From Cayman Islands Marketing Professionals Association

On Thursday 1 November, the Cayman Islands Marketing Professionals Association (CIMPA) hosted the first event of its kind for the local community: a charity ‘speed dating’ social event.

The premise of the event was to attract local not-for-profits looking for marketing expertise and support to support their cause- whether it be a ‘long term relationship’ akin to a board membership, or ‘just dating’ casual commitment to marketing support for ad-hoc projects- and pair them with marketers looking to share their expertise and gain volunteering experience in the local community.

There were 11 charities taking the eligible spots on the night including Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, Special Needs Foundation of Cayman, Have a Heart Cayman, Humane Society of the Cayman Islands, Cayman Arts Festival, Cayman Islands Cancer Society, One Dog at a Time, LIFE Cayman, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CARE and the MS Foundation.

In return, nearly 30 willing local marketers did the rounds listening to more about the charities and what support they are looking for, expressing an interest in those they were interested in ‘becoming official’ with.
Hosted and sponsored by the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, attendees to the event enjoyed wine and canapés under the stars while the rounds of speed dating took place inside the hotel’s Seabridge room.

Jennifer McCarthy of Have a Heart Cayman said ‘It was a fantastic experience, as the volunteer marketers were extremely eager and interested. Doing 18, 2-minute interviews was surprisingly tiring, but the opportunity to introduce or reintroduce Have a Heart to so many creatives would never happen organically. There was so much energy in the room, and many excellent ideas were floated. I knew before the night was over the benefits were going to be amazing for our charity, and I am really eager to get to work with one or more of the marketers from the event. Thanks SO much CIMPA for putting this together for the community of non-profits on the Island’.

Catherine Healy, Chair of CIMPA said ‘we were delighted with how the event turned out. It was the first time CIMPA has put together this style of event, but it proved hugely popular and a great success. We had a waiting list of charities looking to take part, and so I’m sure this won’t be the last time we host this style of networking event. A huge thank you to both the charities and local marketers for giving up their time to join us and we hope the matches made on the night prove valuable to both the charities and the marketers who took part”.

In addition, Communications Coach Danielle Young of Full Moon Communications spoke with each charity representative before the event started, giving them tips on how to make the most of their two minutes with the marketers. “We wanted the charities to have the best chance at connecting with a like-minded marketer, and we know that two minutes is a very short amount of time. Thanks to Danielle they were able to get to the point of what they wanted quickly, and to maximize the exchange of valuable information” Catherine continued.

If you are interested in hearing more about CIMPA events or joining the marketing group, visit cimpa.ky