IAP2 Rosebush>> April 1, 2011

DON'T MISS THE 2011 AGM: SOCIAL MEDIA AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT!
The 2011 IAP2 Wild Rose Chapter's AGM will take place on April 29th at the Heritage Park Opera House. 

Please join us after lunch for a panel discussion as three practitioners, experienced in social media, increasingly utilitize these new engagement methods to reach out to a public that is not necessarily motivated by traditional engagement techniques. This year's panelists are:

  • Richard Einarson
  • Daorcey LeBray
  • Troy Wason

Expect this current, P2-relevant, and far-reaching program to be popular. Details and registration are online now! 

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE - SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IAP2 CANADA!
The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) has recently been restructured as a federation of affiliates (www.iap2.org). IAP2 Canada, as the Canadian Affiliate of IAP2, is the newly formed national organization that will provide leadership and a credible national voice to both support and complement the work of established IAP2 Chapters (such as Wild Rose) in Canada.

Officially approved for incorporation by Industry Canada and accepted by the IAP2 Federation Board in January 2011, an Interim Board of Directors for IAP2 Canada has been working to put together the necessary infrastructure for the organization. This includes such basic things as creating a governance structure, bylaws, membership categories, as well as organizing elections for the Board of Directors and the Inaugural AGM Event scheduled for June. It also includes gathering input from past, current and future members about what YOUR IAP2 Canada looks like. This input will guide the future direction for the incoming IAP2 Canada Board of Directors.

How can I help shape what IAP2 Canada looks like?
Now is your opportunity to have conversations with others and provide your input to help shape the future of IAP2 Canada - your professional organization. You can do this in several ways.

Start by visiting the "Let's Talk IAP2 Canada" engagement site at: http://letstalkiap2.com/ for more background information and to have your say in online discussion forums. New information about other engagement opportunities will be posted there, including some webinars to be scheduled throughout April and early May.

Plan to attend one of the face to face sessions currently scheduled in Alberta, as follows:

  • Calgary, Thursday, April 7 - Participate in a modified Open Space Lunch time Drop in session from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Conoco-Phillips Auditorium, 3rd Floor, Gulf Canada Square, 401-9 Ave SW. RSVP to karlareesor@movingfwd.ca by April 4th.  LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.
  • Edmonton, Tuesday, April 19 - Join us from 11:30 am to 1:15 pm for a Lunch and Learn session that will start with a short presentation about IAP2 Canada, followed by a modified Open Space session that will allow you to participate in discussions about what is important for you in the new structure. Location: Edmonton Room, Basement, Stanley Milner Library, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square (easy bus or LRT access; parking available in the Library Parkade). RSVP to: wildroseiap2@gmail.com

SIGNATURE EVENT  EVALUATIONS & FOLLOW UP
It is hard to believe that it has been two months since we held the IAP2 Wild Rose Signature Event in Edmonton!  We apologize for the delays we had in sending out the overall evaluation survey and in posting the presentations from many of the sessions on the participant only page of our website.

We are still having a few challenges in making some of the presentations accessible (some are very large due to the graphics included in them), but we are working to see if we can sort that out.  In the interim, if you attended the conference and wish to have a copy of one of the presentations for which there is not currently a link on the website, please let us know and we will arrange to get a copy to you.

The evaluation forms submitted indicated that participants felt the conference was valuable and pertinent to their work, overall.  A summary of evaluations can be found on our website. 

I would like to express thanks again to all of you who helped to make the Signature Event a success, and particularly to those of you who took the time to provide your feedback to us.  We very much appreciate your support, and look forward to your involvement in future events!

~ Jan Bloomfield, President Wild Rose Chapter