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• In the Beginning
• About the Marketing and Advancement Institute
• Special Topics Following a Recession
• Sample Syllabus
• Register for the 2010 Marketing and Advancement Institute

In the Beginning
In 1994, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) asked Kathleen Hanson and Jeff Wack to design and lead an annual institute for school administrators on the then novel (to schools) business discipline of marketing. The Marketing Institute for Independent Schools was born. In 2000 NAIS decided to discontinue its sponsorship of the Institute but encouraged Jeff and Kathy to continue to produce and teach the event. The term "advancement" was added to the Institute title several years ago as some schools began to opt for the word advancement to reflect integrated marketing practice. The fact is, wherever the school touches a customer, it is engaged in marketing and advancing the school. To date ,more than 1000 independent school administrators have attended the Institute, many of them more than once. Enrollment is capped, and the Institute fills every year.

About the Marketing and Advancement Institute
The 15th Annual Marketing and Advancement Institute is intended for school administrators interested in learning how marketing can enhance the advancement of private schools.

The Institute is designed with three goals in mind:

• To teach the discipline of marketing as it applies to schools.
• To encourage networking and shared learning among attendees.
• To allow school administrators to break away from the daily firefighting so that they can gain a bigger perspective on school priorities.

Jeff Wack and Kathy Hanson are the lead faculty of the Institute. Jeff earned his doctorate, and was until recently adjunct professor, at Yale; is on the board of NAIS; and has over a 25-year career consulted to nearing 100 educational institutions. Kathy was until last year Vice President for Advancement at Baylor School (TN) and a member of the CASE board, and currently is a senior consultant in the schools practice group of Marts & Lundy, as well as serves on the board of TABS. This year, guest speakers include Ken Mason, Director of Marketing at Westminster School; and Lorrie Jackson, newly of finalsite, who will address trends and uses of social media.

Jeff and Kathy teach an Integrated Marketing Model that defines marketing as everyone’s job. Directors of admissions, communications, marketing, and development — often two or three from each school — comprise the majority of attendees; but each year, several board members, heads of school, and division heads also attend and add immeasurably to the discussions. The Marketing and Advancement Institute is comprehensive, interactive, and challenging, so brand new administrators may not find the Institute basic enough for their needs.

Jeff and Kathy cover an ambitious curriculum at a lively pace, avoid over-scheduling, and hold the event at locations attendees can enjoy. To optimize the learning experience for all, the number of participants is capped at 65-75, depending on the size of the conference facilities.

Special Topics Following a Recession

• Admissions: Re-pricing, and management of net tuition
• Social Media: A look at the present, and future, roles of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
• Fund-raising: What the ‘new normal’ means for development

Sample Syllabus for the Marketing and Advancement Institute
The Marketing and Advancement Institute’s curriculum varies somewhat each year depending on how the independent school marketing environment has changed, but the following sample syllabus provides a basic outline of the topics typically covered.

Specifics about the 2010 Marketing and Advancement Institute
For the first time in its 15 years, the Institute will visit New England.

Where:
The Inn at Harvard is the host hotel, and is located on Harvard Square, in the midst of the Harvard campus, and a short block to “the Library” at the Harvard Faculty Club where the conference will take place.

When:
November 16-17 (Tuesday and Wednesday), from about 8AM to 4PM each day.

Room rates:
The Inn at Harvard is offering a tremendous room rate of $199 (for a king or double) for Monday and Tuesday nights. A limited number of rooms are also available Wednesday night.

Tuition:

• $1175 until September 15 2010, $1,275 after September 15th, 2010.
• $995 for additional attendees from the same school (but spaces at this rate are limited). SORRY, BUT AS OF AUGUST 26 THIS RATE HAS SOLD OUT.

Cancellations Policies: Cancellations are accepted through July 31 2010 without penalty; 50% of tuition will be returned for cancellations made August 1-September 15 2010. After September 15, 2010, tuition is transferable for use by any other member of a school’s staff but is not refundable. Although the Marketing and Advancement Institute has always sold out and a waiting list is the norm, Management Institutes, LLC reserves the right to cancel the MAI in the unlikely event of insufficient enrollment.

Click here to register for the Marketing and Advancement Institute. Please wait until your spot at the Marketing and Advancement Institute has been confirmed before booking your hotel room. Once your registration has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email with hotel information. Click here to visit The New Yorker website.

To request more information about the Marketing and Advancement Institute, click here.