CommsCon

*Subject to change

8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

• Arrival and Check-in, Coffee and Refreshments

8:45 a.m. - 9 a.m.

• Welcome and Opening Remarks 📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)

• 'Pin a communication or marketing problem on all wall'  📍MacLaurin Lobby

There’s a gap of understanding around marketing on many campuses. We've developed a framework for schools to engage our campus partners in meaningful conversations and to evaluate their current marketing initiatives. The Marketing Truths helps colleges and universities identify gaps and opportunities. In this session, veteran higher education leader Ryan Morabito of 5 Degrees Branding will share his Higher Ed. Marketing Truths to show how thriving institutions are leveraging their marketing investment to drive enrollment and fundraising success. Ryan will also be sharing his most popular LinkedIn posts.

An insightful session exploring the behind-the-scenes world of UVic recruiters. Ever wondered how universities attract the best and brightest students? This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the strategies, tactics, and responsibilities of UVic's recruitment team.

Presenter:  Student Recruitment Reps
Format: Presentation
📅 10:00AM - 10:30AM
📍MAC D101

A high-level overview of website accessibility practices at UVic and why they matter to your audiences.

Presenters:

Nicole Crozier, Communication Officer, SCIE
Hannah Mashon, Communication Officer, IACE
Robyn Meyer, Communication Manager, ONC
Rachel Goldsworthy, Research Profile Officer, OVPRI
Anne MacLaurin, Communications and Special Projects Officer, SOSC

UCAM
Erin King, Senior Media Relations & Issues Manager
Jennifer Kwan, Manager, Marcom (Earned and Owned)
Kirsten Lauvaas, Associate Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Vanessa Johnsons, Associate Director, External Marketing and Communications

Format: Presentation
📅 10:40AM - 11:25AM
📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)

Presenters:

Nicole Crozier, Communication Officer, SCIE
Hannah Mashon, Communication Officer, IACE
Robyn Meyer, Communication Manager, ONC
Rachel Goldsworthy, Research Profile Officer, OVPRI
Anne MacLaurin, Communications and Special Projects Officer, SOSC

UCAM
Erin King, Senior Media Relations & Issues Manager
Jennifer Kwan, Manager, Marcom (Earned and Owned)
Kirsten Lauvaas, Associate Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Vanessa Johnsons, Associate Director, External Marketing and Communications

 Format: Workshop
📅 11:30AM - 12:00 PM
📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)

Join us to explore how we can effectively utilize existing produced assets across different audiences and platforms. Learn strategies and best practices for adapting content to maximize reach and impact in diverse digital landscapes.

Presenters:
Vanessa Johnson, Associate Director, External Marketing and Communications, University Communication and Marketing
Sarah Tarnopolsky, Communications Manager,  Alumni & Development Communications
Erin Hall, Alumni & Development Communications Officer

Format: Panel Discussion
📅 1:00PM - 1:50PM
📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)

In this session, join forces with colleagues to pick through the vast sea of marketing & communications professional development materials. Bring your favourite marcom or career development resource (books, podcasts, vlogs, newsletters, etc.) and come ready to share it using the following 4-minute format: a brief summary, key takeaways, recommended audience, and insights on when to engage with or skip the content. Sasha will kick things off with a 4-minute pitch for why you should (or should not) read management icon Henry Mintzberg’s Understanding Organizations; the group will have a few minutes to hone their resource pitch and then share. The goal is 1) to collaboratively fuel marcom careers via bite-sized, actionable takeaways, and 2) to create a shared resource list the group can take home to engage with later.

Group poem exercise to explore inspiration from the creator's desk while building your marketing and communication community.

Step into nature's classroom and unleash your creativity in this immersive outdoor photography workshop. Led by our acclaimed photographer Greg Miller, this hands-on session invites participants to explore the natural landscapes surrounding UVic while honing their photography skills and capturing the beauty of the outdoors. This workshop will focus on working with natural light to take headshots and group photos, making the most of the beautiful natural settings.

Let's demystify search! Learn how to tap into your audience's search behaviour and effectively incorporate key terms into your content. Join us for a crash course and discussion on content marketing, understanding search habits, and crafting compelling copy that converts. Led by Molly from UCAM and Lance from Continuing Studies, be prepared to walk away with practical tools you can implement right away.

Presenters: 
Molly Randhawa, Creative Strategist and Copywriter, University Communication and Marketing
Lance Singbeil, Marketing Specialist, Web & Design, Division of Continuing Studies

Format:Workshop
📅 2:00PM - 2:50PM
📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)

*Stay tuned for the details.

Presenter: Kerry Slavens, Director of PR & Engagement, South Island Prosperity Partnership

*Stay tuned for the details

Presenters: 
Rob Johns, Manager, Emergency Planning, Campus Security Services
Erin King, Senior Media Relations & Issues Manager, University Communications and Marketing
Kirsten Lauvaas, Associate Director, Communications and Public Affairs, University Communications and Marketing

Format: Presentation
📅 2:00PM - 2:50PM
📍MAC D103

GenAI is a form of machine learning with the capabilities to produce text, images, video, music, code, etc. GenAI has increased in popularity in the past year. As educators and communications professionals, we’ve witnessed both excitement and apprehension surrounding GenAI in the post-secondary context. This year, the Division of Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI) formed a working group to understand the strengths and limitations of the tools, and developed a position statement and recommendations on its use for students and instructors. The session will focus on the messaging and approach used in communicating guidelines and how we facilitate conversations and professional development with instructors and students on ethical use.

Continuation of ART of story telling session from last year. Using data visualization to tell a story really does make a picture worth a 1000 words. Learn how you can bring your story to life in new ways.

Format: Workshop
📅 3:00PM - 3:30PM
📍MAC D101

• Closing Remarks and Wrap-up

📍MAC A144 (Auditorium)