FAQ

1. What is group Y?
group Y is a collective of marketing and communications professionals who meet once a month to network, socialize and exchange ideas and information. Typically we meet in Orange County (and twice a year in Los Angeles and 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 colleagues and friends Liz Randall and Doug Schneider in Fall of 2006. We felt that despite the social nature of the action sports and youth marketing industries at events and tradeshows, that a vehicle was needed to bring people we knew together and create an open and casual environment through which people could connect.

Our original goal, which still stands today, was/is to assist in fostering relationships between others 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.

As we move forward, group Y will be providing more and more resources for its members. We believe that the more connected and educated our network is, it benefits not only our members, but our industries as a whole.

group Y is currently run by Liz Randall, who is the Manager of Corporate Communications at Spy Optic and Mark Sperling, who is the Director of Sponsorship Sales at Live Nation and a veteran of the action sports & entertainment industry .

4. What exactly do these “events” entail?
In the earliest stages the events have been purely social networking get-togethers designed to facilitate meeting new people and making connections. In 2007, we introduced quarterly panel discussions, which have already hosted heavy-hitters from companies including Roxy, Oakley, Billabong, MySpace, Quiksilver, and Verizon Wireless weighing in on Marketing, Branding and Media topics.

As group Y grows, we plan to continue to evolve our event offering to our members.

What we don’t want to happen is for the gatherings to become a chore for our members, so we will always keep an easy going and fun vibe in mind.

5. What exactly will I get out of this group?
Well really that’s entirely up to you. But, we hope that you walk away with new acquaintances or business contacts, or gain insight via a panel discussion or one-on-one chat with another member. 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. Ideally members will become resources for each other--i.e. 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 (http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101696535953). They will need to include their name, job title, place of employment, and who referred them to the group.