Meetings

Thursday Buzz: The FCC Chairman’s Tense Keynote

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler goes into the lion’s den for his latest keynote speech at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s Internet & Television Expo. Plus: What do millennials look for in member benefits?

On Wednesday Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler delivered the keynote address at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s Internet & Television Expo in Chicago.

That’s seemingly ordinary, except for the fact that Wheeler isn’t exactly a popular figure with cable execs, with NCTA currently suing the FCC over its recent decision on net neutrality, and the commission pushing back against the failed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

Despite the potential for a negative response, Wheeler stuck to his stance—and it created an interesting keynote strategy for the group.

“Your challenge will be to overcome the temptation to use your predominant position in broadband to protect your traditional cable business. The Internet will disrupt your existing business model.” Wheeler said in his keynote, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It does that to everyone. More competition would be better.“

The Times noted that many in the audience were ”“visibly squirming.”

While NCTA and its members clearly have concerns, it nonetheless welcomed Wheeler’s speech.

“As strong supporters of an open and robust Internet that is delivering ever-increasing speeds and a great experience for American consumers, we appreciate that Chairman Wheeler would use the show to highlight the importance of net neutrality,” the group said in a news release.

Millennials and Associations

https://twitter.com/WileyExchanges/status/595940240910585856

It’s always nice to be able to get into the minds of members, especially new ones. Associations are also curious about what member benefits their younger audiences want.

Lucky for them, Wiley Exchanges asked millennials what membership benefits they value when joining an association.

The group’s top-valued benefit was continuing education and training, followed by peer-reviewed journals. Also worth noting: Millennials were the only generation to not have attending in-person events in their top-five list.

Wiley says it plans to release a whitepaper on the topic. Stay tuned.

Additional Links of Note

“Content marketing these days is more complex than ever before,” says Steve Rotter, CMO of Acrolinx. In a piece for CMSWire, he breaks down a couple of key considerations, such as focusing on context and meeting the customers’ expectations.

Be prepared: We always get dragged down by writing follow-up emails after an event. Patrick Allan at Lifehacker says we should be proactive by writing those emails before networking.

Patrick deHahn

By Patrick deHahn

Patrick deHahn is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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