CMOC Q&A with Chair Ruth Winker

The annual meeting of CRN’s Communications and Media Outreach Committee (CMOC) in New York City provides CRN members an exclusive opportunity to learn the latest trends and best practices in communications, marketing, and media relations. Now in its 12th year, the annual CMOC meeting brings together marketing and communications professionals from all corners of the dietary supplement industry for two days of educational sessions led by game-changing experts from the country’s leading PR, advertising, and media companies. With topics spanning across both the traditional and digital spectrum, these sessions are designed to equip attendees with the tools they need to take brand promotion and protection to the next level. 

RuthWinker19-cropheadshot.jpgThe 2018 CMOC meeting (CMOC18) will be held May 22 and 23 in New York City—and we hope to see you there! You can find information on registration and hotel reservations here, but for those wanting to know even more about the CMOC meeting (y’know, the real story), Ruth Winker, CMOC Chair and Corporate Communications Director, Jamieson Wellness, is here to give you a closer look. 

What is the CMOC meeting, anyway?

CRN’s President & CEO Steve Mister calls this meeting “the best kept secret in the industry.” Exclusive for CRN members, the CMOC meeting is an opportunity to join communications colleagues and really dig into communications trends. CMOC is an intensive two-day educational communications boot camp. We invite some of the country’s top communications, marketing, and PR experts to guide us through the ever-changing media and marketing landscape to explore new ways to reach consumers. 

As part of this two-day meeting, we hold a Committee working meeting. This part of CMOC is highly interactive and is a chance to explore CRN’s new strategic plan, map the direction of industry engagement, and find ways to amplify messages that are important to our industry and our consumers.

Who can attend the CMOC meeting?

The meeting is open to all CRN members at any professional level. The core of the meeting is directed toward communications and marketing professionals, but we’re all in this together! Even if you’re not in the communications or marketing space, CMOC gives you a chance to make better sense of how to reach your target audience. We all communicate every day—with our colleagues, with our consumers, with our stakeholders—and CMOC challenges all attendees to better understand the issues faced by communications executives. No matter what you do at your company, you’ll learn something new at this meeting.

What can attendees expect from the education sessions?

The best part of CMOC is how the meeting evolves as the world of communications evolves. We’ve been fortunate to get senior communications experts to speak on topics ranging from traditional journalism and social media best practices to how to use artificial intelligence to promote your brand. This year we’ll continue that tradition. All subject matter is presented in a way that’s accessible to all professional levels and CMOC attendees have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with speakers after the sessions or connect with them for future conversations. It’s not every day that you can ask questions and exchange business cards with the CEO of a leading marketing company! At CMOC, we break down barriers and encourage you to network with everyone in the room.

How does CMOC attendance benefit CRN member companies?

This meeting is one of a kind in the dietary supplement industry. Not only are there impactful speakers, but the intimate atmosphere encourages attendees to talk with one another and build strong relationships that, in turn, build a better industry. Our shared experiences promote a camaraderie among attendees that you won’t find at larger conferences, and your company will benefit from the connections you’ll make. 

This year, we’re offering a substantial registration discount to companies that send more than one person to this meeting. This is a great opportunity to invest in your department by exposing a junior team member to strategic conversations they may not normally be involved in. It could also be a way to reward a valued team member with the opportunity to attend the conference and learn from other industry professionals in one of the greatest cities around.

Why is New York City the perfect place to hold the CMOC meeting?

There’s an energy in New York that seeps its way into the meeting which helps makes the experience so special. We moved the meeting from Washington, D.C. to New York about 10 years ago, in part because NYC is the center of consumer journalism and the heart of the communications industry. It seemed natural to hold our CMOC meeting there—and then our attendees fell in love with having it in New York City. 

In recent years, we’ve taken advantage of New York’s social scene and expanded the meeting to include a group dinner off-site and a theatre night. Shared experiences and storytelling are current communications and marketing buzzwords, so these two casual networking events allow attendees to connect on a more personal level and really get to know each other.

Anything else we should know?

The CMOC meeting is one of the most valuable benefits CRN offers its members. It’s exclusive to our membership, so you know you’ll be among the best in the industry. Each year, we up the ante and bring in better and better speakers. Anyone who has a role in communications has something to gain from this meeting, and I encourage all CRN members to join us in New York this May. 


CMOC18 will be held May 22 and 23 in New York City. More information on registration and hotel reservations can be found here.


Questions?

Contact Holly Vogtman at 202-204-7665.