Starting Date: 01-31-2008
Ending Date: 02-01-2008
Denver, Colorado 80201
United StatesJoin some of America’s best progressive PR practitioners for two days of panels, practical workshops, networking, and fun.
This conference brings together flacks from progressive advocacy groups around the country to exchange ideas and learn new and creative PR tactics.
Officials from giant corporations meet all the time to share their latest and greatest media relations strategies. This is our turn. It’s the only national conference of its kind in the country.
After the conference ends on Friday afternoon, stick around for a weekend in the Colorado high country.
Technology and Creativity Track
YouTube: Show and Tell
Jen Caltrider and Celia Alario
Come to this workshop with questions OR answers about YouTube. What’s worked for you? What’s backfired? Jen Caltrider will offer short introductory thoughts on how to create strategic and newsworthy YouTube videos, and then we’ll have a discussion, facilitated by Celia Alario.
What Could You do with 10,000 People for 10 Minutes?
Martin Kearns
What do World Bank protests, MoveOn.org and the national do-not-call list have in common? The success of these campaigns isn’t magic – it’s based on new models of advocacy. New web-based technologies provide collaboration, deliberation, filtering and publishing of information. Marty Kearns will illustrate our dynamic and changing landscape and demystify how networks, organizations and individuals can take advantage of new opportunities to achieve advocacy objectives.
Media Hoaxes
Andy Bichlbaum
Never lie to the news media, unless you are the Yes Men. They’ve generated fake news stories and staged hoaxes that are reported around the world—all in the cause of slamming giant corporations. Hear their story.
Theatrical PR: A Case Study in Pink
Medea Benjamin
Many of us fantasize about executing more aggressive PR actions, but, alas, we often fail to follow through. Code Pink is known for effective protesting, usually with a pink theatrical flair. The group’s cofounder will share some of its best-kept secrets.
Parsing the Political Blogosphere: Authority among whom, about what?
John Kelly
It is not easy to know what is going on in the blogosphere, outside of your own corner at least. Common wisdom is often wrong, current tools are almost useless, and expert opinion is frequently just glorified hearsay. We look at some new ways of seeing what is really going on.
The Use of Advanced Technology for Outreach Campaigns
John Amos
This workshop will explore the uses of satellite and aerial images for environmental communications and will also present cases of how free open source tools like Google Earth, YouTube, and blogging have been used to reach new and broader audiences.
How to be a More Creative Flack/Activist
Media Benjamin, Andy Bichlebaum, Jason Salzman
Most of us have an amorphous hope to be more creative in our work, but what can we actually do to make this happen? How can we turn our dream of running more creative campaigns into reality?
Media Strategy and Framing Track
PR for Progressive Political Candidates
Robert Perez
Progressive political candidates face a set of frustrating challenges when campaigning or governing. Hear tips on how to stay on message and avoid falling down the right-wing rabbit hole.
Smart Chart Communications Planning
Beach Codevilla
Many nonprofits struggle to use communications to create positive social change. The Spitfire Strategies Smart Chart for Strategic Communications is a tool that helps organizations understand the communications planning process and improves their ability to create or review communications efforts. To help groups learn to use the chart effectively, Spitfire will lead participants through the strategic communications planning process
Be Like GLAAD!
Rashad Robinson
This presentation will explain how GLAAD became the go-to organization for media outlets around LGBT issues. Over the last 10 years there’s been a tremendous change in the ways that LGBT people and events are covered in the media. Through case studies, we will discuss GLAAD’s impact behind the scenes fighting defamation and creating standard language and terminology for how the LGBT community is covered in the mainstream media.
Kathy Bonk on her latest projects
Workshop description coming.
How to Collaborate with the Netroots and Bloggers
Craig Aaron, Chris Rabb and Others
How to care for and feed the Netroots? How do blogs fit into the strategic communications efforts of progressive advocacy groups? Bloggers and PR people on this panel will address these questions and more.
Telling American Stories
Heath Wickline
What does it mean to tell an American story? And who gets to tell one? Learning how to frame our work in terms easily understood by Americans from across the political spectrum can be a key to gaining their support. This workshop explores the connection between progressive values and our founding ideals, recurring narratives from our history, and the use of words and images in the telling of American stories.
PR for Good or Bad?
Omar Jabara
What’s effective (and not) in progressive campaigns against large corporations? Jabara, who’s worked closely with grassroots anti-war activists, is a progressive and will give us his insight from his perspective as spokesperson for Newmont Mining, Corp., the world’s second largest gold mining company.
PR Skills Track
How to Pitch Conservative Journalists
Emily Tynes, David Haryansi and Others
Progressives often either ignore or insult conservative journalists in the talk radio world, print media, or elsewhere. This panel, consisting of conservative opinion mongers and progressive PR operatives, will outline some of the common lefty mistakes and address the best approaches for effective communication and pitching.
Linking PR to Fundraising
Robert Perez
Communications and Fundraising often spin in completely separate organizational orbits. Robert Perez will explain how to build a synergistic relationship between the two programs, boosting both your profile and budget.
How to Work with Communications Consultants
Beach Codevilla, Celia Alario, Valerie Denney and Others.
PR consultants can allegedly provide help with training, pitching, strategy, and more. But why do they so often execute disasters rather than miracles? How to find the right PR consultant without getting ripped off, exhausted, mad, and frustrated. Or you might learn that you should spend your money elsewhere.
How to Work with Hollywood
Rashad Robinson, Emily Tynes and Others
As the news becomes ever more entertainment-oriented, it’s all the more important for progressives to recruit and work with Hollywood to get their message out. PR veterans explain how to work with Hollywood stars, producers, and handlers.
How to Deal with EDs who Just Don’t Get It
Kathy Bonk, Thom Clark, and Others
There are two kinds of troublesome EDs, and this workshop will help you deal with both of them. First, there are the ones who are bad spokespeople and either refuse or can’t do anything about it. Then there are the ones who don’t understand how important PR can be for the growth and prosperity of an organization. Come learn how to address both dysfunctions.
Demystifying the Interactive Web
Bobbi Russell
This session will provide practical guidance about online communications, including online tools and strategies groups can use for making their advocacy efforts more effective. There will be an overview of the latest trends in both online and mobile technologies as well as advice for integrating these tools in your communications plan.
PR and the State Legislature
Lark Corbeil, Michelle Dally
As news outlets cut back their capitol bureaus, it’s more and more difficult to shine the media spotlight on critical issues at the state legislative level. This panel will illuminate some media tactics that can work for you.
The conference costs $350 per person, if paid by December 14, 2007 and $475 per person after December 14.
Single-day passes are not available. Neither are tickets to individual workshops.
To qualify for the early registration fee, your payment must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Dec. 14, 2007. Geographical Scope: National Conference |
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