To kick off another proud year of our marketing partnership with the Conference Board of Canada’s “Public Sector Social Media 2017”, I had the distinct pleasure of representing the Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing and interviewing Dr. Satyamoorthy Kabilan, or “Kabi” as he is fondly referred to. True to his very busy schedule, we chatted by phone as he traveled back from Quebec City by train.
Dr. Kabilan is Director, National Security and Strategic Foresight at the Conference Board of Canada. He is a thought leader, a connector and someone who can break down the complexities of social media into very manageable takeaways. Appropriately, he will return as Chair of this year’s conference on October 30-31, 2017 at the Shaw Centre, Ottawa.
The Promise
While the overall thrust and promise of “Public Sector Social Media 2017” is clearly focused on the evolution and future of social media in the public sector, attendees can be sure that this year will offer new case studies and the latest challenges and opportunities across social channels. In addition, the latest important themes will be highlighted to discuss and mitigate new challenges that impede our ability to engage and communicate online today.
The Format
Dr. Kabilan will provide context to and wrap-up for 11 plenary sessions over 1.5 days. When asked about the plenary format, Kabi relayed that speakers have to be chosen carefully to ensure suitability and relevance across their public and private sector attendee base. As opposed to a number of breakout sessions, the plenary format will allow attendees to collectively hear the same messages as a catalyst for engaging and lively follow-up debates and discussions.
The Content
Case Studies, Tools, Platforms, Internal, External and Crisis Communications…the full program is already available to review. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/pssm/agenda.aspx
Spotlight: Fake News
When asked what he was most excited about in this year’s agenda, Dr. Kabilan talked about an area that has garnered increasing attention in the media – Fake News. He said, “It’s no longer just about having a voice, but more importantly, it’s our need to deal effectively with false news.” He went on to emphasize the importance of understanding the difference between “misinformation” – accidentally sharing inaccurate or false information without evil intent; and “disinformation” – purposefully sharing false information in an effort to deceive. He went on to say that the speakers sharing their fake news stories will help attendees to not only better understand the complexities of fake or false news, but they’ll walk away with suggestions for what to actually do about it in the most responsible ways. Arming attendees with actionable takeaways is clearly important to those developing content.
These sessions will dive into this concerning topic of fake news:
Digital Literacy in the Post-Truth Era: What Catfishers Can Teach Us About Fakes News with Dr. Couros, Associate Professor, Educational Technology & Media, Faculty of Education, University of Regina. Dr. Couros will talk about his own experiences with professional catfishers and the problem of romance scams.
Building Trust and Authority in an Age of Fake News – A Conversation with Facebook’s Kevin Chan, Head of Public Policy, Canada. Kabi will have a fireside chat to understand what they are learning about fake and false information and explore the broader social implications, what Facebook can do and our responsibilities vis-a-vis social literacy as ordinary citizens.
Effective Social Media Needs Informed Internet Citizens – The Internet Citizens Project with Henry Tuck, Policy and Research Manager at The Institute for Strategic Dialogue. While the details are not yet published, Kabi explained that this session will reveal what the UK is doing with YouTube and Google to “take the bull by the horns and actually do something”. He explained that this project is aimed at helping young people to build their social literacy skills as they grow up to effectively navigate social channels, sift through the noise by themselves, figure out what to believe and have the knowledge and confidence to behave responsibly as an internet citizen. Ultimately, the goal is to make the online conversation positive and safe.
The Details and Discounts
Mon-Tues October 30-31, 2017 | Shaw Centre, Ottawa
#CBOCSocial @CBOC_Events
Register with our exclusive CEPSM partner discount to save $460 off your registration – Quote PRM2
Event link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/pssm/default.aspx
So, there you have it! Just a little something to whet your appetite for what’s to come in October.
With all there is to hear and experience at Public Sector Social Media 2017, I and my colleague, Mike Kujawski, are looking forward to attending and sharing what we learn on October 30-31, 2017 at the Shaw Centre, Ottawa.
I trust we’ll see you there!
