Best Practices in Public Relations
November 4, 2011 - Royal Roads University

CPRS-Vancouver Island hosts our fourth annual one-day Professional Development conference for mid- to senior-level practitioners.

EARLY BIRD PRICING EXTENDED UNTIL OCTOBER 24!

Plan to join us on Friday, November 4, 2011 for a jam packed day with high-level presenters.

We're offering the same great price, and we're back at the same great venue.

Beyond the Hype has a reputation for being the place where PR and Communications professionals learn from each other, reconnect with top level professionals and share our hard-won experiences with each other.

Conference Schedule

8:00 - 8:45
Registration & Breakfast

8:45 - 9:00
Opening Remarks

8:30 - 10:30
Session 1 - Open Data

The BC government and the city of Vancouver have gone public in a big way, posting data in useable formats for reporters and researchers to play with. But what happens with the information once it’s out there? What kinds of information do people want, and what do they do with it? Are organizations liable for how the information might be used? Are there any privacy issues? What do PR practitioners need to know about the risks and opportunities of posting open data? And where is this trend going? We check in with Herb Lainchbury, a leader in open data research and Sean Holman, an investigative journalist.

10:30 - 11:00
Break

11:00 - 12:30
Session 2 - Marketing Compassion

Social media has changed the game for non-profits, especially those who work with the homeless and people in need. They used to have problems gaining the attention of traditional media and that made it hard to find an audience for their message. But times have changed. Join Maggie Kerr Southin from the Coalition to End Homelessness, Mike Russell from VicPD and Alan Rycroft from the Cool Aid Society, who will talk about how they're bringing PR best practices to a whole new level.

12:30 - 1:30
Buffet Networking Lunch

1:30 -3:00
Session 3 - Career Talk

Kellie Garrett and Patsy Worrall have a lot in common. They are veteran communicators with diverse experience, high profile projects and a very personal commitment to their work. Join them in a frank discussion about professionalism, priorities and personal bests in their careers.

3:00 - 3:15
Break

3:15 - 4:30
Keynote Address - Cyrus Mavalwala, Advantis Communications

Cyrus Mavalwala, ABC is an accredited and award-winning PR practitioner, speaker and trainer who has been helping organizations achieve their business objectives for 18 years. In 2002, Cyrus founded Advantis Communications Inc., a Toronto-based public relations and marketing agency that delivers measureable value by integrating traditional, digital and social communications for companies across Canada and the U.S. In 2009, Cyrus co-founded Act Like An Agency with his Australian counterpart. The program trains corporate communicators on how to become trusted advisers within their organization by developing key consulting skills and transforming their role from tactician to communications strategist.

4:30 - 6:30
Networking Reception at Hatley Castle

The always popular and informal post-conference catch-up. Connect with colleagues and presenters in the charming rooms of Hatley Castle. 

Past delegates told us: 

"Excellent variety of speakers... The theme I heard throughout was that these are still just TOOLS in our arsenal -- arsenal -- but we'd better consider the amount of resources (people and time) to put them to effective use within an overall strategy."

"Again, worth the time and effort to attend. Lots of great ideas to take back to the workplace and volunteering."

"Thank you so much! The quality of the speakers was excellent and the range of topics covered was excellent. Overall, you've done a super job - thank you!"

"Met my expectations. Great line up of speakers."

You can't afford to miss it.