3CMA 20th Annual Conference | October 22

Session Topics

Note: Topics subject to change

Find Out What Your Peers Think

In this session Brooke Liu , Ph.D , Professor of Public Relations DePaul University and an associate will report the results of research of 3CMA members and others determining whether public affairs practitioners working in the public sector face unique challenges and opportunities. Findings include impact of politics, working relationships, professional development, communications activities, demographics and salary.

Creating Strategic Communications Plans

Learn how to develop road maps for your important issues. Factors such as target publics, goals and objectives and specific tactics will be discussed.

Preparing the Next Generation of Public Communicators

Dr. Frank Benest, a founding member of 3CMA, former City Manager of Palo Alto, CA and chair of the CA-ICMA “Preparing the Next Generation,” and will address the challenge of succession. As a generation of baby-boomers retires from local government, there are fewer numbers of Generation Xers ready and able to replace them. Learn about the demographic, political and value trends that have contributed to this crisis and the leadership development and succession planning strategies needed to address the problem.

How to Inspire Employee Involvement in the Organization

In government communications offices all across the United States internal communication often takes a backseat to communicating with residents. Educating citizens is the top priority, but find out how some 3CMA members have learned that with buy-in from the top administrator and management team internal communications can flourish and pay big dividends.

How Do You Create a Great Logo and Distinctive Tag Line?

This session explores the role of logos and tag lines play in a community-wide brand. Without the proper precautions these common place marketing tools can become a lightning rod for citizen and stakeholder dissent. Tips for sidestepping logo and tag line minefields will be presented along with case studies featuring both successes and messes.

60 Ideas in 60 Minutes

At 3CMA there are no secrets. Members learn first hand from successful peers how to do their job better, enhance their careers and learn ways to advance their city or county.

Feeding and Watering the Creative Team

It is said that in local government 85% of the workers are left brained and process oriented. Yet successful communications programs must be innovative, exciting and intriguing. Find out how some agencies bend the rules and think outside the box in order to nourish creative thoughts and vision.

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program: How to Apply the Criteria for Performance Excellence to Everyday Local Government Operations

Understand the framework and methodology in the Baldrige Criteria for performance excellence. Learn what the criteria questions mean and how local governments can use them to improve overall governance and management.

How to Make Your Communications More Effective

This session will explore creative methods designed to enhance your communications, whether you are a staff of 15 or a one person shop.

Savvy Film Festival

Sit back, relax, and enjoy these creative Savvy Competition video entries that had the judges raving. Take advantage of the opportunity to gain ideas for your next video programming challenge

How to Handle Irate Citizens

Angry people can make life miserable. It is how you handle their complaints that matters most. Learn some successful techniques for dealing with gadflies.

Social Media

Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, come find out how government can leverage Web 2.0. Social media networking on the Internet is moving communication closer to our customers. Influencers are having an impact on organizations like Dell Computers, Starbucks, Comcast, the Department of Defense, NASA and others. Keep your fingers on the pulse of the latest hot techie topics.

Wacky Ideas - Unlocking Your Creative Potential

Learn new ways to create excitement and save money when launching new projects.

Trends in Community Engagement

This session will discuss case histories dealing with using citizen advisory committees, citizen academies, town halls, and events as ways to engage citizens.

Website Makeovers

Does your website meet your citizens’ demands? Learn how to identify when it is time to redesign your website and discover strategies for creating an effective redesign action plan. Site architecture, navigation and suggested new features will be covered.

Earning a Place for Communications on the Executive Team

Successful city and county leaders recognize the importance of external and internal communications. To assure acceptance as a policy influencer learn from two top local government chief administrators the critical skills and knowledge needed by a communications director.

Tough Times Require Better Data

An effective citizen survey can tell you exactly what your community is thinking. Learn when surveys are appropriate, how to ask the right questions, how to choose the appropriate format for your survey and how to interpret the data collected.

Energizing Your E-Communications

Find out how other communities are making the most of communicating important information quickly and inexpensively via e- newsletters and other innovative tools.

Building Credibility with the Public

In this session you will have the opportunity to learn the strategies and some suggested tactics for achieving customer/stakeholder creditability.

How to Reach Segmented Audiences

The face of our society is changing rapidly and so are the demographics, ethnic and cultural composition of our communities. Join us to discuss what new changes you should be considering for your communications program.

Going Green is the Buzz

Whether it’s recycling, cutting back water usage, or saving energy, conservation messages are emerging more and more in a communication manager’s duties. If you need to develop a conservation campaign, this session will show you how to create effective messages that resonate with your target audiences.

Making Effective Presentations

Learn techniques to help you enjoy making presentations. Standing behind the podium can be intimidating and this session will assist in eliminating fear and anxiety.

And the Savvy Award Winner Is

How do they do it? Now you can find out just what it takes to create an award inning savvy entry. Award recipients will give you the inside scoop on preparing a winning entry.

How to Prepare for Crisis

Are you confident that your crisis communications plan is up to date? Do you have in place the latest tools, manuals and preparedness responses for the crisis team? Hear the experiences of two peers and how they handled the situations.

How to Market and Communicate In Tough Economic Times

With the lackluster economy and tax-limiting initiatives, budgets are shrinking for many public agencies. This means service cuts and lost jobs. How do you manage a communications program that: 1) Alerts citizens and the media to why the cuts are being made and the effects of those cuts on services and 2) Respects those employees let go and builds trust in the ones left behind.

Integrated Communications

In these lean times 3CMA members are looking for new ways to effectively communicate with residents. One way is to utilize customer relationship management software a proven tool utilized by private side companies. Learn how two 3CMA member cities are integrating communications throughout the organization and how it works across traditional boundaries.

“Radically Transparent”

Dr. Judy Strauss, co-author of Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online, teaches you how to assess and manage your agency’s online reputation. This session will help practitioners understand how their organization’s reputation is created online, and what tools and tactics they can use to protect that reputation.

Web-Based Approach to Internal Communications

Say goodbye to your boring, often unread employee newsletter. Say hello to a functional government intranet designed with internal communication in mind. This session will explain how government communicators can take a web-based approach to engage employees, encourage collaboration, manage communications assets and communicate successes.