I WILL BE ADDING NEW CONTENT TO THIS POST SO CHECK BACK OFTEN! JUST LOOK FOR THE GREEN HEADLINES BELOW.
It’s time.
The largest annual meeting of legal marketing and business development professionals from around the world is taking place in New Orleans April 9-11. If history even comes close to repeating itself, we will have:
- Over 1500 business of law professionals
- From 20 countries
- Representing 46 out of 50 states
- All 8 LMA governing regions
- With titles of Director, Officer, Coordinator, Assistant, Specialist, Strategist, Consultant, VP, President, and others
- From firms ranging in size from under 100 to well over 1000 lawyers actively engaged in the practice of law
This Is The Place
It is no secret that I look forward to LMA Annual Conferences. Having joined LMA in 1997 when I started in the industry as an in-house Director of Marketing at Baker & Daniels (now Faegre Baker Daniels), then starting my own business, Myrland Marketing & Social Media, in 2002 in what has become a marketing, business development, content, social and digital media strategy, consulting, and training company, this is the industry I have chosen, and these are the legal professionals I have chosen to help.
Why I Look Forward To This Conference
I look forward to this conference because it is filled with very smart, passionate, well-rounded businesspeople who help one another become better at what they do every day throughout the year. Having 1500 of us in the same building sharing knowledge and skills for 3 to 4 days is an amazing gift that all law firms should recognize as the bare minimum when deciding how best to empower and educate their marketing and business development professionals.
I also look forward to the conference because these are “my people.” I have spent many years with some, and only a few days with others. It doesn’t matter how long because we all have something very important in common. We care deeply about what we do, about each other, about the attorneys and law firms we are a part of, and we sincerely care about becoming better at what we do to help our lawyers do what they do better, too.
The Reunion Is Real
We are a very close family, and our reunion is amazing for all the reasons I mentioned above. I look forward to the hugs (especially the hugs as I am a hugger, try me), the stories, the lessons, the old friends, the new ones, the atmosphere of excitement, the amazing way the conference is organized to take care of all of us, the pages of to-do items I gather after attending sessions and having conversations, all with too many asterisks noting must-do items that I must implement as soon as possible, and the feeling we will undoubtedly have being in New Orleans a city that is in the midst of celebrating its 300th birthday.
What could be more perfect than all of that?
Conference and Association Leadership
A conference like this is no small endeavor.
The muscle behind this conference is the Legal Marketing Association, or LMA, which is headed by Executive Director Betsi Roach, President Ashraf Lakhani, and the International Board of Directors.
Once again this year, we have amazing volunteers organizing the conference, led by Conference Co-Chairs:
- Katherine D’Urso, Chief Client Development Office, Wilmer Hale, and
- Brian Dare, Chief Marketing Office, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
as well as the 2018 Annual Conference Advisory Committee:
- Mary Margaret Gorman, Senior Public Relation & Media Manager, Jones Walker LLP
- Mike Haag, Director of Business Development, GrayRobinson
- Jon Mattson, Director of Business Development, Baker & Hostetler LLP
- Christine Mitchell, Business Development Manager, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
- Clare Ota, Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager, Allen Matkins
- Jim Pagliaro, Partner, PP&C Consulting
- Betsi Roach, Executive Director, Legal Marketing Association
- Lisa Simon, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP
- Mary K. Young, Consultant., Zeughauser Group
- Mona Zeiberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
- Ashraf Lakhani, Director of Business Development & Marketing, Porter Hedges LLP, and LMA Board President and Conference Committee Liaison
Thank you for all of your hard work!
Conference Highlights
The conference website summarizes this year’s conference highlights:
- 150+ speakers representing different firm sizes, various marketing roles and a wealth of experience will share their knowledge. (By the way, I’m happy to be presenting at this year’s Pre-Conference Quick Start program on Social & Digital Media Ethics For Lawyers & Legal Marketers.)
- Participate in discussions around the evolution and innovations taking place within legal services at over 40 breakout sessions
- Choose from 7 pre-conference programs to take a deep dive into the topics that matter most to you.
- New this year! Explore the possibilities of new legal marketing and business development products and services at the Lagniappe Demo Lounge.
Join and Follow Each Other On My #LMA18 Twitter List
Every year, I create a list on Twitter of all of those who are attending the annual conference. I do that so you can follow that list and follow each other as we have a lot in common! If you would like to be added, check out the list to see if you are there: #LMA18 Twitter List: #LMA18 by Nancy Myrland, and let me know if I need to add you. Just let me know on Twitter right here at @NancyMyrland. If you would like to follow all #LMA18 Tweets in one place, you can do that here.
This Blog Post Will Be A Gathering Place
As I like to do, I will collect blog posts, videos, audio and other content from this year’s conference to make it easier for anyone interested to find everything in one place.
I will add to this post as my colleagues and I publish additional content. If you see, write or produce something I haven’t found, please let me know so I can add it, okay? I will date the entries with the date I add them so you can quickly find new posts.
Tweet those links to me at @NancyMyrland, message them to me privately on LinkedIn, in Facebook Messenger if we are friends, or email me at [email protected], using #LMA18 in the subject line so I can find you fast.
I created an easy URL for this collection of #LMA18 content, so feel free to either bookmark it or just remember http://bit.ly/LMA18byNancy.
Quick Link List For You
- The 2018 LMA Annual Conference website.
- #LMA18 Twitter List: #LMA18 by Nancy Myrland
- Tweet me to let me know you need to be added to the #LMA18 Twitter list here @NancyMyrland
- Follow all #LMA18 Tweets in one place: You can do that here.
- Facebook Event/Krewe of LMA: Come join the community!
- Virtual Conference/Facebook Live Coverage: Check it out here.
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The easy-to-remember URL for this ever-changing post: http://bit.ly/LMA18byNancy
Let’s Get Started, Shall We?!
Let me know when you publish content related to this year’s conference, okay? Don’t be bashful.
I started off at the very bottom by sharing a post containing great networking tips from several of our friends and colleagues. It is from 2017, but you will find they are all still stellar tips.
Note: I will date all entries by the date I add them so you can find new ones fast.
Enjoy!
Be Your Own Change Agent in the Pursuit of Happiness by Joanne Thorud on LinkedIn Publisher [5-8-18]
My First LMA Annual Conference Experience by Ashley Perry on LinkedIn Publisher [5-1-18]
Relationships, Diversity and AI: Legal Marketers Converge in New Orleans by Jen Tatro on the Greentarget blog [4-25-18]
General Counsel: What Do They Want From Law Firms? from Tom Elgar on the Expert-To-Expert Marketing Blog
United States of Crisis by Cheryl Bame on The Legal PR Blog [4-23-18]
LMA 2017 Regional Highlights Video presented by LMA on YouTube [4-23-18]
My Takeaways From LMA 2018’s General Counsel Panel by John Simpson on the One North blog [2-23-18]
The Future Is Now for Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice and Marketing by LMA International and Poston Communications on the Strategies+ blog [4-23-18]
10 Things You Should Do After Attending the 2018 LMA Annual Conference by Stefanie Marrone on JD supra Marketing Perspectives [4-23-18]
What Are My Chances? The 3 Biz Dev Conversations to Master by Glennie Green on the Jaffe blog [4-19-18]
Why Law Firms Should Concentrate on Fostering Happiness by Vivian Hood on the Jaffe blog [4-19-18]
How Short, Regular Insights Drive Strategy, Planning and Growth by Eugene McCormick on the Expert-To-Expert Marketing Blog [4-16-18]
My LMA 2018 Recap- The Big Easy! by Mike Mellor on LinkedIn Publisher [4-13-18]
An Important Message To Law Firm Management – #LMA18 by Nancy Myrland on The Myrland Marketing Minute Blog [4-13-18]
#LMA18 GC Panel: Lawyers, Slow Down & Stick Around – Lesson #1 by Nancy Myrland on The Myrland Marketing Minute Blog [4-11-18]
How Lawyers & Law Firms Can Help Save The World While Building Stronger Teams by Nancy Myrland with Terry Isner on Facebook Live [4-11-18]
The Day Happiness Came To #LMA18 by Nancy Myrland on The Myrland Marketing Minute Blog [4-10-18]
#LMA18 – Strategic Planning – Part 1 – Introduction by Heather Morse on The Legal Watercooler [4-10-18]
#LMA18 -How Legal Departments Are Leveraging AI by Heather Morse on The Legal Watercooler [4-10-18]
#LMA18 – Finding Growth In A Flat Market by Heather Morse on The Legal Watercooler [4-10-18]
#LMA18 – Come On, Let’s Get Happy by Heather Morse on The Legal Watercooler [4-10-18]
How to Get the Most Out of Your #LMA18 Annual Conference Experience by Stefanie Marrone on LinkedIn [4-10-18]
How to Maximize Every Conference and Event You Attend (and Build Your Professional Brand) by Stefanie Marrone on JD Supra Marketing Perspectives [4-2-18]
How To Maximize Your #LMA18 Annual Conference Experience by Nancy Myrland on The Myrland Marketing Minute Blog [3-28-18]
If You Are Kind and Polite, The World Will Be Right by Roy Sexton on Reel Roy Reviews [3-23-18]
#LMA17: Conference Networking Tips From Our Friends by Nancy Myrland (& Friends) on The Myrland Marketing Minutes Blog [3-21-18]
Nancy Myrland is a Marketing and Business Development Plan Consultant, and a Content, Social & Digital Media Speaker, Trainer & Advisor, helping lawyers and legal marketers grow by integrating all marketing disciplines. She is a frequent LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for Business trainer, as well as a content marketing specialist. She helps lawyers, law firms, and legal marketers understand how to make their marketing and business development efforts more relevant to their current and potential clients, and helps lead law firms through their online digital strategy when dealing with high-stakes, visible cases. As an early and constant adopter of social and digital media and technology, she also helps firms with blogging, podcasts, video marketing, and livestreaming. If you would like to reserve an hour of Nancy’s time to begin talking strategy or think through an issue you are having, you can do that here. She can be reached via email here.
