Last week was a whirlwind…
It was my first AMA Higher Ed Symposium in several years, and easily one of the most rewarding (and exhausting) stretches I’ve had in a long time. I came in running on fumes, thanks to a wonderful but very awake newborn at home, and still left energized in a way I didn’t fully expect.
AMA also happened to line up with Kanahoma turning five, so we tried to make the most of it. We booked a booth this year, something I’ve historically sworn I’d never do. But at the encouragement of Chris Edwards we leaned in, got creative, and built a fully customized Kanahoma-branded claw machine…
Instead of handing out swag, we made people win it. It ended up being one of the most fun things we’ve ever done and, judging by the line of people waiting to take a turn, I think the feeling was mutual.
But as memorable as that was, the thing that always stays with me at AMA isn’t the booths, the sessions, or the speakers. It’s the people. It’s the familiar faces who’ve crossed schools, roles, and entire chapters of their careers but still greet each other like old friends. It’s the conversations that pick up right where they left off a year ago. It’s the sense of community that’s somehow still alive in a field that feels like it’s constantly reinventing itself.
I served on the AMA Higher Ed Committee nearly a decade ago and was given the chance to help shape the conference for my peers. Seeing it flourish today was inspiring. The tracks were well curated, the talks felt timely, and the energy in the room was the strongest I’ve ever felt it.
Kanahoma also hosted a partner dinner on Monday night, which ended up being one of my favorite moments of the week. So many of the institutions that have trusted us over the years were in one room, breaking bread together.
And then there were the conversations. The unscheduled, unstructured, hallway-and-breakfast-and-booth moments that always feel like the real heartbeat of AMA.
A few favorites:
• Over breakfast, we talked about how matrixed marketing organizations can leverage budget to drive influence
• At the booth, we kicked around ideas on breaking through the noise with graduate marketing
• During a panel I joined on Monday, we dug into how institutions and agencies can maximize value together
It left me realizing something I don’t want to lose sight of: I need more conversations like that in my life. More moments to think out loud with people who are wrestling with real problems and aren’t afraid to say, “Okay, let’s talk this out.”
So I’m carving out space for exactly that.
For the month of December, I’m bringing back Office Hours. No agenda, no prep required. If you work at a college or university and have a challenge you want to talk through, I’m happy to give you 30 minutes to riff, strategize, troubleshoot, or brainstorm. Free of charge, no strings attached. Just reply to this email and we’ll find a time.
And if you missed the claw machine this year, don’t worry. We’re already planning something even bigger for next year…
- Seth
About The Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based performance marketing agency on a mission to build a better agency for organizations building a better world.
You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.