Connecting and Creating: Franisha Hayes on AMA and Marketing Trends

AMA Las Vegas and Phoenix Leaders Share Chapter Updates and B2B Expo Takeaways

At a B2B Expo, Franisha Hayes, president of the American Marketing Association (AMA) Las Vegas chapter and director of marketing at KMJ Vegas, discusses shaking up a 90-year luncheon-focused chapter by adding evening “fireside chats” centered on personal growth, while continuing monthly luncheons on topics like short-form video and upcoming influencer podcasting. AMA Las Vegas also introduced “play mixers,” including a game-night event. Franisha highlights seeing a booth focused on AI-driven workflows and notes she’ll join an American Advertising Federation panel on how AI is changing creative workflows. She advises that all marketing channels matter but should be used within reason, emphasizing that audiences aren’t always on social and that traditional and in-person networking remain important. The host shares similar changes at AMA Phoenix, including more in-person panels, community partnerships, and evolving board leadership.

00:00 Meet Franisha Hayes
00:48 AMA Vegas Shakeup
01:20 Fireside Chats and Mixers
03:02 Leading Through Change
04:00 Expo Find AI Workflows
05:25 Marketing Advice All Channels
07:05 In Person Connection Matters
08:14 AMA Phoenix Updates
09:46 Phoenix Visit and Wrap

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Contact Meredith: info@compressionmarketing.co

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Okay, so Frenesha, thank you so much for stopping by to chat. We're gonna talk all things American Marketing Association today. But let's get started by just like introducing yourself. Tell everybody who you are and what you're doing at the B2B Expo.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

I am Frenesha Hayes. I am the current president of the American Marketing Association, Las Vegas chapter. And I am the director of marketing for KMJ Vegas. We are a full service web design and marketing company. So and I like to call myself a strategist, not a marketer.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

I love that. Sometimes there can be a difference in how that word lands with folks. Yeah. Right? So I totally get it. That's awesome. Big job. Thank you. Real big job. Thank you. Very cool. But you are so as a president of American Marketing Association here in Vegas, like, what is that like? It's fun. Let's start there.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Okay. It's fun because I've kind of changed things up. We have primarily been a luncheon chapter for many years. And I came in like, let's just shake things up. Yeah, you know, like you just completed a puzzle and then you got that person that comes over. That's me. That's me. I think I caused a little bit of chaos. But chaos can be good when things get stagnant. We have implemented fireside chats, which are evening events. They are more like personal growth. The first one we spoke about personality differences, which is huge in the marketing community. And then when you work for big companies, you have all these different personalities. And it's not just understanding how you communicate and what your personality is, it is understanding how to meet other people where they are and how to communicate with them as well. Yeah. So fireside chats that are about personal growth and development. We still do our monthly luncheons. So last month we, or actually this month, we spoke about the power of short form video. So we did we touched on TikTok and what they do well and how it's changed the game for Facebook and Instagram. Next month we will be talking about the influence of podcasting. Yeah. So we still have our interesting lunch topics. And the theme is all about let's play AMA. So our mixers are called Play Mixers. We did our first play mixer last month. It was a game night. And we had board games, we had cards, we had chess, and it was just a good time all around.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

And that totally makes sense for Vegas. I feel like that just plays in so well with where you are. Yeah. You said something that I thought was so, so cool about your fireside chats and like meeting people where they are. Yeah. It's so important. And I feel like that gets overlooked or forgotten in what we do as marketers all the time. Like we hear it and we say it. Yeah. But the implementation of it always seems a little off. Yeah. So I'm really glad to hear that that's a way that you're able to deliver on that. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Yeah, I've I've been having a great time doing this. Obviously, you have the people aspect, which can be, you know, a little bit more hard to maneuver sometimes because you definitely don't want to offend anybody. You don't want to hurt feelings. I'm such a team player. I'm like, I want everybody to kind of agree, but you can't, yeah, you can't please everybody all the time. So I think you can't. Yeah, I think that's the more challenging factor, just coming in and changing things up a little bit for people who are so used to the constant. But then we have all these new people I've grown on the board, and then you have people who have been on the board for a while, and they're like, Yes, so much, yes, like right. This is what we've been missing. So yeah, I'm learning, I'm loving it, I'm having a good time doing it.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Oh, that's fantastic. And that's the thing, like if you can have fun doing it, like that can make the hard effort worth it. Like, like it can feel like it's worth it, even if it is hard. For sure. Yeah, I love that. And so, what are you like? I you said you had you took a you had a chance to walk around the expo a little bit. What is like the coolest thing you saw or the best thing you've heard so far?

SPEAKER_01 4:15

So now I might be a little biased because I won something at this booth. Well, there you go. But Loretta, they are all about workflows and processes using AI. And I am, I don't know about you, but I'm in my AI bag. Right? Are we all? Yeah. Seriously. I absolutely love workflows. So to see a booth that is talking about using AI for workflows, I that's probably my favorite thing. And then ironically, I'm gonna be on a panel next week for the American Advertising Federation. Okay, very cool. Talking about how AI is changing creative workflows. So, and then I won some from that booth.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

So it was like That's a win all around. That's a win, win, win, win, win. Yeah, fantastic. But I mean, but totally legit, like so important for so many of us. Yeah. So I'm really glad to hear that. I'll have to go give them, I have to go visit them. I'll have to right here. Yeah, I'll have to give them a flyby for sure. That's tell them I sent you. I don't know if I get something. Right. And something else, right? We're gonna get I love that. And good luck on the panel next week. That's gonna be great. That's gonna be awesome. So you mentioned earlier, like in your real life, we've been talking about American Marketing Association, in your real life and your director of marketing job. Like, what is the like we're at a B2B expo, right? So, like, what is the big piece of advice that you're always giving as a director of marketing or that you would think is like the thing people need to remember? That's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

So all channels matter, but use them within reason. All channels matter. Uh-huh. Use them within reason, yeah. Okay. So more about that. That means don't just throw all of your money at every marketing channel that you see. And like some a lot of people also think that social is the means to them getting all of the money from clients. But sometimes your target audience isn't even on Facebook or on TikTok. Sometimes you're such a good point. Yeah. Sometimes your audience is right here in places like this, you know, getting out and doing digital marketing is great, but let's not forget about all of the traditional channels, the business cards, the mailers, going out and meeting people and saying hi, and like people getting to know you and what you're about. I think the personality effect is like the biggest and best thing working for marketing. When people get to know you, what you're about, uh what your company is about, they're more willing to do business with you. And it's hard to get those feelings across when you're just in a digital space and everything is just sell, sell, sell. Yeah. So all channels matter. It's literally on my LinkedIn. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

All channels matter. And all channels is a big list. Yeah. Like there's so many to choose from. But I love what you said about like even in-person events like this, yeah, where you can get in, you know, like in-person, face-to-face contact with people. That is, I feel like it's having a resurgence. The importance of sitting down with people in community. Yeah. And that sense of like, we're all here to do a cool thing. Yeah. And it's neat to be in a space with people like that that are also doing it. No, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Like, even this, like, we we have met and spoken, didn't really sat in meetings together. But this is the first time I'm like really getting to know you and in your space. And I think what you got going is so cool. Thank you. I have something similar going on as for my business. I love it. I feel like there's some synergy there and the possibility for us to do more together. So yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

But I wouldn't have known that if we wouldn't, if we hear this, you know. What a fun it's a fun progression. I didn't even think about that. Like we've we've talked on Slack and then been in Zoom calls, and then it was like physically in person for the first time after probably months, just other types of communication. Yeah. And super cool. And when we first met each other in person, we gave each other a hug. Yeah. It was like that was the vibe, and I just think that's so special. Yeah, for sure. For sure. So, what's going on with you out here and with AMA Phoenix? Oh my gosh. So we interview you really. Yes, oh my gosh, let's set the script, right? Yes, AMA Phoenix is having a moment. Like we we it very similar to yourself. We had to shake some shake some stuff up. We'd been doing a lot of the same things for a long time. And so when we had sort of a change in leadership, that led to a shift in priorities. And we've been doing a lot more in-person events and a lot of we're doing panel events. I think they might be similar to what you've got going on with your fireside chats, but it's been really fun to bring people together. We've been going into like better business bureaus and using their spaces and going into community areas and being able to really have some awesome conversations with people in their spaces. And that's been really fun. And people have been like, oh my gosh, where has this been? What, what, you know, and so why am I just now hearing about this? Yeah, we're really proud that we've been able to start doing more of that. It it takes time and effort and energy, but it's so worth it. Yeah. And we've had, like I said, we've had a lot of leadership change in the board. And so everybody has to get to know each other and figure out what we all stand for. Yeah. And that's been going really well. We've been, I would say, every year for the last three or four years, we've really just continued to add to that leadership core. And they've all been great people and such awesome volunteers. Like love that. That feels really good. That and it feels really good for like the whole marketing community in Phoenix that we get to serve. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Absolutely love that. Make me have to come down there to Phoenix and check out the chapter. Right. Yeah. Absolutely. Road trip.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

For sure. Okay. And I've never been to Phoenix, so it'll be the perfect excuse. Yeah, there's so much fun stuff we can do if you like food. If you're like, there's food. The food scene in Phoenix, I think, is super underrated. Like, there is so much good food happening in the valley right now. Yeah. Anyone that's coming to Phoenix and your hookup on a restaurant. Okay. Well, let me know. Yes, absolutely. For sure. I absolutely enjoy this. This is super fun. Thank you for stopping by. Thank you for sharing. This was super fun. Yeah. I'm really excited to have more conversations like this with other folks and tell your friends.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

I sure will. I absolutely enjoy this.