BOSTON 2011: What We Saw and Heard (VIDEO)
Guest Post: Susan Herr, PhilanthroMedia
Got 15 minutes? Take a look at the collection of videos from our recent Fall Communications Network Conference in Boston that follow.
All the videos were shot by members of the Gorilla Engagement Squad, our volunteer team of videographers who were deployed for the third time in as many years to capture thoughts, impressions and other comments from attendees. If you were with us in Boston, click on any or all for a nice refresher on the big topics, challenges and resulting take-aways that hopefully equipped you with fresh ideas and new approaches to apply to the work you’re doing back home.
If you weren’t there, watch the videos to get a feel for what was discussed. Don’t be surprised if you see similarities to what you are dealing with on your job. More so, you’ll see that there are lots of folks who are just a phone call or email away who can help you.
Social Media Challenges offers thoughts on what needs to be done make the the most of this still new and evolving way of communicating and connecting with audiences.
Achieving Kumbaya focuses on the promise of bridging the oft-bemoaned chasm between program and communications departments in foundations.
Take-Aways is a catch-all collection of the ideas, suggestions and other take-aways conference attendees said they’ll bring back to the office to help them on their jobs.
Challenges is a check-list of what people would like to overcome so communications can be an even greater contributor to successful foundation work.
Funniest Thing… is a round up of odd ball requests sometimes made of communications professionals because “hey, you’re in communications.” 
Whether you’ve been to multiple Network conferences or only one, what’s your take about the current conversations? Let us know.
Finally, we owe a big thanks to the following for their work as Gorilla volunteers — some first-timers and others repeat volunteers from past conferences.
2011 Boston Gorilla Squad members:
Maria Archuleta, Open Society Foundations
Dan Brady, Forum of Regional Assocation of Grantmakers
Sylvia Burgos Toftness, Northwest Area Foundation
Justin Christy, Bush Foundation
Stefan Lanfer, Barr Foundation
Catherine Michel, Solomon McCown & Co
Jim Miller, Dentsu Communications
Kevin Griffin Moreno, Baltimore Community Foundation
Justin Ordman, Solomon McCown & Co
Chris Palmedo, Northwest Health Foundation
Charity Perkins, The Duke Endowment
Vanessa Schnaidt, The Foundation Center
Melia Swift, Solomon McCown & Co
Liz Wainger, Wainger Group
Sheridan Wachtel, Solomon McCown & Co
Jenn Whinnem, Connecticut Health Foundation
Photo on website homepage courtesy of Jessica Keyes, Prairie Sky Design.
