8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.

Chairperson’s Welcome & Speed Networking

Become acquainted with your fellow conference attendees in this fun and fast-paced forum!

Jacqueline Taggart, Vice President
AON HEWITT

9:15 a.m.

Like Janus Astride Two Worlds – Communicators Today Must Be Both Original And Transitional – How Can We Use New And Familiar Media To Get Our Messages Out Effectively?

Communicating with employees in 2012 is challenging. Multiple messages and distractions compete for your employees' attention. Traditional communication channels don’t appear to engage the majority of employees – yet many of today’s practitioners didn’t grow up in the online world and feel like they’re in “catch-up” mode with their target audience. How to be successful doing what we know how to do (and care about deeply!) while working with the training wheels on?

This opening session will highlight the challenges facing communicators today and look at how we can leverage a strategic mix of new and traditional media to be successful while we work hard to stay abreast of trending tools.
 
We’ll look at:

• Life on the e-list - how the changing communication landscape affects both our communication abilities and our audience expectations
• Balancing “getting it perfect” with “getting it out” as social media timelines = right now
• Overcoming fear of the unknown/uncontrollable and winning internal support for social media channels
• Three things you can do this year to “get your feet wet” in the social media pool

Jacqueline Taggart, Vice President
AON HEWITT

9:45 a.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

9:50 a.m.

Driving Internal Message Alignment & The Case For Radical New Transparency

With so much media and external messaging driving a brand’s reputation and identity, it’s easy for internal stakeholders to be confused about an organizations overall stability or plans to sustain momentum and grow.

Best Buy Canada and Future Shop believe that no effective external message can successfully be delivered unless there is internal awareness and alignment first. At a time when most companies are looking to “lock up” their communications or corporate data, Future Shop and Best Buy Canada are exploring a different approach: unlock your people, engage them on their terms and provide a radical new transparency model that is both inclusive and informative to seek alignment across the company.

In this session, you will see the state of internal communications in Corporate Canada and how more frequent communications to employees does not improve alignment, but rather, more transparency in communications instead.

You’ll hear case study examples of new communications strategies, tools and tactics Best Buy Canada is using to create more alignment with employees through a radical new approach to transparency as initiated from the very top by the President and COO of the organization.

Christopher Ian Bennett, Director Corporate Communications
Best Buy Canada

10:20 a.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

10:25 a.m.

Morning Refreshment & Networking Break

10:45 a.m.

Digest Session: Your Training Goals

This is your chance to discuss with fellow attendees and speakers what your most pressing internal communication concerns are and what solutions you hope to gain during this training.

11:15 a.m.

Leveraging Technologies To Meet Your Communications Goals

Reduce, reuse and recycle isn’t just a mantra for going green. Integrated technologies and communications tools will make it easier to get your communications job done efficiently and maintain your message throughout.

Online media can be used to engage staff, stakeholders, and even politicians who are already online and can be merged with your print tools and even your electronic media campaigns. All it takes is a little creativity.
In this session, you’ll hear some ideas and tips to bring creativity and energy to your internal communications and link it to your external tools, such as:

• Selecting the right online tools for your organization and for the message at hand
• Making efficient use of your content

Take a step back to the basics of communication and use this session to help spark some imagination and creativity at the same time.

Mike Spear, Director of Corporate Communications
GENOME ALBERTA

11:45 a.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

11:50 a.m.

How To Use Social Media To Engage Your Employees

Proudly Canadian, with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys has been serving the food shopping needs of Canadians for 104 years. It is a company steeped in tradition and heritage, with strong roots in Atlantic Canada, where it all began.

So what happens when one department wants to shake things up - to use social media to engage employees, and push the envelope? Employees get engaged, customers get involved and it’s a total ‘Like’-fest!

Sobeys Atlantic held its 2012 Awards Gala in May in Halifax - in the past, it has typically been an event held within the four walls of the Gala location. However, in 2011, five stores were invited to participate through video conference. Still wanting to engage employees further and with a broader reach across the region, in 2012, all 83 stores in the region were invited to participate. Stores planned parties, invited customers and competed in contests for the most ‘Likes’ by posting photos and messages on a Facebook page created specifically for the event.

During this session, you will learn how to overcome the struggles of introducing new social media concepts into your organization and how to use social media to engage your employees.

Shauna Selig, Manager Communications & Corporate Affairs
SOBEYS

12:20 p.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

12:25 p.m.
Lunch On Your Own -- But Not Alone!

Join a group of your colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion based on an internal communications hot topic. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing internal communications concerns.

2:00 p.m.

Digest Session: Connect The Content

We’ve heard from a number of speakers, now we’d like to hear from you. Network and discuss with fellow conference attendees and speakers what communication tools you’re using to help your with employees connect with your brand and where you have found the most success.

2:30 p.m.

Is Your SharePoint Intranet Driving Corporate Value?

1. Is the money that you're spending on your website delivering results to your business objective?
2. Is your intranet truly a place where employees go to get work done, find the people and information that they need one that they would miss desperately if they join another organization?
3. What constitutes success for your intranet?
4. What role is SharePoint playing with other organizations to transform culture and business process and help drive efficiency across large organizations?

In this successful case study example, you will hear the innovative approach to intranet strategy and governance that was taken at exp. Global. You will walk away with new insights by applying their intranet building process and final product to your own strategy.

Doug Caldwell, CIO
exp Global

Shannon Ryan, President and CEO
non-linear creations, inc.

3:00 p.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

3:05 p.m.

Afternoon Refreshment & Networking Break

3:25 p.m.

Telling The Story To Inform And Engage Your Team

For a company with a dispersed presence in North America – 130 stores, head office, design center, manufacturing facilities and a large distribution/warehouse operations center – Roots Canada attaches great importance to keeping all its employees on the same page. Vital to the brand’s success is updating its staff regularly in a lively, informative manner about the ever-evolving world of Roots.

As a high-profile company with not only compelling products but also a rich culture and a strong involvement in the community, Roots takes pride in its heritage, diverse activities and many achievements. To nurture a winning spirit and sense of belonging among its staff, Roots uses various channels for creative company-wide communication. One of the most effective vehicles has proven to be a colour magazine, produced in-house and sent to every employee. Since it was created in 2005, it has greatly strengthened the sense of community among Roots staff in addition to other spin-off benefits.

During this session, you will learn about the components that go into each issue, why it’s proven so effective and how the same rudiments behind it can be applied to any business or organization.

Robert Sarner, Director of Communication and Public Affairs
ROOTS Canada, LTD.

3:55 p.m.

Your Opportunity To Ask Questions

4:00 p.m.

Digest Session: Digest & Prepare

Need to dive deeper into specific topics? Want more details? Here's your chance!! Discuss with the group what topics you hope to hear more about tomorrow and what questions you have that are still unanswered. Use the expertise of your training speakers and fellow attendees to gain feedback and ideas for improvement of your internal communication plans.

4:30 p.m.
Day One Wrap Up

Jacqueline Taggart, Vice President
AON HEWITT

4:45 p.m.

Networking Reception: Please Join Us!

We invite you to join us for a drink as you relax with your peers. All conference attendees and speakers are welcome to join us for this special opportunity to continue networking. Don't miss this chance to benchmark new ideas over complimentary drinks!

Sign up during the day for dinner with a group. Take advantage of Toronto's fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.