Listen to this brief interview of Ragan Marketing Coordinator Jennifer Fukumoto, and then sign up for one of the remaining seats at one of three Ragan September training workshops that offer special pricing to IABC/Chicago members.

As an IABC/Chicago member, you get exclusive discounts on three of Ragan’s most popular events:

SOLD OUT!

Hands on video boot camp Hands On Video Boot Camp:
How to produce compelling videos to engage employees and get media buzz

September 23, 2011
University of Chicago’s Gleacher Cente, Chicago IL

Regular price: $745      >> IABC member price: $595

This one-day workshop with instructor Drew Keller walks you through the entire production cycle. You will get first-hand experience with cameras, lights, and microphones. You will explore several production models to see what works best for you. And you will learn best practices and theory in production, distribution and audience engagement. SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT!

Internal Communications Boot Camp:
Audit your communications, create a strategic plan and boost your employee engagement

September 20, 2011
University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, Chicago, IL

Regular price: $745      >> IABC member price: $595

In one information-packed day, Shel Holtz will guide you through the latest trends and best practices that you can apply immediately to your internal communication to produce dramatically better results that you’ll share with management in terms they understand: an improved bottom line. SOLD OUT!

SEATS STILL AVAILABLE!

Social Media for Internal Communicators:

A one-day total immersion workshop

September 21, 2011
University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, Chicago, IL

Regular price: $745      >> IABC member price: $595

Shel Holtz will begin the day with an inspirational and idea-packed tour of the social media world. You’ll see how other companies have used social media to motivate and inspire employees. You’ll discover how Dell, IBM, Southwest Airlines, the Mayo Clinic, Sun Microsystems—and dozens of other companies—have transformed their communications with social media. Register now!

Tom Keefe interviews Steve Crescenzo to learn more about the June 29, 2011 "Writing Across All Media" workshop that Steve will present with Jim Ylisela.

The pair of professional communicators, also known as Write & Rewrite, present their new one-day workshop at the Hilton Garden Inn Magnificent Mile, 10 E. Grand Ave. in downtown Chicago. Participants will leave this hands-on workshop with an editorial plan for their biggest writing challenge at their organization AND the first 35 registrants also will receive a ticket to the Cubs game that night!

While Steve and Jim can't solve the Cubs many problems, they WILL be able to help attendees with a proven method for getting terrific answers to their vexing issues and situations.

IABC/Chicago members can reduce the already low registration fee by teaming up with other IABC/Chicago members when registering. You don't have to work at the same company or location to be eligible for the group discount. Read more on our IABC/Chicago LinkedIn page. Or click here to learn more about the workshop and how to register.

Barbara Fagan-Smith is the founder and CEO of ROI Communication, an award-winning communications consulting firm focused on helping large organizations adapt and succeed in times of change.

Tom interviewed Barbara during a recent visit to Chicago. Barbara attended the Jan. 19, 2011 professional development luncheon organized by IABC/Chicago.

The 10-minute conversation included an update on the primary strategic focus in 2011 for the IABC Executive Board, of which Barbara is a member at-large through June 2012. Tom and Barbara also discussed current trends in internal communications that are on the minds of ROI Communication's clients.

00:30 IABC 'front-burner' topics for 2011

01:45 #1 Item is IABC Accreditation

02:40 How to make accreditation more 'scalable'

04:40 What ROI Communication clients are asking

06:10 Measurement

08:00 Join the IABC Executive Board!

09:15 Final thoughts

Show theme, "Rollin'" by Barry McCabe

April 20 Lunch Event

On July 16, 2009, the Sears Tower  officially changed its name to Willis Tower. The name change was a culmination of a larger transformation taking place at the global icon, which in the weeks and months prior had announced significant leasing wins, debuted a new Skydeck Chicago experience in The Ledge, and unveiled plans for a comprehensive sustainable retrofit to the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. In just a few weeks, it would announce another marquee tenant – United Airlines.

Please join Randy Stancik, vice president of U.S. Equities who leads marketing and communications at the building and its Skydeck, and Bill Utter, senior vice president of global communications consultancy Fleishman-Hillard as they discuss the communications considerations and strategies undertaken to reintroduce the tower to the business community and visitors.

• Communicators at all experience levels will hear about:
• Lessons learned  in repositioning a Chicago icon
• How to manage  communications strategies among multiple businesses with multiple  news-generating developments
• How the building management reintroduced the building to key audiences

Register

 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Maggiano’s Little Italy 516 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL

Lessons Learned from Award-Winning Communications with Vic Villanueva, The ROC Group Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Note Suburban Location: Old Orchard Maggiano’s – Skokie

Sponsored by:

We, as communicators, find inspiration from other communicators and campaigns. Award-winning communications show us how to successfully tie measurement to goals and provide ideas for creating our own effective campaigns.

Join us as Vic Villanueva of The ROC Group leads a town hall discussion on the professional advantages of award-winning communications. We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences and come with questions.

Communicators at all experience levels will come away with new perspectives and fresh insights:

• Hear case studies of award-winning communication strategies and campaigns.
• Find out how to put together a solid communication plan—the foundation of your award entry.
• Learn what to avoid and what to focus on.
• Become inspired to enter IABC Chicago’s 2010 IABC/Chicago Bronze Quill Award competition.

Attend and discover how entering can benefit you as a communications professional--and find new reasons to rededicate yourself to professional advancement and growth.

Vic Villanueva, Managing Consultant at The ROC Group, has more than 25 years’ experience in the HR communication arena with a special expertise in health care, wellness and consumerism, total rewards, HR branding, retirement benefits/planning and personalized communication.

Vic has received more than 25 communication awards (such as IABC Gold, Silver and Bronze Quill Awards, Business Insurance, Public Relations Society of America) for his clients. The ROC Group has won recent IABC Quill Awards for work with Kraft Foods, U.S. Foodservice, Abbott and Washington Mutual.

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Maggiano’s Little Italy 4999 Old Orchard Center - Note suburban location! Suite A28 Skokie, IL, 60077-1480

Register

On Tuesday, Feb. 16 2010, IABC/Chicago will host a lunchtime professional development session on social media, led by early social media adopter and consultant Barbara Talisman.The session is titled, "Social Media: Making the Most Effective and Efficient Use of Your Time."

Barbara is President of Talisman Associates, Inc., a full-service consulting firm working with public benefit corporations. In advance of the Feb. 16 presentation, Barbara was interviewed by IABC/Chicago volunteer Wanda Whitson. In this 10-minute event preview, they discuss some of the topics that will be covered during the presentation. This event will be informative to communicators and organizations looking to include social media in their communication strategies.

On the web, go to chicago.iabc.com to find out more about the Feb. 16 event, including how to register.

In this podcast, Barbara and Wanda discuss:

1. With so many social media tools and techniques available, where does a communicator start?
2. How similar, and how different, are the reasons for companies to use social media tools for their external audiences, compared to their internal audiences (e.g., employees and management)
3. Can a “smart” social media policy be used to convince control-oriented managers and executives to “let go” and feel that they can risk “making mistakes” with social media?
4. Other "can't afford to miss" points that Barbara will cover in her Feb. 16 presentation.

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Come hear the full presentation in person on Feb. 16!
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Maggiano’s Little Italy
516 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654

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As a communicator, you understand that different channels reach different audiences. But what are the best ways to integrate Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn into the rest of your communication strategy? Using a combination of case studies and discussion, this presentation will illustrate best practices surrounding the use of social media for internal and external audiences.

Throughout the session you will glean tips and tricks for easily incorporating social media, including how to plan, schedule, and measure social media messages. Join us and learn about:

• Cultivating relationships with virtual leaders
• Understanding the social media audience
• Starting personal dialogue
• Learning to let go
• Creating a smart social media policy
• Learning from mistakes
• Converting traditional event leadership into virtual event leadership

Barbara Talisman is President of Talisman Associates, Inc., a full-service consulting firm working with public benefit corporations. The firm provides hands-on fund development assistance, leadership training and executive coaching to non-profit organizations.

Barbara is an early adopter of social media and integrates it into all her work with clients. Barbara has been in the development field since 1983; teaches a variety of fundraising topics; and has been a guest speaker at conferences in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. Barbara has published articles in Fund Raising Management, Fundraising Success, Association Forum, Fund Raising Institute, Advancing Philanthropy and Clout. She has been profiled in Crain’s Chicago Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, Today’s Chicago Woman, and Chicago Tribune.

You can find out more about Barbara at www.3talisman.com or listen to Barbara on BlogTalkRadio.

Angela Sinickas, ABC, Fellow of IABC, President, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, measurement expert Angela Sinickas will present practical and easy-to-grasp ideas for launching or enhancing existing measurement within a communications function. The presentation is offered by IABC/Chicago as part of its Professional Development Series.

In this 8-minute preview, Angela answers the following four questions, and provides some additional thoughts:

1. How can you assure someone who believes that they “aren’t a numbers person” that they can measure their communication efforts—and might even enjoy it?
2. Some overworked communicators may worry about adding measurement to their responsibilities. But can measurement actually reduce their stress levels?
3. Will your session provide practical tips without being too overwhelming for small communication staffs to implement?
4. The debate continues on who owns social media, Marketing or Public Relations, who should measure it, and how it should be measured? What are your thoughts on this discussion?

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Come hear the full presentation in person on Jan. 13!
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Maggiano’s Little Italy
1901 East Woodfield Road Schaumburg, IL 60173
847-240-1600 Register: http://ow.ly/U46H ---------------------------------------------------------

You've researched your audience, you understand your organization's direction, and you've executed your plan. But now you want to know:
Is the message clear? Is the program helping to change behavior?

All organizations, large and small, need to know if their communication programs are achieving the desired results. This workshop will help you determine if your communications are effective—and how to do it on a shoestring budget.

This session will cover how to measure your messages, channels and outcomes. Interspersed throughout the talk will be dozens of ideas for how you can conduct research at no or low cost, and often without either getting permission in advance or even having to bother your audience.

Some of these money-saving tips include:
* How to use observational measurement techniques.
* Ways to find free research resources inside and outside your organization.
* Free tools for tracking social media—both your own and those of other organizations mentioning yours.
* How to insert your research questions into other people's surveys.
* Using pilot/control groups to show the impact of different communication strategies.
* Using past communication mistakes to quantify future communication results.

Angela Sinickas is president of Sinickas Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve business results through focused research and practical solutions. Her publications (over 125) and speaking engagements in 26 countries have made her name synonymous with communication research.

She is the author of the manual, "How to Measure Your Communication Programs," a regular columnist for Strategic Communication Management and on the editorial boards of two professional journals. Angela’s work has been recognized with 17 IABC Gold Quills, including two for her website: www.sinicom.com, where you can download nearly all the articles she has written. She has developed a range of online and audio-based tools for organizational communicators to plan and measure their work.

An interview of Jill Folan, Senior Change/Communication Consultant, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, by Julia Winn, member of IABC/Chicago. Need help convincing management of the value of Communication? Want to gain insight into how to implement communication that encourages the right behaviors and promotes business success? Would it help you to know what other successful companies focus their communication efforts on? If so, then join us to hear from Watson Wyatt—a leading global consultancy—how companies with highly effective communication differentiate themselves.

Here’s your chance to get the results of Watson Wyatt’s just-released survey. Jill will reveal highlights, including:

• Evidence to support the important role that effective employee communication plays in business success.
• Research that can help you make a sound business case for investing in communication programs.
• Communication practices with the highest returns.
• How companies communicate to employees; the impact of social media.
• Insight into what top-performing companies are focusing on during this global economic downturn.

Watson Wyatt has been conducting this research over the last eight years providing insight into communication practices and trends. It’s highly regarded Communication ROI Study provides communicators with actionable information and trends.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Maggiano’s Little Italy

516 N Clark St (at Grand)

Chicago

Antinori Room (use Grand Avenue banquet entrance) 

Register

Karen Horn, Principal, Horn Communication Communicators know that planning is a fundamental resource in their proverbial toolkits. Are you and your team disciplined in your planning approach? When was the last time you updated your plan template? Listen to this brief interview of communication strategist Karen Horn, as she discusses some of the points she planned to deliver on Nov. 18 during an IABC/Chicago lunch seminar. Karen was interviewed prior to the lunch seminar by IABC/Chicago member Julia Winn. Arguably no one had a better view of turbulent times than Karen Horn, who led Washington Mutual’s communication team through the good times and as it spiraled into the largest bank failure. With access to the C-Suite executives and Board of Directors, Karen and her team made a positive impact during the most challenging of times. Moreover, they worked their plan knowing that the changes would affect them as well as the other employees. Lunch seminar attendees:

• Walked away with a model for employee communication planning—and listening—to use as a foundation for any major company change.
• Heard how to embrace new social media approaches in the planning process.
• Learned how to build trust with front-line employees through disciplined planning and strategic use of blogs and town hall meetings.

Karen Horn is known throughout the world in organizational communication as one of the gold standards in the profession. At GE, she created the first communication toolkit for managers. At Cisco, she designed an on-line strategic communication tool, now available to communicators worldwide through IABC.