TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICERS

TAMIO 2010 Conference

Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa and Conference Center
1001 East McCarty Lane, San Marcos

The Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) is an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League.

Tentative Agenda

Join us for two days of informative workshops and great networking opportunities!

Thursday, June 10

7:30 a.m.

Registration

8:00 — 9:00 a.m.

Networking Breakfast

9:00 — 10:15 a.m.

Welcome and General Session

TAMIO President Belinda Willis, Director of Communications and Marketing, City of Mansfield
Opening statements from The Honorable Susan Narvaiz, Mayor, City of San Marcos

TAMIO Film Festival

Whether you have a cable television station or not, learn how videos can liven up your Web site, presentations, and yes, even municipal TV. There will be a review of some 2010 TAMI Award finalists and entries in the Public Service Announcement categories, complete with commentary from judges and entrants.
Speaker: Tom Bryson, Director of Communications, City of Farmers Branch

10:15 — 10:30 a.m.

Refreshment Break

10:30 — 11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions

Media Relations: Small Fish in a Big Pond
If it bleeds, it leads! We all know the media will come to your town to cover bad news, but getting them to cover fun, positive, or informational stories can often be a challenge… especially when your news is being overshadowed by your larger neighbors like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, or Austin. Join us for a media panel discussion on how even a small fish in a big pond can get the media to "bite" on a story.
Speakers: Emily Trube, Anchor/Reporter, KLBJ Radio 590 AM, Austin; and Cathy Kincaid, Executive Editor, Community Impact, Pflugerville
To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Strategic Social Media
Are you Tweeting just to Tweet? Is your face all over Facebook, but no one's getting your message? Social media is all the rage, but what are all the Tweets and Facebook fans really doing for you? Is social media supporting your city's brand, and is what you are doing effective? Does social media even fit municipal government? There are lots of questions, and we've got some answers and some ideas on measuring what social media is actually doing for your city. We'll also put some practical applications to all the hype.
Speaker: Dr. Jacque Lambiase, Associate Professor of Journalism and Strategic Communications, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth

Noon — 1:30 p.m.

Luncheon and General Business Meeting

Speaker: Andy Krzmarzick, Director of Community Engagement, GovLoop.com

1:45 — 3:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

Show Me the Money
This session will feature a mixture of cutting edge revenue generating ideas for communication offices during challenging budget times and will explain how the City of Houston took its television channel (HTV) to an enterprise fund with program underwriting and reorganization.
Speakers: Kim Womack, Director of Public Information, City of Corpus Christi; and Jana Ortega, Producer, HTV, City of Houston
Tourism Marketing: It's Like a Whole Other Country
In these days of shrinking budgets and sales tax dollars, communities across the state are looking at tourism as a way to bring money back to their cities. So does your community have anything tourism-worthy to crow about? And if so, how do you market your city to a whole other group of people/visitors? Hear from some communities that have jumped headfirst into the tourism arena about what works and what doesn't, and learn some of the ins and outs of putting your city in the tourist spotlight.
Speaker: James Kunke, Community Relations and Tourism Director, City of Lewisville; and Janna Patrick, Arts and Communications Coordinator, City of Conroe

3:00 — 3:15 p.m.

Refreshment Break

3:15 — 4:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

TV: It's Not Just for Cable Any More
The winner of multiple TAMI and 3CMA Savvy awards explains why College Station's government videos are trending toward shorter, more-entertaining packages that can be multi-purposed online and promoted via the city's social media.Come sample some of College Station's latest innovative work that might change the way you approach video in your city.
Speaker: Chad Cockrum, Broadcast Media Specialist, City of College Station
Measuring Outcomes
How can you accurately track progress? Many of us are asked to do just that. In tight budget times, being able to "show your value" is of value. Whether you are a large city or a one-person shop, you will benefit from hearing how others have successfully measured outcome.
Speakers: TBD

5:30 — 6:30 p.m.

Networking Reception

6:30 p.m.

Restaurant Romp

Friday, June 11

8:00 — 9:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

TMRS Update

Speaker: Anthony Mills, Regional Manager, Texas Municipal Retirement System, Austin

9:00 — 10:15 a.m.

General Session
Disaster Next Door

You've trained and prepared to respond to every possible emergency, but what happens when the disaster is one you never could have imagined? How do you respond when the disaster is not even yours? You have no jurisdiction over this behemoth, you aren't included in an Emergency Operations Center, but media is swarming.

The entire world was watching the City of Killeen as it was thrust into the spotlight following the November 5, 2009, Fort Hood Tragedy—history's worst mass shooting on an American military base. Killeen's neighbor, Fort Hood—the largest military installation in the free world—has been a focus of media scrutiny as ongoing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan take their toll on soldiers, their families, and the community…and now this.

Director of Public Information Hilary Shine will walk you through the hours and days of being called into action, and she will share how her years of extensive emergency training were put to the test.
Speaker: Hilary Shine, Director of Public Information, City of Killeen

10:15 — 10:30 a.m.

Refreshment Break

10:30 — 11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions

60 Ideas in 60 Minutes
Brainstorming on steroids. Listen as your fellow communicators share some of their favorite tips and suggestions, on everything from publications to advertising, cable TV to Web sites, and social media to branding. Sometimes you get the best ideas when you're under pressure.
Speakers: TBD
Social Media Legalities and Policies: Navigating the Final Frontier
When it comes to social media, there are a lot of questions, many of them related to legalities and policies. And the answers to all the questions are usually, "We don't know." The issues of open records, community involvement, and internal policies haven't caught up with much of the technology that has opened up social media to municipal government. Learn what the law says about what you can do and can't do and what specific policies need to be in place to keep your city out of trouble. If you don't already have the framework for a social media policy, you'll have one after this session.
Speakers: TBD

Noon — 1:30 p.m.

Luncheon and TAMI Awards

General Information

REGISTRATION FEES

TAMIO Members: Register by 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday, May 19, and receive the discounted early registration fee of $155. For registrations received at TML after 5:00 p.m. (CST) on May 19, the registration fee is $175.
Non-Members: The registration fee is $185.

The registration fee includes all sessions, handout materials, breakfasts, lunches, refreshment breaks, and receptions.

Additional tickets can be purchased at $30 each for guests to attend the TAMI Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, June 11.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa and Conference Center, located at 1011 East McCarty Lane in San Marcos. The hotel is offering a special room rate of $139. For reservations, please call 512-392-6450 by May 19, 2010, and identify yourself as a Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) Annual Conference participant.

SUBSTITUTION/CANCELLATION POLICY

If you are registered and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute. If you cannot send a substitute, a $45 cancellation fee will be assessed if written cancellation is received by Friday, June 4. No refunds will be honored after that date.

CONFIRMATIONS/BADGES

Confirmations will be sent via e-mail at least one week prior to the conference, and conference badges will be mailed to you in advance. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR BADGE TO THE CONFERENCE.

NEED TO RENT A CAR?

Call AVIS at 800-331-1600, or make reservations online at www.avis.com. The Avis World Wide Discount (AWD) Number is J867208 (Texas Municipal League). Enterprise Corporate Class discounts are available at www.enterprise.com or by calling 800-736-8222. Your Corporate Class number is Y21222. Enter TEX for the company name.

PARKING

The hotel offers self-parking in surrounding surface lots.

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Let us know on the registration form if you need special assistance of any kind. WE WANT TO HELP! In order to respond to any special request, we would appreciate as much advance notice as possible. Thank you.

QUESTIONS?

You may contact the TML Program Development Department in the following ways:

Phone: 512-231-7400, ext. 442
Fax: 512-231-7494
E-mail: kim@tml.org
Mail: 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78754-5128

You may also contact TAMIO President Belinda Willis at belinda.willis@mansfield-tx.gov or 817-276-4202.

ABOUT TAMIO

The Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO — www.texastamio.org) was created as a result of the increasingly complex role of public information in municipal government. TAMIO actively seeks to:

Advance and promote the cooperation and exchange of information and ideas among Texas cities.
Provide professional development for public information and communications professionals who work in municipal government or similar agencies.
Provide public relations assistance where possible to municipalities and the Texas Municipal League (TML).
Promote recognition outside the organization for achievement in communication with citizens.

Questions about TAMIO membership? Contact TAMIO President Belinda Willis at belinda.willis@mansfield-tx.gov or 817-276-4202.

Register online for the TAMIO 2010 Conference now.
Download and fax a .pdf version of the registration form to 512-231-7495.
Mail the .pdf version of the registration form to:
TML Administrative Services
1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400
Austin, TX 78754-5128