Monday Buzz: Skipping the Conventions, but Still Busy

The buzz around this year’s Republican National Convention has been weird, with Donald Trump’s influence in Cleveland putting political mainstays in an odd spot.

And that has some trade groups dropping out of both conventions and putting their budgets elsewhere. Last week, The Washington Post noted that two of the largest ones in DC, the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), have planned other things in order to avoid competing with the political news cycle so directly.

“Trade associations are increasingly looking at avoiding the conventions this year,” IFA Lobbyist Matt Haller told the Post  (opens in a new tab). “There’s become an over-saturation of noise. You get lost in the shuffle.”

Instead of the conventions, IFA is hosting a series of roundtables in metro areas around the country, with the goal of promoting franchising. The funds that would have gone toward the convention are instead putting IFA leadership in Denver and Colorado Springs next week to promote the franchising business model. The goal of the strategy, according to Haller, is “to engage with Democrats and Republicans who may not be in Cleveland.”

NAM, meanwhile, is focusing on get-out-the-vote efforts and town hall meetings nationwide. Both major presidential candidates have policy points that the association disagrees with: Trump’s general opposition to international trade, and Clinton’s opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The strategy is a result of NAM’s belief that the policy points might be lost at the conventions.

Body Language Fluency

15 body language mistakes that make you seem unprofessional https://t.co/hkEqi2ItT4  (opens in a new tab) #events  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #career  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/w0vcpuqYuw  (opens in a new tab)

— Skift Meetings (@SkiftMeetings) July 18, 2016  (opens in a new tab)

Poor body language can have a negative effect on the way people perceive you. But there’s plenty of opportunity to fix the problem of a poor handshake or a fidgety demeanor. The Event Manager Blog has a list of common body-language mistakes  (opens in a new tab) you might not even be aware you’re making.

Other Links of Note

Don’t grow too big, too fast. Incline Marketing applies two notable real-life over-expansions  (opens in a new tab) into the Canadian market—one involving Krispy Kreme, the other Target—to the way that you run your social media feeds.

When should you delete a comment on a social profile (inevitably, the issue crops up)? On Frank J. Kenny’s website, Christina R. Green discusses the pluses and minuses  (opens in a new tab) of how to handle online trolls.

Learn from the rich guy: Inc.com Contributor Minda Zetlin notes the habits that made Bill Gates  (opens in a new tab) an unstoppable financial force.

(Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)