This training is a must-attend event for all those who are serious about integrating social media tools into their existing communications and improving their citizen engagement efforts by using new media to enhance transparency, increase awareness, and drive meaningful results. You will benefit from:

• 19 innovative speakers at your disposal to share their strategies and experiences in using social media and traditional communication tools that are already proven to work
• Over 25 hours of intense, interactive learning - we guarantee you will recoup your money spent by implementing just a few of the strategies shared during the training
• The opportunity to customize your learning by participating in unique and interactive workshop sessions (Feb. 11 &/or Feb. 14) that will enable you to practice and apply your skills in peer groups -- you will walk away with strategies and tactics that you can begin to implement in your own organization 
• An abundance of networking opportunities -- you will make many new contacts so be sure to bring plenty of business cards to exchange with your fellow attendees
• A comprehensive overview of social media engagement strategies and processes from leading practitioners like the U.S Census Bureau, City of Regina, Saskatchewan, U.S. Army Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, and many more
• Acquiring new knowledge to lead your organization through the imperative, yet sometimes extremely difficult, responsibility of ensuring that the right information gets to the right people, efficiently and effectively
• Digest sessions allowing you to process the information presented and plan how you will integrate the tools and techniques into your own communication strategies upon your return to the office
• A complimentary packet of research materials that will serve as a helpful resource long after you have attended this training
• A formal Certificate of Completion which documents your training achievement and commitment to continuing professional development
• Optional networking lunches that give you the opportunity to brainstorm and benchmark solutions with your fellow attendees
• Participating in instructional sessions that will share real-world examples, tactics and lessons learned from leading government communication initiatives that will ground you in advancing your own strategy
• The opportunity to learn how to engage your citizens by using new media and traditional channels from leading government agencies and organizations
• Access to the training wiki – you'll have the opportunity to collaborate and keep in touch with your colleagues after the event using this social media communication tool

Dear Federal, State and Local Government Communications Professionals:

As social media moves from being a communications tool to occupying a more central role within agencies’ operations, it is imperative for social media professionals to understand the new landscape of participation. More than ‘engagement,’ which defies precise definition or metrics, ‘participation’ has clear steps and accurate ways to gauge success.

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation describes a continuum of goals: inform, consult, involve, collaborate, and empower. And as one of the most widely-used frameworks for citizen (or employee) participation, it will serve as the organizational model for this updated social media in government program.

How Will This Conference Help You And Your Organization?

During the course of two days of workshops and two days of presentations, you will learn how government agencies are currently executing on each of these goals, what tools work best for each level of participation, the risks and rewards each activity presents, and the resources necessary for success.

Specifically, you will hear proven strategies and practical experiences, firsthand, from leading organizations and practitioners, on how to engage citizens and stakeholders by using new media and traditional channels to improve your communication initiatives and practices, including how the:

• U.S. Geological Survey improved customer service and response time through the use of Twitter
• Recovery Accountability & Transparency Board has found their niche audience and successfully had their message heard above the social media chatter
• U.S. Army Public Affairs has successfully mastered the act of balancing security and open communication when operating in the social media space

Equally as important, this training will have a number of networking events, where government employees can talk with one another, and with their private-sector counterparts, about the challenges they are facing—and the creative solutions they are developing—to meet growing demands amidst shrinking budgets.

Register today online or call the training hotline at 888-362-7400 to attend A.L.I.'s 35th "Social Media for Government Communications," training this coming February in Washington, DC. This is your opportunity to hear from leading communicators that are already using social media to change the way their organizations operate and how they engage citizens. With the agility and speed of today's Web 2.0, you can guarantee the presentations will be timely and relevant – speakers will need to make changes just hours before they present – you can't beat that!

I look forward to seeing you at this information-packed event.

H. Giovanni Leusch-Carnaroli, Director, Global Public Sector
GRANT THORNTON LLP

P.S. Reserve your spot today to learn how you and your team can better manage your government communications to enhance transparency and improve communication. Register 3 people and get the 4th for FREE! Click here for more information or call (888) 362-7400 to register today.