8th Annual Saskatchewan Communications Forum
Online & In Person in Regina, SK
Presented by Swansea Communications + SummersDirect!
The Saskatchewan Communications Forum is the province’s premier event that brings together communication professionals from across the province to learn from experts in the communication field, as well as learning from each other and having the opportunity to network with your peers.
We aim to bring you professional development that is high quality, usable, scale-able and relate-able. Spend your time wisely and have A LOT to show for it.
Join our email list for information about this event.
Venue
Online & In Person at the Delta Hotel Regina (1919 Saskatchewan Dr, Regina, SK)
Sponsorship
Thank you to
for their support of this year’s Forum!
Thursday, June 16, 2022
REGISTER HERE
8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST
8:30 a.m.
WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR
8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Tales from the trenches – organizational change
Megan Wolfinger, CMP, Director of Corporate Initiatives, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Amanda Toth, Director of Corporate Planning, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Seventeen years ago, Megan was sitting in an Investor Relations course learning about the difference between a merger and an acquisition. At no point did she think her career in communications would lead to being part of either venture. As it turns out she would someday find herself in the middle of a massive government merger. Thankfully the merger would mean acquiring a new partner in crime – cue Amanda.
Any organizational change is hard, but nothing shakes workplace foundations quite like merging two organizations together. Leverage these tools and teaching so you are prepared the next time you are faced with an organizational change or heaven forbid a merger.
In this tales from the trenches session attendees will learn:
- Communication the dos and don’ts when things are unclear/uncertain
- Merger hierarchy of needs: organization needs vs people needs
- The value of listening to employees and how to do it
9:45 – 10:00 a.m.
NETWORKING REFRESHMENT BREAK
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
From hitting record to pressing publish: so you want to make a podcast
Natalie Gray, Director, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, RCMP
Think about what digital content you consume in a day. Is your communications team engaging with an increasingly new media-focused world/audience?
Learn how a small communications team of seven created, launched and promoted a new podcast – the first in Canada for the RCMP – all while working remotely and with zero paid promotion.
Who Killed Misha Pavlick? is the first season of the podcast, Saskatchewan RCMP 10-36: On Duty.
Attendees will learn:
- How to approach a podcast subject with fresh eyes and imagination
- What in-house media and communications skills should be considered and developed for in-house production and longevity of this communication tool
- Where budget dollars can be focused
- How to use trailers and external promotion (social media) to encourage audiences for full episodes
- Why branding is important
- Why engaging an internal audience can be just as important as an external one
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mary-Lynn Charlton, President and CEO, Martin Charlton Communications
Karen Brownless, Director of Editorial Content, Martin Charlton Communications
If you are like most people, you find it hard to keep perspective when a crisis hits. In this session hear best crisis communications practices from the largest public relations and communications company in Saskatchewan. Mary-Lynn and Karen will discuss how effective issues management can keep situations from developing into a crisis.
They will examine smart, strategic crisis communications strategies that keep conflict and crisis to a minimum and set organizations on the fast track to recovery.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
NETWORKING LUNCHEON
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Gentle activism gets action! Case study from Saskatchewan in motion
Kim Herperger, ABC, Senior Communication Strategist, eHealth Saskatchewan
Former Communication Strategist, Saskatchewan in motion
Gentle activism has started conversations around the world. This intimate, respectful approach gives voice to people who don’t relate to more traditional forms of activism. It’s been used to convince a major retailer to pay a living wage, show solidarity with Ukraine and help protect migrating birds.
Inspired by the concept, Saskatchewan in motion took a new approach to attracting municipal leaders to the cause of getting kids moving more. Hear how the non-profit evoked an emotional response with the help of hundreds of elementary students and prompted record registration in the Go Out & Play Challenge – all in just seven short minutes.
In this case study, you’ll:
- Learn what gentle activism entails
- See examples of gentle activism in action around the world
- Hear how Saskatchewan in motion adapted the concept
- Learn how to harness a new approach to bring about positive change for your cause
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Yammer time: Gaining Buy-in for internal social tools
Sarah Bultitude, Employee Digital Experience Consultant, Farm Credit Canada (FCC)
Paula Kohl, Corporate Communication Director, FCC
Yammer is a social networking platform that helps employees connect and communicate across their organizations. As communicators, a channel like Yammer is music to our ears. But what do you do when your organization isn’t necessarily convinced of the value Yammer brings? FCC developed a communication and engagement strategy, of course! Two years later, Yammer is now a valued channel that’s a key part of the culture and fabric at FCC.
In this session, learn how they gained buy-in for Yammer and how you can use Yammer successfully in your organization.
Attendees will:
- Get comfortable influencing senior leaders on the need for internal social channels
- Learn how to overcome the “nobody is using Yammer” narrative
- Understand how to build an employee-driven approach to Yammer
- See how Yammer can be used effectively for open and transparent senior leader communication
3:00 – 3:15 p.m.
REFRESHMENT BREAK
3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
A Facebook Faux Pas
Julia Harvie Shemko, Founder/CEO, Red Thread Connections
Former Communications & Strategic Planning Director, City of Red Deer
Sometimes we learn more from our failures than our successes as was the case when one of our team members accidentally posted a passionate personal comment about the LGBTQ+ community on The City’s Facebook page instead of her own. We acted fast, owned the mistake and put ourselves in the press on our own terms resulting in media coverage that was 90 per cent consistent with our stated key messages, triggering online community support and minimal community backlash.
In this session, learn how we quickly managed this issue and processes we changed as a result. Attendees will:
- Understand how to manage mishaps, mistakes and muck ups in an online world
- Get comfortable with “I’m Sorry”
- Learn how to build trust, even when we mess up
4:15 p.m. CONFERENCE CONCLUDES FOR THE DAY
REGISTER HERE
Friday, June 17, 2022
OPTIONAL POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Workshops are in person attendance only.
REGISTER HERE
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Workshop A: Crafting crispy goals and objectives that bring real results
Julia Harvie-Shemko, APR, CEC, Founder and CEO, Red Thread Connections
Developing ‘crispy’ or strong goals and objectives ensures you are delivering a communications strategy that helps the organization or project manager meet their objectives. It helps focus your work, ensures that your energy during implementation is directed to the right tactics and allows you the flexibility to shift as needed. In this workshop, you will develop goals and objectives for real life communications projects and issues (make sure to come prepared with your own communications issues). At the end of this workshop, you will feel more confident in developing goals and objectives, the toughest part of a communications plan for many.
Outcomes:
- Create goals that connect to business goals, address issues from research and are future focused.
- Create measureable objectives by starting with what you want your audiences to think, do, believe or understand.
- Learn how goals and objectives drive the rest of your communications plan development.
Julia is on a mission to help communicators do better and be better. With her company Red Thread Connections, she focuses on moving the communications function towards strategic partnership with clients. With her more than 20 years in communication and 30 in leadership, she knows how to bring clarity, focus and strategy to the communications function.
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Workshop B: Amplify your employee voice – focus group in a box workshop
Megan Wolfinger, CMP, Director of Corporate Initiatives, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Amanda Toth, Director of Corporate Planning, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
In this workshop participants will learn how to plan, execute and action employee focus groups in their organization. Content covers the “what, why and how” of leveraging focus groups to tap into employee ideas and insights. Participants will work through building a focus group strategy and action plan that can be used in their organization. Facilitators will take participants through a step-by-step exploration of tools, templates and best practices. From the first call for participants to communicating actions and outcomes, the “focus group in a box” session will provide participants with a tired and true roadmap based on real life applications and lessons learned.
Megan Wolfinger, CMP
Director of Corporate Initiatives, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Disruptor, doer and diehard champion of employee voices. Despite wearing several hats during her career, for Megan everything comes back to effective communication. After spending time in post-secondary and corporate organizations in Calgary, Megan settled into a career as a public servant with the Government of Saskatchewan.
Amanda Toth
Director of Corporate Planning, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Amanda is a strategic planning specialist with the Government of Saskatchewan with a passion for human connection, kindness and creating happiness at work. Driven by the desire to listen, understand and act on all that people say, Amanda believes that the key to a successful organizational culture is communication.
REGISTER HERE
| Registration Types | Online
Early Bird Until May 13 |
In Person
Early Bird Until May 13 |
Online
Regular Rate |
In Person
Regular Rate |
| BEST VALUE! Forum + Two Workshops (June 16-17) | n/a | $949 | n/a | $1,099 |
| Forum + 1 Workshop (June 16 & half day on 17th) | n/a | $799 | n/a | $999 |
| Forum Only (June 16) | $375 | $559 | $470 | $699 |
| One Workshop only (June 17) | n/a | $379 | n/a | $499 |
| Two Workshops only (June 17) | n/a | $549 | n/a | $649 |
| IABC Member Registration Types | Online
Early Bird Until May 13 |
In Person
Early Bird Until May 13 |
Online
Regular Rate |
In Person
Regular Rate |
| BEST VALUE! Forum + Two Workshops (June 16-17) | n/a | $899 | n/a | $999 |
| Forum + 1 Workshop (June 16 & half day on 17th) | n/a | $749 | n/a | $899 |
| Forum Only (June 16) | $335 | $499 | $405 | $599 |
| One Workshop only (June 17) | n/a | $329 | n/a | $399 |
| Two Workshops only (June 17) | n/a | $509 | n/a | $599 |
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Substitution of delegates is permissible without prior notification. Refunds will be given for cancellations received in writing no later than 10 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 10 day period, you are also liable for the full fee. Swansea Communications reserves the right to change program date, meeting place or content without further notice and assumes no liability for these changes.
