This year’s IABC/Toronto Annual General Meeting (AGM) will feature a summary of this board year’s accomplishments, an update on the financial health of the chapter, words from the incoming president, Linda Andross, ABC and a presentation entitled ‘Be the Table’ by IABC International Chair Adrian Cropley, ABC. 

The AGM is open free of charge to all members and will include food and refreshments.

Guest Presentation: Be the ‘Table’
‘Getting a seat at the table’ has to be one of the most over used terms in communications today. The reality is that we really have to be the table that others want to come and sit at, the source of knowledge and solution to the key business problems. Our ability to influence, build relationships and add strategic value is far more important to gaining the credibility and moving up the corporate food chain, than simply focusing on position alone.

This presentation will explore:

• Building your credibility as a communicator, it’s a matter of balance between skills/abilities and relationship
• Understand how to properly take a brief and add value to the conversation
• Explore the types of relationships we have with our key stakeholders
• Engage others to want to come to your table and seek out your advice

Speaker:

Adrian is the Principal for Cropley Communications, Melbourne. Australia and has more than 20 years communication experience in the Private and Public sectors. Adrian has been in roles from HR Management, Change and Organizational Development Manager to heading up corporate Internal Communications. Adrian works with a variety of clients on change and internal communication strategies and programs. He is a sought after facilitator, lecturer coach and has spoken right across the globe at various, conferences and forums. He is widely published with a numbers of articles appearing in industry magazines globally.

Registration:

IABC/Toronto members only. FREE for all IABC/Toronto members.
Please note, registrants are expected to check-in between 6 and 6:30 p.m.

Location:

First Canadian Place Gallery, Adelaide St. Entrance (just west of Adelaide and Bay)
MAP

Speaker Rhonda Page presents branding strategies that focus on what makes you stand out from the rest of the pack so clients will want to work with you.

You’ll learn:

• Why having a solid brand strategy can help you increase your revenue
• What branding is and what branding isn’t
• Why you must have a clear vision of who your customers are
• How to stand out from others who are doing similar work
• What you can work on immediately – at no cost – to build your brand

Guests will leave the presentation with a brand score, action steps and special secrets to help build their unique brand.

For a preview of this event, listen to a podcast of PIC Chair Donna Papacosta interviewing Rhonda Page.

Speaker: Rhonda is the Clarity Girl at know your difference™, a program designed to help small businesses get clarity on their unique difference so they can market themselves successfully. Drawing on more than 20 years experience in creating brands for global companies, Rhonda has developed a coaching program to make brand differentiation accessible for small business owners.

Registration Fees*:

• $22: IABC member ($24.86 with HST)
• $32: Non-member ($36.16 with HST)

*Advance registration and payment is required. Registrations and payments will NOT be accepted at the door. Wraps, juice, coffee, tea and cookies.

Event Schedule:

• Check-in and networking start time: 6 to 6:30 p.m.
• Presentation, workshop and Q&A: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
• Networking: 8 to 9 p.m.

Location:

TBA

Brought to you by:

The Upper East Side was the place to be on Wednesday, April 18, as more than 75 Toronto-area communications professionals filled the second floor space at Fire on the East Side to Munch ‘n’ Mingle the night away!

IABC members, potential members and students were welcomed by volunteer event coordinators Linda Barker, Lisa Hutniak, Alannah Nesci and Laura Power. Everyone was invited to settle in with a drink and enjoy some delicious snacks, like mushroom poutine, butter chicken skewers or grilled shrimp gazpacho shooters, while catching up with old friends and making new connections.

To facilitate networking, attendees were assigned a spring-themed sticker on their nametag and encouraged to find the three other people in the room with matching stickers. The first group to find their matches was promised a prize, and while competition was fierce, one lucky quartet received extra drink tickets to put to good use as they continued their conversation.

Trell Huether, IABC/Toronto chapter president, welcomed the crowd with opening remarks and drew for amazing prizes, including a Chapters gift card, Nestlé gift bags, an LCBO gift certificate donated by Cohn&Wolfe and two media training packages generously donated by Jeff Ansell & Associates. To top it off, everyone had the chance to take home a few writing essentials, generously donated by Proforma.

Thanks to your continued support, the IABC/Toronto Munch ‘n’ Mingles continue to be busier than ever! Communications professionals across the Toronto area have taken note – this is the place to eat, greet and meet! We appreciate the time you take to complete the event survey, and we value your feedback. We continue to have record-number attendance, so as we start planning for the final Munch ‘n’ Mingle before the summer holidays, we want to assure you the next one will be the best one yet and the venue super-sized to accommodate what we anticipate will be a fabulous turnout! Stay tuned for more information!

And in the meantime, mark your calendars – the final Munch ‘n’ Mingle before the summer holidays will be held on June 15. Register early to take advantage of early bird pricing and to be entered to win a Kobo e-book reader!

The following photos from the event were generously taken by IABC/Toronto member and volunteer Alannah Nesci, Public Relations Associate at Markham Stouffville Hospital.

If you’ve ever been a corporate spokesperson, you know how challenging it can be when a corporate situation becomes public. What if that happens every week? Mark Pugash, director of corporate communications, Toronto Police Services, will share his story at IABC/Toronto’s final PD session of the board year. In this informal talk, Mark will talk about what makes his job unique and why it’s different from almost every other communications role. A 25-year veteran of police organizations, including time with Scotland Yard, Mark is well equipped to talk about handling media relations and communications in a very public organization.

Speaker:

Mark Pugash, Director of Corporate Communications, Toronto Police Service Mark Pugash was appointed Director of Corporate Communications for the Toronto Police Service in October 2003. Prior to that, he worked in senior communications positions for police in England, starting in 1987 with Scotland Yard, moving to Kent Police in 1990, dealing with major crimes, cross-border investigations, terrorism, asylum and immigration matters, and Channel Tunnel-related issues. He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1982. He moved to England two years later, where he worked as a journalist before joining the police.

Schedule:

• Registration and networking start time: 6 p.m.
• Food service: 6 p.m.
• Presentation: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Q&A: 7:30 to 8 p.m.
• Completion time: 8 p.m.

Registration Fees*:

• $35: IABC Member early bird ($39.55 with HST) – ends May 9, 2012
• $30: IABC Student/Transitional member ($33.90 with HST)
• $45: IABC Regular member ($50.85 with HST)
• $60: Non-member ($67.80 with HST)

*Included in registration fee: admission, networking and refreshments

Location:

Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel, 525 Bay Street, Toronto
MAP

TTC instructions: nearest subway station is Dundas Station on the Yonge-Spadina Line
Parking instructions:

• On-site parking, fee: $9 CAD hourly, $26 CAD daily
• Nathan Philips Square Parking: $3.50 per half hour

Sponsored By:

Event review: Art of the Tough Talk Interview held Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Ken Evans, Senior VP at APEX Public Relations, is a seasoned corporate communications specialist and media trainer. He has worked with a diverse range of communicators — from reality TV hosts to several of Canada’s top 100 CEOs. On March 27, Ken shared his many years of wisdom on managing “tough talk” interviews with an enthusiastic crowd of IABC/Toronto members and other communication professionals.

“News is conflict.” Ken’s opening statement set the stage for the rest of session where he talked about what he calls the ‘media steeplechase’ and revealed a three-step formula to help spokespeople prepare for difficult and challenging media situations. His presentation did not focus on traditional media relations techniques; rather it borrowed strategies from the fields of sports, performance arts, and business. 

According to Ken, a media interview today is similar to any business meeting where you set the agenda, know the objective, (e.g.what you want to accomplish), and take control of the situation from the get-go to achieve better results. “Surviving isn’t enough,” says Ken. “We need strategies that help brands confidently advance their reputations.”

In his presentation, Ken spoke about the funnel effect, (e.g.being specific), which is a direct result of key message development. Key messages are only good if they are packaged as a whole to complement body language and not just words. When you articulate with hand gestures it builds adrenaline and your face and voice become animated so that you tell a compelling story and not just recite the facts. Using body cues also helps to build confidence in addressing potentially landmine issues. Ultimately, according to Ken, managing the tough talk interview is about preemption and control by the interviewee, not the journalist.

Ken’s three-step formula is not new, but it is a one-stop common sense guide that all communicators could benefit from.

One: Define the issue or problem as it relates to the target audience.

• Similar to setting the agenda for a business meeting, once you know what the issue is, you can be specific in your responses and preempt the ‘burning question’. Sequencing of content it critical at this stage and you don’t want to lead with your brand.

Two: Articulate the generic solution or state the status quo

• Again, in this step it is not about your brand, but rather the competitive landscape. This step leads to accomplishing your objective, i.e., getting your message out there without looking like you’re standing on a soap box. This is also a good opportunity to differentiate your brand without putting down the competition.

Three: Clarify the brand solution or position

• This last step is where you can connect with the audience, starting with their need or problem and relating that to the solution that your brand provides. Creating a linear editorial timeline will let your brand rise up without overtly selling the brand to the audience.

Reporters don’t follow a linear path in interviews. Once they ask the main questions, they fish for conflict. The way to stay on top is to take control of the situation, use classic bridging techniques such as challenging the premise, providing context, and rephrasing the question to bring the interview back on the track that you want it to take.

To wrap up, managing the “tough talk” interview is about finding compelling ways to tell the brand story. Don’t think in sound bites; rather use simple power words that the reporter can pull quotes from. Lastly, it’s about telling a packaged story, painting scenarios rather than generalities to support the editorial.

The “Art of the Tough Talk Interview” was an evening professional development session generously supported by the CNW Group.

The following photos from the event were generously taken by IABC/Toronto volunteer Alan McKenzie. To see more about Alan and see a portfolio of his work, visit his website at www.ampfoto.com

Presenter Ken Evans, Senior VP at APEX Public Relations

OVATION Awards Gala Host

The 2012 Awards Gala is sure to be a brilliant celebration of achievements, success, and excellence hosted byDon’t miss it!!!

OVATION Awards Gala Date

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

OVATION Awards Gala Event Schedule

• Reception: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Three-course dinner*: 6:30 p.m.
• Awards ceremony: 7:30 p.m.

*If you or any of your guests are vegetarians or have any food allergies, restrictions or special requests, please send an e-mail to toronto-info@iabc.com with the name of the person and any corresponding food requirements before May 11, 2012.

Attire:

Business Casual to Semi-Formal (it’s a night of celebration so feel free to dress up!)

OVATION Awards Gala Registration Options and Prices*

• $100: IABC member ($113 with HST)
• $125: Non-member ($141.25 with HST)
• $800**: Table of eight – members and or non-members ($904 with HST)
• $1,000**: Table of ten – members and or non-members ($1,130 with HST)

*Registration includes access to Gala, one drink ticket per person, cocktail hors d’oeuvres & a 3-course dinner with wine.

**Those who purchase tables and/or mulitple spaces will be contacted within two business dats of purchasing with information on how to submit names of attendees for spaces purchased for.

OVATION Awards Gala Location and Directions

The Liberty Grand, Renaissance Room, 25 British Columbia Road (Exhibition Place), Toronto

Directions: The Liberty Grand is located between the Gardiner Expressway and the Lakeshore at the foot of Dufferin St. There are numerous parking lots surrounding the hall, see http://www.libertygrand.com/map.html for complete details. For public transit, take TTC 29 Dufferin Bus.

OVATION Awards Gala Sponsorship Information

Sponsor Information can be found by visiting: http://toronto.iabc.com/recognition/ovation-awards/ovation-sponsors/

Event review: IABC/Toronto’s 2011 Communicator of the Year breakfast held Tuesday, March 20, 2012

On March 20, 2012 IABC/Toronto presented Dr. Catherine Zahn, President and CEO of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), with the Communicator of the Year (COTY) Award at a special breakfast held in her honour.

IABC/Toronto’s annual COTY Award recognizes a leader from the Greater Toronto Area who demonstrates exceptional communication leadership and has developed communication strategies that contribute to the ongoing success of an organization.

Dr. Zahn is a trailblazer in the field of mental illness and addiction. Since becoming CEO of CAMH in 2009, Dr. Zahn has introduced many communication initiatives, including a weekly blog named “Call Me Catherine”, as well as popular Town Hall meetings with CAMH staff. She has used her skills in leadership and communication to transform the organization, substantially raising awareness of mental health issues throughout Canada.

“She met all of the criteria of a leader who understands the role communication plays,” said Janet Comeau, ABC, Chair of the COTY judging panel.

“This became very evident when we met with her team. They not only told us about her communication style and principles, but were clearly delighted to work and support her mandate. They told us about how Catherine connects with everyone she encounters in her work at a very personal level, and carries her message consistently and effectively to many audiences—whether patient, staff or other business or government leaders.”

Dr. Zahn displayed her leadership skills by delivering an inspiring—and at times emotional—speech about connectivity and effective communication, using the power of imagery to illustrate her point.

“I believe that there’s much power in communicating,” said Dr. Zahn. “I plan to give you the little gift of five beautiful images to take away and enjoy on this first day of spring. The five beautiful things are all about the connectivity that underpins communication.”

These five underpinnings, according to Dr. Zahn, happen on a biological, personal, interpersonal, collective and spiritual level.

“If we draw on all levels of connectivity, including using the natural construct of our brain to its fullest; acquiring self knowledge to deploy our whole selves; developing meaningful human relationships; respecting societal customs and beliefs; and attending to the spiritual aspects of life; we can change the world.”

To read more about Dr. Catherine Zahn and the Communicator of the Year Award, visit: http://toronto.iabc.com/recognition/coty/

Each year, IABC/Toronto selects the Communicator of the Year by issuing an open call  to members and non-members to nominate a leader and provide a rationale for their choice. The nominees are reviewed by a panel of past IABC/Toronto presidents, who then chooses the Communicator of the Year.

The following photos from the Communicator of the Year event were generously taken by IABC/Toronto volunteer Alan McKenzie. To see more about Alan and see a portfolio of his work, visit his website at www.ampfoto.com

IABC/Toronto President Trell Huether presents Dr. Catherine Zahn with the Communicator of the Year award.

Event reviewer John Gilson at the event on March 20, with fellow volunteers Hanna Rynkiewicz (left) and Carrie MacAfee (centre).

Event review: IABC/Toronto Professional Independent Communicators (PIC) event "Secrets of successful independents" held Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The F-word cropped up early in the March 7 “Secrets of successful independents” session put on by IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators. I’m talking about FOCUS.

Coping with changes in the freelance landscape requires both focus and business vision, the foundation of a business plan, agreed speakers Paul Lima, author and freelance writer, and Cathy Ledden, RGD, of Ledden Design. Yet a show of hands revealed that embarrassingly few of those at the meeting have a business plan, which is one of the secrets to being a successful independent.

Having focus and vision allows you to quickly sum up your value when meeting a prospective new client, Paul said. What you say should cover who you are, what you do, when and where you do it, and why. (If you can’t say what you do, how can you tell anyone?) It’s one way to Always Be Marketing (ABM). “If I did nothing but marketing, it would be annoying. But if I take five minutes to say what I do, that’s okay,” he explained.

Paul described “five arrows in the marketing quiver,” none of which we should shoot without a business vision:

1. Generate repeat business. Talk to existing clients after you’ve finished a project and they have paid. Follow up in three months to see if they need anything else; follow up again two more times. Ask if they know anyone else who might need your services. Ask for a testimonial.

2. Network with friends, relatives, associates. They may not be the people who are going to hire you, but they can probably refer you to someone who can.

3. Cold calling and email. Focus on what you do, targeting the people who make sense. Send five to 10 emails a week, and over the course of a year, you will likely pick up at least two or three clients. “It doesn’t take a lot of work but dedication,” Paul said.

4. Website. This is the foundation of your business. Optimize it for Google searches based on your vision. Use it as the hub and drive traffic to it through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Paul said 60 to 70 per cent of his new business comes through his website.

5. Advertising and promotion. Make sure you have a website before you run an ad anywhere. Run a small ad in trade magazines that target your sector, or write articles. Paul has written about the importance of training as a way of promoting his training business.

Paul added that if you want to produce a book, you can; he used Lightning Source. It can be profitable, and you can use books to help build your brand.  He said Kindle sales of his book, How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days, beat print sales within months. Keywords in the title are important to harness search engine power.

Some of Cathy’s tips:

• Focus helps you take on clients who are right for you and turn away the ones who take you away from your core strengths.
• Form teams to bid on work, hiring like-minded people who are better than you.
• Stay in touch with people after a project ends; use the phone.
• Use some of the free technology that’s available, such as Dropbox to share files and Skype to videoconference.
• Buy technology where it makes sense (such as Lynda.com, an online learning system that helps your skills stay fresh) and time with experts (such as MarketingMentor.com).
• Raise your profile by entering awards, volunteering, talking about your work (“tell vs. sell”).  Cathy confessed to not really liking the spotlight, but said, “Feel the fear — but do it anyway.”

See more tips in tweets summarized by PIC chair Donna Papacosta.

About Sue Horner:
Sue Horner is a writer and IABC/Toronto member as well as part of its Professional Independent Communicators special interest group. Connect with her on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/suehorner or visit http://www.GetItWrite.ca.

Event review: IABC/Toronto Munch ‘n’ Mingle held Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A record number of Toronto area/GTA communications professionals came out on February 15th to crush the winter blues at the first Munch ‘n’ Mingle of 2012. And a crush it was, with more than 85 IABC members, potential members and students filling the room, catching up with colleagues and making new contacts throughout the night!

This mid-winter get together, held at the Bedford Academy, featured two drink tickets (instead of the usual one) and a wide variety of tasty snacks, including hearty pub fare and healthy veggie options for all. To top it all off, a gourmet chocolate tasting station was set up so everyone could learn a little about their favourite candy and enjoy a sweet treat!

As always, there were great prizes to be won. Trell Huether, IABC/Toronto’s chapter president, energized the crowd with opening remarks and the prize draw, which included fabulous prizes generously donated by News Canada and APEX.

Thanks to your support, the attendance at each Munch ‘n’ Mingle continues to rise – and the organizing committee has noticed. While we all love the energy of mingling in a busy room, we do realize the need for space to move about. We also appreciated the group’s managing with the makeshift coat check – the benches near the bar – since we only discovered late in the planning process that the venue didn’t have one.  So keep coming out future to Munch ‘n’ Mingles, and we’ll do our best to ensure the next two take place in venues well suited to our eager and committed group! 

Mark your calendars now and don’t forget – the next Munch ‘n’ Mingle is on April 18. You really don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to connect, reconnect and have a great time with others in your field! Remember – once the details are released, take advantage of early bird pricing and the chance to win two free tickets to the final Munch ‘n’ Mingle of the year in June! 

Event review: IABC/Toronto Professional Development event "Don’t Settle: Create the Job of Your Dreams" held Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Do you have the clarity to achieve the great things in your life?
Would you create the job of your dreams?
Do you need help knowing where to start?

These were just some of the provocative questions posed by Edwin Jansen, director of marketing, SoftChoice at IABC/Toronto’s January 2012 PD Session sponsored by CNW Group. 

Edwin provided some great thought leadership on what questions we need to ask to identify the paths we must take to create our dream job. His framework for the perfect job strategy included four components:

1. Pick yourself
2. Power Source
3. Proposal
4. Perseverance

1. Pick Yourself
To find your individual purpose you need to pick yourself! To get started, ask yourself what you want from life and what are your passions and desires. Put yourself first by promoting yourself and cheer yourself on because you know you can do whatever you put your mind to with the strengths and tools you have in your tool box.

Picking yourself and becoming your personal “cheer squad” causes excitement and empowerment in your purpose, gravitating you to your passions and potential. You won’t regret anything you do in this process. You’ll only regret it if you don’t try.

2. Power Source
Your power source comprises your purpose, passion and potential. Your purpose is the difference you want to make or be part of, what you love and what you’re good at. Your passion is the environment you enjoy working in. Where are you when you’re most happy? Is it with team members? Is it on your own? Think about what type of place or role your relish. And your potential is your natural abilities; what are you great at? What can you do? What do you know?

3. Proposal
The proposal is very simple; when pursuing your dreams, remember that no one likes a sale, so make it a proposal. Propose working together, sharing values and delivering those values instead of selling them. Live the values you propose and deliver on those values. This works because of the trust and credibility you have by believing in yourself and it’s empowering to help someone else.

4. Perseverance
By staying committed and believing in your success, even through all the trials and tribulations you face, you will learn to grow; then and only then will you finally succeed, you just have to keep believing in you.

The following photos taken at this session were generously taken by Alan McKenzie – http://www.ampfoto.com/