2012 NAIA-SIDA Convention Recap

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The NAIA Sports Information Directors of America (SIDA) met for its annual NAIA-SIDA Convention in St. Louis, Mo. on June 22 - 23. Day one of the two-day event was held at the William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University (Mo.), while the group congregated on day two at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel.

Nearly 70 NAIA sports communications professionals attended the event, while others engaged the group via the NAIA-SIDA Facebook page and using the Twitter hashtag #NAIASIDA. The entire session on day one was video-streamed live.

Many of the sessions revolved around engaging key audiences and influencers strategically, including an entire session led by Ron Smith of Westmont (Calif.) about developing a strategic communications plan. Smith provided ideas and examples from the plan he developed for the Westmont Athletic Department.

NAIA staff members Chad Waller and Lori Wiles charged the group to become NAIA brand ambassadors, while touching on the expansion of and opportunities for marketing available on NAIA.org.

Publications award winners for 2011 - 12 were announced at the Ike Pearson Award Luncheon. Steven Aldridge of Union (Tenn.) was named the 36th recipient of the Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award, which is named for the former statistical crew chief for the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship and is given annually to an outstanding NAIA Sports Information Director. For complete biographical information on Aldridge, click here.

There were 15 publication contests in which all winners were announced during the luncheon. Alison Smalling, Sports Information Director at Embry-Riddle (Fla.), and her team of Ryan Mosher, Michael Pierce and Austin Quinn took home the Gary Spitler Memorial Award for Excellence in Publications - NAIA-SIDA's top honor for publications.

International communications company Fleishman Hillard kicked of the afternoon on Friday with a social media best practice and strategy session. The group touched on the expanding nature of social media and the importance of reaching your audience with the "right message, at the right time and the right way".

With many sports information directors also acting as marketers for their departments, NAIA-SIDA opened day two with a presentation by John Phillips of Embry-Riddle (Fla.). Phillips conveyed specific examples on how to engage your campus and community with your athletic department.

The event concluded with a media training session by Kay Hawes, NAIA Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

Presentations and presenter notes from the convention are available on the NAIA-SIDA Facebook page.

For a complete list of 2011-12 NAIA-SIDA Publications Contest winners, click here.