8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast & Networking

8:30 a.m.

Chairperson's Opening Of Day Two & Presentation:
Achieving Your Agency's Mandate, Mission, And Core Values With The Help Of Social Media

Many government agencies act as the protectors of the rights of consumers. The Canadian Transportation Agency, for example, acts as the watchdog for travelers on by air and rail and watches the Canadian shipping industry as well. Each year, it receives thousands of consumer complaints and works with air carriers and rail companies to resolve them.

But what role could social media play in changing the way in which an agency operates? What obstacles would it face? Is the Canadian Transportation Agency already present in the blogosphere, with or without its knowledge?

This agency will serve as a test case to examine how a government office can use social media to monitor emerging issues, to become more responsive to its audiences (consumers, media, airlines, shipping lines), and to better achieve the agency's mandate, mission, and core values.

• Discover what people are already saying about your organisation
• Create a social media strategy that uses the right tools and tactics for you and dovetails with your organisation's goals
• Implement a social media strategy
• Create a framework to evaluate your social media activity and create measures that demonstrate two ROIs – Return on Investment and Return on Influence

Bob LeDrew, Senior Consultant
THORNLEY FALLIS COMMUNICATIONS

9:25 a.m.

How To Empower Social Change Through The Use Of Social Media

The Government of Ontario has charged the Chief Energy Conservation Officer and the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) the task of fostering a culture of conservation within the province. This undertaking includes changing people's relationship with electricity, as well as setting the most aggressive electricity conservation targets in North America. Indeed, Ontario is the only jurisdiction in the world to place such a significant role for conservation in its management of electricity supply, demand, and transmission.

Canada's largest public relations firm, NATIONAL, is the OPA's Agency of Record. NATIONAL has developed a social media and online strategy to enable the OPA to deliver their messages across Ontario (and indeed the world), and engage Ontarians in such programs as the first-ever Energy Conservation Week (May 2008). Online and social media tools were the primary tactics that engaged more than 50 percent of all residents to participate the program.

• Challenges of proposing, creating and managing social media tactics within the public sector – an audience that is traditionally wary of grassroots initiatives
• Maintaining a sense of control in an highly uncontrolled messaging environment
• Issues such as audience measurement, return on investment, and influencing social behaviour

Peter Love, Chief Energy Conservation Officer
ONTARIO POWER AUTHORITY

Ted Griffith, Vice President
NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS

10:35 a.m.

Maximizing Your Communication Efforts By Integrating Social Media (Blogging, Podcasting & Other New Media) With Traditional Channels

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is increasingly turning to "New Media" to improve its communications and information sharing. In this session, you will learn how DoD is using Web 2.0 & beyond, mobile content, blogger engagement, podcasting and other new media tools to reach its audiences without breaking the budget and without mainstream media filters.

DoD is using new media definitions to define its audiences. It's all about connectivity. Understanding this connectivity helps promote your own website search engine results and takes your information directly to your audiences.

• Did you know that the top government and organisation podcasts downloaded from iTunes are from DoD?
• Did you know that when you talk to one blogger, you are potentially talking to 2 million virally-linked people per blogger?
• Did you know that the blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months? Did you know that more than 1.1 billion people worldwide are now online?
• Did you know that web traffic to blogs of the top 10 online newspapers grew 210% this past year?

Web 2.0 & beyond and social/consumer generated media is changing the way we work, communicate and live. As a result, DoD is engaging in two-way communications with the blogger community – it's all about the viral spread of your message via the connectedness of the blogosphere.

• Applying simple, low-cost, effective ways to broaden your communications reach using new media tools
• Repackaging your existing communication products to streamline your messages

Jack Holt, Chief, New Media Operations
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

11:25 a.m.

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone:
How To Build An Effective Business Case For Social Media In Your Organisation

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is integrating new media in its communications, public education and outreach programs. Blogs, videos, podcasts and active online engagement with stakeholders are helping to transform how the Office deals with Canadians, and in a flexible, responsive and very cost-effective manner.

Social media has proven to be a difficult "sell" within government organisations. Not only does it require experimentation with new tools and tactics, but social media also forces an organisation to examine how it chooses to deal with stakeholders, constituents, clients and the public in general.

• Identify the appropriate social media tools for your needs
• Build an effective business case for social media in your organisation
• Prepare your boss for the inevitable missteps and stumbles

Colin McKay, Director, Research, Education and Outreach
OFFICE OF THE PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF CANADA

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

1:45 p.m.

Group Exercise:

You asked for it, you got it! Interact and discuss how to implement the latest technology tools to assist you in meeting your social media challenges with your fellow attendees and our experienced speakers. You will leave with new tools and ideas for more successfully applying best practices to your own Web 2.0 initiatives.

2:25 p.m.

How To Use Blogging To Connect And Build Relationships With Your Target Audience

Microsoft Canada has been at the forefront of pioneers in implementing social media as a cutting-edge tool to connect with its community. Find out how Microsoft's evangelists use social media to keep the conversation going, what their blogging best practices are and how to manage the challenges that might arise.

• Leverage your blog to engage your consumers and generate momentum around your ideas
• Use your blog as a networking tool and extension of your activities to maintain an on-going relationship with your clients
• Blog about topics of interest to your target audience and attract customers to your mission
• Focus on the approach and style of your activity versus content
• Engage your consumers by inviting guest bloggers to contribute to your blog

Hear one of the top corporate social media experts and learn how your government organisation can better engage your audiences, as well.

Barnaby Jeans, Audience Marketing Manager
MICROSOFT CANADA

3:30 p.m.

Cutting Through The Clutter: How To Apply A Web 2.0 eGovernment Strategy To Your Organisation

During this discussion, you'll get practical, usable strategies to effectively create Web 2.0 eGovernment services that deliver tangible value to constituents.

This interactive discussion will address the four essential elements of your future Web 2.0 strategy.

• Defining Web 2.0 -- It's the intersection of design, communities, technology, data access, and crystal-clear content
• Understanding the Web 2.0 building blocks -- From blogs and wikis to AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and RSS, Web 2.0 includes a broad array of services that are already being applied to government Web sites
• Applying Web 2.0 to government -- Social networking technologies allow savvy leaders to create a meaningful two-way dialogue with constituents through collaboration and community-building
• Identifying early eGovernment Web 2.0 successes (and hiccups): eDemocracy, civic participation, enhanced customer service, and diplomacy are among the emerging applications of "eGov 2.0" around the world

Peggy Feldman, Chief Applications Officer
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

Hillary Hartley, Director of Integrated Marketing
NIC, INC.

4:20 p.m.
Chairperson's Recap:
Key Takeaways And What To Do When You Get Back To The Office

As a group, we’ll recap the highlights and share key insights from the past two days.