My schedule for the 2009 IABC World Conference

I’m in San Francisco for the next couple days attending the annual conference of the International Association of Business Communicators. Roughly 1,000 communicators from around the globe are converging to share best practices for communications on both sides of the firewall.

It’s been quite a rush already. I’m speaking on a panel Tuesday afternoon to talk about social computing for internal communication. Besides that, I’m going to cram in as much knowledge as I can.

My fellow communicator Linda Johannesson set the good example of posting her schedule on her blog, so I thought I’d follow suit. At the worst, it’ll serve as a handy reference for myself.

Sunday

• 1 p.m. – 2:15: Strategic communication planning and management: Fundamentals for success with Les Potter
• 2:30 – 3:45: The art of the high stakes presentation: A crash course on personal impact with Jim Endicott (geez, these are tough to choose, so many good sessions right off the bat!)
• 4 – 5:30: Leadership and innovation in a changing global business landscape with Ernest Gundling (4-5) and/or Tim Tam Tweetup with Linda and others (4:30-5:30)
• 5:20 – 6:30: Opening General Session and Keynote Address with Blair Christie from Cisco
• 7:30 – 10:00: Welcome Reception

Monday

• 8 a.m. – 9: Idea Jam on Employee Communication (we use jams pretty frequently internally; nice way to harvest a huge number of ideas or direct feedback and an easy, time-boxed way for leaders to dip their toes in social computing)
• 9:15 – 10:15: General Session with IABC’s 2009 EXCEL Award Winner with Best Buy President, COO, and soon-to-be CEO Brian Dunn
• 11:15 – 12:30 p.m.: Stop the world, I want to communicate, a panel
• 2 – 4:30: Measuring the success of your communication with Angela Sinickas
• 5:30 – 7: Mixer with regional communicators

Tuesday

• 8:15 a.m. – 9:15: Expert panel on Employee Communication: Looks like I’ll be on this panel, led by Steve Crescenzo and with Paul Barton, Chuck Gose, …. Whatever happens, this will be fun.
• 9:30 – 10:30: Sustainable leadership with Robert Swan
• 11:15 – 12:30 p.m.: The best get better: How IBM uses global research
• 2 – 3:15: MY PANEL! Web 2.0 and internal communication: A worldview of best practices, led by Debbie Moore who will grill Karen Horn and yours truly. Sure to be the most riveting discussion of the entire event.
• 3:30 – 4:45: All-Star Sessions. This is a three way coin toss, but I’m leaning towards Steve Crescenzo on Executive communication 2.0: Helping today’s leaders communicate with today’s employees
• 5:30 – 6:45: Networking reception
• 7:45: Dine-around at Foreign Cinema

Wednesday

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:45: All-star Sessions. Another toss up, led by Communicating to collaborate with Kare Anderson
• 10 – 11: Closing session, Finding your passion changes everything with Sir Ken Robinson
• Rest of day: hitch my way back to San Jose, hopefully with enough time to visit the Mother Ship before hopping back to Hillsboro

Needless to say, I’m going to learn a lot this week.