Influence '11 early rate deadline May 31
NSA
Register by the end of day May 31 for Influence '11 to take advantage of early rate convention savings. You'll walk away from this convention with fresh new ways to look at things and a whole new perspective on your business. If you want to get better on the platform, book more business and give your clients more value, register today at www.Influence11.org.More

Meetings optimism, demand at 6 month high
Successful Meetings
Among meeting buyers and suppliers alike, optimism and business levels are higher than they have been for at least six months, according to IMEX America, which released the results of its second Index of Optimism poll. The survey found that demand for services has grown in the last six months for nearly 73 percent of respondents, while only 9 percent reported no growth. Nearly 55 percent of respondents said they've seen evidence in the last six months of increased event attendance or increased spending per participant.More

Survey: Face time important
PlusPoint
Embassy Suites Hotels' Third Annual Business Travel Survey shows that face-to-face meetings are extremely important in business dealings, with 97 percent of business travelers surveyed feeling it is the most important part of developing and maintaining strong client relationships. More than half of business travelers reported having more in-person meetings with clients than in previous years.More

4 steps to building social capital
Entrepreneur
You don't have to purposely become a networker to reap the benefits of social capital — otherwise known as the value behind your social contacts. As long as you take as much care in raising and investing your social capital as you do your financial capital, you'll find that the benefits that flow from these intangible investments will multiply your material returns many times over.More

Don't charge it: The hidden risks of business credit cards
BNet
Think twice about making purchases with a business credit card. Although landmark legislation passed in 2009 bans unfair rate increases, curbs fees and extends other protections for users of ordinary cards, the law doesn't apply if a card is labeled for business, commercial or professional use. That means people who use cards issued by big corporations and small businesses alike may be at risk.More

Cost-cutting ideas you might not have thought of
The Wall Street Journal
Small business owners have always tried to pinch pennies, but now keeping costs down is a bigger priority than ever. To find the best money-saving tips around, The Wall Street Journal turned to the Entrepreneurs' Organization, a nonprofit that aims to help business owners around the world learn from one another. Here's what some of the group's members had to say.More

Retirement plans for self-employed workers
Bankrate.com
Self-employed workers have the same retirement needs as the office-commuting population, only no beneficent employer offers carrots in the form of retirement benefits. So they have to grow their own. Fortunately, Uncle Sam helps out by letting small business owners stash away retirement savings in tax-favorable accounts designed especially for them.More

E-book sales up 160 percent in first quarter
Publishers Weekly
After increasing at a 169 percent rate in the first two months of 2011, e-book sales rose at a relatively modest 146 percent clip in March, to $69 million. For the first quarter of 2011, e-book sales were up 160 percent, to $233 million. E-book sales easily outdistanced mass market paperback sales in the first quarter with mass market sales falling to $123.3 million compared to e-books' $233.1 million in sales.More

10 top free apps for international travelers
MeetingsNet
Check your packing list, find Wi-Fi, consult your travel itinerary and meeting agenda, and much more with these free smartphone apps. More

40 tried and tested Twitter tips for newbies, apprentices and pros
AllTwitter
Whether you're brand new to Twitter, been chugging along happily for months or have been there for years and consider yourself a veteran, what makes the network so great is that there's always something new to learn. As the platform expands and new people join and make their impression on others, attitudes shift and what we thought of as norms become relics and clichés. But some advice is still golden.More

NSA Speaker Info available through MultiBriefs app
NSA
NSA understands the need to deliver timely, relevant news to its members. In partnering with MultiBriefs to create NSA Speaker Info, the association committed itself to providing updates on a weekly basis. NSA Speaker Info is also available on the MultiBriefs app, available for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store. Simply search "MultiBriefs" and download the app free of charge. After it's downloaded, you may add the NSA feed. News is streamed into your iPhone or iPod Touch each week. Android phone users also may access the app by going to the Android Marketplace and searching "MultiBriefs" to access the Android version of the app.More