Cocktail/Buffet
Hampden-Sydney Museum (Directions provided at the hotel.)

Registration & Continental Breakfast
Crawley Forum (Follow signs to parking and registration from Hampden-Sydney entrance.)

General Session and Keynote by Mary Ellin Arch
Member of the VPA New Media Committee and Regional Content Manager for Media General's Interactive Media Division

How is the new media changing news? The stories? The way they are covered? What should colleges and universities know as they pitch stories in this rapidly changing environment? Arch is well qualified to help us understand the implications of the latest communications revolution.

Concurrent Sessions

Webmaster's Roundtable

How can your institution leverage Web 2.0 services and technologies to extend your Web presence, cultivate "authentic media," and improve recruitment? Is it a good idea for institutions to engage students on social spaces such as Facebook and Second Life? Rob Pongsajapan, a Web developer at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University, will lead a discussion on how the read/write Web and social networks have changed higher education communication strategies.

Capital Campaign Communications Case Study: Shenandoah University

Is your institution preparing to launch a comprehensive fund-raising campaign? Shenandoah University has raised approximately 73 percent of its $65 million Spirit of Shenandoah comprehensive campaign goal, a milestone fueled by individuals and community volunteers who have supported the institution's mission and long-term vision. Cathy Loranger, Shenandoah University's director of public relations, will facilitate a case study discussion for communicators and share insights gained during the institution's $65-million comprehensive campaign.

Communication Preferences among College-Bound Youth

Learn what high school students are saying is important to them as they consider their college and university options. Hear about research among teens that reveals differences in their preferences-for message content, media, and timing-by gender, ethnicity, geography, household income, and other important characteristics of student audiences. Gain insights to improve the strength and effectiveness of your communications with this market of savvy consumers. Our presenter is Pamela Kiecker, head of research and issue analysis for Royall & Company and executive director of the Interactive Marketing Institute (IMI) in the School of Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Concurrent Sessions

How do you keep the town from frowning on the gown?
Aka - Community relations through construction and crisis: keeping your town on your team

Three veterans will share their success stories. They are: Don Gehring, vice president for government relations and health policy for VCU and VCU Health System; Michael Akin, director of District of Columbia and Foggy Bottom/West End Affairs for The George Washington University; and Dennis Sercombe, associate vice president for marketing and communications at Longwood University.

Students Speak: What They Pay Attention To, How They Get Information, and More

To answer the ongoing question of how to communicate with students, we are asking students from Virginia Tech, Longwood, Hampden-Sydney and a community college to tell us how they get their information-what they pay attention to, what they don't, and how they would prefer to receive information. Moderating will be Ramesh Rao, professor and chair of the Department of Communication Studies and Theatre at Longwood University. There will be time for your questions.

Print Design Trends

Join Kristin Kaineg, a member of the graphic design faculty at Shepherd University, for a look at trends in print design for a variety of audiences, from students to parents, alumni and the general public. Over the past nine years, she has worked for a variety of businesses and organizations such as NPR, AOL, Fig Leaf Software, The Washington Post and National Trust for Historic Preservation and Public Campaign. Throughout this experience, she was responsible for the design direction and development of corporate identity campaigns, direct mail, web sites, brochures, newsletters and packaging. Today, she continues to practice design and produce innovative and practical solutions for small businesses and non-profit organizations.

Concurrent sessions

I Just Work Here: The Challenge of Good Internal Communications

We tend to focus on communicating with our external audiences, but keeping faculty, staff and students informed is just as important. David Willard, editor of "William & Mary News" at the College of William and Mary, and Jennifer Mullen, director of media relations at Old Dominion University, share their exemplary internal communications practices.

Untangling the Web

David Poteet of New City Media (www.newcitymedia.com) introduces new developments and trends in Web navigation and design.

Telling Your Story

The popular media panel returns with Paul Fain, staff reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education; Dan Bradley, vice president/news, Media General Broadcast Division; Chris Kouba, director of content and strategic development for the Virginian-Pilot; and Chris Winston, provost/general manager of BigLickU.com (a new Roanoke Times college news product).