Jump-start your conference experience by attending these interactive and practical workshops. These information-packed sessions are a great opportunity to network with fellow attendees while taking a hands-on, common-sense approach to mastering strategic internal communications strategies that will enhance your understanding of the informative, case study presentations throughout the entire conference.

*** Choose A or B or BOTH for Maximum Value and Learning! ***

Creating Employee Super Fans That Attack Company Goals With Conviction Using Both Social Media And Traditional Communications

• Either your employees are already united by their underlying values and beliefs (you simply need to find out what those are)

OR


• You as the communicator need to research and create a unifying set of values and beliefs that will unite your team

If you are a leader working off a false understanding of your staff, you may be missing your true super fans and the key to growth.

• Identify and cultivate these authentic employees
• Inspire employees into action
• Communicate effectively with purpose, strategy, vocabulary, and technology

WORKSHOP LEADER: Juliana Trichilo Cina, MA, is the President of Speak Up Communications and is the Coach, Trainer and Marketing professional behind The Success Formula and JTCina.com. She believes that broken conversations riddle business operations, marketing and our personal lives. Using the psychology of communication, persuasion and influence, she is working to inspire successful and authentic conversations. Communicating effectively involves purpose, strategy, vocabulary, technology and much more. Juliana brings together the elements needed for success in business and personal rapport building through communications.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Afternoon break/lunch on your own

How To Integrate Social Media Into Your Internal Communications Strategy: A Step-By-Step Process

The social media phenomenon has gathered a significant amount of momentum over the last few years. Just about everyone wants to rollout social media, but not everyone understands how to do so most effectively and how it can significantly enhance the internal communications within an organization.

Does the brave new world of social media and Web 2.0 excite as well as concern you and your organization? Given the runaway popularity of Twitter, Mashups, Facebook, blogs, and many other web-based forms of communications and networking, perhaps you have been wondering about the possibilities and the risks for your organization?

Join this interactive workshop and learn proven ways of identifying the right technologies, or social media platforms, like Yammer, Google docs, Jive, Igloo, and Newsgator to achieve your organization’s strategic objectives. In addition, you will:

• Learn how 1400+ organizations from all around the world are using Intranet 2.0 tools. A Social Intranet Study (sponsored by IABC Research Foundation) will be shared and will give you an exclusive look into how and to what extent organizations of all sizes are using social media on their intranet. The global perspective of the survey, will allow you to develop a new understanding and appreciation for intranet 2.0 tools that is difficult to attain elsewhere
• Review case study examples of blogs, wikis and other social media tools from IBM, Cisco, Sony, Siemens, and others
• Gain knowledge from lessons learned and get key recommendations for undertaking an Intranet 2.0 and internal branding initiative
• Dispel the confusion and discover the exciting promises as well as the challenges of using Web 2.0 tools

WORKSHOP LEADER: Carmine Porco, Associate Partner at IBM, has over 18 years of experience in the areas of Internet consulting, IT management, and software development.

*** Choose C or D or BOTH for Maximum Value and Learning! ***

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
POST-CONFERENCE MORNING WORKSHOP C

How To Engage Employees With Dynamic Communication For Improved Message Delivery

Employees have an uncanny ability for tuning out even the most well-crafted corporate communications, thwarting the best efforts of internal brand managers, HR and management. Winning the battle against your workplace’s daily information avalanche requires a fresh approach to reignite the spark of engagement. This workshop will enable you to cut through the communication clutter with radically new and traditional tried-and-true strategies.

• Walk a mile in associates’ shoes and discover what they respond to
• Discontinue what’s not working (no matter how firmly entrenched)
• Replace ineffective communication techniques with ones that work
• Reinforce your internal brand
• Build a stronger sense of community in your workplace
• Launch sure-fire strategies to ensure “message received”

Real-life case studies from organizations known for dynamic communication will also provide a wealth of techniques you can use immediately to help your messages get the attention they deserve.

WORKSHOP LEADERS: Katharine Kammer is a Managing Partner with The Media Partners, LLC, who taps in to her many years in sales, marketing and advertising to help clients hone their message and brand recognition through those channels, as well as public relations, social media and internal communications.

Shawn Sloan, a Managing Partner with The Media Partners, LLC, has specialized for three decades in media, creative and production, and executive management, knowledge he uses to assist clients in recognizing, harnessing and directing their communication talents for optimal results.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Afternoon break/lunch on your own

Navigating Employee Engagement Through Troubled Waters:
How Internal Communications Leaders Can Drive Results And Protect Their Organization's Most Valuable Asset

If the global recession has reminded business leaders of anything, it’s the realization of how valuable and vulnerable their reputations really are. Earning the trust and loyalty of employees during these challenging times is a key driver in reputation building and serves as a distinct competitive advantage.

This captivating workshop will share insights from a study that surveyed over 100 CEOs and communications leaders from some of North America’s largest and most successful organizations. The results point to some compelling risks and exciting opportunities for strategic internal communicators.

• Earn the trust and loyalty of employees through strategic communications
• Lead change management communications during tumultuous times
• Break down silos to improve collaboration and innovation
• Build your organization's brand and reputation from the inside out
• Leverage social media internally to transform employees into reputation ambassadors
• Understand and deliver on CEO expectations

WORKSHOP LEADER: Heath Applebaum, ABC, MCM, is the Owner and Principal Consultant at Echo Communications, a strategic communications consulting firm. He is an international award-winning communications professional with more than 15 years of internal and external communications experience working with executives to build internal engagement and reputational resiliency. Heath is also a graduate level public relations instructor, having taught at McMaster University and Humber College. Heath holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business.

Testimonials From Past Heath Applebaum Sessions:

“Well presented. Good insight. Timely topic.”

"Good information. Excellent, very inspiring."