Utilize the Latest Communications Strategies to Deliver Your Message On Time and On Target

2003 Government Communications Summit
Crafting and Implementing Effective Communications Strategy in the 21st Century
February 19-21, 2003
Hilton Crystal City
Arlington, VA

 

Break Through Clutter and Background Noise to Deliver Your Message
Make use of the most effective techniques and strategies for crafting and delivering public information to ensure that your message is heard loud and clear.

Fulfill Program Objectives with Strategic Communications Plans
Harness the Logic Model to develop and implement comprehensive strategic communications plans and achieve program objectives.

Win the Game of Media Relations
Develop the skills, the techniques and the partnerships that will help you deliver your message more successfully to the media and to the public.

Expect the Unexpected
Prepare for emergency situations with internal and external strategies to ensure that you and your organization are able to respond quickly and capably in a crisis.

 

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Dear Government Communicator:

You are invited to join officials from federal, state and local government agencies and organizations across the nation at the 2003 Government Communications Summit, being hosted February 19-21 in Arlington, Va. This landmark event will showcase leading innovations in communications strategy – effective planning, branding techniques, media relations, innovative technology solutions, and more.

Improve Your Performance, Achieve Your Program Goals
You will emerge from this conference with timely strategies for enhancing your agency’s ability to craft and deliver effective message.  From strategic planning and developing outcome goals, to tracking and measuring program performance, the 2003 Government Communications Summit explores innovations and strategies that will help the public information officer and the government communicator get their message out, and get it heard.

Deliver a Focused Message to a Targeted Audience
Take advantage of crucial new strategies to break through the clutter of information and deliver your message to the media and to the public:

  • Define, Target, and Know Your Target Audience

  • Identify the "Values" of Target Audiences to Improve Message Development

  • Select Words, Symbols and Surrogates to Advance Your Message

Utilize Internal and External Coordination Strategies to Ensure that Information is Delivered Accurately and Consistently
A critical success factor to any communications strategy is consistent reliable information. Take advantage of best practice presentations and workshops in order to implement internal and external communications plans of your own, ensuring that your whole team is on message and on target, issuing consistent information to the media and to the public.

Learn from Leaders in the Field, Presenting Emerging Innovations, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned. The 2003 Government Communications Summit offers a diverse speaking faculty and a wide range of valuable information and experience for the government communicator. Take advantage of this hands-on environment, and walk away with the tools to improve your own agency’s message and strategy.

Space at the Summit will be limited. For more information or registration discounts, contact 703-894-0481. Don’t delay and miss out on the timely solutions the Government Communications Summit offers your organization!

Sincerely,

David Parker Jr.
Associate Director
The Performance Institute

Agenda
 

Day One: February 19, 2003

8:30

Keynote Address: Developing Effective Communications Strategies in Government

9:15

Leadership Panel: A View from the Trenches: The State of Practice in Government Communications

10:45

Step One: Identifying the Role of Communications in Achieving Agency Program Outcomes and Objectives

12:00

Luncheon Keynote Address

1:10

Step Two: Defining, Segmenting, Targeting and Knowing Your Target Audiences

2:15

Step Three: Message Development: Identifying “Values” of Target Audiences to Improve Message Development

3:15

Step Four: Effective “Branding” in Government: Selecting the Words, Symbols and Surrogates to Advance Your Message

4:00

Step Five: Performance Measures: Evaluating and Adapting Messages to Improve Effectiveness

5:00

Adjourn

 

Day Two: February 20, 2003

 

Federal Government Innovations in Communications Strategy

State and Local Government Innovations in Communications Strategy

8:30

Keynote Address: Effectively Implementing the Communications Strategy

9:15

Federal Government Innovations in Defining and Implementing Communications Strategy

State and Local Innovations in Defining and Implementing Communications Strategy

10:30

Evaluating Federal Communications Strategies:

GAO Report: “Strategies for Assessing How Information Dissemination Contributes to Agency Goals”

Evaluating State and Local Communications Strategies:

11:30

Federal Partnerships: Working Across Government Agencies and Interest Groups at the National Level

Innovations in Local Partnerships: Working with the community to develop effective communication

12:15

Luncheon Keynote Address: Breaking Through the Clutter and Background Noise to Deliver Your Organization’s Message

1:30

Disaster Preparedness: Developing a Comprehensive Communications Plan for Crisis Situations

Effective Media Relations

2:30

Emergency Response: Effective Communications in the Midst of a Crisis

Utilizing Citizen and Stakeholder Involvement

3:30

“Town Hall” Dialogue: Exchange of Best Practices, Lessons Learned and Helpful Hints

 

 

Day Three: February 21, 2003

Hands-On Workshops

Morning Workshops
(8:30 to 11:30)

A) External Communications – Developing a Comprehensive Strategic Plan
This intensive hands-on workshop will focus on developing the strategic plan for government agencies to manage their external communications.  Utilizing a well-crafted plan, agencies are able to dramatically increase their ability to deliver messages effectively.
• Develop Outcome Goals
• Conduct Strategic Analysis
• Assess Existing External Plans and Strategies
• Incorporate Effective Tactics
• Evaluate Overall Plan
• Guides to Implementation

B) Effectively Communicating in a Crisis
An emergency situation is already stressful, and any missteps in communications efforts can have serious consequences for your agency, and for the public. Use this workshop to help prepare a comprehensive plan to respond to a crisis situation. Ensure that your organization is prepared to:
• Anticipate media attention
• Develop creative ways to identify with the public and the media
• Coordinate communications efforts
• Ensure critical incident debriefing
• Cultivate relationships with local media

Afternoon Workshops

(1:30 to 4:30)

C) Internal Communications – Developing a Comprehensive Strategic Plan
Streamline internal processes and coordinate public relations efforts to ensure that your agency and your office are operating to maximum effect.  This hands-on workshop will focus on developing the internal communications plan, ensuring that your whole team is on the same page, delivering carefully developed and coordinated message to the public.
• Set measurable goals and objectives
• Integrate internal and external strategies for improved message delivery
• Implement open lines of internal communication to ensure everyone is working toward the same objectives

D) Utilizing emerging communications technologies and software
This workshop will focus on the use of emerging technologies, and the myriad strategies for using them. From low-tech solutions like strategic data management and use of email to high tech solutions such as emerging software for public relations applications, this workshop will walk you through a host of options and strategies to help you develop new communications techniques and take advantage of solutions that might be readily available in your office already.

 

Exhibiting and Sponsorship Information:
To learn more about exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at Performance Institute educational seminars and conferences, please call Bret Johnson at 703-894-0481.

Hotel Information:
The 2003 Government Communications Summit will be held at the Hilton Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at the hotel at a discounted rate $135. To make reservations directly, call 703-418-6800 and ask for the Performance Institute conference rate. The Hilton will ensure that your conference experience is not only educational but also comfortable and enjoyable in every aspect. For additional information on accommodations and a variety of area attractions, please visit the hotel’s website at www.hilton.com.

Tuition:
The fee to attend the 2003 Government Communications Summit is $995.  The fee to attend one half-day workshop is $300.  To attend two half-day workshops, the fee is $500.

Group Discounts:
Contact Bret Johnson at the Performance Institute at 703-894-0481 for more information about group discounts.

Administrative Note:
A 10% cancellation fee on registration will be charges for cancellations received less than three weeks from the sate of the conference. As speakers are confirmed 6 months before the event, some speaker changes or topic changes may occur in the program. The Performance Institute is not responsible for speaker changes, but will work to ensure a comparable speaker is located to participate in the program.