ROCK HILL, South Carolina -- Now that the NACMA "On the Road" seminar is under way, the question becomes where the road will lead.

The inaugural seminar was conducted by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators to assist smaller institutions with their marketing and promotions efforts by bringing a workshop to them. In this case, about 30 individuals attended the June 9-10 event from Division II institutions throughout the South and East. The South Atlantic Conference hosted the event.

The program featured five presentations, four of them by marketing personnel from Division I institutions. Topics included "How to Price It, Sell It and Trade It"; "Ticket Strategies: Printing and Selling"; "Reaching Across Campus"; "Having More Fun Means More Fans and More Money"; "Successes in Marketing a Division II Program"; and "Implementing a Marketing Plan."

The sessions were informative, and those attending seemed engaged, if not rapt, by the presentations.

"There were elements that could be made better down the road but this is a good foundation," said Trip Durham, assistant athletics director at Elon University and third vice-president for NACMA.

One possible area for review may involve whether parts of the program were sufficiently customized to the Division II audience. While talk of major corporate sponsorships was interesting, it may have been somewhat abstract for small institutions seeking to widen their narrow base of support.

"I believe this painted a big picture for them in that they were able to see a scope that went far beyond their own world," Durham said. "They were able to backtrack for their own purposes and say, 'That's not achievable for me, but this is.' "

Indeed, the feedback from the participants was positive, especially as it related to hearing practical approaches proven at the Division I level. In particular, Durham said attendees seemed to respond to a presentation about promotions within the campus. "The idea of reaching across campus and finding interactive things to do -- I believe they were re-energized to go back and try to create a program," he said. "They were able to see a big picture and figure out where they are."

Still, the interaction between the audience and presenters seemed at times to lag.

On that point, Durham said the challenge likely rests with sharpening the content.

"There were times when people were not taking notes," he said, "but I think they were saying, 'In my current situation, that information doesn't apply.' "

Durham acknowledged that small colleges occasionally exhibit a "what's-the-use" attitude when it comes to promotion, but he said that those attending the "On the Road" seminar were not the cause of such problems.

"That element is a factor only if the person in charge is not interested in making a difference," he said. "And I don't think any of those people were among those who attended. By making an effort to show up, they demonstrated that they care."

Like Durham, Division II Vice-President Mike Racy said the program represented a good start from which bigger successes can grow.

"The participants for this first program were all from Division II," he said, "but I think we may want to review that approach. Division III programs also could benefit from a program like this, and perhaps a number of smaller Division I-AA programs could, as well. The purpose should be to get as many people together as we can to develop productive ideas."

In that vein, one post-meeting possibility involved establishing a registration fee that would cover a one-year NACMA membership for each participant.

"It's too early to say if that's the way this will go," Racy said, "but for those individuals who are interested in marketing and promotion, a NACMA membership is very important. I know a number of people believe that access to the NACMA listserve alone is worth the price of membership."

The question of what happens next now is in the hands of the NACMA board, which will meet in July in San Francisco. Durham is optimistic that the decision will be to continue the program.

"This fits with the NACMA mission statement," he said. "The board is looking for opportunities beyond the annual three-day workshop that is conducted at our convention. This is a great way to serve that mission by being 'out on the streets.' "