WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2001

2 - 6 p.m.

Registration

Pennsylvania Room A

Pennsylvania Room B

Civic Education, John O'Toole, chair
Staff Section Development, Susan Swords, chair

Pennsylvania Room A

Pennsylvania Room B

Pennsylvania Room C

Broadcast and Photography, Bruce Smith, chair
Ethics, Mitch McCartney, chair
Technology, David Martin, chair

Pennsylvania Room A

Pennsylvania Room B

Awards and Publicity, Karen Clark, chair

Nominating Committee, Mitch McCartney, chair

Pennsylvania Room C

Executive Committee Meeting

7:30 p.m.

Executive Committee Dinner

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001

Pennsylvania Room AB

Buffet Breakfast

Senate Boardroom

Nominating Committee, Mitch McCartney, chair

7:30 a.m.

Registration

Pennsylvania D

Orientation for First-Time Attendees
First time attending a LINCS meeting? LINCS officers welcome you and show you how to get the most from the LINCS professional development seminar.

Sheila McCant, LINCS Chair, Louisiana Public Information Officer

Ballroom D

What role should government public information officers take when a government official is the focus of intense media scrutiny? A Pennsylvania media consultant who served as a legislative public information director and press secretary to two governors delves into crisis communications, including a look at the current media frenzy surrounding Congressman Gary Condit.

Tony May, The Neiman Group

Ballroom D

Developing Effective Media Messages
The competition for media coverage has never been more intense. If you don't have an effective message, your chances of cutting through the media clutter are somewhere between slim and none. Learn how to create messages and get your story told.

Gene Rose, NCSL Public Affairs Director

Pennsylvania Room AB

Enjoy lunch with your colleagues from across the nation.

Gary Olson, NCSL Staff Vice Chair, Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency Director
Moderator: Sheila McCant, LINCS Chair, Louisiana Public Information Officer

1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Ballroom D

Newspaper editors and one of Pennsylvania's newswire directors lead a discussion on how the print and Internet media deal with the legislative information it receives and how legislative communicators can best work with the print media.

Moderator: Susan Swords, New Jersey, LINCS Immediate Past Chair

Pennsylvania D

As the value of news conferences decreases, media professionals across the country are holding special events to attract media and public attention. What does it take to put a successful event together? We supply the answers.

Jeanne Schmedlen, Director of Special Projects, Office of Pennsylvania House Speaker

Pennsylvania C

What strategies do you put in place when you have an opening on your communications team? Do you know the types of questions to ask to find the right person that can provide the spark you need to have the best public information office possible? A human resource expert guides you through the minefield.

Therese Mitchell, Director of House Republican Communications Department

Prefunction Area

Information Exchange and Exhibitors Displays

Senate Boardroom

Nominating Committee Meeting

3:30 - 4:15 p.m.

Ballroom D

In the age of media consolidation and tighter operating budgets, what changes are ahead for the media? How will it affect the coverage of state legislatures? Leaders of Pennsylvania's largest media organizations offer their perspective.

Moderator: Janell Trobec, Minnesota, LINCS Executive Committee

Ballroom D

What services, programming, training should LINCS be providing it's members? The LINCS Executive Committee hosts a facilitated discussion on the direction of NCSL's newest staff section.

5:30 p.m.

Attendees depart hotel, walking, enroute the Susquehanna Art Museum, Kunkle Building at Third and Market Streets, Harrisburg

5:45 - 7 p.m.

Hosted by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association at the Susquehanna Art Museum

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2001

Ballroom C

Buffet Breakfast

8:30 a.m.

Attendees depart hotel, walking, enroute to the Pennsylvania Capitol, about three blocks away

8:45 - 10:10 a.m.

Delegates will be taken by groups for a tour of the historic Pennsylvania Capitol and the impressive state legislative media facilities

10:15 a.m.

Hall of the House Welcome

Ted Mazia, Chief Clerk, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

10:15 - 11 a.m.

One of the country's premiere state cable public affairs channels provides insights to their coverage of the Pennsylvania House and Senate.

Bill Longworth, Director, Broadcast Services, Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Information Office

11 - 11:50 a.m.

In the large chamber of the Pennsylvania House, communication is vital for House members and staff. This session provides a demonstration on how legislative staff make the system work.

Kathy A. Sullivan, Executive Director, Legislative Data Processing Center

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Join your partisan or non-partisan colleagues from the country in a discussion of public affairs issues and concerns. Always one of the most popular sessions of the LINCS professional development seminar!

Non-partisan Roundtable: Sheila McCant, Louisiana

1:45 - 3 p.m.

Breakouts

A roundtable discussion on ways to improve the content and design of your state legislative newsletters.

Clayton Dressler, Graphics Manager, Pennsylvania House Democratic Legislative Information Office

A roundtable discussion on ways to improve the content and design of your state legislative Web site.

Ted Hanson, Internet Director and Webmaster, Pennsylvania House Democratic Legislation Information Office

Whether you are into digital photography full-time or thinking about ordering equipment, you need to know how to make the best use of this equipment. Successful legislative photo experts break it down to show you the best practices.

Mike Sunseri, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, Director of Photography

3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Take a stand in your national organization and help map out group goals and objectives in the coming months. The session will be highlighted by the election of new officers for 2002.

Sheila McCant, LINCS Chair, Louisiana Public Information Officer

Ballroom D

Dessert Reception

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2001

Ballroom A

Continental Breakfast

Ballroom B

Restoring Public Trust and Confidence in America's Legislatures

Public cynicism and distrust toward government is dangerous to
our system of representative democracy. Overcoming pervasive
negative public attitudes is one of the greatest challenges to
legislatures in the new millennium. This session will actively
involve public information officers in developing plans and
messages designed to build greater public trust in our
legislatures. This interactive program will draw on the work of
NCSL's Trust for Representative Democracy. Participants will work
to improve a draft of a new NCSL publication, Building Trust in
Representative Democracy: The Legislature's Role in Educating
Citizens.

Karl Kurtz, NCSL Director of State Services
Gene Rose, NCSL Public Affairs Director
Sheila McCant, LINCS Chair, Louisiana Public Information Officer

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tours of Pennsylvania Public Television Network and Chocolate World in Hershey