Special recognition and thanks to the following chapters and their leaders for recruiting new corporate memberships since the last Leader Letter:

IABC Detroit: Nancy Skidmore, vice president of membership, recruited The Kresge Foundation as a Bronze corporate member.
IABC New Jersey and Connecticut: Prudential Retirement formed a Bronze corporate membership with new joiners in both chapters.
IABC Ottawa and Manitoba: Royal Canadian Mint enrolled in a Bronze corporate membership with new joiners in both chapters.

Find out if your team qualifies for discounted rates offered to corporate members. Email Marie Coppola at IABC International at mcoppola@iabc.com for a corporate membership quote. 

Has your chapter board delivered outstanding results this year? It’s time to recognize that exceptional work and celebrate the contributions of volunteer leaders through the Chapter Management Awards (CMAs). The CMAs salute volunteer leadership in the following eight categories:

Categories:
• Membership Marketing
• Professional Development
• Financial Management
• Leadership Development
• Communication
• Student Involvement
• Community Involvement
• Sponsorship

All chartered IABC chapters are eligible to enter. The deadline for submissions is midnight (PST), 25 November 2013, and the winners will be announced on 6 February 2014 during Leadership Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana.

You can find more information on the submission process, criteria and the categories here.

IABC is searching every corner of the globe for communication excellence. Think pick-of-the-crop, best-of-the-bunch, top-of-the-heap, best-in-class work that exemplifies top-drawer strategic planning and outstanding creative execution.

The 2014 Gold Quill Awards program launches in mid-October, and the final deadline for entries is Wednesday, 5 March 2014. Changes to this year’s program include:

• A new online provider for entrants and evaluators.
• The addition of a change communication category to the Communication Management division.
• A new score sheet for Communication Skills.
• An interactive, online guide for entering the awards (“The Midas Touch”).
• A refreshed logo and a printed Call for Entries.
• A new early-bird deadline of 31 December, offering reduced pricing on entry fees for those who enter by the deadline.
• Marketing of the program outside the association.

Information about this year’s program will be shared with IABC leaders in advance.

This year, Member Month comes with a new twist: Each new member who joins IABC in November, and every current member who renews their membership, will get an extra three months free—that’s 15 months of membership for the cost of 12. Member Month will run from 1 November through 30 November.

Your support is crucial to a successful campaign. To help you prepare, IABC will send you a promotional toolkit in mid-October to be used throughout November.

One World Conference registration will be awarded to the chapter in each size category (small, medium and large) who gains the most members during Member Month.

Stay tuned for your promotional toolkit—it’s going to be a pretty sweet deal!

In the coming weeks, IABC will begin soliciting applications for the International Executive Board, the leadership body that sets the organization's strategic direction. Any member in good standing is welcome to apply, especially those with leadership experience. Intrigued? Watch for details in the Weekly Digest soon.

The October issue of Communication World (CW) magazine is out! This month’s issue examines the communicator’s role in building collaborative cultures that enable innovation.

The web edition of CW is still open to the public, so feel free to share it with colleagues, prospects and friends. Members can also access the magazine through dedicated apps for iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire and Android devices.

Share CW with your chapter members: This informational flyer details how members can get CW, and includes links to the app stores.