Click here to preview the interactive Counselors Academy Conference Program.
Programming is currently being finalized and may be subject to change.
Thursday, May 12 |
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Noon–5:30 p.m. | Registration | ||||||||||
12:30–5:30 p.m. | Counselors Academy Golf Tournament* | ||||||||||
| *Cost not included in conference registration. | |||||||||||
6:30–8 p.m. | Welcome Reception | ||||||||||
10 p.m.-1 a.m. | Hospitality Suite | ||||||||||
Friday, May 13 | |||||||||||
7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Registration | ||||||||||
7:30-10:45 a.m. | Pre-Conference Seminar* | ||||||||||
| "Agency Service Now: What CMOs Think You Need to Know to Deliver Results" | |||||||||||
| Moderator Tom Gable, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and CEO, Gable PR | |||||||||||
| Presenters: Elise Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA, president and CEO, Mitchell Communications Group | |||||||||||
| Presenter: Amy Allen, director of marketing, Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment | |||||||||||
| Presenter: Matt Warta, venture capitalist and CEO, GutCheck | |||||||||||
* This is an optional ticketed event and is not included in the registration fee. | |||||||||||
11 a.m.–Noon | Counselors 101: Orientation | ||||||||||
12:15–1:30 p.m. | Keynote Luncheon | ||||||||||
| "Roll in Business: Entrepreneurial Insights for Agency Leaders" | |||||||||||
| Mike Michalowicz, author, "The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur" | |||||||||||
1:45–3 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set I | ||||||||||
| "Working Together: Employee Retention is Just as Important as Client Retention" | |||||||||||
| Rob Adler, senior vice president and partner,Vantage Communications | |||||||||||
| "Crisis Proofing Your Agency and Client Support" | |||||||||||
| Jay Silverberg, senior vice president, Xenophon Strategies | |||||||||||
| "Counselors are Made, Not Born: How to Grow Counselors, Not Tacticians" | |||||||||||
| Roger M. Friedensen, APR, president and CEO, Forge Communications | |||||||||||
| Raymond J. Hornak, APR, chairman, Forge Communications | |||||||||||
3:15–4:30 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set II | ||||||||||
| "Negotiating Win-Win Agency Agreements with Your Clients" | |||||||||||
| Michael Lasky, Esq., partner, Davis & Gilbert | |||||||||||
| Elise Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, Mitchell Communications Group | |||||||||||
| "Keeping Calm and Carrying On: Turning Crisis Into an Opportunity for Agency Growth" | |||||||||||
| Bryan Scanlon, president, Schwartz Communications | |||||||||||
| "Turning Engagements Into Leads: The Case for B2B Social Media" | |||||||||||
| Sandra Fathi, president and founder, Affect Strategies | |||||||||||
| "20/20 Hindsight: Timeless Truths for Effective Leadership" | |||||||||||
| Mimi Meredith, owner, Goodness Grows | |||||||||||
6:30–10 p.m. | Dine Around Evening on the Las Vegas Strip.* | ||||||||||
| *Cost not included in conference registration. | |||||||||||
11 p.m.–1 a.m. | Hospitality Suite | ||||||||||
Saturday, May 14 | |||||||||||
7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | Registration | ||||||||||
7:15–8 a.m. | Networking Breakfast | ||||||||||
8–8:45 a.m. | Learning Roundtables: Set I | ||||||||||
| "Five Star Approach: Offering Stellar Client Service" | |||||||||||
| Ken Jacobs, principal, Jacobs Communications Consulting | |||||||||||
| "The Era of Personal Branding: Opportunities and Threats" | |||||||||||
| Ed Schipul, CEO and president, Schipul - The Web Marketing Company | |||||||||||
| "Teacher, Teacher, Teacher: Those That Can Teach" | |||||||||||
| Rose McKinney, APR, president, Risdall McKinney Public Relations | |||||||||||
| Eva Keiser, APR, senior vice president, Risdall McKinney Public Relations | |||||||||||
| Joel Swanson, APR, vice president, Risdall McKinney Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "From College to CEO: Millennials Offer Exit Strategy" | |||||||||||
| Chris Lukach, APR, vice president and co-owner, Anne Klein Communications Group | |||||||||||
| "Success with Succession: Grooming Employees to Succeed" | |||||||||||
| Pat McNamara, APR, FCPRS, CEO, APEX Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "Color Inside the Lines: Just Because an RFP Has Limits Doesn't Mean It Has to Be Dull" | |||||||||||
| Bob Dirkes, director, account services, Tech Image | |||||||||||
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9–9:45 a.m. | Learning Roundtables: Set II | ||||||||||
| "Reinvigorating Your Firm: Time to Hit the Refresh Button?" | |||||||||||
| George A. Rosenberg, APR, principal, The Rosenberg Group | |||||||||||
| "Organizational Advocacy: Taking Control of Your Reputation in the New Stakeholder Economy" | |||||||||||
| Roy W. Reid, APR, CPRC, partner, Consensus Communications | |||||||||||
| Bob O'Malley, APR, resident vice president of state government and community affairs in Florida, CSX Transportation | |||||||||||
| "Thinking Big, Planning Small: How Start-Up Thinking Can Benefit Your Agency" | |||||||||||
| Dana Hughens, CEO, Clairemont Communications | |||||||||||
| Roger M. Friedensen, APR, president and CEO, Forge Communications | |||||||||||
| "Maximizing Organic Growth: Strategies to Build Business" | |||||||||||
| Linda Andross, president, APEX Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "Energizing Your Team: Five Ways to Fuel Employee Satisfaction/Retention" | |||||||||||
| Kelly Womer, APR, ABC, vice president, Linhart Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "The Multicultural Strategy" | |||||||||||
| Liz Lara-Carreño, president and partner, carreñogroup | |||||||||||
10–11:15 a.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set III | ||||||||||
| "Branded? I Know Who Your Clients Are, But Who Are You?" | |||||||||||
| Kris Schindler, APR | |||||||||||
| "Peak Performance: The Art of Managing Professional Services" | |||||||||||
| Maureen Broderick, president and CEO, Broderick & Company; author of "The Art of Managing Professional Services: Insights From Leaders of the World's Top Firms." | |||||||||||
| "Value-Driven Leadership: Translating Personal Values Into Brand Strategies" | |||||||||||
| Janet Tyler, APR, president, Airfoil Public Relations | |||||||||||
| “Inside PR” Panel: Live Podcast Recording | |||||||||||
| Gini Dietrich, CEO, Arment Dietrich | |||||||||||
| Joseph Thornley, CEO, Thornley Fallis | |||||||||||
| Martin Waxman, APR, managing partner, energi PR, Communications, Digital | |||||||||||
11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set IV | ||||||||||
| "Retaining and Rewarding Key Employees: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Real Equity and Phantom Stock" | |||||||||||
| Brad Schwartzberg, Esq., partner, Davis & Gilbert | |||||||||||
| Darryl Salerno, president, Second Quadrant Solutions | |||||||||||
| "Myrtle Never Threw Away Her Postcards: What 30 Years of Correspondence Can Teach Us About People, Potential and Promises" | |||||||||||
| Dana Hughens, CEO, Clairemont Communications | |||||||||||
| "Integrating the Brand Experience" | |||||||||||
| Jim Joseph, president, Lippe Taylor Brand Communications | |||||||||||
1–2 p.m. | Networking Luncheon | ||||||||||
2:15–3:30 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set V | ||||||||||
| "Tough Talks: A Guide to Handling the Most Difficult Business Discussions" | |||||||||||
| Alan Cohen, president, Acts of Balance Executive Coaching | |||||||||||
| "Setting the Scene: Creating an Effective Workplace Environment" | |||||||||||
| John Lonsdorf, president, R&J Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "Are You Measuring And Marketing Your Results?: Strategies in Media Relations Measurement" | |||||||||||
| Johna Burke, senior vice president, marketing, BurrellesLuce | |||||||||||
| "Managing for Profit: Practical Advice for Maintaining An Acceptable Margin" | |||||||||||
| Darryl Salerno, president, Second Quadrant Solutions | |||||||||||
3:45–5 p.m. | Special Session | ||||||||||
| "English as a First Language: Your Worst Nightmare" | |||||||||||
| Darryl Salerno, president, Second Quadrant Solutions | |||||||||||
6:30–9:30 p.m. | Starlight Reception and Dinner | ||||||||||
10–1 p.m. | Hospitality Suite | ||||||||||
Sunday, May 15 | |||||||||||
8:30–9:45 a.m. | Keynote Breakfast | ||||||||||
| "Real-Time Social Media: Strategies for 'The Now Revolution'"* | |||||||||||
| Jay Baer, president, Convince & Convert | |||||||||||
| *Baer's book, "The Now Revolution," will be provided to session attendees. | |||||||||||
10–11:15 a.m. | Breakout Sessions: Set VI | ||||||||||
| "The Silent Language of Success: Mastering Your Body Language" | |||||||||||
| Sharon Sayler, MBA, communications success strategist and author of “What Your Body Says (and How to Master the Message)” | |||||||||||
| "Rookie Stats and Draft Picks: Recruiting and Building Tomorrow’s Team Today" | |||||||||||
| Rose McKinney, APR, president, Risdall McKinney Public Relations | |||||||||||
| "Growing Top-Line Revenue Regardless of the Economic Environment" | |||||||||||
| Bret Werner, managing partner, Catalyst Public Relations | |||||||||||
11:30–12:45 p.m. | Keynote Luncheon | ||||||||||
| "Army of Entrepreneurs: Marching Orders for Your Team" | |||||||||||
| Jen Prosek, APR, CEO, CJP Communications | |||||||||||