We celebrated our 40th birthday at the World Conference in Toronto earlier this month with a HUGE cake.

How well do you know your IABC? Test your knowledge about the organization through this interactive quiz. Questions include:
- Which is IABC’s oldest chapter?
- Which city hosted the IABC World Conference the most number of times?

Photo by SalvoPhoto.com.

At the Opening General Session in Toronto, earlier this month, three long-time IABC members were recognized for their contributions to IABC.

Sonja Tiscenko received this year’s Chairman’s Award from 2009-2010 IABC Chair Mark Schumann, ABC. Originally from New Zealand, Sonja has lived and worked in Papua New Guinea, Ukraine, Czech Republic and her current home, Tanzania. She is a founding (and continuing) board member of IABC/Tanzania where she is involved in planning and hosting IABC events. She also supports Africa Region’s Ubuntu chapter. She was a member the Global Task Force steering committee (now closed), and is a member of IABC’s Knowledge Group editorial advisory panel.

This year’s IABC Fellow Awards were given to William Briggs and Annette Martell, ABC, MC.

Bill Briggs is director and full-time tenured professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at San Jose State University (SJSU) in California. A longtime IABC member, Briggs has served two terms as director on the international executive board, has been a trustee of the IABC Research Foundation, chair of IABC’s ethics committee, chair of IABC’s educator’s academy, and judge for the Gold Quill Awards Blue Ribbon Panel.  He is the association’s representative to the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management.

Annette Martell is an independent management consultant and a founding associate of PowerIn. She was the chair of the International Executive Board in 2002–2003 and led the organization through significant change, including international restructuring of: governance, dues pricing and financial recovery. She has been IABC’s representative to the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management since 2005, and held many volunteer positions with the organization including judging awards on the Gold Quill Awards Blue Ribbon Panel; chair of IABC international executive board nominations committee; and president of the IABC/Atlantic Canada chapter.

Thank you, Sonja, Bill and Annette for your contributions to IABC!

Photos by SalvoPhoto.com.

When we kick off our unconference at 2:00pm this Sunday, we’ll be working with an empty whiteboard. And we need you to help us fill it in.

That’s right: Apart from three planned 5-minute “Lightning Talks,” there are no scheduled sessions! And while we have plenty of ideas about what we could discuss in the general area of emerging communications channels and technologies, we’re depending on an eager and active group of participants to set the actual agenda. It’s the will and wisdom of the crowd at its finest.

Scheduling sessions

Each discussion session is set to run for 25 minutes, and we’ll have up to 24 slots to fill (depending on attendance).  Right about 2:10pm, we’ll hand over Sharpies and Post-it Notes for 10 minutes and ask everyone to jot down sessions they want to lead, quickly turning our blank slate into something like this:

Who can lead a session at the unconference?

Anyone.

Unlike with traditional events, running an unconference session doesn’t mean submitting a proposal months in advance. You don’t have to agonize over a single PowerPoint slide, either.

Instead, the “selection process” is much simpler:

1. Show up to the Osgoode Ballroom East on Sunday with a topic or two that you want to explore with your fellow communicators.
2. Fill in an empty square on whiteboard with your name and proposed topic.

And that’s it–you’re “in” as a session leader!

Making your session memorable

Here are some recommendations for getting the most from your 25-minute timeslot:

• Share the mic.  Unconferences are very much about group collaboration and participation. Spend a few minutes sharing your experience or position on a topic, and then throw open the discussion and get everyone involved.
• Ask good questions. You’re not expected to to have all the answers. Keep probing your colleagues for their insights.
• Go out on a limb. Have a topic that was “too hot” for the formal IABC conference? Here’s your chance to stir things up with a crowd that will embrace fresh and even off-the-wall ideas.
• Capture the conversations. We’ve created an unconference wiki for recording notes in each session. Find a note taker who can document your group’s highlights for posterity.
• Carry the discussions beyond the event. The World Conference is just getting started on Sunday; it doesn’t end until Wednesday afternoon. That means up to three additional days to continue the best conversations from the unconference in person (perhaps at our tweetup the following night in Traders Lobby Bar).  We have two online venues, too–the TorontoTalks social network and Facebook Page–to help keep up the exchanges well beyond Toronto!

(Flickr photo by ForumOne)

Have you made your technology checklist yet for the IABC 2010 World Conference?

If you’re a gadget guy like I am, you’re thinking carefully about the devices you’ll need during your stay in Toronto. In addition to attending top-notch sessions and networking with your fellow IABCers over several days, you’re also planning to answer your e-mails, tweet up a storm (don’t forget the #IABC10 hashtag!), and capture the conference’s best moments with photos and videos.

With those goals in mind, here’s what I’m packing for the trip:

• iPad for e-mail, Twitter, and other projects “in the cloud.”Complimentary Internet access is available in guest rooms at the Sheraton and at various locations throughout Toronto, including all Toronto libraries.
• iPhone for the occasional call and to connect me to the Internet in spots where my WiFi-only iPad can’t connect online. (A tip for AT&T customers in the US: Contact the company about signing on for the international data plan to cover your time north of the border. It’s worth it!)
• Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS digital camera
• Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camcorder (plus a separate microphone) for video interviews
• Zoom H2 Handy Recorder for audio recordings
• Far too many cables to keep all these devices connected to each other and powered up!

Gadgets for the unconference

If you’re joining us for the “Emerging Communications Channels” unconference on Sunday afternoon, specifically, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” with all your gear.

Whether you’re leading a session on power digital tools for communicators or trading notes on the pros and cons of the iPad inside the enterprise, the unconference will bring together a group of 200 IABCers hungry to explore and debate how we’re using technology and new media to move our industry forward. If you have a new device that’s helping you become a better/more efficient/more creative communicator, you can bet your peers at the event will want to know all about it!

So … what’s going in your bag?

Home to five trendy cafes, 22 art galleries, 17 performing arts companies, seven restaurants and 18 boutique stores, the historic Distillery District of Toronto is now a pedestrian-only village set amidst a Victorian-style architectural background. Devoted primarily to promoting arts and culture, this area caters to professionals looking to clink some after-work drinks or find that perfect made-for-you necklace.

Here a few reasons to make the Distillery District a stop on your itinerary.

Early to Rise – Balzac’s Cafe

If you are looking for your morning java, try waking up to Balzac’s Café located by Mill and Cherry Street. The progressive café is best known for its relaxed atmosphere, its soy and Chai options and its outdoor patio that offers a great view of the CN Tower.
www.balzacscoffee.com

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Wondering how to dress for this Sunday’s “Emerging Communication Channels” unconference from 2:00-5:00pm in the Osgoode Ballroom East?

One word: casual!

Our TorontoTalks organizing crew will be sporting the T-shirts that Christopher Swan is showing off here, and we encourage you to dress comfortably, too.  You can save your jacket or dress for the opening general session and welcome reception later in the evening.

But no matter your wardrobe at the unconference, we’re counting on you to roll up your sleeves and participate! See you Sunday.