As media industry professionals, you have an inherent knowledge of the power of a media network. The networks many of us work for harness the collective force of thousands of people – journalists, reporters, photographers, editors, entertainers, technicians, and yes, financial professionals like you – to inform and entertain millions, if not billions, of people around the world.
These vast networks promote, preserve, and protect the democratic values we cherish here at home -- which those in nations where they do not exist strive for. They are, quite simply, a critical component of the foundation on which our institutions are built. We can all take pride in the role we play in bringing those networks to life.
But networks can also be quite personal. I witnessed a vivid example of this at theNational Credit Conference, co-sponsored by MFM and the National Media Credit Professionals (NMCP), in New York City on September 14. The conference brought together more than 100 credit, collections, and order-to-cash professionals for an intensive one-day session on the latest trends, developments, and best practices in the credit space.
Many attendees were regular participants at this annual event. But more than a dozen were “first timers” – folks not only new to the conference, but in many cases new to the media and entertainment industry. Watching the interactions between veterans and rookies and seeing the connections forged between attendees from all sectors of the industry throughout the course of the day was a hands on-lesson on the MFM’s stated mission: “where media and entertainment industry financial professionals network, share, and grow.”
The most dynamic example of the power of networking came during the roundtable session where attendees discussed the most interesting opportunities and vexing problems on their plates based on their responses to a pre-conference survey. You could literally see the sparks fly and the bonds being formed as they shared knowledge on ways to increase efficiency, streamline collections, and enhance their personal skills and their companies’ bottom lines.
By the end of the day attendees had taken in an incredible amount of valuable information from the individual presenters and panelists, who were generous with their knowledge and expertise. But the lasting value – the kind that will pay dividends for months and years – are the relationships that were begun or furthered among colleagues in the credit and collections arena from media and entertainment companies across the country.
MFM members have many more opportunities to grow their current professional networks in the coming months. Regional Meetings are scheduled for October 18 in Washington, DC; October 26 in Atlanta; and November 15 in Los Angeles. These sessions include a 75-minute panel presentation on “Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on You and Your Company” plus a 90-minute networking lunch or reception. The next MFM webinar is “The Future of NextGen TV” on October 24, followed by “How to Manage Your Invoice-to-Pay Process and Get Paid Faster” on November 9. And eight Member Network calls are scheduled in October and November. You can find all MFM events here.
Maximize the value of your membership by taking advantage of these opportunities to learn, share, and grow. For more information check out the MFM website or email me at joe.annotti@mediafinance.org