8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.
Chairperson's Welcome & Opening Remarks

Steve Lunceford, Pubilc Sector Strategic Communications
DELOITTE SERVICES LP
Conference Chairperson

8:45 a.m.

Starting A Social Media And Communications Effort From Scratch

Who? What? Where? When? How? Organizations that are looking for ways to maximize their communications budgets by employing social media and other advanced communications efforts often find it challenging to know where to begin. With more competition daily to capture your stakeholders’ attention, starting a new communications program that employs social media can be a challenge for even the most seasoned outreach professional. However, when a new communications effort is organized and developed properly, social media can be an excellent addition which can level the playing field, maximize your resources, and provide your organization with the unique ability to communicate with a specific, highly-targeted audience.

In this case study session, you will see how the U.S. China Business Council launched a new communications program by employing a variety of public relations tools and methods. From indentifying key stakeholders to measuring the success of your efforts, this session will allow you to be better prepared by hearing, firsthand, some of the challenges and successes of this effort.

Specifically, you will take away lessons learned for:

• Your message – what is it and why should people care?
• Activity - Offline activity drives online activity and online activity drives offline activity – the web is not a one off solution. All marketing and advocacy efforts must work in concert
• Participation and Engagement - You must be willing to participate and be engaged
  for social media and advocacy to be effective
• Integration - You must seek ways to integrate and add value to your marketing activities
• Looking for ways to reinforce your message and marketing efforts
• Maximizing your content, product and ideas – ask yourself “how else can I use this?”
• Flexibility - Hear what is happening; be open to discovering and failing

Marc Ross, Director, Communications & Publications
U.S. CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL

9:30 a.m.

Engaging The Public Through Social Media For Crisis Communications

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), a city and county agency providing high quality water, wastewater and municipal power, is utilizing social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and others as part of a broad communication strategy to engage the public, promote preparedness and respond when disaster strikes.

Integrating social media into a crisis communication plan is a must for any government agency. Sending update tweets, sharing photos and information on Facebook and uploading real time photos and video are just a few of the ways agencies need to communicate with the public before, during and after a crisis.  Learn about the emergence of geo-location as the new trend for social media and crisis communications.

You will leave this session with new information on:

• Utilizing Twitter and Facebook to get breaking news and follow emergencies…literally seconds after they happen
• Providing official photos, video and real-time information about events using social media tools like YouTube,Twitter, blogs, etc.
• ‘Humanizing’ the crisis by using social media for direct, honest and personal communication to inform people
• SMS (Short Message Service) Texting and use after disasters and via Twitter
• Building closed Twitter accounts for staff only to alert them of emergencies while in the field via their phones
• The cons of Twitter – too much traffic at times, text is primarily in English, must build following before crisis so it is viral
• Using moblie phones to make sure you can access Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other sites in a crisis to make instant updates.  (Blackberry and iPhone)
• How social media is effective after major international disasters, such as the earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and others

Amy Sinclair, Public Relations Officer
SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, CALIFORNIA

10:15 a.m.

Break-Out Blitz! Network And Discuss Social Media Challenges With Your Fellow Conference Attendees

This session will open the conversation by connecting you with other conference participants and gain greater understanding into many similar issues, concerns, and challenges that your peers are also facing. Become acquainted with your fellow conference attendees in this fun and fast-paced forum!

11:15 a.m.

How “The Biggest Little City in the World” Created The Biggest Little Social Media Program With Big Results

The City of Reno, Nevada’s social media program is driven by a very small staff, but has achieved big results. Reno has more fans and followers than most local governments and is engaging more citizens than ever online. You'll learn the strategies behind how Reno was able to achieve a successful local government social media program using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr and blogs.

In this case study, you will discover:

• Building blocks for developing a successful social media program with a small staff, including policies, staff training, time-savers and integration with existing services
• Measuring social media success by analyzing data and research, and reporting successes to management
• Key hurdles Reno faced and overcame with operating a well-rounded social media program with minimal staff

Kristy Fifelski, Web Services Manager
CITY OF RENO, NEVADA

12:00 p.m.

A Grassroots Approach To New Media: How Social Networks Can Encourage Cultural Transformation In Your Organization

The U.S. Department of State's Office of eDiplomacy represents both organizational and technological innovation to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the U.S. Government’s oldest cabinet department, as well as with other federal agencies. eDiplomacy uses blog-based communities, an enterprise wiki and other tools to improve the ability of America’s diplomats to access and contribute knowledge anywhere at anytime.  These grassroots programs have succeeded despite sharply departing from State’s traditional organizational boundaries and command-and-control "clearance" culture.

During this session, you will learn about:

• The evolution of Communities @ State and the Diplopedia wiki from their low-key launches to wide-spread adoption by Department of State personnel
• Key success factors, some hard lessons learned, and the relationship of the programs to other knowledge initiatives
• How eDiplomacy has dealt with phobias about the uses (and misuses) of new media
• Prospective initiatives to advance social media and social networking in the State Department and with State's partners inside and outside the U.S. Government

Kimberly Allred, New Media Advisor, Office of e-Diplomacy, Bureau of Information Resource Management
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

12:45 p.m.
Lunch On Your Own -- But Not Alone!

Join a group of your colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion facilitated by one of our expert speakers. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing social media concerns.

2:15 p.m.

Overcoming Challenges With Social Media Implementation: How One City Struggled And Succeeded In Their Quest For Citizen Engagement

The City of Las Vegas, Nevada, successfully pioneered a citizen-centric approach to architecting its web site so that citizens would be able to easily find services and transact government business online.  But, like many jurisdictions, it has struggled with how to incorporate social media to expand its audience and ability to carry on a dialogue with citizens.  

This session will share the challenges of implementing social media, along with past and planned strategies to address them, as the city went from seeing social media as a developing phenomenon to watching others dive in to dipping our toes in the water.

You will learn from the challenges the city faced in starting their social media strategies, and apply their lessons learned to your organization, by understanding how they:

• Prepared their IT and Communications Departments to support their organization
• Encouraged the organization to embrace the technology and recognize its benefits and pitfalls
• Worked with stakeholders – from early adopters to folks who just say no
• Use social media and how it fits into the city’s strategy for its online presence

Finally, you will hear where the city is today, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and also take note of their citizen success stories.

Greg Duncan, eGovernment Officer
CITY OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

3:20 p.m.

Innovative Web 2.0 And A Media Portal: How To Use The Latest Social Media Tools To Protect And Inform The Public During An Incident

In the state of Utah, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is dedicated to protecting the community. With the DPS Media Portal, the public can find out about incidents more quickly and DPS employees can focus on protecting the public rather than communication with the media. The Media Portal uses innovative Web 2.0 technologies that provide the media with a
current comprehensive view into statewide law enforcement activities.

Learn how a Web 2.0 media portal was created and lessons learned in the process, including:

• The importance of real-time news and data
• Streamlined communication using video and social media
• Communication directly to citizen via pushed alerts

Brian Hyer, Public Information Officer
UTAH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Hillary Hartley, Director of Integrated Marketing
NIC, INC.

4:05 p.m.

Using Facebook To Build Awareness, Optimize Recruiting And Communicate With Stakeholders - - With Limited Resources And No Communications Staff

The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS) is an elite team of more than 6,000 full-time, well-trained, highly qualified public health professionals dedicated to delivering the Nation's public health promotion and disease prevention programs. It one of America’s seventh uniformed services yet most citizens are unaware of the service Commissioned Corps officers provide their country.  When tasked with recruiting hard to find health professionals, PHS partnered with Booz Allen Hamilton to develop a social media program to increase awareness and attention to the Commissioned Corps and, in turn, recruit health professionals to join its ranks.
 
At its core, PHS launched a Facebook page to augment its recruiting strategy, but the site, as with any social media program, also serves as an external communications channel, facilitating dialogue among its stakeholders – health professionals, active duty officers, friends of the Commissioned Corps and the general public. PHS does not have a communications staff so it was up to the Recruiting Division to take the lead in daily management and maintenance of the page. PHS works collaboratively with the Department of Health and Human Services public affairs office to raise awareness about the Commissioned Corps activities, including its role in the recent earthquake that devastated Haiti. When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform) was signed into law, it impacted how PHS calls officers to active duty. PHS used its Facebook page as its primary communications channel throughout this percolating crisis.
 
Learn How To Integrate Facebook - - one of the most popular social media tools - - into your own government social media strategy, including key steps and best practices for:
 

• Building an integrated Facebook implementation plan for an organization with limited resources and no communications staff
• Sharing lessons learned, best practices and tactics for reaching and engaging with target audiences on Facebook
• Integrating offline tactics with online tactics to communicate more effectively about your organization
• Streamlining responses using a Facebook Response Network
• Establishing goals and metrics for social media measurement
• Using Facebook to navigate through a crisis situation

LTJG Kevin Kunard, Recruitment Specialist, Division of Commissioned Corps Recruitment
U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE COMMISSIONED CORPS

Patrick McCarthy, Senior Consultant
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON

4:50 p.m.

End of Day One

5:10 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 Las Vegas’s fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.