Join your communications colleagues from across the country to connect, contribute and collaborate on successful strategies to help you shine in your job. This annual professional development seminar of the Legislative Information and Communication Staff Section (LINCS) will help you do just that—and in the beautiful settings of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The meeting will be held jointly with the Leadership Staff Section (LSS), with plenaries for both groups, as well as sessions designed specifically for legislative communicators. You'll be able to attend a variety of workshops that focus on skills-based training, best practices and issues unique to those who work in state legislatures. You'll also be able to network and share with colleagues from across the country during sessions and social events.
sunday, sept. 14
| Time |
Sessions |
|
3-6 p.m.
6-8 p.m.
|
Registration & Information
Crescent Foyer, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Dutch Treat Dinner
Red Fish Grill, 115 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130
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MONDAY, Sept. 15
| 8 a.m.-5 p.m. |
Registration & Information
Crescent Foyer, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place |
| 8:30-9:30 a.m. |
Breakfast Joint with LSS
Crescent Ballroom, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Welcome remarks from Peggy Piety, NCSL Staff Chair
Photo Safari Introduction by Mike Sunseri, Director of Photography, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
|
| 9:30-10:30 a.m. |
Reporters Roundtable
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Join in a frank discussion with local and national reporters about how legislative communications staff can work with the press to their mutual benefit. We’ll discuss whether the press release is a lost art, how to get reporters’ attention and whatever else is on your mind.
Reporters: Julie O'Donoghue, Times-Picayune; Elizabeth Crisp, The Advocate; and Melinda Deslatte, Associated Press
|
| 10:45-11:45 a.m. |
Tools in Your Strategic Communications Arsenal
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Public relations is more than distributing information. This session will help sharpen your communications strategies, tactics and tools to help build mutually beneficial relationships between your organization and your audience.
Faculty: Dr. Jinx Broussard, owner and president of Jinx Broussard Consulting and Public Relations, Inc. and public relations teacher at Louisiana State University. She is the first African-American to earn an undergraduate degree in journalism from LSU, where she also earned her M.A. with a thesis titled "Establishment of a Public Information Program for the City of New Orleans.”
|
| Noon-1:15 p.m. |
LSS and LINCS Joint Luncheon: Louisiana Political Scene
Crescent Ballroom, 11th Floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Jeremy Alford has been covering Louisiana politics since 1996. Jeremy is the publisher and editor of LaPolitics.com and LaPolitics Weekly. His syndicated opinion columns and news packages (LaPolitics News Service) appear in 30 newspapers and magazines throughout Louisiana. He also produces a political news feed (The LaPolitics Wire) for four television stations in the Shreveport, Lafayette and Monroe markets. He can be heard every Thursday morning on TALK 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. This session will provide the scoop on Louisiana politics and government, and the genesis and success of the LaPolitics.com.
Faculty: Jeremy Alford, LaPolitics, Louisiana
|
| 1:30-3:15 p.m. |
Managing Your Online Image + Social Media and the Comment Conundrum
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Making sure that the images you project online are professional and free of anything inappropriate or embarrassing is a crucial component of communicators' jobs. Learn to ensure that you shine online. And while the growing use of social media is a valuable tool for increasing government transparency and citizen input, it can be a double-edged sword. Learn how to manage inappropriate comments without sacrificing open government.
Faculty: Chris Duffy and Elizabeth Emerson, Goff Public, St. Paul, Minn.
|
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. |
LINCS Roundtable
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Take the opportunity to discuss how you handle medial relations, social media and other parts of your job with your counterparts from legislatures around the country.
|
| 5:20-9 p.m. |
Opening Night Social Event:
Dinner, Jazz and Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez
Meet in the lobby of the Westin at 5:20 p.m. sharp to walk .4 mile to the Toulouse Street Wharf. Boat boards at 5:45 p.m., dinner is at 6 p.m., the boat cruises at 7 p.m. and returns to the wharf at 9 p.m. Dress code casual or business casual.
|
tuesday, sept. 16
| 7:45-11 a.m. |
Registration & Information
Crescent Foyer, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place |
| 7:45-8:30 a.m. |
Breakfast Joint with LSS
Crescent Ballroom, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place |
| 8:30-10:15 a.m. |
Photo Safari Walking Tour
Tour the French Quarter and learn how to take good photos on the fly with either a camera or smart phone.
Faculty: Mike Sunseri, Director of Photography, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
|
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. |
Government Communicators: How Much Do They Make and Are They Happy?
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
The National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) conducted a survey of government communications professionals. Learn how your salary and satisfaction stack up.
Faculty: Gene Rose, president of At Last Communications, former president of NAGC and former director of communications at NCSL
|
| 11:30 a.m.-Noon |
Bus Departs for Baton Rouge
From Westin New Orleans Canal Place
Box lunches will be served en route.
|
| 1:45-2:45 p.m. |
LINCS/LSS Joint Session--Louisiana State Capitol Tours
Louisiana Capitol Building, Baton Rouge
|
| 2:45-3:45 p.m. |
LINCS/LSS Joint Session--Leading Across the Generations
Hainkel Briefing Room, Louisiana Capitol Building, Baton Rouge
For the first time in American history, there are four generations working together in the workplace--each with it its own experiences, viewpoints and ways of doing things. Learn what sets them apart and how to best work with members of each generation.
Faculty: Glyn Hays, Assistant Division Administrator, Louisiana State Civil Service
|
| 4-5 p.m. |
Is Your Message Getting Through?
House Committee Room 5, Louisiana Capitol Building, Baton Rouge
Learn new strategies and tactics to make sure your message is getting through, and not only to those who agree with you--in other words, how to communicate so people of all political stripes actually hear what you're saying.
Faculty: Robert Mann, Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, former communications director to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and political columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune
|
| 5-6:15 p.m. |
Reception
Memorial Hall, Louisiana State Capitol
Special guest: Senate President Pro Tempore Sharon Weston Broome
|
| 6:30 p.m. |
Bus departs for New Orleans |
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17
| 8 a.m.-Noon |
Information Desk
Crescent Foyer, 11th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
|
| 9:30-10:30 a.m. |
LINCS Breakfast and Business Meeting
Imperial Room, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
|
| 10:45 a.m.-Noon |
LINCS and LSS Joint Session--Photo Safari Round-Up
Crescent Ballroom, 12th floor, Westin New Orleans Canal Place
We’ll view and discuss photos taken during the PDS and walking tour. You’ll go home confident about taking appropriate, high-quality photos on the fly.
Faculty: Mike Sunseri, Director of Photography, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
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