For over a decade, SummersDirect Conference & Events and Swansea Communications have been bringing together communication professionals from across Canada for quality conference programming. This partnership is the only in Canada that has provided both national and regional conferences for the communications field .
Our goal is to offer a conference experience that will educate and inspire professional communicators from various industries through an environment of professional networking to benefit both delegates and speakers alike. You will walk away with tools and techniques you can take away and use, case studies you can relate to and most of all VALUE.
Venue
Online
Presenting Sponsor
Academica Group is Canada’s largest marketing research and consulting agency devoted entirely to the post secondary sector. Through its expert staff and cross-country network of consultants, Academica works to support and inspire higher ed institutions through research & consulting, digital content, and career advertising. Every year, Academica works with over 100 higher ed institutions. The Academica Top Ten news digest and digital content platform currently reaches over 29K higher ed professionals daily.
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP? Contact us.
REGISTER HERE
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 15 days prior to the conference date subject to an administration fee of $200 plus $10 for GST. After this time, you are liable for the full registration fee even if you do not attend the conference. If you register during this 15 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. SummersDirect Inc. reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
Monday, May 10, 2021
All times in Eastern
| 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Welcome and Tradeshow Open | |
| 9:30 – 9:40 a.m. | Opening Remarks from the Chair | |
| 9:40 – 10:20 a.m. | Behind the Award: 7 Learnings from the University of Toronto’s Award-Winning This Is The Place Campaign
Claire Morris, Director of Strategic Content, University of Toronto’s Brand Hub.
Melissa Pang, Digital Strategist, University of Toronto’s Division of Advancement |
In this session, we’ll showcase the University of Toronto’s IABC Gold Quill-winning integrated campaign This Is The Place, in which we raised awareness of U of T as a Canadian powerhouse for entrepreneurship and innovation. We’ll break down 7 crucial learnings that all higher education marketers and communicators can apply to their own reputational campaigns. |
| 10:20 – 11:00 a.m. |
Ready for our closeup: How video changed internal comms at Humber during COVID Andrew Leopold
Emily Milic
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning |
The COVID-19 pandemic has left people wanting connection more than ever. With in-person interactions limited on campus, Humber College pivoted to use video as a mode of internal communication and keep employees engaged. In this presentation you will learn about how an employee video streaming service, reimagined annual events, how-to videos and virtual/recorded Town Halls provided a direct line to connect staff with their colleagues and provide transparency during turbulent times. |
| 11:00 – 11:20 a.m. | NETWORKING BREAK + TRADESHOW | |
| 11:20 – 12:00 p.m. |
The New Wave of Students, SimpsonScarborough & LinkedIn Survey Results Jasmine Paukkunen Enterprise Account Executive
Sara Valentino
|
Results from a recent survey in partnership with SimpsonScarborough understanding the new and current student mindset. This will include:
Attendees will learn how to craft their marketing strategy to communicate to the new wave of students. |
| 12:00- 12:40 p.m. |
Fill every room: The new housing struggle and what your team can do about it Joe Danis
Academica Group |
How can on-campus housing administrators and marketing professionals collaborate to not just attract students to live on campus, but retain them as well? COVID-19, shrinking enrolments, and competition from other housing vendors have had a significant impact on campus life, and it is up to housing administrators and marketing professionals to demonstrate to students the benefits and competitive advantage of living on campus. Learn more about the decisions and barriers driving incoming student choices and how your marketing department can team up with student housing to ensure every room is filled. |
| 12:40 – 12:50 | YOGA STRETCH BREAK | |
| 12:40 – 1:10 p.m. | NETWORKING/LUNCH BREAK/TRADESHOW | |
| 1:10 – 1:50 p.m. |
Transforming in-person events into engaging digital experience: The steep 2020 learning curve Catherine Martin, Events and Communications Specialist, Student Success Centre, McMaster University
Rachel Nelson, Events and Communications Specialist, Student Success Centre McMaster University |
In-person events have always been a part of creating a memorable post-secondary experience. They allow participates to interact and engage with your brand in unique ways and build community and connections. COVID-19 has forced everyone in the events industry to rethink how they can continue to create unforgettable experiences with the same level of impact in an online environment.
Pivoting quickly and re-imagining our annual events presented significant challenges and opportunities in 2020. We faced setbacks, found successes and took every experience as an opportunity to learn and improve the next event. In this session attendees will learn how to take in-person events and transform them into engaging digital experiences. Specifically, hear specific examples of how to adapt and evolve traditional in-person events, make them work (and what doesn’t go so well) in a virtual environment and examples of some tools that helped achieve our event goals. We will encourage discussion and create takeaways that all marketing and events professionals can use and adapt for their upcoming events. |
| 1:50– 2:10 p.m. | NETWORKING BREAK + TRADESHOW | |
| 2:10 –2:50 p.m. |
Lessons from the Edge: Innovative High School Advertising Matt Diteljan, CEO & Co-Founder, Glacier
Dan Seneker, Director of Student Recruitment and Retention
Bishop’s University |
Advertising to high school students and youth is more difficult and moving faster than ever before. Tik Tok has surpassed Youtube in daily usage, COVID-19 has rendered much of out-of-home advertising less effective, and Clubhouse is now on the scene. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to stay on top of the trends and continue to innovate, which is why Matt Diteljan, CEO of Glacier, and Dan Seneker, Director of Student Recruitment at Bishop’s University show you the trends in youth advertising, where the innovators are going, and what they are doing. |
| 2:50 – 3:20 p.m. | NETWORKING BREAK + TRADESHOW | |
| 3:29 p.m. | Conference Concludes for Day |
Go to Day 2
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 15 days prior to the conference date subject to an administration fee of $200 plus $10 for GST. After this time, you are liable for the full registration fee even if you do not attend the conference. If you register during this 15 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. SummersDirect Inc. reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
All times are in Eastern
| 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Tradeshow Open | |
| 9:30 – 9:40 a.m. | Opening Remarks | |
| 9:40 – 10:20 a.m. | Heading in the Same Direction – The Rebranding of the Telfer School of Management, uOttawa
Jonathan Simon, MBA University of Ottawa
|
The Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa rebranded in 2020 (yes, in the middle of the pandemic). This work included:
The work began years before, but Telfer is now fully aligned behind its new vision; to create a “greener, healthier, happier, wealthier Canada for all.” Through this process, we have learned a lot and are excited to move forward. Attendees will learn:
|
| 10:20 – 11:00 a.m. |
Hummer or hybrid? Pivoting away from Facebook Mirko Petricevic
Martin Luther University College |
Quitting Facebook simply isn’t an option. Or is it? Join Mirko Petricevic as he shares how the public outcry over the killing of George Floyd led his school to start shifting its online community to other social media platforms. He will recount some of the initial challenges of getting colleagues on board; explain some of the considerations he faces in choosing alternative platforms; and share how the shift is going so far. Why the title “Hummer or hybrid?” Please join us to find out. |
| 11:00 – 11:20 a.m. | NETWORKING BREAK + TRADESHOW | |
| 11:20 – 12:00 p.m. |
Get Internal Communication recognized as a strategic priority Kristen Vernon
Department of Marketing and Communications, NAIT
|
At NAIT, our people matter. To help staff stay connected to our polytechnic and feel valued and respected, we need a strong internal communication approach. In this session, learn how we demonstrated the value of strategic internal communication and built a program endorsed by our Executive that is focused on empowering leaders and staff to communicate and helping staff understand what institutional priorities mean for them. |
| 12:00 – 12:40 p.m. |
Employees as reputation drivers: Risk or reward? Kim Garraway, MCM
Georgian College |
Employee advocacy is a growing public relations strategy to enhance reputation in a time when trust in organizations is declining and consumers are more likely to want to hear from employees than CEOs and brands.
In this session Kim will explore if post-secondary institutions in Ontario are using employee advocacy to differentiate themselves in a high-touch, highly competitive sector. The findings are derived from her master’s degree capstone research, including interviews with nine chief communication officers and chief human resources officers, and a content analysis of one institution’s social media employee advocacy program. Together, the study findings represent data from six Ontario post-secondary institutions. Delegates will learn:
|
| 12:40 – 1:10 p.m. | NETWORKING/LUNCH BREAK/TRADESHOW | |
| 1:10 – 1:50 p.m. |
A future-proof approach to engaging prospective students and building brand awareness Mike Sproule
ChatterHigh |
This year has been unique for the entire education sector, as we face pressures of adapting to COVID, and find different methods of learning. In response to current pressures, schools districts have recognized the necessity of technology and digital learning environments moving forward. In this presentation, we discuss the challenges of remote learning, as well as solutions and future-proof technology that supports post-secondary institutions in connecting with this new norm. In this session you will:
Topics covered include:
|
| 1:50 – 2:30 p.m. | Creating an inclusive digital recruitment strategy
Rakhi Mandhania, Product Owner,
Evolving Web
Suzanne Dergacheva |
Diversity and inclusion are more and more top of mind, and incoming students are looking at potential schools not just in terms of the programs they offer, but also their values and the makeup of their student body.
Your brand is partly defined by the people who make up your community, and student recruitment is one place where inclusive design is increasingly important. Admissions is the gateway to your institution, so it’s important to think about who you’re speaking to through your digital channels. In this presentation, we’ll present ideas about:
|
| 2:30 p.m. | CHAIR’S CLOSING REMARKS | |
| 2:35 – 3:00 p.m. | NETWORKING CONTINUES | |
| 3:00 p.m. | CONFERENCE CONCLUDES |
Go to Workshops
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 15 days prior to the conference date subject to an administration fee of $200 plus $10 for GST. After this time, you are liable for the full registration fee even if you do not attend the conference. If you register during this 15 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. SummersDirect Inc. reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
All times are in Eastern
| 9:30 – 11:45 a.m. | A: Answering the tough social media strategy questions by mapping social media |
| 1:15 – 3:30 p.m. | B: Designing an omnichannel customer journey framework for higher education |
9:30 – 11:45 a.m.
WORKSHOP A: Answering the tough social media strategy questions by mapping social media
Kara Wood, Founder and CDO – Succinct Social Media & Digital Strategy Consultant – Academica Group
Who is our audience? What do they care about? Will they care about what we’re saying? How do we get them to start talking to each other about our institution? Developing a strong social media strategy requires detailed information that can map a course to social media amplification. Teams need to ask hard questions and get reliable answers by using visualization and analysis tools that can reveal the shape of the social landscape. In many cases, this means producing timely and relevant network visualization maps and reports to get the answers you need to make the most of your creative messaging, ad buy, and daily social media efforts.
This session will feature tips and tools that any social media manager can use to optimize their social media strategy, including conducting a social media audit, understanding target audiences, performing comparative analysis, mapping your network, experimenting, and getting the most out of your social metrics. These tools will enable the identification of the key people, groups, and topics being discussed on any topic so that you can guide engagement to the most relevant and influential voices in the topics that matter to you.
Kara is a globally respected leader who for over 15 years has achieved digital adoption & transformation across organizations. Knowledgeable in practices, principles and methodologies to develop impactful, digital solutions, Kara has built and led teams to create & implement multi-channel digital marketing and communications campaigns to strengthen end-user engagement, enhance brand awareness, fuel growth and heighten loyalty.
1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
WORKSHOP B: Designing an omnichannel customer journey framework for higher education
Andres Tovar, Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Noetic Marketer
With an unlimited amount of marketing tactics and channels, where and how do you get started? Which channels are necessary, and which ones should you remove? Create a framework that will help your higher education institution understand each campaign’s purpose and its place in your omnichannel efforts. Lead your customers from awareness to being an advocate, and understand the “why” behind each piece of content you deliver in the customer journey.
In this workshop, we will map the average customer journey of a student deciding which program to pursue. We will map out all campaigns and channels that will go along at each step of the customer journey. By the end of this session, you will be able to map an omnichannel content framework for your higher education institution.
Andres is a marketing consultant and the managing partner at Noetic Marketer, an agency specialized in helping higher education institutions, e-commerce businesses, and tech startups reach their goals through digital marketing. Andres also consults executives to create a comprehensive and sustainable digital marketing strategy. He is featured in many publications and podcasts such as TechRepublic, DataBox, Rubicly, MarPipe, StudentToCEO, and FunnelReboot. You can also find Andres teaching guest lectures at the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College. When he is not working, he is playing guitar, working out, or watching the Raptors.
REGISTER HERE
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 15 days prior to the conference date subject to an administration fee of $200 plus $10 for GST. After this time, you are liable for the full registration fee even if you do not attend the conference. If you register during this 15 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. SummersDirect Inc. reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
2021 CONFERENCE PRICING
| Registration Type | Early Bird (until March 26, 2021) | Regular Rate |
| Best Value – Conference & 2 Workshops | $1015.00 | $1200.00 |
| Conference & 1 Workshop | $975.00 | $1050.00 |
| Conference (Both Days) | $750.00 | $825.00 |
| Conference (One Day) | $375.00 | $450.00 |
| Conference (One Day) & 1 Workshop | $625.00 | $725.00 |
| Two Workshops Only | $485.00 | $565.00 |
| One Workshop Only | $265.00 | $300.00 |
Groups of 3+ Contact Us for group pricing
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 15 days prior to the conference date subject to an administration fee of $200 plus $15 for GST. After this time, you are liable for the full registration fee even if you do not attend the conference. If you register during this 10 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. SummersDirect Inc. reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
