Amigos AMS provides support for library conference

Amigos, through its Association Management Services (AMS) unit, provided the infrastructure and onsite arrangements support for this year’s Library Marketing and Communications Conference, November 3-4 in Dallas at the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Addison. The conference was a gathering of library marketing and communications professionals from across the U.S. and other countries.

A planning committee of 13 volunteers developed the program. AMS coordinated the logistics, including registration, hotel arrangements, and the website for the conference attended by over 200 participants. Amigos Membership and Management Services Assistant Megan Bryant coordinated registrations. She and Senior Administrative Assistant Pam Carter manned the conference desk at the hotel and performed numerous other duties to ensure the smooth operation of the conference. Amigos Web Design Support Specialist Tony Gay maintained the conference webpages and helped the Amigos Information Technology Department provide onsite technical support to presenters.

"All of our energy and drive could not have produced this event had it not been for the amazing organization called Amigos Library Services,” said Kathy Dempsey, organizing committee member and editor of the bi-monthly publication Library Marketing Services. "We are forever indebted to them." She said Amigos took a chance on a disparate group of people from across North America who had a vision but no formal organization behind them. "We needed an established group that could provide a registration system and financial support," Dempsey noted, "and our 'new amigos' stepped in and performed brilliantly. If your library needs a service organization for any extra tasks, I highly recommend this hard-working, efficient group."

In a nod to Amigos AMS, the theme for the conference, which sought to provide networking opportunities for attendees as well as information, was "Making New Amigos."

Keith Gaertner, Chief Internal Audit and IT Officer who manages Amigos Association Management Services, says AMS is designed to provide comprehensive logistical support for events such as conferences and tradeshows as well as assistance in other areas including financial management and membership management. He invites any group or organization needing such assistance to contact him at 800-843-8482, ext. 2894, or gaertner@amigos.org.