8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast

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

Joseph Thornley, CEO
THORNLEY FALLIS & 76DESIGN

8:45 a.m.

How To Engage Your Employees In Your Social Media Efforts

Engaging your staff in your social media efforts is paramount to a successful outcome and a sustainable return on your investment (ROI). This session will focus on practical ideas for engaging your staff and keeping them participating in social media.

Hear and apply practical experiences and tips from the efforts of Northern Lights Canada, including how to:

• Identify your change agents
• Incorporate best practices for social media sustainability
• Foster your community, resulting in greater participation and ROI

Andrew Chambers, Technology Director
NORTHERN LIGHTS CANADA

9:30 a.m.

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

This session will open the conversation by connecting you with other 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!

10:00 a.m.

Morning Refreshment & Networking Break

10:30 a.m.

How To Integrate The Latest Communications Channels -- Twitter, Facebook, YouTube And More – How One Ministry Did It And How You Can, Too

A longstanding core ministry of the Government of Ontario moved from old-style news releases, backgrounders and fact sheets to include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more. Recognizing the short and long-term needs to adapt to society’s new communications channels, the ministry adopted new thinking, new language and new vehicles. In this session, you will learn from the Ontario Ministry of Labour on what they did, how they did it and what they found out in their social media journey.

You will take away many lessons learned on what Ontario Ministry of Labour expected and didn’t expect in their social media endeavor. You will leave this session with practical tactics on how to:

• Determine who your audience is and how to connect with them using the right tools
• Define your organization’s purpose – Why are you using it and what will it fulfill?
• Differentiate the roles of technical and creative staff in social media ventures

Finally, you will learn where the ministry hopes to go from here and where your organization’s social media presence can be in just a short time.

Bruce Skeaff, Social Media Planner, Communications & Marketing Branch
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF LABOUR

11:15 a.m.

Considering All The Angles: How To Develop A Comprehensive Social Media Strategy When You Don’t Know What A Facebook Does Or Why That Little Blue Bird Keeps Tweeting

In the face of rapidly growing stakeholder expectations for meaningful two-way online dialogues, cities across Canada are scrambling to figure out how to swim with the social media tidal wave. Three years ago, the City of Kitchener, Ontario, dipped their toe in the uncharted waters of social media with their first Facebook page. Today, the city has developed a comprehensive social media strategy that guides its growing online presence through tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flickr.

This session will start from the very beginning and walk you through Kitchener's experience in social media strategy and policy development. You will gain helpful insights into:

• The benefits of taking a comprehensive approach to such a fundamental change in how you are engaging your stakeholders
• Minimizing the risks social media poses to your organization – those perceived or real
• Overcoming your fear of the dreaded “comment” option
• Who should (and should not) be around the table when developing your social media strategy
• What tools might work best for your organization
• How to help employees become your online ambassadors

Michael May, Director of Corporate Communications & Marketing
CITY OF KITCHENER, ONTARIO

12:00 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.

1:30 p.m.

Social Media For Government Case Study Coming

Linda Wiliamson, Director of Communications
OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN OF ONTARIO

2:15 p.m.

How To Incorporate Social Media Into A Comprehensive Strategic Communications
Program Using A ‘Go Slow Approach’

Halton Region achieved senior management buy-in and was given permission to move forward with their social media launch through a ‘go slow approach.’ In this grassroots approach, a steering committee formed with the goal of developing a social media strategy, social media guidelines and had departments present their ideas which were voted on, in order to implement three specific social media pilot projects.

In this dynamic session, you will learn a variety of ways to fit social media into your comprehensive strategic communications program, by:

• Implementing an online social media program, using Twitter, Facebook, blogging and podcasting, to increase awareness of your organization
• Using Facebook and Twitter to engage participants
• Raising awareness amongst residents about transportation, water and wastewater projects, enhancing the visibility of construction topics, providing a timely source of data, and communicating with residents in real-time about road construction, delays and customer service inquiries

Finally, you will take away strategies and tactics on:

• When to know it’s the right time to let go of content
• The challenges of gaining support in a municipal environment - and how to overcome them

Carleen Carroll, Director Strategic Communications
HALTON REGION, ONTARIO

Michael Lund, Web Manager
HALTON REGION, ONTARIO

3:00 p.m.

Afternoon Refreshment & Networking Break

3:15 p.m.

Telling Tales: How You Can Use Storytelling To Influence Decision Makers And Achieve Social Media Buy-In

Many senior decision makers have a very limited knowledge of social media. How can you, the social media champion, explain to key stakeholders how social media will benefit your organization? While facts and figures about ROI, productivity gains and cost savings are important elements of your argument; a well-chosen, well-told story can help win approval.

We all learn to process facts and figures, but our emotional responses are triggered by an intuitive grasp of stories about real people, in real situations. Telling success stories about social media should be a key element of your strategy as you strive to gain buy-in for your projects. This presentation is all about how to find, tailor and tell the stories that will lead to an “Aha!” moment for decision makers.

You will walk away from this session with tools on how you can:

• Identify and capture relevant success stories in your organization
• Craft stories that convey your message effectively
• Leverage your network to discover important stories that build your case
• Make storytelling part of your strategy for gaining support for your social media initiatives

Tom Sommerville, Business Technology Specialist
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE

4:00 p.m.

How To Develop Your Social Media Communications Goals And Objectives While Avoiding Potential Hazards

Clearing a minefield in Croatia may seem a long way from using social media in your organization or department, but you’ll hear how a little creative thought has helped Genome Alberta clear the way for its small size to reach an audience in Canada and the United States.

Genome Alberta is a not-for-profit research organization funded by the Provincial and Federal governments. They use social media extensively to raise awareness with the general public, reach key influencers, and engage the science community.

With simple examples, you’ll learn how to develop your social media communications goals and objectives while avoiding potential wrecks along the way.

You will also leave this session with ideas, tactics and strategies on how to:

• Select the right social media course for your audience and for the task at hand
• Make efficient use of your content and resources
• Pull together both social and mainstream media in your communications strategy to get the best return on your communications dollar

Mike Spear, Director of Corporate Communications
GENOME ALBERTA

4:45 p.m.

End of Day One

5:00 p.m.

Networking Reception: Please Join Us!

We invite you to join us for a drink as you relax with your peers. All 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 Toronto’s fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.