Opening General Session

Keynote Presenter: Steve Scaffidi – WTMJ Radio Host, Author, Speaker Calling on his significant experience in media research and public relations, his five years as the Mayor of the city of Oak Creek,...

Having Fun With Serious Topics: Pipes, Ports n' Poop

The session covers how to raise awareness, build brand identity and change behaviors with public education campaigns and community outreach efforts using creative marketing strategies. With so many messages...

Creative Resident Engagement - This ain't no town hall meeting...

Some people say the town hall meeting is dead, that people just don't have the time or interest to attend meetings. So how do we help residents learn about projects and get their feedback and opinions?...

Pitch Perfect: How To Help Local Media Sing Your Praises

Gone are the days of faxing press releases… or sending press releases at all. Reporters, bloggers, and the public are changing how they find stories and information about your city. Learn how to...

Bridging the Communication Gap - Crafting Messages that Cross Cultural, Generational, and Political Boundaries

Chances are, you live and work in a fairly diverse community. Of course, diversity comes in many forms, be it people of different ages, ethnicities, income brackets, education levels, political beliefs,...

Pop Up City Hall

Community engagement has always been a priority for our Mayor and City Council, but the traditional ways of community outreach (town halls, government meetings, etc) was not working. So we decided we were...

Fearless Flying with the Media

After this session, you will no longer dread calls from the media. Three experienced communications professionals will lead the session, several of whom have previously worked in the media and one of whom...

Herding Cats - How to Rebrand a County

In June 2017, Delaware County in Ohio rolled out its new brand identity. Arguably it had never defined its brand identity, so this was a monumental undertaking over the course of eight months for both...

Innovation Forum - Nextdoor

Your citizens are using it to share information about what's happening in their neighborhoods including discussions on local government projects, safety, and improvements. It's Nextdoor, the trusted...

Innovation Forum - Facebook

Come learn about the latest tools, tips, and new products to help you connect with the people in your communities, and ask us your questions about the platform. 

Yes, I Do More than Facebook: Communication Reporting To Your Organization

Come learn about the latest tools, tips, and new products to help you connect with the people in your communities, and ask us your questions about the platform. 

This Is Us: Transforming Government Communications Through Storytelling

The changing media landscape has communication departments focused on becoming their own newsroom and many government communicators are back to their former careers: being reporters. However it’s...

Insert Crisis…Now What?!?! Navigating a Crisis

No matter the crisis, effective government communication is more important than ever. From plane crashes to hurricanes, government is often the primary source of information the public relies on for critical...

Saving Public Officials from Themselves on Social Media

Public official use of social media is gaining attention. But when it comes to blocking users, deleting comments, and going viral -- the attention isn’t always good for you and your agency! The challenge...

Citizen Engagement Fueled by Technology: Ideas to Close the Feedback Loop

In a world of overnight shipping and 24/7 support centers in the private sector, citizens expect a much higher level of customer service from their governments. How can we up our game with tight budgets...

Don't Leave Your Employees Behind

As communications pros, we are asked to engage community members and seek news media coverage. But very often, our side job is sending messages to employees. Don’t let this fall off your list of...

How to Brew Up Your Best Brand

In a world of overnight shipping and 24/7 support centers in the private sector, citizens expect a much higher level of customer service from their governments. How can we up our game with tight budgets...

Using Video in Social Media for Community Engagement

Online video is the future of public information and communications. New data tells us that video content on the web accounts for nearly three-quarters of traffic and reach. Leading marketing experts place...

Metrics Matter: Guiding Your Social Media Strategy Through Measurement

Learn how to focus your social media measurements to what matters most in this interactive workshop designed to give you the tools to prove your social media is impactful. Matching metrics to your agency’s...

Could You Please Fill That Out Online?

It's so much easier (and less expensive) to track service delivery and to communicate online, right? But what about those residents who can't afford the internet or a computer? And what can you...

What's Your Story? Who Helps You Tell It?

As communicators, our first thought is our external audience, our partners, stakeholders, and constituents. Our first audience really is our employees because they are also our key messengers. We need...

Story Mapping -- Telling your municipal story in a snappy way!

We’re telling the City of Battle Creek story in a fun, interactive way. Especially with downsizing and competition in the traditional media, it's more important than ever for municipalities to...

Website Redesign, Readability & Accessibility - Lessons from the Trenches

Government agencies serve at the will of the people, but government websites sometimes have a hard time keeping up with modern expectations - and industry standards. This two-fold presentation will cover...

Hosting Engaging Events

No community loves events the way the City of Santa Clarita does. We do ribbon cuttings for new signs, groundbreakings for bridge expansions and celebrations like you would not believe. In 2017, we hosted...

They Can't Hate You If They Like You

The first part of the session will address how to get an angry, unhappy community to love you and tolerate your project? Whether it is a 100 ft massive hole in their neighbor's yard, or nighttime trenching...