Conference/CFLE Exam/Free Books/Marriage Week /Checkup Discount/ Ads & the Internet - 1/8/09

Thu Jan 8 15:27:50 EST 2009

- CONFERENCE STUFF 
- CFLE EXAM  AT SMART MARRIAGES ORLANDO
- FREE BOOKS FOR MARRIAGE WEEK
- MARRIAGE WEEK PLANS IN OHIO
- COUPLE CHECKUP DISCOUNT FOR MARRIAGE WEEK
- ADS ON THE KNOT.COM AND WEB MARKETING
- MEETUP.COM 
- CRAIG'S LIST FREE STUFF

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- THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE
Thank you to those waiting patiently to hear if your workshop submission has
been accepted for the Orlando Smart Marriages conference.  Soon.....
 - diane 

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- REUNIONS/GATHERINGS AT SMART MARRIAGES

I'm getting requests from those that want to plan reunions/meetings of their
trainees, denomination, etc in Orlando.  Do NOT contact the hotel directly
for a meeting room.  Email me and we can go over options and I'll help set
you up.  Also, this year LUNCH on Thurs, Fri, and Sat will be included with
conference registration which means we will be able to sit at topic tables
while we eat. (While the ballroom in SF wasn't large enough, we've got TONS
of space at the Shingle Creek RESORT in Orlando. That goes for Exhibit
space, too  it's gorgeous and all in one big area....not scattered as in
SF.  Exhibit applications here:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/exhibitors.html)

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- CFLE EXAM  AT SMART MARRIAGES ORLANDO

Several of you have asked: Yes, you can take the CFLE exam in Orlando.
Certified Family Life Educator is a wonderful credential  it's nice to add
those letters after your name.  Details here:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/cfle.exam.html

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- FREE BOOKS FOR MARRIAGE WEEK

> Hi Diane,
> I have 40 copies of "Living a Blissful Marriage" to donate for only
> S&H.  Anyone interested can email me
> at: lifelinepublishing at hotmail.com. Thank you. Lilian Gafni

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-   MARRIAGE WEEK PLANS IN OHIO

What are your plans?  Send them to post on the Marriage Week Whatsup page:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/marriage.week.html

> Marriage Works! Ohio will be hosting a variety of relationship education
> opportunities around Dayton, in celebration of Marriage Week (annual
> celebration started in 2002).
> Monday, February 9th at noon - Kickoff Kiss at Courthouse Square. Free to
> attend. There will be a proclamation from the City Commissioners. Bring your
> sweetheart to courthouse square and kiss at noon.
> Tuesday, February 10th at 6 pm - ³Hearing and Listening: What¹s the
> Difference?² at Marriage Works! Ohio, 2201 N. Main Street, presented by Sydney
> and Fran Battle. Free to attend.
> Wednesday, February 11th at noon  Lunchtime chat at Wright Patterson Air
> Force Base, Class Room 244 in Bldg 2 at the Airman and Family Readiness
> Center. Discuss the many stresses on a relationship in the military. Free to
> attend. 
> Thursday, February 12th at 7 pm - ³Conflict Resolution² at Belmont Church of
> Christ, 3003 S. Smithville Road, presented by Steve and Loretta Worley. Free
> to attend.
> Friday, February 13th at 6 pm - Couples Panel and Dance at the Irish Club,
> 6555 Dog Leg Road. Dinner will be served. Cost is $5 per person, reservations
> are required. 
>   
> AJ Grimm
> Event Planner and Media & Outreach Assistant
> Marriage Works! Ohio
> http://www.trustmarriage.com

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- COUPLE CHECKUP DISCOUNT FOR MARRIAGE WEEK

Diane,
PREPARE/ENRICH is discounting the price of our Couple Checkup to $19.95
(regularly $29.95) for Marriage Week (Feb 8-15, 2009).  The Checkup is a
great adjunct to educational programs that communities and initiatives have
going around Valentine¹s Day.  Some examples:

* A group in Minneapolis is giving out Checkup voucher codes as part of a
six-week relationship education series.
* A group in Texas is mailing over 30,000 households advertising the Couple
Checkup on their website and the relationship series that will follow
throughout Marriage Week.

I¹d welcome the opportunity to brainstorm with anybody interested in
integrating the Couple Checkup into their website or discussing other
creative marketing opportunities.  Contact me or access the Discount info
at: http://www.prepare-enrich.com

Matthew Turvey, Psy.D., LP
Director of Strategic Alliances
Life Innovations

####################################

- ADS ON THE KNOT.COM AND WEB MARKETING

Here is a post from Elizabeth Thomas who is concerned that last week's post
might lead some of you down an expensive and useless path.  Elizabeth and
Marc Payan will each present workshops in Orlando on getting more marketing
value out of the internet. They'll each also have exhibits and will be
available for consults.  - diane

> Diane, 
> I don't know how much the "banner ads" are but the "regular ads" - maybe
> that's what they are talking about, are EXPENSIVE.  And a disaster.
> Three marriage prep people including us tried and failed.
> 
> As a "knottie", someone who has been on the site for years, I can tell you
> that the brides get their advice from each other on the message boards.  I
> write on the boards sometimes just sharing, answering questions, NOT selling,
> and got more hits to my website (which I put inside my bio as a user) then we
> ever got from our ad.
> 
> Just wanted to send you this heads up so people don't waste money on the
> knot.com.  They require a 6 month contract and in the twin cities the cost was
> $125/month.  A VERY heavy price for NO results.  Again, maybe a "banner ad" is
> different?  But if it is what I'm thinking, they are never looked at!
> 
> Elizabeth Thomas
> The First Dance

-----------------------------
- MEETUP.COM 

Hello Diane,

We have also looked into advertising on the knot.com but in the past we have
not had much success with the premarital audience when they are in "wedding"
mode (i.e. wedding shows).  I would like to hear what Sharon thinks about it
on down the line - whether it worked or not.

Also, we have been working with http://www.meetup.com as a web 2.0 approach
to reaching additional audiences.  I cannot at this point determine the
outcome but our hope is to build this online community with our workshops as
what the site calls "meetups".  It is a relatively inexpensive way to market
and you can reach specific audiences (via an email sent from the site) like
their "newly single" email list which seems to work well with the "How to
Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk" curriculum.

Karri Schaufele
Marketing/Outreach Supervisor
You&Me.We Program
http://www.family-resources.org
http://www.youandmewe.org

##################################
- CRAIG'S LIST FREE STUFF

Diane, 
It's interesting that the Marriage Education culture has discovered Craig's
List to advertise classes. I have another use: I feature it as part of the
LastingLove Financial Literacy component.  Craig's List has a category of
"Free" items that people give away who don't want to bother hauling stuff to
the Goodwill.

If you teach low income populations to use this service, they can furnish a
new apartment for next to nothing.  Free items include beds, tables, lamps,
rugs, moving materials, playground equipment, TVs, you name it.  I found
that the facilitators I have trained are unaware of this product and very
interested in teaching their participants about it.

Chris Gersten
Lasting Love

Chris will repeat his Lasting Love workshop in Orlando and also host a "1%
Solution" Roundtable on Thursday at 5:15 - 7pm.

> Lasting Love
> Chris Gersten
> This 8-hr course, suited to low-income couples, teaches 10 relationship rules
> & 4 skill sets: communication, anger management, fidelity with a unique
> emphasis on financial literacy.

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13th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, Shingle Creek Resort,
Orlando, Florida, July 6-12, 2009 (General Conference July 8-11)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes July 6-8
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12

Shingle Creek Resort: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

Conference schedule, registration, & exhibit information:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html

List your program and resources on the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Order conference audio & video CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332

We'll also have morning Roundtables Thurs, Fri, Sat. Lots of ideas for
Networking which is one of the main reasons to attend the conference.  See
here for ideas:  http://www.smartmarriages.com/roundtables.html