Join your friends and colleagues to celebrate the end of what we hope was another successful year and look forward to an even better 2010.

As the economy turns the corner, it’s more important than ever to strengthen our network ties and share insights on how to re-engage customers profitably. Whether you are a regular at our meetings or you haven’t been in a while, this is a great opportunity to share some stories, re-connect with old friends and make some new ones.

Please join us on December 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM. Please register if you plan to attend.

There is a $25 charge for members. MENG-qualified guests are always welcome. There is a $30 charge for guests.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

For our last meeting of this year (before our upcoming holiday party on December 3 @ 6PM), we are honored to welcome our guest expert

• Laura Ramos (bio), Vice President of Forrester and B2B marketing expert

who will bring her extensive experience and research to give us the latest insights into B2B marketing strategy.

B2B marketers want to boost sales through online channels and social media. Yet most start by picking Web 2.0 tools and tactics and then struggle to demonstrate how this social activity builds brand, generates demand, or produces a return on the marketing investment. To help marketers succeed in this groundswell of social activity, Forrester introduced a methodology for setting social strategy, called POST. This presentation will explain POST principles, help you understand how social media fits into the marketing mix and show how to set social strategy that engages B2B buyers who are turning to social media while on the job.

And don’t forget about our new location – The Sir Francis Drake, a Kimpton Hotel. In addition to an improved venue, the hotel features Drake’s Bar (you are welcome to bring drinks to the meeting room) and Scala’s if you’re planning dinner afterward.

Please join us on October 29, 2009 at 6:30 PM (please note the time change). Please register if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for members. MENG-qualified guests are always welcome. There is a $10 charge for guests.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

Twittermania may be the current rage, but can you tell the difference between the latest frothy trend and real marketing transformation?

Please join our guest expert

• Chris Kenton (bio), CEO and co-founder of SocialRep and co-founder and consulting partner at MotiveLab

who will bring more than a decade of experience studying and leading real marketing transformation. Chris will give us the context to determine:

• What is the real impact of social media on your marketing?
• Are consumers taking over your brand?
• How social media will (or won’t) reshape your marketing programs – in ways you may not expect

And don’t forget about our new location – The Sir Francis Drake, a Kimpton Hotel. In addition to an improved venue, the hotel features Drake’s Bar (you are welcome to bring drinks to the meeting room) and Scala’s if you’re planning dinner afterward.

Please join us on June 25, 2009 at 6:30 PM (please note the time change). Please register as a MENG member or a Guest if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for members. MENG-qualified guests are always welcome. There is a $10 charge for guests.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

Please join us on May 28 as we host a discussion on how organizations can work across channels to deliver the optimal customer experience. We’ll focus on avoiding silos, how to optimize compensation to drive desired behavior and how you know who calls the shots.

This will be a lively conversation among our guest experts

• Amy Lauer (bio), VP/GM of Marketing at BananaRepublic.com
• Christopher Miller (bio), Restaurant and Toy Industry Consultant and MENG Member

and our own Beth VanStory, who brings a wealth of experience on multi-channel marketing from he illustrious career.

And don’t forget about our new location – The Sir Francis Drake, a Kimpton Hotel. In addition to an improved venue, the hotel features Drake’s Bar (you are welcome to bring drinks to the meeting room) and Scala’s if you’re planning dinner afterward.

Please join us on May 28, 2009 at 6:30 PM (please note the time change). Please register as a MENG member or a Guest if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for members. MENG-qualified guests are always welcome. There is a $10 charge for guests.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

Please register as a MENG member or a guest if you plan to attend.

Our March event features a discussion exploring customer relationships and how technology and social media enable organizations to fully harness the power of these relationships by enabling better identification, engagement and empowerment of customers.

Our featured speakers are:

• John Hegstrom (bio), Vice President Client Services, PopularMedia
• Anneke Seley (bio) , CEO and founder, Phone Works LLC and author of Sales 2.0

Our own David Schneider will lead the discussion with these renowned speakers who bring perspectives from two sides of the equation, sales and marketing, and tackle the question of how companies can best maximize the evolving social media landscape and turn customers into advocates.

We’re also excited about our new location – The Sir Francis Drake, a Kimpton Hotel. In addition to an improved venue, the hotel features Drake’s Bar (you are welcome to bring drinks to the meeting room) and Scala’s if you’re planning dinner afterward.

Please join us on March 26, 2009 at 6:30 PM (please note the time change). Please register as a MENG member or a Guest if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for members. MENG-qualified guests are always welcome. There is a $10 charge for guests.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

Quick Details:

San Francisco:

• March 5, 2009 8:30 – 10:30 AM
• Challenger, Grey & Christmas
• 425 Market Street, 22nd Floor (map)
  

San Jose:

• March 4, 2009 8:30 – 10:30 AM
• Challenger, Grey & Christmas
• 2033 Gateway Place, 5th Floor (map)
  

NETSHARE is offering MENG Members a special rate of $20 (regular price is $30) for these dates only (one of your choice). Please call 1-800-241-5642 to register; Sarah or Sabrina can help you. The room fills up quickly and this is on a first come, first serve basis, so please act now!

NETSHARE, Inc. is pleased to offer open forums for the exchange of leads, contacts, tools and information with your peers. You will have an opportunity to talk about your background, what type of role you’re looking for, and where you may need assistance in finding your target companies, appropriate contacts, and beneficial associations. Other topics may also include interview techniques, resume and bio formats, branding, onboarding, and salary negotiations. Each meeting will be facilitated by a business-savvy professional in the career field.

• Attendees will likely include executives who are employed or in transition representing all industries and disciplines. This includes C-Suite levels, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Directors, and Managers.
• Dress code is business casual.

Please call 1-800-241-5642 to register; Sarah or Sabrina can help you. The room fills up quickly and this is on a first come, first serve basis, so please act now!

A special thank you to past chapter chair Annette DiSano for arranging this offer!

Please register as a MENG member or a guest if you plan to attend.

Our event for February addresses two of the biggest challenges any marketing leader faces: Learning to do more with less and finding creative and less expensive ways to engage our market. This is especially true in the current challenging business climate.

So we’ve turned to the experts: Leaders of not-for-profit organizations, who struggle with extremely limited resources – and achieve great results – even in the best of times.

Our own Elizabeth Macken (bio) will moderate a panel discussion with some of the most prominent not-for-profit leaders in the bay area who have also had very successful careers in the for-profit world. Our panel includes:

• Eunice Azzani (bio), Senior Client Partner, Korn/Ferry International
• Rebecca Chekouras (bio), Interim Development Director, Northern California Cancer Center
• Annie Ellicott (bio), President, LeapUp Marketing Solutions and Board Member, Larkin Street Youth Services

These experts will discuss:

• what for-profit marketers can learn from their not-for-profit counterparts
• how alliances with not-for-profits can be of significant benefit and differentiator for for-profit enterprises
• how you (and, if applicable, your people) can benefit professionally from personal involvement in not-for-profit organizations

Please join us on February 26, 2009 at 6:30 PM (please note the time change). Please register as a MENG member or a Guest if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for members or guests. As always, MENG-qualified guests are always welcome.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger.

Steve Pinetti, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants told the story of how Kimpton’s brand has evolved over the years from individual hotels and restaurants to a reputation for unique and welcoming places to eat and stay to an umbrella brand to … what comes next.

Steve’s insights on giving every customer who walks through the door an incredible and personal experience were fascinating. From the now-legendary goldfish at the Monaco hotels to a loyalty program that sounds more like the hotels being loyal to the guests rather than the other way around, it was clear how Kimpton maintains the reputation that they do.

Steve also gave us some valuable insights into maintaining that level of service as the company experiences rapid growth and how involving employees at all levels becomes so vitally important. I know I was impressed by the amount of time Steve and his executive colleagues spend with employees in every Kimpton hotel, and found amusing (and insightful) the story of the front-desk staff member in San Francisco who challenges guests to cut a deck of cards (if the guest wins, they get a free movie or a room upgrade).

He also discussed how Kimpton’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including their environmental efforts, helps keep the Kimpton brand on top.

If you missed the presentation (or just want to take another look), you can see Steve’s presentation here.

Check back here in a few days for information on our February 26 meeting, which will be at 6:30 PM in San Francisco. I hope to see you there!