group Y

1. What is group Y?
group Y is a gathering of marketing and communications professionals who meet once a month to network and socialize. Usually we meet in Orange County (though occasionally in South LA or North County San Diego), mid-month on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

2. Who can join group Y?
group Y membership is by referral from existing members, and invitees are approved by the group Y board. We strongly prefer that you currently have a career in marketing in the Action Sports, Youth Marketing and/or Entertainment segments.

3. Who started group Y?
group Y was found by Liz Randall and Doug Schneider in Fall of 2006 as a vehicle to bring people we knew individually together. Doug and Liz had a strong working relationship in the past, and afterwards stayed friends. We wanted to help to create those relationships between other people within our sphere of Action Sports and Entertainment. These relationships can be a catalyst for a new job, a new working partnership, or just expanding your horizons.

Doug Schneider is a marketing consultant and former Senior Vice President at Hill & Knowlton, a public relations agency, and Liz Randall is the Manager of Corporate Communications at Spy Optic.

We have also included three “Board Members.” They are; Mark Sperling, who is Director of Marketing & Partnerships for Airborne Media and Publisher of GLTR-Girls Learn To Ride; Jennifer Kashdan who was most recently a marketing consultant for the NBC/Live Nation property AST Dew Tour, and has over 12 yrs in youth culture marketing experience; and Claudia Bremser who is currently the Associate Director of Youth Marketing at Verizon Wireless. They have provided invaluable resources and support to us since the beginning, and have already and will further help to grow the base and functions of our group.

4. What exactly do these “events” entail?
This one is a work in progress. In the earliest stages they have been social networking get-togethers where we meet new people and make connections. As group Y grows, we plan to introduce more elements into the meetings such as introductions, speakers and panel discussions. What we don’t want to happen is for the meetings to become a chore for our members, so we will always keep our easy going and fun vibe in mind.

5. What exactly will I get out of this group?
Well really that’s up to you. But, we’d love for you to walk away with new acquaintances, business contacts and friends. If you end up meeting someone new who eventually helps you find a new job, land a new client, or even becomes your new partner in crime, then we’ve accomplished our original mission. We hope members will become resources for each other–ie provide feedback on services, job openings, or to refer potential clients.

6. How can I invite someone I know to the group?
If you know someone you feel will be a valuable member to our group and meets the criteria, please send them the link to our sign up page. They will need to include include their name, job title, place of employment, and who referred them to the group.