Audio conferencing.

ASMC has initiated a series of training events designed to deliver top-quality education and training to individual chapters through audio conferencing. In an audio conference, the speaker delivers a presentation by phone across a teleconferencing system to multiple audiences. The audience listens to the briefing through a speaker phone and views presentation slides through local laptops and projectors. At the end of the presentation, the speaker is able to answer questions from a widespread audience.

The audio conferences will last approximately one hour. Broadcasts will be at 1400, a time when all continental United States and some foreign time zones are conveniently available. A recording will be made available to personnel whose time zone is inconvenient.

The advantages of this medium are many. The ASMC can get the best speakers to do a broadcast without the need for the speaker to travel. We can continue to provide up-to-the-minute information on topics of critical interest throughout the year, not just at luncheons and Professional Development Institutes (PDIs). And because costs are relatively low, the training is affordable to a large audience.

A pilot audio conference was performed at the Pacific Emerging Issues/Regional PDI, a joint ASMC/AGA (Association of Government Accountants) three-day conference held in Honolulu this past summer. John Roth, Budget Director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), gave his presentation from his desk in the Pentagon to an audience of about 50. He did a super job, referencing each slide as it came up on the screen, talking his audience through the major issues, and then answering questions at the end. It was a very convincing demonstration of just how well this use of computers, projectors, and telephone conferencing systems can work. (And it was several thousand dollars cheaper than a comparable video conference.)

Details regarding upcoming audio conferences are available at www.asmconline.org.