1. What will you be preaching about at the Connection Planning Conference?

If I had a one-word goal for my speech at the conference it would be “useful.” I’m taking more of the Peace Corps/Home Depot approach: “You can do connection planning; we can help.” I’ve always felt connection planning is best when it remains a street-smart discipline. My goal is to help people avoid some of the mistakes, cul-de-sacs, and hype with a clear, informative and instructional presentation. Ultimately, I’d like to help advance the connection planning discipline overall by shortening the learning curve for others and by dispelling some of the myths out there.

2. As the pioneering company for connection planning, do you believe
Fallon is the authority on connection planning?

“Authority” is a strong word. That being said, to play out the conference wedding theme, Fallon is certainly a lot closer to the 7-year itch than to walking wide-eyed down the aisle. “Pioneering” is the right spirit. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that no one has done more connection planning work than Fallon. Arguably, we should have spent more time talking about the discipline and merchandising it, but it’s always been more our style to lead by example. Besides, it’s way more fun to do connection planning than it is to talk about it.

3. How has connection planning evolved since it was conceptualized in 1999?

I think the biggest shift I’ve seen is from internal to external. In the early days, it was an agency issue. It was about moving communications thinking upstream, getting a seat at the table, and better linking different departments or partner agencies. Today, at least at Fallon, we’re focused on the idea. We work for the idea. The idea tells us where it wants to go, how it wants to behave, and how it can best fits into peoples’ lives. This is the main reason I’m skeptical about the current hype in the channel/communications planning space, because all too often the idea is left on the sidelines.

4. You launched the unique program dubbed Dream Catchers for Fallon
employees so they could pursue their personal dreams. Why are unique
programs like this important to have?

While I have passion for my job, I’m still more of a work-to-live guy. Dream Catchers was a way for the company, and me personally, to help give people that extra little kick to finally get that thing they always talk about off the back burner and into their scrapbooks.

5. Besides programs that assist employees, has Fallon created any
programs that extend the social responsibility of the company beyond its
business?

A planner here at Fallon, Aki Spicer, was instrumental in putting together Planning for Good. Fallon also has both green and community service initiatives.

6. What do you plan on doing in New Orleans besides attending the
conference? Are you a New Orleans first-timer? What are you looking
forward to?

I plan to eat a fried dill pickle and hit the Voodoo Music Experience both Friday and Saturday. You know it’s a great wedding when Kings of Leon is your band!