Monday, August 15, 2011

Speakers for Into the Field III

Some 6000 field expeditions worldwide are preparing to descend upon whatever funding sources they can identify to secure support for the 2012 season. Unless you have a rich uncle, trust fund, or corporate benefactor already lined up, in this darkest economy you are going to need an edge. On Saturday and Sunday, November 12-13, the Philadelphia Chaper of The Explorers Club is providing proven solutions to the funding dilemma with a series of no-nonsense talks, panels, and workshops addressing primarily corporate, media, fundation, and individual donor strategies for attracting cash and in-kind donations for your deserving expedition. On Sunday, selected expeditions will get hand's-on help by the speakers to fine-tune pitches and proposals. Cost: $125/person, in advance, $150 at the door. Venue: Atlantic Cape Community College, just outside Philadelphia in scenic New Jersey.

This is a nuts-and-bolts symposium for Expedition leaders, field scientists, Institute/NGO heads, and museum professionals who have scheduled (or are contemplating) a serious field expedition in 2012. This isn't about theory; rather, successful practice. These speakers have
raised $ millions for field science. Don Keel, a top fundraiser, author, and expert on investment philanthropy, is reprising his ITF I and II appearances with the latest thoughts on donors, constituencies, and the importance of people giving money to people, rather than ideas. Our Keynote speaker Kevin Anderson, MN `05 is a SciFi writer and explorer with a vision for the future. He is the author of more than one hundred novels, 47 of which have appeared on national or international bestseller lists. Anderson has coauthored ten books in Frank Herbert's classic DUNE universe with Herbert's son Brian. He has climbed all 54 mountain peaks in the Colorado Rockies higher than 14,000 ft elevation. With the Civil War's 150th Anniversary, ITF co-founder Peter Hess's, FN `88, experience with risk and the U.S.S. Monitor is timely and has that sense of urgency for discovery and preservation. Dr. Mike Manyak, FN`92 is looking at risk from the medical perspective, which is new to ITF and adds views of how to mitigate risk (particularly for donors). Marie Levine, FN `90, Executive Director of Shark Research Institute, is a case study of how to bring a fledging NGO to prominence (witness the triumphs of anti-finning legislation/initiatives worldwide, plus overall shark research). Jeff Blumenfeld, MR `89 is a media maestro and will take us through the steps of press exposure and the sponsor interface. Explorers Club President Lorie Karnath, MBA, Ph.D. (Hon.), FI `89 will introduce us to role of philanthropy in field research and her vision of the next generation of explorers. ITF co-founder Bill Vartorella, Ph.D., C.B.C., FN `91 will explore corporate and foundation trends from a proposal reviewer's perspective, as well as his experience negotiating a successful
deal with The History Channel. Then there will be the usual perspectives of one or more of the documentary, docu-drama community. Expeditions interested in participating in the one-onone sessions on Sunday need to prepare a one-page summary for review and vetting by the ITF Committee. For more information, please contact me at globebiz@juno.com

No comments: