8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast

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

Kelly Rusk, Consultant
THORNLEY FALLIS Communications
@krusk

8:45 a.m.
Introduction To Social Media In The Government Space

Today, 80% of all Internet users actively use social networks causing governments to carefully reevaluate how they connect to their citizens. Social media opens a new and better way for governments to engage employees and citizens and drive communications results. With so many tools, different policies, and a communication strategy already intact the question is “Where do I begin?”

Christine Wood, Consultant
KENDALL WOOD
@chicken_scratch

9:15 a.m.

Social Media Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: Learn Which Tool Is Best For You And How To Manage Comments, Give Your Organization A “Voice”, Tweet In Both Official Languages And Match Your Policies To Your Tools

Many government departments and agencies are considering launching their own YouTube channel or Facebook fan page. But how do you choose which tools are the right ones for your organization? Social media is not one-size-fits-all. Not every tool is appropriate for every situation.

This information-packed session will provide you with the knowledge you need to choose the right tools for your audience, your message and your organization's goals. You will also learn about some common issues to consider when using social media tools in a government environment, including:

• Tweeting in both official languages
• Managing comments – and responding when necessary
• Giving your organization an authentic "voice" and personality through social media
• Avoiding the "shiny new toy" temptation
• Developing content that is relevant, interesting and timely
• Matching your policies to your tools

Danielle Donders, Social Media, Senior Advisor
Public Affairs Branch
CANADA REVENUE AGENCY
@canrevagency & @danigirl

10:00 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 seminar participants and gain greater understanding into many similar issues, concerns, and challenges that your peers are also facing. Become acquainted with your fellow seminar attendees in this fun and fast-paced forum!

10:30 a.m.

Morning Refreshment & Networking Break

10:50 a.m.

How To Successfully Launch A Social Media Strategy: Collaborating Between Departments, Creating A Policy, Communicating Internally, And Testing The ROI

The Canadian Red Cross is in the process of launching their first-ever social media strategy, policy as well as a handbook to teach Red Crossers how to use social media. It has been an 8-month process for and has involved input from communications experts across the country, HR, legal and various other departments. Before one can even begin formulating a strategy, you must test various social media tools to determine their individual value. The Canadian Red Cross found that the ROI of the tested social media initiatives, including Tweet-ups and blogs, was the foundation for their national strategy.

This session will give you firsthand information on how to implement a social media strategy when working with many different departments and objectives, as well as explain why an organization-wide policy is critical, including:

• Why you need to and how to involve the right partners (Communications, HR, Marketing, Operations, etc.) across your organization to engage employees and drive results
• How to use social media to address internal audiences
• Evaluating the ROI of your organization’s social media efforts
• Creating a social media policy to be implemented throughout your entire organization

Karen Snider, National Media Manager
CANADIAN RED CROSS

11:35 a.m.

How To Develop An Effective Social Media Presence For Your Government Organization On A Budget That Will Engage Stakeholders And Promote Your Brand

The City of Oshawa entered the world of social media just over two years ago as part of a pilot project -- today, the City’s Corporate Communications & Marketing Team has implemented many benchmarking practices that many municipalities now follow.

The City of Oshawa has integrated social media into all of its communications strategies to produce proactive and positive news coverage while maintaining a thriving Twitter account, combined with Facebook and YouTube in addition to using QR codes to maximize community reach.

In this session, the City of Oshawa will share their social media journey and lessons learned along the way, with insights and information on how to implement social media strategies and tools into your organization, including:

• How to get senior management and IT to “buy-in” to social media
• Time-saving, easy-to-use (and FREE) social media tools and techniques
• How to monitor and measure social media campaigns on a budget
• How to engage the community, answers questions, address concerns, acknowledge criticism on Twitter and Facebook
• Ways to incorporate social media platforms to support high profile community awareness campaigns including Media outlet transition from traditional media releases to social media
• Creating a coordinated approach with other departments for consistent messaging

Heather Dunn, Corporate Communications and Marketing Officer
CITY OF OSHAWA, ONTARIO
@hdunn7

12:20 p.m.

Lunch On Your Own -- But Not Alone!

Join a group of your colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion on a social media hot topic. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing social media concerns.

1:45 p.m.

Social Media In A Municipal Context: Building The Virtual Community Space

With a focus on the description of critical success factors and key measures of success in utilizing social media for Municipal Governments. This session will highlight two projects, one from the City of Brockville and the second from developing community portals for Smart Community projects. Both of these projects have garnered international attention for their use of social media to connect citizens, build community education and awareness, promote investment attraction and enhance community recruitment of volunteers and ambassadors.

• Understanding social media concepts in a municipal world
• Knowing the four stages of community digital development
• Implementing, and mechanics, of successfully using social media on a restricted budget
• How to foster audience reach and message frequency for effective communications
• How to engage in online conversations with diverse geographic audiences with an interest in your organization
• Learning the economic impact of using online digital social media

Dave Paul, Director, Economic Development
CITY OF BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO

Francis Loughheed, Consultant-Facilitator
FRANCIS LOUGHHEED CONSULTING
@floughheed

2:30 p.m.

Afternoon Refreshment & Networking Break

2:50 p.m.

The Role Of Mobile Applications In Effective Government Communications Strategy

This forward-thinking panel session will offer real-world insights into the use of mobile technology at the municipal and federal level. Hear and discuss the use of mobile as a means of informing the public, selecting content to be shared and engaging the public to perform activities to the benefit of all, including:

• Marketing mobile applications
• ROI from the mobile application deployment
• What lies in the future of mobile applications

Moderator:
John Craig, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing
PURPLE FORGE INC.
@purpleforge

Panelists: TBD

3:35 p.m.

Using Social Media In A Challenging Fiscal Environment:
How To Do More With Less

As the Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media puts it: “Social media in health isn’t just inevitable; it is the right thing to do.”

This session will require you to put on your thinking cap/brainstorming toque to discuss a variety of potential applications for social media – spanning healthcare education, research, support, staff engagement, community consultation and more.

• Opportunities for the use of social media in your organization
• The role social media can play in today’s challenging fiscal environment
• Practical social media projects for your organization to begin with

Ann Fuller, Director, Public Relations
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF EASTERN ONTARIO

4:20 p.m.

More “How To's” To Help You Get The Work Done:
An Interactive Panel Discussion With Today’s Participants

Need to dive deeper into specific topics? Want more details? Here’s your chance!
Digest what you’ve learned and apply it to your own initiatives to get feedback and ideas for improvement.

4:50 p.m.

Chairperson's Recap & 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 seminar 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 Ottawa's fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.

Join Our Linkedin Group: "Social Media For
Government Best Practices."