PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

Wednesday, Sept. 27

9–11:30 a.m.

How organizations can produce award-winning content—and how you can too: Tips, tactics and how-to road maps for creating a content machine

Brand journalism combines your organization’s experts and experiences (that’s the branding) with real reporting and lively storytelling (that’s the journalism). Find a new way to tell stories using the tried-and-true methods of journalism to engage your audiences and boost your organization’s competitive advantage.

You’ll leave this workshop knowing how to:

  • Build an audience of engaged customers and prospects through your storytelling
  • Establish ROI goals—and persuade the CEO to increase your content budget
  • Win huge media hits without press releases and traditional pitching
  • Recruit free content producers from your employees and customers
  • Build a prospect database that will lead to business
  • Establish an editorial calendar for your stories, videos, events and social media
  • Boost thought leadership and enhance your reputation among your stakeholders
  • Create a productive and happy news desk made up of professional communicators and volunteers
  • Measure the effectiveness of your content and win a bigger budget
  • Plan and create content that goes viral
CEO
Ragan Communications, Inc.
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Vice president public affairs
Alberta Energy Regulators
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11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Lunch

12:30–2:30 p.m.

Visual storytelling

Digital and video content director
Ragan Consulting Group
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2:45–4:45 p.m.

The art of inspiration: 7 secrets of highly effective storytellers

Evocative storytelling can give you the power to win hearts and minds in meetings, presentations and even press releases. Learn how to harness the narrative tools that novelists use to create compelling stories, transcendent moments and page-turning tales. You will come away with tangible tools to craft gripping and memorable stories.

You will learn how to:

  • Reimagine your mission as a quest with heroes, trials, triumph and moments of truth
  • Identify and use a magical object for storytelling impact
  • Channel the insights of neuroscience and the power of metaphor
  • Create the all-important “catch of breath” in your organization’s story
Story strategist and award-winning novelist
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