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. 29 innovative speakers at your disposal to share their strategies and experiences in social media fundamentals that are already proven to work
2. 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 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 from leading practitioners like the National Institutes of Health, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, GovLoop, Houston Public Library 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:

As the Internet continues to mature from a vast encyclopedia of information into specific tools for connecting people and moving information to one another via applications like blogs, LinkedIn, Brickfish, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and del.icio.us, employees and citizens alike are expecting that these same features are available in their personal and professional lives. The flexible, transparent nature of these tools enables anyone to communicate and collaborate with others regardless of physical, cultural, or political barriers. Just while you read this, someone, somewhere could have launched an online campaign to support or defeat your latest public policy inactive. How can government keep up?

The age of social media has arrived whether we like it or not– the public sector can't afford to miss out on learning how these tools are being used in this new interactive environment!

Social Media, also known as Web 2.0, has created a new way of communicating. Today's organizations must embrace the new forms of communications, including blogs, wikis, podcasts, vodcasts, widgets, and social bookmarking to stay competitive and maximize efficiency in decision-making efforts faced everyday. It is your responsibility, as a government communications leader, to inspire and educate your agency in the latest tools and trends that encompass the newest world of communications: Social Media.

How Will This Conference Help You And Your Organization?

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

At this conference, you will hear proven strategies and practical experience, from leading organizations and practitioners, on how to use social media tools to change the way your organization communicates, collaborates, and shares information.

• Salt Lake Valley Health Department turned to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to spread the word and start a community-based movement on an almost non-existent budget
• U.S. Department of State is using social media technology to engage directly with and listen to the views of audiences around the world
• Transportation Security Administration is reaching a wider audience while gaining a positive reputation for openness with the public, using Twitter and other social media tools

Register today online 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 Blogging, Podcasting and The Latest Social Media Technologies To Drive Communication Results," this September in Chicago, IL. This is your opportunity to hear from leading communicators and organizations that are already using social media to change the way their organizations operate and how they engage key stakeholders. 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.

Marc Ross is a Principal of 2ndSix, a grassroots, marketing and communications firm has done work for political campaigns, industry trade associations and nonprofit organizations helping them to engage targeted audiences.