DAY 1
NETWORKING & HAPPY HOUR
5:00 PM-7:30 PM
THE TOMBS RESTAURANT AND BAR
Join us at Georgetown’s iconic Tombs restaurant for happy hour, followed by dinner at 5:30. We have a private space reserved in the back of the restaurant. The restaurant is a half-mile from the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center. It’s walkable, weather permitting.
DAY 2
REGISTRATION
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
KEYNOTE: THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
FISHER COLLOQUIUM, HARARI BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR
ALAN B. MCKAY, PH.D.
The world is changing and higher education is part of the evolution. Futurist Alan McKay, executive dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business and dean emeritus in the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy at Shenandoah University, will share how the market flows are affecting institutions of higher education. As artificial intelligence, online education, big data and virtual reality emerge, many schools are fighting to maintain their enrollment amid funding decreases and the decline of the traditional student. How can you help position your institution amid the changing marketplace? Are you ready for the challenge?
AMAZON IS COMING! AMAZON IS COMING! THE STORY OF VIRGINIA TECH AND GEORGE MASON
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
FISHER COLLOQUIUM, HARARI BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR
MICHAEL SANDLER, MARK OWCZARSKI
Hear from colleagues at Virginia Tech and George Mason about the universities’ role in helping to bring an Amazon Headquarters to Northern Virginia. In this panel discussion, you’ll have a chance to learn about the process, the announcement, and get to ask your own questions.
MEDIA PANEL
11:20 AM - 12:20 PM
ROOM 240, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
TIM WEATHERHEAD, AUTUMN A. ARNETT, JAMAL WATSON
OUR BEST AMBASSADORS: REINVENTING FACULTY/STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
11:20 AM - 12:20 PM
ROOM 230, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
CHERYL SPAIN, PHILLIP GRAVELY
In 2017, University of Richmond launched a suite of communications designed to increase faculty and staff engagement and create enthusiastic University ambassadors. Learn how the new faculty and staff magazine, webpage, and other recently launched tools are changing the way UR communicates with employees — building pride and shaping perceptions.
STRATEGIC ON A SHOESTRING
11:20 AM - 12:20 PM
ROOM 250, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
MELISSA RICHARDS
This session is geared to prepare current and aspiring leaders, including those who are contemplating or just beginning director, AVP or VP roles. Learn how to assess what is critical and what is urgent, and to understand the difference; establish an effective staffing model; and structure a strategic communications plan.
LUNCH, NETWORKING ROUND TABLES & BOARD BUSINESS
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
THE CROWN: CONTENT IS KING AND RULES ALL MARKETING LANDS
1:40 PM - 2:40 PM
ROOM 240, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
JULIE ZITO, SHELLY HEINRICH
No content = No marketing = No students. University marketers are in an enviable position in that faculty and students are telling stories, conducting research, and creating content on a daily basis. And as marketers and communicators, we have the opportunity to leverage that content in order to build brand stories and to attract prospective students. Prospective students are looking for ways to connect with their future institution–to see themselves in the stories they hear. Marketers rely on vibrant content to feed relevant stories on every channel on every platform. Content drives social interactions, enlivens email communications, and tells your story. This is an area where marketing and communications must work together to identify and create content relevant to key audiences. The communications teams uses content for earned media, resulting in a pull marketing tactic. Marketers use the content for push marketing to paid media—social, digital advertising, and remarketing. Chris Kormis and Shelly Heinrich from Georgetown and Julie Zito from American will share their tips for making content king.
ANALYTICS AND GOOGLE TAG MANAGER
1:40 PM - 2:40 PM
ROOM 250, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
CHRIS MECHANIC
Ask 100 marketers if they have Google Analytics well-configured & you’ll get about 97 “YES” answers. But dig in (even just for 5 minutes) & you’ll discover the truth…
That less than 13% of marketers are REALLY using Google Analytics to NEARLY its full potential.
In this session, you’ll learn how to gain real insights from users visiting your website as well as how to make Google Tag Manager work for you!
BUILD BUZZ WITH A MAGAZINE MARKETING MAKEOVER
2:50 PM - 3:50 PM
ROOM 230, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
CHRIS BLOSE
Print is not only alive and well, but it’s also thriving. Even digital-first companies such as AirBnB get in on the act. But that doesn’t mean you can just drop a magazine in mailboxes or scatter them around your campus and hope for the best. Instead, Chris Blose from Imagination will show us how to create anticipation and foment FOMO with magazine marketing beyond the printed page — everything from issue teaser videos to social sneak peeks to behind-the-scenes access to high-priority stories. Read more based on this presentation.
TODAY’S STUDENTS: WHAT *ARE* THEY THINKING?
2:50 PM - 3:50 PM
ROOM 240, HARIRI BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR
Marketers tell us they are like their Millenial sisters and brothers, but different. Often termed “digital natives,” today’s students have grown up with iPhones, social media, and constant connection through technology. Learn more about the communication preferences, likes, dislikes, and thoughts of today’s students straight from the experts themselves – an outstanding panel of current students from Howard University, Georgetown University, and Lord Fairfax Community College.
Kyra E. Azore is a senior journalism major, political science minor at Howard University from New Orleans.
Sarah Downs is in her last semester of pursuing an associate’s degree in Human Services at Lord Fairfax Community College. She is from Front Royal, Va.
Ahmed Ibrahim is a freshman business major at Georgetown University.
Brandon Spear will graduate from Georgetown in May with a degree in math.
Tai Spears is a junior broadcast journalism major, graphic design minor attending Howard University from Los Angeles.
Bayley Wivell is a student at Georgetown University