Communications Network Fall 2008 Conference

If you want to know what it takes to be a great communicator, plan on attending the Communications Network Fall 2008 Conference. Starting with an opening keynote by Ira Glass, the host and producer of the public radio program This American Life, followed by sessions over the next two days that wrestle with the burning questions funders face on the job, this is an event you don't want to miss.

As in past years, the Fall 2008 Network conference will showcase best practices and new ideas in communications in philanthropy.

For instance, they'll present for the first time on two Network projects: a study about the ways digital technologies are changing the face of foundation communications and a "toolkit" they've been developing to help foundation communicators assess their work. The rest of the conference will feature sessions ranging from how to make Web 2.0 work for you to topics that cover the ins and outs of day-to-day communications challenges.

Some examples:

--Crisis communications (What to do when the "red phone" rings at the foundation at 3 am).
--How to tell stories online – using videos, podcasts, and other forms of digital media.
--Do annual reports still serve a purpose?
--What do "integrated" program and foundation communications look like?
--How to get policymakers and the public to pay more attention to the issues at the root of foundation grantmaking.
--New ways to effectively disseminate foundation research online and connect with the right audiences.
--Words do matter: How what you say about your work can affect outcomes as well as your foundation's image.
--How to create websites that deliver more than words and pictures -- but results, too.
--How improv techniques can make you a better communicator.
--Big isn't always better – what small foundations know about effective communications.

On top of the conference sessions, you'll have plenty of opportunities to meet old friends from around the country, make news ones, swap business cards, and share a drink or two.

The conference will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago. It begins with a reception at 5 p.m., Wednesday, September 24, followed by the Ira Glass presentation. Conference fees are $375 for members and $425 for nonmembers. Room rates at the hotel are $279 a night, plus tax.

To register, go to: https://ssl14.pair.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/stevens3/comnet_reg.pl?goto=rgstr