This conference is a must-attend event for all those who are serious about using social media to engage employees and citizens by using blogging, podcasting and the latest Web 2.0 technologies to drive communication results. You will benefit from:

1. 24 innovative speakers at your disposal to share their strategies and experiences in social media fundamentals that are already proven to work
2. Over 24 hours of intense, interactive learning - we guarantee you will recoup your money spent by implementing just a few of the strategies shared during the conference
3. The opportunity to customize your learning by participating in two days of unique and interactive workshop sessions 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
4. 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
5. A comprehensive overview of social media strategies and processes for social media from leading practitioners like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Defense, National Foundation for Credit Counseling and many more
6. 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
7. A complimentary packet of research materials that will serve as a helpful resource long after you have attended this conference
8. A formal Certificate of Completion which documents your training achievement and commitment to continuing professional development
9. Optional networking lunches that give you the opportunity to brainstorm and benchmark solutions with your fellow attendees
10. Participating in instructional sessions that will share real-world examples, tactics and lessons learned from leading social media initiatives that will ground you in advancing your own strategy
11. The opportunity to learn how to engage your employees and citizens by using social media from leading government agencies and organizations

Dear Federal, State and Local Government Communications Professionals:

Everyday, millions of people use the Internet to create and consume content, connect with others and participate in dialogue that spans the globe. Tools that support virtual collaboration and content creation are known as Social Media. The days of top-down, controlled communication are over. For professional communicators, these new online tools present limitless opportunities for organizations to engage with their stakeholders like never before.

Corporate America has plunged into the world of social media and areas of the public sector have begun to dabble in these tools to varying degrees. Many praise President-Elect Barack Obama's use of social networks, blogs, RSS, podcasts and more to mobilize and connect his constituents with each other. We should expect, from here on out, that citizens will not only be looking for their government agencies to use these tools, they will demand it.

It gives me great excitement to see how social media allows citizens to participate in the process, creating a synergistic democracy unlike anything we have seen before in this country's history. Successful implementation of these interactive tools depends on communicators who understand the social media landscape and the underlying principles that have propelled us to where we are today. It is your responsibility, as a government communicator, to inspire, inform and advocate for the use of innovative communications tools known as Social Media.

HOW WILL THIS CONFERENCE HELP YOU & YOUR ORGANIZATION?

This conference will help you understand how to utilize new social media tools with your employees, the citizens you serve, and other stakeholders and customers – don't be left behind!

• U.S. Department of State administered an internal wiki and promotes online communities to further diplomatic activity in places of the world where the U.S. cannot have a physical presence
• City of Virginia Beach worked to create Web 2.0 policies, guidelines and a collaborative implementation process that is adding value to their services and organization
• U.S. Air Force balanced security and the demand for information when using emerging New Media

Register online to reserve your space or call our conference hotline at 888-362-7400 to attend A.L.I.'s conference on "SOCIAL MEDIA for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest WEB 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results," this March in Washington, DC, to learn from communicators who are currently utilizing social media tools successfully in their organizations.

I look forward to seeing you at this spring!