. (log in required)
• Enhanced public directory listing your association’s logo, description and twitter account

All members in our system received an email on February 26 giving them access to the member’s only pages and ability to update your information. All CEOs received a second email with instructions on logging into the system on behalf of your association to add/delete staff and make other organizational updates. Please be sure to review your staff so they have access and receive our communications.

 

Advocacy

I’d like to thank the 21 councils that participated in this year’s TechAmerica DC Fly-In. We really helped make an impact on the Hill with more than 110 hill visits!

We also signed on to the following letters of support:

02.25.2015 - TECNA and the Coalition of Small Business Innovators Strongly Support recently introduced COMPETE ACT

02.03.2015 - TECNA, TechAmerica and the Coalition of Small Business Innovators (CSBI), write in strong support of your Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act

02.02.2015 - TECNA, 26 members and TechAmerica support the introduction of the Start Up Jobs and Innovation Act

 

Research

We also had a busy month helping launch two new industry research reports:

02.11.2015 - Joint research with University of Phoenix and Apollo Group examines and identifies strategies to address shortage software development talent

02.10.2015 - Cyberstates 2015 released by CompTIA and TECNA: Employment growth in 38 states 

View the Cyberstates report and interactive map (Tech Council members are listed with each state’s data summary)

 

Best Practices

Two of our Communities of Interest met this month. Check out these recordings and resources (Member log in required):

Keeping Members and Attendees Engaged With Events

Tech Council Efforts to Workforce Development

 

CEO Retreat

The CEO Retreat is less than a month away and the most current information is on the website. CEOs have until March 3 to register for the hotel and registration.

 

Summer Conference

The planning committee is busy drafting the preliminary agenda that will be released when registration opens on March 6. Early bird hotel and event registration runs through June 3. View up to date information here.

 

Governance

Today the Nominating Committee met to review open director and officer positions. They will present a slate of candidates to the membership at the CEO Retreat. The Board is currently revising the by-laws to move up the vote from the Summer Conference so there is more time to plan for their participation at the July Board meeting.

Tino Mantella, Julie Huls and myself met to frame out an approach to identify strategic initiatives that can help secure large corporate and foundation monies to help support the work of tech councils and solidify TECNA’s financial sustainability. These will be discussed with the board and membership at the next two meetings. Stay tuned!

Best regards,

Bob

 

Bob Moore, CAE

Executive Director, TECNA

 

TECNA Member Spotlight - February 2015

Angela McLaughlin, Director of Events, Minnesota High Tech Association

Bio: Angela joined MHTA in January 2013 to organize flagship events like Spring Conference and the Tekne Awards, in addition to other professional development, networking and advocacy events for MHTA – including the 2013 TECNA Summer Conference. Prior to MHTA, Angela spent nearly 10 years at the Minnesota International Center where she managed senior level diplomatic visits, special events, corporate relations and gala fundraisers. A high point of her MIC experience was being selected as a citizen diplomat for a 10 person national delegation to China in 2009. Prior to entering the nonprofit sector, Angela worked in higher education administration as a college student activities director (student government, concert planning committe, college radio, etc). She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Morris and holds a Master’s Degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

 

What is the most notable change that has impacted your members during your tenure at the Minnesota High Tech Association? How has MHTA responded to this challenge/opportunity?

From what I see through the events lens, there are more technology events and more competition than ever in the Twin Cities – especially Minneapolis. An example is that as print media circulation declines, publications who have been long time media sponsors are starting to organize events that sometimes compete with ours – including innovation awards! We are responding by taking a close look at established events and seeing how we can refresh them to keep them differentiated. Our 2015 Spring Conference has been held at the Minneapolis Convention Center for years, and has included up to 18 breakout sessions, keynotes and a trade show. Input from guests and from our board resulted in us shifting the focus toward thought leadership content and moving away from the trade show aspects, and moving the venue to the Guthrie Theater, a state of the art modern theater facility on the Mississippi River. We’ve identified multiple keynote speakers, increased the networking opportunities, and are organizing fewer, higher level panel discussions.  We’re also partnering with compatible organizations, like Life Science Alley or the North Start STEM Alliance, when ever possible.

 

What is one program you’re most proud of at your organization? Why?

Now in its sixteenth year, the Tekne Awards honors innovations in science and technology across several categories. Reviewing the award applications always blows my mind as I’m thrilled by the exciting new things that fellow Minnesotans develop, but the event itself is also spectacular. People call it the “academy awards of technology;” 900-ish people attend a black tie event with champagne, high quality custom video production, dinner, and beautiful award statues made by a local glass artist, and MHTA’s foundation scholarships are awarded to college students. It’s a unique snapshot each year of excellence in the Minnesota science and technology community, but present and future.

 

What are you hoping to learn from your TECNA colleagues to help grow your organization?

As an educator, experiential peer-to-peer learning was my passion. That was part of my attraction to working for a professional association. I appreciate being able to tackle common problems in groups with others who understand the context of my work and can share best practices.

 

Name one way you’ve changed your work based upon something not going as well as you hoped the first time?

This is totally specific to event planners: Label all of the food on buffets with allergy info, gluten, nuts, etc. People are increasingly aware of what they eat and have questions, and can get anxious if you can’t answer them.  Labeling food puts guests at ease. For our Spring Conference in 2014, I ordered the exact same food that I ordered the year prior, except that it was all labeled. I was shocked by how many people raved about the food in their post-event surveys, saying it was so much better than last year.

 

Name one tool, website, app, etc that you find very helpful professionally.

Linked-In is increasingly valuable to me. Because several MHTA events involve securing technology professionals as event hosts, speakers, or committee members, Linked-In is a convenient way to secure a headshot, confirm a title, or even see if the name you’re working with belongs to the face you think it does. I like being able to walk up to sponsors at an event and greet them by name. It’s also handy for email introductions between members.

 

When you’re not working diligently on behalf of your members, what do you do for fun in your spare time?

I enjoy reading, attending performing arts events, traveling, and furniture restoration. Taking conversational Polish classes is something my fiancé and I do together; following our wedding in May, my last name will become Skrowaczewski. (I couldn’t pronounce it at first, either).