NEW: Submit Your Ideas in the District Awards’ Naming Contest!

The PRSA Northeast District will launch a District-level awards program in 2013 and as part of the inaugural program, a contest will be held in 2012 for PRSA and PRSSA members to submit name ideas for the PRSA Northeast District Awards. [more information]

Register!

Twitter Hashtag: #PRSANE12

The Capital Region Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is proud to host the 2012 Northeast District Conference on Thursday, November 8 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, N.Y.

For many years, public relations and communications professionals and students from the Boston, Buffalo/Niagara, Capital Region, Central NY, Finger Lakes, Rochester, Southern New England (Rhode Island) and Yankee (New Hampshire) chapters have gathered together to learn about new trends, attend presentations, share best practices and network.  With nearly 1,000 PRSA members in the Northeast District, the conference features many of the industry’s leading professionals and engaging presenters.

The theme of the 2012 conference is Strong Tradition, Fearless Future and will include presenters, workshops and breakout sessions from many of the region’s best communications professionals.  Among the topics discussed will be social media best practices, working with various media audiences, internal communications and crisis communications.

Registration Price:

$125 – Member early bird

$145 – Member

$170 – Non-member

$55  - PRSSA members/Students

Register!

 

 

Hotel Information

The 2012 conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, N.Y.  Located near several major highways (including I-787, I-90 and I-87) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the Hilton Garden Inn reflects on the history of Downtown Troy in a warm, comfortable and convenient setting.

For more information on booking a hotel room for the conference, please call 518.272.1700.

Hilton Garden Inn Troy

235 Hoosick Street, Troy, NY 12180

518.272.1700.

Special 2012 PRSA Northeast District Conference rate: $99  (by Oct. 15)

To book online, visit  www.troy.hgi.com  or call 877.STAYHGI (782.9444.) Please use group reservation code: PRSA.

Click here for more information on the hotel.

 

Program Schedule

Click here to download the program.

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.  
PRSA Quickstart (Baltimore Room)

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 
Conference Registration (Main Foyer)

9:35 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. 
Welcome & Morning Keynote (Ferris Grand Ballroom)
-Fearless Future for PRSA and our Profession
Joe Cohen, PRSA National Board of Directors and V.P. of MWW Public Relations

10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Presentation Sessions 1
-Utilizing Social Media to Promote New York State’s Largest Shopping Center
-The Power of Association Public Relations: Engaging Members and Stakeholders
-Print Meets Digital: Effective Integration for Multi-Audience Communication 
-Dream the Impossible Dream: Social Media for the Reluctant Client
-Media Bias: What to Do About It When It Stings You!
11:20 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.
Break with Coffee & Snacks (Ferris Ballroom Foyer)

11:40 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 
Presentation Sessions 2
-How Captain Planet is Leading the New Frontier in PR: Combining Forces with In-Bound Marketing to Create More Impactful & Measurable Campaigns
– Advocacy, Public Affairs and the Integrated Campaign:  Unleashing the power of thunder and lightning to achieve your client’s objective
-Honesty Is the Best Policy: Tips on Social Media Ethics
– Start-up PR Today
-Understanding Change & Communicating Through it Effectively
– A Matter of Trust: Building Partnerships with the Press 

12:35 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.
Lunch & Keynote (Ferris Ballroom)
-Brand U:  Lessons on Making the Most of Your Megaphone from the World of Higher Ed
Christine Heenan, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, Harvard University

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. 
Afternoon Workshops
-Crisis Communications Plans for Nonprofits
– Publicity events in New York City: How to plan and execute experiential consumer and media events of all sizes and budgets in the Big Apple
-Succeeding in the Post-Publicity Era
-The Good and Bad of Standing Out
-Keep The Connection
-From professional to professor: What it takes to enter the academic world
-Visualize Your Plan for Success 

3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Afternoon Snack Break (Osborne Amphitheatre Foyer)

4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. 
Closing Remarks & Prizes (Osborne Amphitheatre)

 

Morning Keynote

Joseph Cohen, APR
Senior Vice President, MWW
PRSA National Board of Directors

Presentation Title:
“Fearless Future for PRSA and our Profession”

Presentation Description: 

In today’s transformative media environment, the rules seem to be constantly changing and the role of the PR practitioner continues to evolve.  In a media landscape that is a two-way dialogue, PR is uniquely poised to lead but we also face many new challenges.

Joe Cohen, APR, SVP at MWW and member of the PRSA National Board of Directors, will discuss how PR practitioners and our industry must adapt to changing times and the work that PRSA is doing to help advocate for the profession.  He will discuss the PR industry’s fearless future – opportunities and challenges, the evolving role of the PR professional, PRSA in 2012 and beyond and how to leverage PR leadership on a local level.

Biography:

Joseph Cohen is a senior vice president at MWW, one of the top ten global independent public relations firms.  As a member of the leadership team of MWW’s consumer marketing practice, he has helped establish best practices while guiding communications, integrated marketing and digital/social media strategy for such major brands and organizations as Sara Lee, Gold’s Gym International, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and Zumba Fitness.

Cohen’s expertise spans the consumer packaged goods, retail, food/restaurant, health/fitness, sports marketing, entertainment and non-profit sectors.  His specialties include integrated marketing communications, brand marketing, media relations, social media/digital marketing, experiential marketing, event management, sponsorship activation, celebrity/spokesperson branding, product launches, internal communications, corporate communications, B2B and crisis communications.

Since joining MWW in 1999, Cohen has risen to become a leader at the agency and in the communications industry. He currently serves on the national board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and has won numerous industry awards including a recent honor at the PR News PR People Awards as “PR Team Leader of the Year.”

 

Midday Keynote

Christine Heenan
Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications
Harvard University

Presentation Title:
“Brand U:  Lessons on making the most of your megaphone from the world of higher ed”

Presentation Description:

If your brand is your promise, how do you know if your organization is delivering? How do you make the most of your brand equity, and reach key audiences important to your organization’s success?  Theory from the world of brand strategy and specific case examples from the world of higher education will anchor this interactive presentation.

 

Biography:

Christine Heenan, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, oversees communications, government relations, and community relations for Harvard University. She also serves as senior adviser to the president, provost, and governing boards.

Since coming to Harvard in 2008, Heenan has led a number of path-breaking initiatives in both communications and public affairs, including the redesign and daily online distribution of the Harvard Gazette, the launch of Harvard’s mobile and native iPhone application and a number of new government and community relations programs and offerings.

Before joining Harvard, Heenan was the founder and CEO of Clarendon Group Inc., a communications and government relations consulting firm; a senior adviser at Public Strategies, a national public affairs research firm with offices in New York, Washington, DC and Texas; director of community and government relations at Brown University and a business strategy consultant for national and international corporations including Corning, Rubbermaid and IKEA.

Heenan also served in the Clinton Administration as senior policy analyst on the White House Domestic Policy Council staff, working closely with the communications and speechwriting departments.

In 2005 she was appointed adjunct assistant professor of public policy at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions at Brown University and currently teaches a freshman seminar at Harvard College where she was awarded a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard in 2010.

 

Presentation Title:
“Utilizing Social Media to Promote New York State’s Largest Shopping Center”

Speakers:
Sara Wallace, Destiny USA
Crystal Smith, Senior Consultant, Strategic Communications, LLC
Tom Nardacci, President & Founder, Gramercy Communications

Presentation Description:
Learn how Destiny USA, Strategic Communications LLC and Gramercy Communications built a strategic social media plan to provide a direct platform of informational updates including brand announcements, sneak peek videos and contests throughout the rebranding of Destiny USA, a 2.4 million square foot tourist destination in Syracuse, NY that includes a strong mix of luxury outlet tenants, restaurants and entertainment.  Oxford Economics has projected an annual visitation rate of over 29 million visitors from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

Presentation Title:
“The Power of Association Public Relations: Engaging Members and Stakeholders”

Speaker:
Jennifer Miller, Director of Communications, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
Joshua Poupore, Assistant Executive Director, New York State Dental Association
Claudette Thornton, Vice President, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Presentation Description:
This session will feature strategies for empowering members and stakeholders to promote a common message and increase public awareness and action in measurable ways. Whether working in a membership organization, working in an advisory or consulting capacity or serving as a member of an organization, effective communication with multiple stakeholders can be challenging. Panelists will discuss successful (and not so successful) stakeholder engagement strategies in terms of both member relations and public relations.

 

Presentation Title:
“Print Meets Digital: Effective Integration for Multi-Audience Communication”

Speaker:
John Senall, Director of Integrated Communications, University at Buffalo

Presentation Description:
With shrinking budgets and growing diversity in how audiences seek delivery of information, PR and communication practitioners have great opportunities to evaluate their tactical toolboxes with fresh eyes in order to best serve their organizations and publics in the digital age. Join us for an interactive discussion on integrated tactics that organizations from across the country are using to maximize results and efficiency. We will review case studies, discuss options for your communications portfolio and evaluate the interests of particular segmented audiences.

 

Presentation Title:
“Dream the Impossible Dream: Social Media for the Reluctant Client”

Speaker:
Mark Farmer, Social Media Manager, Intuit

Presentation Description:
You know that your clients need to embrace social media: your constituency is increasingly spending its time and money there. However, getting an organization to embrace change can make turning the Titanic around seem easy. Mark Farmer has spent more than twelve years helping organizations work through their fears and misgivings and set sail on the seas of social media. Using concrete tactics that will help create an overall strategy, you’ll learn the psychology of resistance, client pain points, how to experiment and much more. By the end, you’ll have the tools you need to start turning your ship around.

 

Presentation Title:
“Media Bias: What To Do About It When It Stings You!”

Speaker:
Mark Grimm, President, Mark Grimm Communications

Presentation Description:
Have you ever met a reporter who thought he/she was biased? Of course not. Yet, media bias is a fact of life. PR practitioners have to deal with it daily. Former TV anchor and current media professor Mark Grimm will cite examples of media bias, examine how to spot it and dive deeply into the rocky waters of how to best deal with it. He’ll offer a step-by-step approach to help mitigate problem situations and offer proactive steps to build positive media relationships.

 

Presentation Title:
“Public Relations & Politics, An Exploration”

Speaker:
Christopher Durosinmi, Constituent Services Liaison for New York State Senator Martin Malave Dilan

Presentation Description:
We’ll explore the relationship between politics and public relations.  During this session, Christopher Durosinmi discuss current examples of public relations in the political world, learn how your organization can gain a foothold for your issues and understand best practices for government relations at all levels of the political spectrum.

 

Presentation Title:
“How Captain Planet is Leading the New Frontier in PR: Combining Forces with In-Bound Marketing to Create More Impactful & Measurable Campaigns”

Speaker:
Corrie Carter, Public Relations Senior Account Supervisor, Martino Flynn
Frank Piacitelli, Digital Creative Director, Martino Flynn
Robert Burch, Digital Media Supervisor, Martino Flynn

Presentation Description:
Captain  Planet taught us that with our forces combined we are unstoppable. For this comic book hero, it was about earth’s elements. For us, it is about integrating PR content with media and digital capabilities to create more measureable and impactful programs. By utilizing both SEO and digital techniques, in-bound marketing will change the way we commonly view PR. You will learn what inbound marketing is, the role PR plays in the discipline and how to establish best practices for inbound marketing programs.

 

Presentation Title:
“Advocacy, Public Affairs and the Integrated Campaign:  Unleashing the power of thunder and lightning to achieve your client’s objective.”

Speaker:
Paul Larrabee, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Corning Place Communication

Presentation Description:
Whether you work with the Fortune 500 or a community-based not-for-profit, it is important that government decision-makers know who you are and the role you play.   It is essential that your organization’s point-of-view rise above the clutter – to be heard and understood – especially when new laws are written, funding allocated and regulations reviewed. During this session, you will hear how Corning Place Communications, a two-time PRSA Empire Award winner, positions its clients for success by combining a unique mix of media relations, e-advocacy and social media engagement with affirmative, layered and sustained messaging.

 

Presentation Title:
“Honesty Is The Best Policy: Tips on Social Media Ethics”

Speaker:
Joseph Cohen, APR, Senior Vice President, MWW, PRSA National Board of Directors
Deborah Silverman, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, Buffalo State College
Jonathan Slater, Ph.D., Associate Professor, SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Emmanuel Tchividjian, Ethics Officer, Ruder Finn

Presentation Description:
Ethics controversies involving social media have been widely reported in trade, business and consumer media. These situations provide “teachable moments” for public relations practitioners and students about inappropriate ethical practices in the social media realm. This master class in public relations ethics, focusing on social media, will familiarize participants with the PRSA Code of Ethics and other PRSA ethics resources, offer insights into real-world ethics cases and provide a social media-ethics case study for discussion.

 

Presentation Title:
“Start-Up PR Today”

Speaker:
Mandy Mladenoff, General Manager, Matter Communications

Presentation Description:
For ten years, Mandy Maidenoff has worked in PR in the heart of Silicon Valley, with both start-ups and with established brands. Since returning to the east coast, she’s become central to the renewed focus on tech start-ups, teaching classes to entrepreneurs about PR and mentoring companies through one-on-one meetings and board presentations. She will address the differences between start-up PR and PR for more established brands and strategies and tactics applicable to both. You will walk away with key best practices regardless of company size and a keen understanding of how to engage in PR for a start-up organization.

 

Presentation Title:
“Understanding Change & Communicating Through It Effectively”

Speaker:
Rosemarie Rung, Principle, Higher Rung Communications

Presentation Description:
Is your business or organization going through or expect to experience significant change?  Whether the change comes from reorganization, an acquisition, merger, downsizing or new strategic direction, effective communication is essential to ensuring that the change results in a successful outcome. Rosemarie Rung will explain the unique components of successful change communications and how to incorporate them into your planning.

 

Presentation Title:
“A Matter of Trust: Building Partnerships With The Press”

Speaker:
Cindy Elder, Director of Communications, Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Presentation Description:
In an era when PR professionals outnumber journalists, how do we balance the need to promote our organization with the ethical responsibility of serving the public good? How do we ensure accuracy and integrity in reporting? This presentation will detail time-tested communications techniques and strategies that focus on relationship building with our partners in the press. It will challenge participants to consider their ethical responsibilities and demonstrate the success which results from building relationships based on trust, follow-through and solid research.

 

Presentation Title:
“Crisis Communications Plans for Nonprofits”

Speaker:
Barbara Pierce, APR, President, Tipping Point Public Relations

Presentation Description:
Bad things happen. However, many nonprofit organizations have not prepared a crisis communications plan. How hard is it to prepare a custom crisis communications plan? What goes into a crisis communications plan? What is the difference between a crisis communications plan and an emergency action plan? What do you need to be ready for? Answering these questions is easier to do now than during a crisis. This workshop will outline what you should do to prepare for all types of potential crises and will leave you with a simple action plan to get a good start on a preliminary crisis communications plan.

 

Presentation Title:
“Using PR to Promote Events in New York City: How to Plan and Execute Experiential Consumer and Media Events in the Big Apple”

Speaker:
Keith Green, VP Communications & Agency Partnerships, Synergy Events

Presentation Description:
When planning a media or consumer event, brands and causes often target major metropolitan areas to generate publicity and consumer interaction. This workshop will offer tips for successful PR events in New York City for budgets of all sizes, indoor and outdoor venue options, alternative ideas to traditional event tactics, the proper entities to contact and how to navigate the event landscape in the media capital of the world.

 

Presentation Title:
“Succeeding in the Post-Publicity Era”

Speaker:
Greg Loh, APR, Managing Partner, Public Relations and Public Affairs, Eric Mower + Associates

Presentation Description:
The decline of the printed newspaper and shrinkage of broadcast media has signaled the arrival of a new period in the history of public relations: the Post-Publicity Era. Gone are the days when news clips demonstrated the value of our work. Here is a world in which successful organizations and practitioners must master what Greg Loh calls the four corners of digitally-powered public relations: Communities, Content, Channels and Metrics. This workshop will examine the traditional and digital tools and techniques that are required for success in a world in which media relations defines only a small part of what we do.

 

Presentation Title:
“The Good and Bad of Standing Out” – Students Only

Speaker:
Sara Whitman, Senior Director, Peppercomm
Debbie Salerno, CFO and Director of Human Resources, Peppercomm

Presentation Description:
This workshop, for public relations students, will include tips for getting hired by an agency and insight into how to stand out among the competition.  This will be a hands-on workshop, so bring your business cards and resumes

 

Presentation Title:
“Keep The Connection”

Speaker:
Nasha Barnes, CEO & President, Aim Higher Enterprises

Presentation Description:
For better or worse, some traditions never change. Even with the rise of technology and new methods of communicating, we must be reminded of the basic principles of interaction in order to maintain strong, lasting relationships. This workshop is designed to enhance and develop an organization’s internal and external relationships using the art of communication. This workshop will teach attendees how to improve communication, build leadership qualities, build trust and lasting partnerships. Once the connection is made, you will immediately be able to use these methods to train and work with others.

 

Presentation Title:
“From Professional to Professor: What it Takes to Enter the Academic World”

Speaker:
Brenda Wrigley, APR, Professor of Public Relations, Syracuse University
Patricia Swann, Dean, School of Business and Justice Studies and Associate Professor of Public Relations at Utica College

Presentation Description:
If you’ve wondered what it would be like to teach in a college or university, but have questions about how to “dip your toe in the water”, come join us for this session that gives you an update on the current state of job openings, the types of positions available, how to make the right connections and how to package your skills and experience to make yourself marketable.  What’s an adjunct professor? How does tenure work? These and many other questions will be explored.

 

Presentation Title:
“Visualize Your Plan for Success”

Speaker:
Deb Best, SPHR, Principle, Deb Best Practices

Presentation Description:
Before you can effectively and authentically engage in strategic planning implementation for your organizations/clients, this presentation will give you the opportunity through individual and group experiential exercises in values, vision and mission to “put the strategic planning oxygen mask on yourself first.”  You’ll learn how to best leverage your strategic planning efficacy for your organizations/clients. 

 

For more information on conference programs, please contact:

Joe Stabb
joe@joestabb.com
(315) 886-9544