• Mission & Governance
• Services Overview
• How to Get Involved
• Standing Committees
• NCSL Foundation

• Issue Areas: A-Z
• State-Federal Relations
• NCSL Standing Committees
• News from D.C. and the States

• About State Legislatures
• Elections, Campaigns & Redistricting
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory
• Web Sites

• Online Guide to NCSL Services
• Staff Sections and Networks
• Meetings & Professional Development
• Staff Directories

• Meetings Calendar
• Online Registration
• Meetings Home Page
• Legislative Summit

• Bookstore
• State Legislatures Magazine
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory

2002 PR Boot Camp Agenda and Registration Information

The first LINCS PR Boot Camp provides you with a day-long opportunity to fine tune your professional talents. A series of concentrated exercises and interactive sessions will bolster your confidence and ensure that you walk away with new ideas and strategies to improve your communication skills.

Why spend thousands of dollars to bring in consultants when, for only $75, you can get the expertise of colleagues from across the country? Take advantage of LINCS PR Boot Camp and take home new ideas and concepts to make you a more productive communications professional!

| How to Register | Who Should Attend | PR Boot Camp Agenda |

How to Register

Who Should Attend?

This boot camp is a must for any state legislative employee responsible for any aspect of media relations. Designed for those employees with three years or less experience, all public information employees can benefit from these sessions, including anyone who:

· must write a press release, speech, newsletter or online content

· has to respond to questions from or communicate with the media

· develop online content

· is part of the leadership team that must respond to a crisis

· releases information to the general public

PR Boot Camp Agenda

The following is a tentative agenda for the first LINCS PR Boot Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona September 25, 2002. An actual timeline of classes follows the brief descriptions.

You've just come to the office. Your 'to do' list is already bulging, you have messages and work assignments waiting for you and more come in as the hour progresses. Which need immediate attention? Which can wait? You'd better decide quickly because the clock is ticking! Through this hands-on exercise, discover how to:

· prioritize your to do list

· be more efficient with your time

· keep your bosses happy without losing your sanity

One minute you are writing a speech, the next a press release and the PSA voiceover is due right away. Can you adapt your writing style to communicate effectively, through print, voice or online content? This session will show you:

· How to write effectively, regardless of the format

· The main ingredient to make your writing compelling

· Mistakes to avoid

You and your colleagues at the Boot Camp will share and exchange ideas on ways to make you a better communicator. Bring with you your best examples of:

· proven media relations techniques

· exceptional media events

· communication strategies that work

You are often judged by the way the media reports the legislative story. It's easy to give reporters the information they need, but it's harder to develop and communicate a message that will resonate with the media and the general public. In this session, you'll learn:

· ways to craft a message that sells

· recognize the pitfalls that can turn an interview into a disaster

· interview techniques to master your next media interview

The American Journalism Review reports that fewer reporters are covering America's statehouses. Is there a way to improve media relations and communicate directly with the people? Start your own wire service to create an alternative source of state legislative news to the Associated Press in your state. Find out how:

· to make your Web site a valuable source for the media

· keep content fresh to increase return traffic

· get maximum exposure with minimal cost and effort

What are the indispensable tools every office should have to help improve your response time to assignments? We've polled the best and brightest and will reveal our exclusive list at this meeting.

When a crisis strikes -- a natural disaster, scandal or a direct attack on your institution or boss -- do you know what to do? Working in teams, you'll be presented with realistic public relations crises, then form a response plan to counter the crisis. Issue a statement? Hold a news conference? Write an op-ed? Be careful, how you respond could make or break the career of your boss. . Through case studies, discover:

· how to gain immediate credibility with the media

· what mistakes to avoid

· methods to develop effective communication strategies

LINCS 2002 Professional Development Seminar Registration