2016 marked the first year that LMA New York provided a scholarship to send a local member to the 2017 LMA Conference, which was held in Las Vegas in March. The scholarship gave NY members the opportunity to apply to take part in this three-day conference of groundbreaking learning where attendees immersed themselves in educational sessions covering the latest issues and challenges affecting legal marketing and business development professionals, meet and network with peers, and hear from industry vendors.
Stefanie Trilling sat down with the inaugural scholarship winner, Ali Anechiarico, a solo marketer at Heslin Rotherberg Farley & Mesiti in Albany, New York, to learn more about her journey to the 2017 LMA Conference.
Ali Anechiarico
Tell us what you do and a fun fact about yourself.
I am the sole marketer for an IP-only law firm, Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, in New York. I handle everything relating to marketing within the firm. Fun fact: I met Kenny Chesney and Uncle Cracker at a concert in Syracuse while doing lead sales inside the stadium before the concert.
What was your favorite session at LMA and why?
“Best-in-Breed Bios” was my favorite breakout session at the conference. Anne Heathcock and Mary Trice from Winston & Strawn did an amazing job putting together a great program on revamping the traditional law firm bio. Right off the bat, everything they discussed resonated with me. I took a few pages of notes and left with many ideas on how I would like to revise the bios at my firm.
Who was the most interesting person you met at the conference?
I met so many interesting people at the conference who were happy to offer me advice. I truly felt welcomed by everyone I met. Many people told me to stay in touch and reach out to them whenever I have a question or want to bounce an idea off of them. It seems like, at some point in everyone’s careers, they have been in my shoes.
What advice do you have for first-time attendees?
Make sure to take time in advance to map out which sessions you want to attend. The LMA Conference app was very helpful in planning in advance because there is so much from which to choose. Also, as a newbie, it seemed like a lot of people already knew each other at the conference. My strategy was to be open to talking to new people.
What was most surprising about the conference to you?
I was a little overwhelmed by the large scale of the conference. At the end of the day, I left completely exhausted (yet exhilarated) from all the learning and networking. For a sole marketer like me, it was amazing to have other people to talk with about ideas and challenges – it is a huge army of support. I can’t wait to attend next year’s conference in New Orleans!