Take social media from complexity to clarity through these interactive workshops guaranteed to jumpstart your conference experience. These workshops are a great opportunity to advance your learning and network with fellow attendees while taking a hands-on, common sense approach to mastering social media 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

Social Media 101: Making Your Organization Social Media Friendly

If you are trying to understand why social media is such a hot topic and what your organization should be doing about it, then take this opportunity to learn how to successfully implement social media within your institution.

The speed at which online communication is changing is phenomenal. Odds are your employees and clients are already active users of social media. It's fundamentally changing the way organizations operate. People have the opportunity to take part in an on-going conversation with their Government by participating more than voting once a year, creating a true democracy.

This workshop will teach you the basics of social media, such as blogs, podcasts, and wikis, while providing you with the purpose and strategy behind these technologies, along with exploring how to leverage these techniques to change the way your organization collaborates and communicates. You will gain an understanding of the risks and benefits of social media, but more importantly, understand the risks of NOT using social media.

• Influencing the internal culture toward new media concepts and Web 2.0 technologies
• Introducing and integrating social media in your organization
• Establishing web governance, policy and operating protocols
• Reprioritizing human and financial resources to incorporate social media
• Developing capacity and procedures that facilitate use of social and new media
• Monitoring and assessing success

WORKSHOP LEADERS: Mark Hudson is a Senior Communications Executive with the Public Health Agency of Canada. Mark has spent more than 20 years envisioning, directing and delivering communications, consultation, and marketing strategies to benefit Canadians. Public service for him has included stints with several federal government departments including Health, Industry, Environment, Indian Affairs and the Privy Council.

Marquis Côté is a Senior eCommunications Advisor for the Public Health Agency of Canada and Partner & Web Strategist at digitalOttawa. digitalOttawa delivers eCommunications services and strategies for public sector organizations. They create a foundation with governance review, education and change management and then build project-specific tools to help meet and exceed mandated goals with sustainable solutions.

Jason Prini, a Social Media Specialist at digitalOttawa, helps organizations understand how to best interact with the changing web. He combines his skills in marketing, web development, communication, and education to deliver compelling web projects for clients. He has been working with the web since the mid 1990s and is constantly exploring the bleeding edge of web communications.

Testimonials From Past Public Health Agency of Canada
and digitalOttawaSessions:

"Nice introduction to the use of social media."

"Good information. I enjoyed the explanations about the different media and tools."

"They had good professional delivery and interaction with conference participants."

12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Afternoon break/lunch on your own.

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
AFTERNOON PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP B

Having a website as your online hub is no doubt important, but establishing a web presence to reach more citizens on their terms is becoming just as significant too. Today, as it is no longer sufficient to wait for key interest groups to find your website, you have to connect with them on their terms and give them a reason to visit. By planting seeds online, you can help people discover you, get to know you and find common interests – all so they can form a solid relationship with your organization.

• The importance of monitoring online conversations and the introduction of basic tools needed to help your organization achieve this
• Various ways to respond to the ongoing conversations as you start to dip your toes into the"social media" waters
• How to initiate your own conversations to help you better engage citizens
• A look at some key social networking sites and how you can start planting seeds by participating in these existing communities

Participants are encouraged to bring laptops to this session.

WORKSHOP LEADER: After 10 years working in marketing as a copywriter at several traditional advertising agencies, Mark Goren, New Media Coach at Transmission Content + Creative, turned his attention and creative thinking to the field of social network marketing, all so he can help businesses reach people on their terms. Today, Mark consults with government clients, advertising and P.R. agencies in the U.S. and Canada, as well as direct clients.

Testimonials From Past Mark Goren Sessions:

"Excellent – hands on, worked us through each item. Very useful!"

"He drove home the idea that having a website is not enough anymore.
The hands-on stuff was great!"

"Very hands-on. Nice!"