August 3 (Tues) | August 4 (Wed) | August 5 (Thur) | August 6 (Fri)

 
Tuesday, August 3

Noon - 6:00 p.m.
NABE/NCBP/NCBF Joint Registration
Imperial Foyer Registration Desk, Convention Level

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
NABE Board of Directors Meeting
Savoy/Rhine Room, Lobby Level

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
NABE Major Metro Networking Session
Bordeaux Room, Lobby Level
Executive directors of bars with memberships of 5,000 or more are invited to exchange ideas and experiences on numerous association management issues.

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
NABE New Bar Executive Institute
Champagne Room, Lobby Level
This session, designed by seasoned bar executives, will provide tips and techniques for developing strong bar management skills along with balancing the demands of a rigorous schedule.
Sponsored by the Center for Civic Education

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
NABE Communications Section Executive Council Meeting
Burgundy Room, Lobby Level

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
NABE New Chair Orientation
Chardonnay Room, Lobby Level

5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
NABE Program Committee Meeting
Chablis Room, Lobby Level

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
NABE First-time Attendee and New Member Orientation
Savoy/Rhine Room, Lobby Level
This session will introduce you to new and veteran colleagues as you learn how to tap the resources of your NABE membership.
Sponsored by Legal Directories Publishing Company, Inc.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
NABE Welcome Reception
Garden Terrace, Lobby Level
Celebrate summer in the city as NABE kicks off a sizzling Annual Meeting program.
Sponsored by all NABE sponsor companies

7:30 p.m.
NABE First-time Attendee and New Member Dinner
Ray's in the City, 240 Peachtree Street, 404-524-9224
Sponsored by Legal Directories Publishing Company, Inc.

Wednesday, August 4

7:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
NABE/NCBP/NCBF Joint Registration
Imperial Foyer Registration Desk

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
NABE Breakfast
Imperial Ballroom B, Convention Level
Networking tables will be labeled for those who wish to connect with others from similar-sized bars.
Sponsored by ABA Members Retirement Program, Advanced Solutions International, Men's Wearhouse and National Car Rental

8:40 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Welcome to Atlanta, Introductions and Announcements
Imperial Ballroom A, Convention Level
Thomas A. Pyrz, Indianapolis, IN, President, NABE
Introduction of First-time Attendees
Cynthia D. Hill, Washington, DC, Chair, NABE Membership Committee

9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Let's FISH!
Imperial Ballroom A, Convention Level
There's a new phenomenon in today's workplace called the FISH! Philosophy. To FISH! is to maximize your personal work potential and positively impact your team's performance. It's a philosophy, a practice, a new way of doing things. FISH! is fun, interactive, encouraging and motivational. The FISH! Philosophy is full of possibilities for each of us to make some changes in our own lives and create common ground within our work environments. Together, we'll discover the true spirit of the FISH! and identify ways to include the four philosophies in our work, our relationships, and our own attitudes. This session is intended to put a smile on your face, fun and productivity into your style, and motivation to be your best.
Speaker: Peter Smithhisler, Indianapolis, IN, Vice President for Media and Community Relations, North-American Interfraternity Conference
Plenary speaker sponsored by LexisNexis

10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
NABE Sponsor Networking Break
Sydney/London/Zurich Room, Convention Level
Be sure to stop by our sponsors' exhibits to thank them for their support and learn more about their services. While you're there, have your picture taken for the NABE pictorial directory and check on your e-mail at our "corner café."

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
First Set of NABE Concurrent Track Programs

An Organization-Wide Model of Fraud Protection
Bonn Room, Convention Level
Learn about the most common fraud schemes and what makes organizations vulnerable to them in this session. Specific real-life examples will be used to illustrate how easy it is to overlook some of the most important fraud protection methods. You will hear an overview of an organization-wide model of fraud protection, which addresses financial and non-financial policies, procedures, and systems designed to identify risks, prevent fraud as much as possible, and detect fraud in the workplace.
Speaker: Gerard M. Zack, MBA, CPA, CFE, Rockville, MD, partner, Wipfli, LLP

Speaker Bio | Handout

Reaching Our Members - How to Find Out What Works and What Doesn't and What to Do with the Results
Consulate Room, Convention Level
What do our members want to read in our journals and newsletters, and on our web sites and e-newsletters? How do they want to receive our news and commentary? What works and what doesn't? Our three panelists have all recently conducted communications surveys or audits: one used a large mail survey; one conducted a communications audit with a design consultant; and one switched from mail to an electronic survey. Find out how they did it, what they learned and what they plan to do with the information. Chances are that one of these approaches will work for your bar!
Panelists: Arlene Abady, Denver, CO, editor of The Colorado Lawyer, The Colorado Bar; Judson Havercamp, Minneapolis, MN, director of publications, Minnesota State Bar Association; and Francine Walker, Tallahassee, FL, director of public information, The Florida Bar

Abady Bio | Haverkamp Bio | Walker Bio
Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3

Sections: Our Lifeblood and Our Nemesis
Cabinet Room, Convention Level
Does your association worry about the financial arrangements with its sections? Do some sections act like runaway trains and do other sections only collect dues and dust? How does your association negotiate the gray areas of section management? Come hear how some of your colleagues are handling these issues.
Panelists: Donna Fouste, Irvine, CA, executive director, Orange County Bar Association; Jennifer Lewin, Chicago, IL, field service representative, American Bar Association; and John Williamson, Albany, NY, associate executive director, New York State Bar Association

Fouste Bio | Lewin Bio | Williamson Bio
Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3 | Handout 4 | Handout 5

12:20 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
NABE Buffet Luncheon and Meeting Opportunity
Imperial Ballroom B, Convention Level
Check the table labels and join your committee or forum for a working lunch. No meeting today? Kick back with friends and enjoy the Southern spread.
Sponsored by LexisNexis

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Second Set of NABE Concurrent Track Programs

Affinity Programs for Local Bars: A Cash Cow or Milked Dry?
Bonn Room, Convention Level
All bars are looking for non-dues sources of revenue, and affinity programs may fit that bill. But how do local bars attract and retain these programs especially with all the competition out there? How can smaller bars position themselves to take advantage of this potential revenue stream and how can they evaluate the viability and effectiveness of such programs? These and other questions will be discussed in this open forum, interactive session so come with your questions ready!
Speakers: Mary Corbitt, Rochester, NY, Executive Director, Monroe County Bar Association and Susan Sowards, Nashville, TN, Executive Director, Nashville Bar Association; and Rick Troy, Mt. Clemens, MI, Executive Director, Macomb County Bar Association

Handout

Out with the Old, In with the New: What to Do When an Event Has Run Its Course
Consulate Room, Convention Level
This program will help bar associations analyze the viability of annual meetings. What factors should be considered when deciding whether an event should continue? How do you deal with leaders who are reluctant to make changes? Panelists will describe events that have gone by the wayside in favor of new approaches. This session is sponsored by the Meetings, Seminars & Events Forum.
Panelists: Anne Fritz, Memphis, TN, Executive Director, Memphis Bar Association; Lee Martin, Richmond, VA, Executive Director, Bar Association of the City of Richmond; Bob Stoeckl, Jefferson City, MO, Director of Projects, The Missouri Bar; and Dana Collier Smith, Denver, CO, Assistant Executive Director, Colorado/Denver Bar Associations

Martin Bio | Smith Bio | Stoeckl Bio
Handout

Under Construction: Keeping Your Website Fresh
Cabinet Room, Convention Level
So you have a website. Now how do you keep people interested in visiting it on an ongoing basis! Come hear a panel of experts discuss both initiatives you can understand from inside your bar association and new technologies being developed, all of which can contribute to keeping your bar's website interesting.
Speakers: Toby Brown, Salt Lake City, UT, Director of Communications, Utah State Bar; Lincoln Mead, Salt Lake City, UT, IT Director, Utah State Bar; Victor Rowley, San Francisco, CA, Director of Information Technology, The State Bar of California, and Bill Weber, Boston, MA, Director of Communications and Marketing, Massachusetts Bar Association

Handout

2:35 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
NABE Sponsor Networking Break
Sydney/London/Zurich Room, Convention Level
Enjoy an afternoon snack and a chat with our sponsors. You can take another peek at your e-mail and be sure to have your picture taken for the NABE pictorial directory.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Third Set of NABE Concurrent Track Programs

Size Matters: Information that Fits Your Association
Bonn Room, Convention Level - Local Bars under 4,000 Members
Cabinet Room, Convention Level - Local Bars over 4,000 Members
Consulate Room, Convention Level - State Bars under 7,000 Members
State Room, Convention Level - State Bars between 7,000 and 20,000 Members
Summit Room, Convention Level - State Bars over 20,000 Members
Meet with peers from bars with similar-sized memberships and budgets to swqp ideas and discuss issues involved in association management. Be prepared to participate!

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Exploring a Membership Management Software Consortium
Summit Room, Convention Level
At some point, every bar must face the grueling task of making the technology decision dealing with membership management. Traditionally the options have been: (1) Build your own system with lotsa money and hope your developers remain available; (2) Buy an off-the-shelf version that has been "customized" for a bar association or (3) Hire internal IT staff to create and maintain a system. At this meeting we will explore a fourth (and hopefully) better option: Bar associations, operating on a consortium model similar to Casemaker, combine resources to build one system specifically for bar association membership management. The Utah State Bar has been working with vendors and developers of the first three strategies and would like to share the results of its research, explore the consortium concept and see how we might accomplish the goal of useful, affordable membership management technology.
Facilitated by the Utah State Bar

6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
NABE Wednesday Night Party
Imperial Ballroom B, Convention Level
Come roll the bones and win valuable prizes at NABE's Monte Carlo Night. Appropriate attire will range from ball gowns to blue jeans - it's your gambling spirit that will be required. Black jack, roulette, craps - we've got your game. And, once you've broken the bank, enjoy the food and music.
Sponsored by DHL/Airborne Express

Thursday, August 5

8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
NABE General Breakfast
Imperial Ballroom B, Convention Level

Administration and Finance Section Breakfast
Amsterdam Room, Convention Level

Communications Section Breakfast
Stockholm Room, Convention Level

Sponsored by Association of Legal Administrators, Ivolution, Premiere Conferencing and Viking Office Products

9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Systems Approach to Association Management: How to Run Your Organization Like a Well-Run Franchise Operation
Imperial Ballroom A, Convention Level
Join one of the nation's leading non-profit association authorities, Robert Harris, for this plenary session that will focus on staff training, operations and effective leadership. Following this plenary presentation, Bob will conduct two breakout presentations, "The Association Self-Audit" at 11:00 a.m., and "Conducting Strategic Planning" at 1:45 p.m.
Speaker: Robert Harris, CAE, Tallahassee, FL

Harris Bio
Handout 1 | Handout 2

10:45 a.m. - 11 a.m.
NABE Sponsor Networking Break
Sydney/London/Zurich Room, Convention Level
Take this final opportunity to thank our sponsors for their generous support. It also will be your last chance to check e-mail and have your picture taken for the NABE pictorial directory.

11:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Fourth Set of NABE Concurrent Track Programs

Redefining the Model: Committees vs. Task Forces
Bonn Room, Convention Level
"Because we've always done it that way" isn't a business model. If this is how yours is defined, now is the time to think about a new approach. Rethinking the format for volunteer service can rejuvenate a languishing program, or even be the catalyst for dismantling a service whose day has come and gone. Come learn from seasoned execs who have reaped the benefits of strategic thinking.
Speakers: Evelyn E. Sullivan, Lancaster, PA, Executive Director, Lancaster Bar Association; Donna H. Fouste, Irvine, CA, Executive Director, Orange County Bar Association; Jack D. Lockridge, Washington, DC, Executive Director, Federal Bar Association

Handout 1 | Handout 2 | Handout 3
(Handouts 2 and 3 are also distributed at morning plenary)

60 LRS Marketing Ideas in 60 Minutes
Consulate Room, Convention Level
Is your LRS's marketing in a rut? This staccato-paced presentation will give you ideas you can use for promoting your LRS. We challenge the audience to come up with ideas we have not thought of. Please join us for this interactive program on marketing LRS, the business of public service.
Panelists: Marion Smithberger, Columbus, OH, Assistant Executive Director, Columbus Bar Association, moderator; Janet Diaz, CAE, Houston, TX, Executive Director, Houston Lawyer Referral Service; Diane Gill, Jacksonville, FL, Executive Director, Jacksonville Bar Association; Sheree Swetin, San Diego, CA, Executive Director, San Diego County Bar Association; Carolyn B. Witt, New Haven, CT, Executive Director, New Haven County Bar Association

To Block or Not Be Blocked
Summit Room, Convention Level
Although Spam was formerly known as just a tasty treat, it is now a growing concern for all. The problem is twofold for bars. First we want to block it from coming in, but then we don't want to be blocked when communicating with our members. This session will explore both sides and help you navigate the swelling sea of spam.
Speakers: Toby Brown, Salt Lake City, UT, Director of Communications, Utah State Bar, and Bill Weber, Boston, MA, Director of Communications and Marketing, Massachusetts Bar Association

Brown Bio | Weber Bio
Handout

The Association Self-Audit Process
Imperial Ballroom A, Convention Level
Information overload is a problem for bar association executives and volunteers. To manage information overload and streamline bar association processes an audit tool is used to inventory information, document operations, and to reduce risks associated with finance, governance and membership, and insurance. Bob Harris will teach you about the value of this staff-driven process. You will receive the self-audit manual (48 pp., 150 question) that Bob has developed to help you perform a self-audit of your bar association.
Speaker: Robert Harris, CAE, Tallahassee, FL

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
NABE Awards Lunch and Passing of the Gavel
Join us as we congratulate Tom Pyrz for an exceptional year of leadership and welcome Anne Fritz to the helm.
Sponsored by MBNA

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Fifth Set of NABE Concurrent Track Programs

Cost of Doing Business
Summit Room, Convention Level
Every association is confronted with the same concern, "what's the cost vs. the benefit in offering this program/service?" However, do you elevate the concern to a true cost/benefit analysis with your leadership? Does your leadership through caution to the wind when the program/service is a pet project? When was the last time you evaluated the efficacy of long-standing non-dues revenue items? These are essential concerns for every bar executive and bar leader alike. Learn from bar executives that have the experience. Bar executives are encouraged to bring their volunteer leadership to this session.
Moderator: Julie Armstrong, Indianapolis, IN, Executive Director, Indianapolis Bar Association
Panelists:
Greg Derwart, Baltimore, MD, Director of Administration, Maryland State Bar Association, and Charles Lorenzetti, Washington, DC, Assistant Executive Director for Administration and Finance, District of Columbia Bar

Managing Divisive Issues -- Entering the Fray and Living to Tell About It
Bonn Room, Convention Level
Today's bar leaders and staff increasingly face difficult political and societal issues and tough organizational decisions on when and how to respond. Skillful management of a response is vital to your credibility, success or just plain survival. This dynamic session will focus on the roles of bar leaders, association staff, the media and others in responding to hot-button issues and provide tangible tips to make it easier. An experienced panel will present an interactive discussion on the anatomy of a response - how to move from the first troubling phone call to an eventual action plan.
Moderator:
William Weisenberg, Columbus, OH, Assistant Executive Director, Ohio State Bar
Panelists:
Tom Boller, Atlanta, GA, Lobbyist, State Bar of Georgia; Paul Hill, Tallahassee, FL, General Counsel, The Florida Bar; Richard C. Van Nostrand, Boston, MA, President, Massachusetts Bar Association; Abigail Shaine, Boston, MA, Executive Director, Massachusetts Bar Association

Professional Personnel Practices
Consulate Room, Convention Level
Do you suffer from personnel nightmares? Or are you the one creating them? This session will explore legal and practical issues that managers face, whether they supervise one or one hundred employees.
Speaker Bob Stevens, Atlanta, GA, attorney, Troutman, Sanders

Stevens Bio | Handout

Conducting Strategic Planning for Your Bar Association
Imperial Ballroom A, Convention Level
In his final presentation, Bob Harris concludes with tips that will help you create a realistic strategic plan and motivated governing board.
Speaker: Robert C. Harris, CAE, Tallahassee, FL

Harris Bio
Handout 1 | Handout 2

2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
NABE First-time Attendee Wrap-up Session
Savoy/Rhine, Lobby Level
First-time attendees, please come to provide feedback about this conference so we can learn from your experience.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Governmental Relations Section Meeting
Bonn Room, Convention Level

3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
State and Local Bar Liaisons Meeting
Summit Room, Convention Level

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
NABE Presidential Reception
Garden Terrace, Lobby Level
Sponsored by LexisNexis

Friday, August 6

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
NABE Program Committee Meeting
Chablis/Picard Room, Lobby Level

Saturday, August 7

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
NABE Board of Directors Meeting
Chablis/Picard Room, Lobby Level