Unlock the Power of Your Story
Opening Keynote: Jeff Korhan, bestselling author of Built-In Social

In today’s crowded marketplace, a brand story sparks curiosity, encourages engagement and ultimately drives purchases. You’ll learn a repeatable process for creating marketing content that converts visitors into leads. Then we’ll explore the tools and a template to craft a unique and memorable brand story that builds trust and turns those leads into more revenue.

Learning from peers who are facing the same challenges as you are is a powerful and time-tested strategy for personal development. Bring your best ideas, examples and challenges to share with employees of chapters that are subject matter experts in your job function.

How To Create Marketing Emails That Entertain and Drive Action
Speaker: Jeff Korhan

Email has an unexciting reputation with some marketers, but experts know that when it's entertaining email can be highly profitable. This lively session will show you how to turn emails into revenue. Skillfully used, email is 400% more effective for generating revenue than any other digital channel. You’ll learn how to create humanizing content, cultivate a conversational brand voice and encourage engagement that builds profits.

Making Long-Term Connections Using Ohio Valley’s TOOLS Program

The Ohio Valley Construction Education Foundation has found that educators want to be connected to regional employers and employers want to be connected to classrooms, yet there remains a disconnect. TOOLS offers resources to form the connections that become long-term relationships.

Building a Sponsorship Program That Drives Results

Non-dues revenue is essential to the health of a chapter and the success of so many of our programs. Learn best practices for building sponsorship opportunities that companies will be eager to support

RECON for Retention
Speaker: Matt Neuberger, Neuberger & Company, Inc., Sandler Systems

Join our training workshop on using the RECON process for retention. Learn how to create happy members who share their success and needs for long-term renewals and referrals. Tailored for ABC chapter presidents, membership directors, and marketing employees, this session covers personalized solutions, effective communication and relationship-building techniques. Plan to attend to create a thriving and engaged community for your chapter.

Proactive Marketing and Planning for Success

Are your marketing efforts proactive or reactive? You’re pressed for time, and every minute counts. Learn best practices to streamline your marketing through thoughtful planning and repurposing to heighten your effectiveness and efficiency.

Strategy Workshop: Collaborating With Strategic Partners to Wow Your Members

ABC’s eight strategic partners were hand-selected to help members succeed. Learn how to leverage the strategic partners by positioning them as expert resources with unique insights, expertise and problem-solving knowledge on issues that affect members every day. Leave this collaborative workshop with actions for the months ahead—including speaking engagements, webinars, trainings and non-dues revenue opportunities. Discover the solutions offered by ABC strategic partners and gain tips to maximize these partnerships and deliver value to your members.

Where Oh, Where Can We Find Instructors!?
Speaker: Laurie Richards, Laurie Richards & Associates

You’ve filled the classes—now who is going to teach them?! You don’t want just anyone. You need subject matter experts, but they need to be able to teach—not just tell “old man stories” that young apprentices can’t relate to. You want someone who loves to teach as much as they love their skill set, and you want them to stick around! In this session, you’ll uncover where these gems are hiding—and how you can attract them to your chapter apprenticeship programs.

Watch a brief video from Laurie Richards to learn more.

Best Practices for Successful Chapter Events

Chapter events are central to the member experience of ABC. Participate in tabletop discussions about best practices for several of ABC’s most popular chapter events. Bring an example of your marketing collateral to share!

Defining the Merit Shop: How It Has Formed ABC and Why It Is a Driver for the Organization

ABC has a unique mission among our peer trade associations. Learn how to define the merit shop philosophy and how it provides a unique value proposition for ABC. Learn why ABC takes certain policy stances to defend the merit shop philosophy and free enterprise.

Selling to the Construction CEO With Confidence
Speaker: Laurie Richards, Laurie Richards & Associates

You’ve established rapport with the CEO, listened to their needs, shown them the value of ABC. Now, it’s time to close the deal. But the anxiety is creeping in just as you’re ready to ask for the order! 

If you’ve ever found yourself losing your nerve when calling on an executive of a prospective member, or if you’ve ever thought you may not be the right person to pitch a prospect because you’re not a CEO yourself, this session is for you. Learn specific things you can do to build your confidence in asking for the order and closing the deal. 

Watch a brief video from Laurie Richards to learn more.

Mastering Your Time: Strategies for Effective Time Management

Time management is a crucial skill for success in both work and life. In this session, we will explore effective strategies for mastering your time and maximizing your productivity. Attendees will leave this session with practical tools and insights to enhance their time management skills and boost their performance.

I Need Your Help! Peer-Submitted Challenges in Marketing and Communications

Everyone has one part of their job that is a struggle and they sometimes just want to avoid. Submit the challenge that you have always wanted to discuss and get helpful tips from your peers to help you tackle it.   

Build Your Confidence in Explaining STEP to ABC Members

Learn how to effectively communicate the value proposition of STEP to your members. This session will cover lessons learned from industry experts on overcoming the challenge

Join your peers from around the country to celebrate the membership successes of 2022 and recognize team members who have reached milestones in service with ABC.

Be a Media Rockstar! Position Your Chapter as an Industry Expert and Media Resource
Speaker: Laurie Richards, Laurie Richards and Associates

Gain best practices and insights for building media connections and increasing your chapter’s press coverage. Discover tips for writing press releases and media alerts that gain traction and learn how to ace your next media interview.

Watch a brief video from Laurie Richards to learn more.

I Need Your Help! Peer-Submitted Challenges

Everyone has one part of their job that is a struggle and they sometimes just want to avoid. Submit the challenge that you have always wanted to discuss and gain helpful tips from your peers to help you tackle it. 

Sessions will be organized by job function:

• • Education
• • Leadership

The Best Thing I Ever Did

This peer-led session features membership professionals and the “best thing” they did to move the needle for membership in the last year. Both new ideas and new tactics for old ideas will be shared for staff to take home and implement at their own chapters.

Learning from peers who are facing the same challenges as we are is a powerful and time-tested strategy for personal development. Bring your best ideas, examples and challenges to share with employees of chapters that are subject matter experts in your job function.

Keep Them Awake! Energize and Enhance Your Presentations
Speaker: Molly Ketcham

If you want to be a trusted adviser to your members, you must show that you understand, are reliable and have members’ best interests at heart. Learn how to exhibit these characteristics during presentations and discover specific techniques to connect with your audience while delivering a virtual or in-person group presentation.

Optimize Your Digital Marketing: Steps to a Successful Strategy

What does it take to craft an effective digital media strategy? Discover how to elevate your social media platforms, place eye-catching digital ads and gain tips to drive traffic to your website. Keep your brand top of mind with current members and attract future members! 

Implementing Virtual Reality in Apprenticeship and Craft Training

The addition of virtual reality to craft training and registered apprenticeship programs is the next step to enhance and drive student/apprentice engagement, knowledge transfer and retention. Join Scott Loberg from the ABC Illinois chapter and Katie George with Transfr as they discuss this innovative learning technology and best practices for implementation.

Diagnosis: Closed! Asking the Right Questions To Close Your Prospects
Speaker: Matt Neuberger, Neuberger & Company, Inc., Sandler Systems

Develop your skills to become a valued guide rather than a salesperson. Learn to facilitate deep conversations with your prospects to lead them to answer the question, “Why should I join ABC?” for themselves.

This session will equip you to inspire contractors to see their business in a new light and choose ABC as their obvious partner. Using the right questioning strategies will help you approach sales conversations with confidence and leave you with the tools you need to take your member sales to new heights. Let’s make every sales conversation count!

The Art of an Interaction
Closing Keynote: Molly Ketcham

Increase your influence during a one-on-one interaction by capitalizing on the connection. Discover the mindsets and strategies that demonstrate credibility and likeability. Learn the journey through a conversation, from the first moment of meeting to the last words spoken, plus new methods for identifying with others, demonstrating approachability and establishing trust.