It’s evident that social media has become pervasive and has quickly become an integral medium essential to doing business. Corporations are starting to realize that whether they like it or not, the millions of conversations that happen daily do have immediate impact on the way they are perceived. These days, being aware of the discussions is not enough.
On November 1-3, 2012, The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), a global network committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication, will host the IABC 2012 Canada Business Communicators Summit, Trends 2013 at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa! This timely conference brings together some pretty inspirational thought leaders from across
Tonu Clement
Canada to provide insight into what’s happening in the current communications landscape and it’s impact on marketers and business leaders.
As one of the most prolific political Tweeters in Canada, Minister Tony Clement will discuss “Politicking in the Age of Social Media”. As Minister Clement points out,
“As a politician, social media offers powerful new ways for me to reach out and communicate with my constituents. There is a direct connection and an immediacy that has huge potential for engaging citizens and informing policy,” says Minister Clement. “Governments and politicians are increasingly moving in this direction, but the key is knowing how and when to use this direct line to Canadians.”
Social media and politics go hand in hand. The latest debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney witnessed immediate judgements from both Facebook and Twitter in real time. Barack Obama and his first race to the presidency had proven with the groundswell of support he received from the micro-campaign Facebook donations to the hyper local canvassing, that “people” have significant impact on the results of campaign. Obama’s understanding of engaging the voters and allowing their voices to be heard paved the way for succeeding politicians to leverage the very same medium to further their own platforms.
As Yasmin Ranade, Board member of IABC Canada East & Chair, IABC 2012 Canada Business Communicators Summit and Publisher, WhatsYourTech.ca. points out:
“It’s increasingly imperative for today’s communicators to integrate traditional approaches with technology. And, this conference gathers visionaries from coast-to-coast and beyond to deliver insights on how to capitalize on break-through communications as well as technological, social and public affairs trends and opportunities to achieve the best outcomes.”
Social media has changed communication forever. Businesses recognize that it is here to stay but many are still grappling with how to handle it; how to properly curate the information and make sense of it; and how much the traditional methods of communication need to be transformed to accommodate it. The implications for business is significant.
“The changing role of communicators is heavily influenced by emerging trends and technologies,” said Mia Pearson, Co-Founder of North Strategic. “This conference offers a great opportunity to hear from industry leaders and learn how they are staying ahead of the curve.” Mia Pearson(@miapearson) will host a social media general session at the IABC Summit.
This conference is packed with notable keynotes, panels, workshops and breakout sessions and will present business, consumer, public sector, non-profit and employee communication fundamentals.
Highlights to look for in this conference:
- Dr. Darrell Bricker, CEO, Ipsos Global Public Affairs, and the Openining Keynote will discuss “The Big Shift – Understanding Communications in the New Canada”
@darrellbricker - Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, will examine the impact citizen journalism has had on the global spread of personal information and the ethical questions that raises for communications professionals.
@PrivacyPrivee - Dr. Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair of Internet and e-commerce law with the University of Ottawa will discuss “The Year the Internet Fought Back.”
@mgeist
Please note: Early Bird Prices are in effect to October 11, 2012.
