words that SPEAK

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM

Marketing and Customer Care Minds Meet, Mingle, and Learn

With dozens of Directory Group marketing professionals working in offices throughout [Verizon]'s broad geographic territory, keeping everyone well informed is no simple task. However, a two-day Marketing & Customer Care Spring Conference held in Chantilly, VA on May 25 and 26 did much to achieve that goal. The last meeting of the marketing management team was held in November, 1998. "Our organization has grown dramatically since then," says Mary Jo (MJ) Howe, vice president of strategy, marketing, and customer care. "So I felt it was important to give everyone an opportunity to meet, learn about everything happening in our organization, and hear what we will be facing in the future."

With that in mind, meeting planners devised several learning experiences specifically designed to generate teamwork. "I truly feel this very important group of leaders, that is in many ways setting the course for our organization, needs to be able to fully appreciate the power of the diverse knowledge and experience they collectively bring to the business," says Howe. One highlight of the conference was a new tradeshow meeting format that drew accolades from many of the 170 attendees. The new format provided an outstanding opportunity to meet colleagues and to learn firsthand about the group's numerous activities and programs.

After morning travel time and a light lunch, the conference kicked off Tuesday noon with a special welcome and introduction by Howe. She described the conference's central theme "It's All About Learning," and explained the vital role learning plays in every aspect of marketing . In the next program segment, "Learning From Each Other," attendees were invited to visit 28 show booths, each focusing on a specific aspect of Directory Group marketing. At each booth, visitors were able to talk directly with project team members, ask questions, and get a close-up look at things they frequently knew little about. Marion (Polly) Kennedy, assistant events manager for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Deleware, says, "The trade show concept was ideal because it enabled us to interact directly with our peers."

Attendees' interest was further piqued with an information treasure hunt developed by Events Planning Manager Kathy Jasmin, who served as the event's master coordinator. Hunt participants sought and recorded answers to specific questions at each booth they visited. Winners were later awarded Beanie Babypenguins, a reminder of the penguins appearing in our new advertising campaign.

"Learning About the Future" was the title of a presentation delivered later that day by John McDonald, vice president of marketing for the GTE Directory Company. Given the pending merger, everyone present was eager to learn all they could about Bell Atlantic's's new sister company. Kennedy, says, "It was very interesting to hear about their organization and everything they do." Although there was ample opportunity for learning and interacting throughout the afternoon, plenty more was in store.

Mystery facilitates teamwork
Dinner that evening presented another chance to meet new faces as table assignments brought people together from diverse locales. Following the dinner was to be a session described on the agenda as "Learning to Work As A Team." The session was to be led, the agenda stated, by guest speaker and professor Walter Kingston whose timely topic would be "The Logistics of the Corporate Takeover."

Unfortunately, shortly before Professor Kingston was to appear, the evening's master of ceremonies took the podium, and as a hush fell over the hall, announced sadly that the professor had just been found brutally murdered. The surprise announcement served to launch an evening of spirited detective work and team building as conferees at each of the 18 tables became a team in the unanticipated race to solve the murder mystery. The first table to correctly piece together the furnished clues was declared the winner. Dawn Frizell, who found herself on the winning team, said, "I enjoyed the exercise and teamwork tremendously. I knew immediately after receiving a clue from the third informant that the murderer was the professor's brother." Winning team members each took home a Bell Atlantic blanket.