Registration and Morning Coffee
Mini Interactive Workshop With Kathryn Kolaczek, CEO at Alchemy Communications: Crisis Communications: Essentials to Building your Plan
Is your organization prepared to handle a communications crisis?
In a world where outrage travels fast, and the list of brands and individuals facing a 'cancel culture' backlash grows longer, a crisis is likely no longer a matter of if - but when. By being prepared, you can move your organization from a place of reaction towards a mindset of accountability, avoiding missteps, mitigating damage, and rebuilding trust more quickly.
In this workshop, Alchemy Communications CEO Kathryn Kolaczek will lead you through common crisis or 'cancellation' scenarios your organization could face and help you build a plan and sharpen the tools you need to navigate a crisis confidently and authentically.
About Alchemy Communications
Alchemy Communications is a full-service Public Relations firm specializing in traditional and social media strategy and integration, and strategic communications management, including crisis communications. Led by CEO Kathryn Kolaczek, Alchemy has created and executed crisis communications strategies for brands managing national and international product recalls, board governance issues, employee injuries and death as well as environmental crises. In times of brand stress, Alchemy works to create and clarify the key messages, control the conversation, and offer support to media and communities in need of accurate and timely information.
Rebuilding Trust: Combatting a “Crisis of Trust” in Today’s Global Landscape
Cyber-crime, changing political landscapes, new systems of influence and COVID-19 have created a crisis of trust in today’s world. In this session Lisa will share with you how to successfully safeguard your organization’s relationship with the public, build and keep the public’s trust amid new threats and protect and advance your reputation in times of unprecedented changes.
Lisa Gibson, Head of Communications / Business Manager, Marketing and Operations, Microsoft Canada
Crisis Communications Planning: How to Build an Actionable, Detailed Emergency Communication Response Plan
In this session, Andrea will share with you the tools that City of Ottawa has developed to prepare in advance for emergency situations, as well as some new lessons learned from the COVID-19 and the vaccination communications campaigns. The session will outline the key things communications leaders in municipalities need to keep in mind when thinking about their own crisis communication strategy.
Andrea Lanthier-Seymour, Director, Public Information and Media Relations, The City of Ottawa
Media Relations During Crisis: How the Pandemic Shaped Hospital Media Relations, Collaboration and Information Sharing
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital media relations became more important than ever. Hospitals had a role to play as public health voices, while also caring for and protecting the most vulnerable. Demand for information went up, and hospital communicators were tasked with ensuring the public had the information they needed, but that staff and patient privacy was always protected.
Michaela Schreiter, Manager, Communications Strategy and Media Relations, The Ottawa Hospital
Moderated by Russell Baker, Immediate Past President, IABC Toronto
Networking and Refreshment Break
#DigitalDays & #SleeplessNights - An Inside Look at Tech Comms in Canada
Tech is a leading driver of content & culture for Canadians, and our reliance & comfort with tech is accelerating by this year. This reality is playing out in the workforce as well with many top global tech firms opening new offices & building out teams in Canada in recent months. This in addition to massive funding for our local tech ecosystem - over $3 billion CAD was invested in Canadian tech companies in Q1 2021 alone!
Join four leading storytellers from the Canadian tech field, sharing insights on how they’ve helped define “Canada’s tech moment” for audiences everywhere. We’ll also look at the communications challenges & scrutiny the tech sector is facing as we move deeper into the digital age.
Cam Gordon, Head of Communications - Canada, Twitter
Ashley Mossman, Communications Manager - Canada, Pinterest
Fatima Reyes, Senior Communications Manager, ecobee
Haseeb Khawaja, Digital Marketing and Communications Lead, The DMZ-Ryerson University
Social Media in Crisis Communications – The “Do's” and “Don'ts”
The use of social media in a crisis is fundamental to our profession. The public, journalists, customers, shareholders and stakeholders, even an organization’s own employees, have all come to expect an immediate response, statement, and engagement on social channels when crises occur.
But social media itself is in crisis. Its toxicity is well documented. Many have been chased from its platforms by harassment, vile comments, and threats of physical harm. In a crisis, Twitter mobs can spark a feeding frenzy; efforts at honesty, openness and transparency can be perverted; the integrity of spokespeople – maybe it’s you – are challenged; and journalists’ use of negative opinion-based tweets in the name of balance frustrate your efforts further.
Nonetheless, social media remains a valuable strategic tool when communicating in a crisis. Some thoughts then on when to use it, and when not to, is worthy of discussion. In this session Brad will share with how to effectively use social media in times of crisis, when to use and when not to.
Brad Ross, Chief Communications Officer, City of Toronto
Why Internal Communications is Critical During a Crisis
In the rush to respond to a crisis and the impact on external audiences, the importance of creating and executing a strong internal communications plan can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. However, keeping your staff informed and educated is crucial during an immediate or prolonged emergency. With a proactive approach and effective communications strategies, you can help to eliminate confusion, combat misinformation and make sure your crisis doesn’t get any worse. In this session, Colleen will share with you best practices in internal communications for crisis management, as well as lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis that will help you communicate quickly and effectively to your entire organization.
Colleen Marshall Delaney, Director of Internal Communication, Publications and Operations, Massachusetts General Hospital
End of Day One
A Full Day Interactive Workshop With Daniel Tisch, President and CEO at Argyle & Roanne Argyle, Senior Vice President at Argyle: Mastering Crisis Communications in a Post-Pandemic World
The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as, political and societal turmoil, have raised the bar for what qualifies as “being prepared” and as a result, many organizations are now re-evaluating their crisis communications plans for the post-COVID road ahead.
In this interactive workshop, Daniel and Roanne will cover the most important principles of crisis communications in a post-pandemic world, from building and updating your crisis communications playbook, preparing in advance, addressing misinformation to using the right frameworks, tactics to protect your reputation in times of unprecedented changes.
Attending this workshop will enable you to:
- Conduct a vulnerability audit to assess potential crisis scenarios
- Create a core message that can be communicated across all social media channels
- Properly monitor your social media channels for potential problems
- Coach your spokesperson on the tough questions they may face from the media
- Engage the media and address misinformation and negative commentary
Part 1:
- Analyzing The Importance Of Reputation And Reputation Management: What is Reputation?
- Building trust
- Case studies of good and bad examples of reputation management
Part 2
Writing a Crisis Plan: The Role of Executives
Part 3
Key Principles of Crisis Management: Writing a Crisis Statement
Part 4
Managing The Media
This segment will include key tips in managing the media, giving broadcast interviews and the essentials of organizing a good press conference.
Part 5
Interactive Crisis Simulation
Participants will be divided into groups and each group will select a spokesperson who will be interviewed on the particular crisis situation. As the crisis develops, other spokespeople will be taken.
The simulation will also include a press conference where the spokespeople have to answer journalist questions.
