Network with professionals at Job Transition Mtg: learn about new job postings & opps – March 25 – More info http://tinyurl.com/bb56sl

Meet new AMA members at New Member Breakfast – March 12 – Free event. More info http://tinyurl.com/c73frz

Break out the Love Beads and Lava Lamps ~ it’s time for the Creative Media & Print Expo ~ PeaceLovePrint!  Set for April 9th at The Sheraton Downtown, we’ve organized a righteous day of fun and education specifically for the Graphics Community.

So here’s the skinny on this gig ~ we start off the day with a solid list of cool seminars aimed at the creative cats and groovy print buyers, throw in a way gone Keynote Luncheon and then we kick it strong at 4:00 when we open the far out exhibits and host a twitchin’ reception.

What kind of seminars you ask?  The line up includes Cat Moriarty, Editor Deliver Magazine presenting 2 sessions: “Intelligent Marketing in a Down Economy” and “Green Direct Mail – The sustainable way to Profit”; Joe Marin, PrePress Specialist Printing Industries of America presents “20 PrePress “Gotchas” and “Top Ten Tips for a Successful Press Check”, Sabina Lenz, Founder PaperSpecs helps us “Understand the Language of Green Paper” and how to “Beat the Paper Cost Blues” ; Daniel Dejan, Sappi Fine Papers will wow the crowd with “Varnishes & Coatings” and “Life with Print in a Multimedia World” and an Adobe Specialist presenting the latest and greatest with the Creative Suite family.

To learn more or to sign up, go to www.peaceloveprint.org or send us an email at hippies@peaceloveprint.org.

Presented by The Printing Industries of Arizona and Southwest Graphics Magazine.

The troubled economy is forcing corporate leaders to reevaluate their spending plans across the board, and marketing is not exempt. In fact, marketing is often first in line for cuts as corporate leaders attempt to identify immediate cost reductions that may take longer to achieve in other areas.

In reducing marketing budgets, management faces difficult questions: How much is too much? Are we trading off long-term brand building, which may be acceptable in the current climate, or are we damaging our ability to drive revenue in the current period? Making these choices is particularly difficult if the marketing team lacks a systematic method of marketing spending and a proven method to link marketing spending to business outcomes.

The reality is that in this economy, budget cuts may well be necessary to survive. Few can wait to generate better information, and most don’t have to. In this Aquent-sponsored AMA webcast, Fred Geyer, a partner at Prophet, will outline how businesses can use their existing intelligence to address five tough questions and rigorously guide how best to reduce and reallocate their budgets in difficult times. Some of the questions Fred will help answer include:

• Do you have complete inventory of your growth investments, and can you identify waste (or inefficient spending)?
• Do your investments change your customers’ buying behavior?
• Are your investments focused on customers’ barriers to buying your brand?
• Do you have the right mix of marketing levers among your investments?
• Do you have a system to support “winners” and cut “losers”?

Don’t miss this free American Marketing Association webinar from Aquent. Register for Making Marketing Smarter Amidst the Cuts.

Calendar of events has been recently updated. Click here to see the updates: http://www.amaphoenix.org/events.htm