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8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Chairperson's Welcome & Opening Remarks
Joseph Thornley, CEO
THORNLEY FALLIS GROUP |
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8:45 a.m.
How To Develop An Effective Social Media Presence For Your Government Organization Without Resources, Budget Or Buy-in
The City of Oshawa began using Web 2.0 platforms in November 2009 as part of a pilot project aimed at meeting key objectives outlined in the Community Strategic Plan and Corporate Communications & Marketing Strategy:
- Increase public awareness of city programs, services and events
- Enhance community engagement and cooperation
- Promote positive community news to improve the City’s image/brand
Today, the City’s Corporate Communications & Marketing Team integrates social media into all of its communications strategies and maintains a thriving Twitter account, combined with Facebook and YouTube. Bookmarking/sharing and Quick Response (QR) codes are used to maximize results.
In this session, the City of Oshawa will share with you their social media journey and the lessons learned along the way, with insights and information to implement 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, including RSS, bookmarking/sharing and social media account sharing
- Specific tips on how to use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to engage stakeholders and community partners, your residents and the media
- How to monitor and measure social media campaigns for FREE using tools such as Google Alerts, URL shorteners and QR codes
 Shannon McFadyen, Corporate Communications & Marketing Officer
CITY OF OSHAWA, ONTARIO
@shannonmcfadyen
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9:30 a.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 avoid these pitfalls, including 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
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10:15 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!
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10:45 a.m.
Morning Refreshment & Networking Break
11:05 a.m.
How To Take Your Social Media Initiatives Beyond Beginner Stages: Engaging Staff, Extending Resources, And Becoming More Personal And Personable
In 2009, a longstanding core ministry of the Government of Ontario began its move from relying strictly on old-style communications to include new tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Having since become a Canadian leader in the government use of social media, the Ministry of Labour has encountered a variety of emerging challenges, including:
- Conquering the difficulties of engaging staff
- Dealing with difficult people online
- Paying the price of success
- Enhancing the personal touch
Discover the tactics and techniques needed to take your social media initiatives beyond beginner stages, including:
- Lessons on how to successfully engage staff and the unsuccessful ways to avoid
- Tactics for dealing with negativity online, whether it be one person or one hundred
- How to make the most of limited resources
- Methods of being more personal and personable
Kenneth Downs, Social Media & Web Developer
Sam Martin, Publisher, Social Media Team
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF LABOUR |
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11:50 a.m.
How To Integrate Social Media And Mobile Devices Into Your Emergency Management And Crisis Communications Plan
Mobile devices and technologies are changing the way that people consume and share information. Social media provides multiple platforms for sharing experiences and data during disasters. Put these together and it’s a brand new world for emergency managers.
In this session, you will hear about current trends in the use of social media in crises and the “age of social convergence” including large-scale emergencies like Haiti and Japan. You will also gain knowledge in the steps that lead to the integration of social media in your emergency management and business continuity programs, including:
- Why social media tools are already proven emergency information equipment
- How to use social media and cloud-based, volunteer-driven crisis mapping to offer a built-in resiliency in disasters
- Ways to gain citizen participation in emergency situations
- How to implement mobile technologies and devices into your plan to empowered citizenry and gain more accurate data
- How disasters in Haiti, Colorado, Australia, New Zealand and Japan used social media in emergency management
 Patrice Cloutier, Team Lead, Strategic Communications
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY SAFETY
AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
@patricecloutier
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12:35 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.
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2:05 p.m.
How To Create And Implement A Social Media Policy For Your Organization That Won’t Restrict Your Employees
Located in the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle, and home to the world-famous Blackberry; Waterloo Region, Ontario is a community renown for innovation. So, when communications staff in the Region of Waterloo’s planning department needed to find new ways of involving and engaging the public in several significant planning and transportation projects that would have far-reaching implications for the entire community, they turned to social media.
With no formal social media strategy or policy in place at the Region, they were breaking new ground. While their early successes helped demonstrate the value of social media tools to the communication process, they knew they needed to get formal policies in place.
During this session learn how your organization should implement a social media policy, including:
- The importance of having a social media policy set in place
- How to use a collaborative “pathfinder” approach to develop a formal social media policy
- Ways to allow your staff the freedom they need to continue using social media tools on several high-profile community projects
- The most important things to consider when creating and implementing your social media policy
 Keren Adderley, Coordinator of Communications and Marketing
REGION OF WATERLOO, ONTARIO
@adderley
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2:50 p.m.
Afternoon Refreshment & Networking Break
3:05 p.m.
Social Media Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: How To Choose The Right Tools For Your Audience, Your Message, And Your Organization's Goals
With the plethora of digital communications methods available to use, it can be overwhelming to determine which are best for your organization and for your audience. Where do you begin, how much is too much and how can you measure success?
The Health Council of Canada has learned to effectively leverage social media strategies into overarching communications objectives. Through their explorations, they have learned what works and what does not, when to push harder and when to let it go.
In this session, you will gain an understanding of what tools are right for your organization, including:
- Learning how to align your social media presence with your corporate strategies to reach your target audiences
- Learning when and how to ‘walk away’ from platforms that aren’t right for you
- Receiving a social media survey that will get you thinking about your online presence and where to start
Gursharn Kandola, Lead, eCommunications and Social Media
HEALTH COUNCIL OF CANADA |
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3:50 p.m.
Understanding How Social Media Affects Traditional Media And How To Use It At Your Advantage
Social media means many different things to many different people. The social media movement is currently happening and changing the way most people, corporations, cities and political parties do business. It’s also changed the way media operates and has changed the news cycle. Knowing how media use social media will help your organization in both the proactive and reactive segments.
This session will shed light on social media and on the many factors at play for government. It will also provide some principles that can be applied to help you with this ever-changing world, including:
- Opportunities and challenges specific to social media
- The main platforms, and which are best suited for your organization
- Principles to use when getting started in social media
- Political vs. practical applications
 Carole Saab, Manager of Government and Media Relations
FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES
@carolesaab
 Eric Collard, Consultant
INTERSOL GROUP LTD.
@_Ecinc
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4:35 p.m.
More “How To's” To Help You Get The Work Done:
An Interactive Panel Discussion With Today’s Speakers
Need to dive deeper into specific topics? Want more details? Here’s your chance!
Available speakers from today’s sessions will answer your questions to help you innovate your own social media plan. Digest what you’ve learned and apply it to your own initiatives to get feedback and ideas for improvement.
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5:00 p.m.
Chairperson's Recap & End of Day One
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5:15 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!
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6:30 p.m.
Dine Around
Sign up during the day for dinner with a group. Take advantage of Vancouver's fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.
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Speakers & Key Highlights • Who Will Attend • Benefits of Attending • Rave Reviews
Interactive Workshops • Agenda Day 1 • Agenda Day 2
Venue & Lodging • Registration Fees • Discounts & Policies • Seminar Supporters
Register Now • Forward To A Colleague |
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