With a wink and a nod towards last week, let me explain my over-eager, overly-ambitious plans to write daily from our Acquire or Be Acquired (#AOBA11) conference.  With well over 700 in attendance, I found myself dancing from one interesting conversation to the next.  The sun came up, the sun went down, and I talked, talked, talked.  Tweets?  You bet.  Posts?  Not so much.  A classic case of over-promising and under-delivering.  Sorry.

So all I can do is set better expectations for my blogging self before flying out to our next conference (our annual Chairman/CEO Peer Exchange conference in Chicago in April).  Now, I do like checking in from events like these, as I typically come away fired up with ideas for our business, our industry and my friends + colleagues.  And this latest one, focused on mergers & acquisitions along with growth strategies, certainly had me thinking in a number of new ways.

So I set aside some time this morning to write.  Admittedly, I'm rolling up to NYC in one of Accela's quiet cars, so distractions are far less frequent than when I'm home in D.C.  But on the heels of a great three days of presentations and networking, a few thoughts and observations:

1. Content remains king, just the shape of things has morphed.  

While some describe Bank Director as "just a magazine," the truth is we're a true information resource.  We blend on-line content, in-person events with in-print research, white papers and our quarterly magazine.  Social media, videos, web casts, webinars... yup, we're there.  Analyst Forums, quarterly research projects... the list goes on and on.  

Now, depending on your experience with us, you might look at us as a conference provider first, magazine second, and marketing partner third.  I look at things differently.  Let's say you're a the CEO of a bank with $5 Bn in assets.  Our "core" constituent if you will. You might be thinking about the changing regulatory environment and how it impacts compensation, buying the guy down the street from you, increasing deposits, or getting lending back on-track.  These are bank and board-specific thoughts.  To find one provider that is focused squarely on your needs appreciates in value over broader focused companies.  So the economics of our business continue to rest with the content that is created by the community, and bound together by Bank Director's 20 years of brand and service.

2. Behold, the power of cheese.  

Can you guess we're I'm going with this?  Here's a hint: it goes to the value of your network, and the chance to make a real positive first impression.  The corollary: if you're tacky, you're a goner.  Period.  That applies for online behavior as well as in-person presentations and conversations.  Cheesy might be memorable... its also forms a lasting impression.  Admittedly, we're in a period of massive investment in a lot of things that people will not see until mid-year, so you might cast stones at our online aesthetic.   But for what people can and did see at our "Acquire or Be Acquired" conference?  A 1st class conference and dynamic Bank Director team.  (For anyone that has seen a team come together in a few months will know what I'm talking about... I am so proud of our entire team for bringing their A games to the desert.  They rocked the conference -- gracious, professional and enthusiastic.  What a great group to work with).

3. Take it to the bank: know what you're good at -- and than do it over and over and over again.  

Some of our best relationships involve major investment banks, consulting firms, law firms and accounting firms.  They know what they do best, and rather than stray from their area of expertise, they work like crazy to make sure what they present matches up to what they deliver.  While we continue to add to our portfolio of online resources (check out the beta version of BankBusiness.com and our blog.bankdirector.com), we're ruthlessly focused on serving the needs of CEOs, CFOs, key management and board members of financial services companies.  We are not going to dip too far down in the information we provide, conferences we host or research we conduct.  For example, while the heads of retail banking benefit from the information we provide, they do so because our focus centers on what their boss -- and his board -- need to know.

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I mentioned in this post that we're growing our business in a number of ways.  As we design and develop Bank Director "2.0" we're looking for some sharp, ambitious and fun people to join our team.  In the spirit of today's post, let me share two openings: one for our conference team, the other, for sales in the Southeast.  

For the conference position, we're looking for someone to work in our Brentwood, TN office (just outside of Nashville).  I can see an extrovert thriving in this role, as he/she will be traveling to all of our conferences throughout the year, working with sponsors and speakers throughout the year, and helping develop and market agendas and conference materials.  Detail oriented folks with a creative/marketing inclination will have a lot of fun here.

For the sales role, we're keen to find someone that can call on the service providers and product companies that support the financial community.  We're going to carve out a nice territory -- I'm thinking south of D.C. and as far west as all of Texas.  I'm happy to talk with folks about either spot.  Drop me a line below or shoot me a note on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Sitting in an Admirals Club always brings out the grown-up in me.  I don't know what it is, but my many years of flying haven't dulled my appreciation for a comfortable chair, cup of coffee and warm receptions from the staff. Now, I'm posting this not from my favorite airport resting spot (that would be DCA's club), but one of the more spacious -- terminal C's in DFW.  

All dressed up and somewhere to go -- that's the way to get out of bed on an early Saturday morning, right?

Kissing my wife goodbye this morning, I couldn't help but think about the funny twists and turns life throws at you.  Heading out to Scottsdale, AZ for Bank Director's 17th annual Acquire or Be Acquired conference is nothing new for me; in fact, this is my 7th trip to this growth-focused three day event.  But it is a wee bit different returning in my current capacity -- where I'll have the chance to thank the 700+ attendees, introduce some of our best clients, etc. -- than back in the late 90s when I was fresh out of W&L and so poor I consistently found myself borrowing banker-appropriate Brooks Brothers ties from my Dad (as if he was the store and I his best customer).

While a golden fleece did not make the trip this year, memories of past conferences did.  I distinctly remember this being an event brimming with optimism, with deals being made (or discussed) by the various CEOs and Chairmen of financial services companies in attendance.  Year after year, I was fascinated by the quality of presentations and discussions that addressed some of the most critical and timely issues facing banks.  In fact, being a part of an event like this one convinced me to get my MBA (to keep pace / advance with a degree in Politics just wasn't cutting it).

Of course, when I left for the tech world in 2005, our country's financial institutions appeared on solid ground. Well, we all know what's transpired between than and now.  That said, the enthusiasm I had for this conference still exists -- and it appears that perspective is returning to industry too.  The U.S. economy seems to be on a more solid footing -- the industry’s asset quality has finally stabilized, buyers and seller alike are more confident about doing deals, and lo-an-behold, failed banks like BankUnited are going public.  According to our editor, the normal demand from potential sellers who were bottled up in 2007 and 2008 – when the recession acted like a cork – should help drive deal volume in 2011.  So yes, I'm keen to get out to the Hyatt Regency and get down to business.  And as I roll up my sleeves, I'll be sure to post thoughts to DCSpring21 and tweet about things using #AOBA11 as the hashtag.

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For those keeping track at home, I'm adding to my 1,078,059 miles flown on AA this weekend.  A sickness I attribute to my dear-old-dad, who has banked a mere 6.5 million.  Oh, the places we go (w/ today's title a nod to the children's book that adorns many a nightstand with that promise)...