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2017 Marketing & Communications Workshop - Program

This page is an overview of the conference schedule and subject to change.
 

Sunday, February 26

Marketing & Communications Committee Meeting

2 - 4p.m.
Chair, Glen Becerra

Welcome to APTA

5 - 6p.m.

New to the public transit industry or APTA? This kick-off event is intended to acquaint you with the resources and people who can help make your entry into the public transit industry easier. Plus, meet our workshop ambassadors and learn how they can help you get the most out of your time in Tampa.
 
Introductory Remarks
  • Morgan Lyons, Owner, Lyons Strategic, Arlington, TX
Presenters
  • Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA
  • Jack Gonzalez, Senior Director - Marketing & Sales, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Welcome Reception

6 - 7p.m.

Mix and mingle with fellow public transit marketing and communications professionals in a relaxed atmosphere that sets the collegial tone for the 2017 workshop.

Dinner Groups (Dutch-treat)

7:10 - 7:10p.m.

Your chance to meet other public transit marketing and communications professionals and build your network of industry contacts in a relaxed, casual setting. Can’t make it to dinner tonight? No worries, we have group dinners
scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
 
Sign up for a dinner group in the registration area.
 

Monday, February 27

Opening Session: Communications as a Strategic Initiative

8 - 9:30a.m.

Communicators have earned their seats in the C-suite, but this is no time to sit idly.Communicators enjoy more opportunities than ever to serve their organizations as strategic advisors, guiding the futures of those agencies and businesses. It is increasingly important for APTA members to tell their stories to customers, stakeholders and elected officials. The value of effective communications was demonstrated during the passage of the FAST Act and continues to be proved out in the ongoing discussion about infrastructure investment.
 
This session will feature a panel discussion with industry leaders who are changing how Americans think about public transportation. The agencies they represent embody the theme of, “Where Public Transportation Goes, Community Grows.”
 
Presiding
  • Morgan Lyons, Owner, Lyons Strategic, Arlington, TX
Host Welcome
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
Welcomes
  • Ryland N. McClendon, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
  • Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA
Panelists
  • Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
  • Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA

Ballot Measures and State of Good Repair: Growing Pains - Communicating in Expanding Times

9:45 - 11a.m.

As public transit agencies expand or look to make significant repairs or replacements, communications must take on all forms to reach riders and the public. And if that wasn’t difficult enough – consider the types of messages needed - some competing, some controversial, some celebratory – and they all need to be on point! Our panel will share its stories of success that will provide good ideas for your communication challenges.
 
Moderator
  • Aaron Weinstein, Executive Consultant, Transit CX, San Leandro, CA
Panelists
  • Craig Davison, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
  • Pauletta Tonilas, Assistant General Manager, Communications, Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO
  • Amy Ford, Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver, CO

Crisis Communications

11:15a.m. - 12:30p.m.

Join us for this ever popular and informative session on crisis communications. It is a time to learn from our PIO peers on how to effectively work with your agency and with the media when an unexpected crisis hits.
 
This year’s panelists will address how the two-person communications office at Denton County Transportation Authority manages a crisis situation; how Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s media relations team successfully got ahead of the press about an accident; and how the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority successfully conducted an active shooter recovery exercise drill at Union Station.
 
Moderator
  • Susan Bisno Massel, Regional Transportation Authority
Panelists
  • Adrienne Hamilton, Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX 75057, TX
  • Ryland N. McClendon, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
  • Dave Sotero, Communications Manager, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA

Ridership Campaigns, Customer Experience, and Ridership Development

11:15a.m. - 12:30p.m.

A big ridership event. A new bus route. A new fare system. It’s all in a day’s work for some of our marketing peers and at the center of it all – the rider. It takes careful planning, coordination, and execution to make it all work out just right. Take the opportunity to hear how they did it, how their riders reacted, and take home a few news ideas to make you look like a marketing hero!
 
Moderator
  • Nicole Recker, Vice President of Mobility Services & Admin, Denton County Transportation Authority, Lewisville, TX
Panelists
  • Will S. Kenlaw, III, Program Manager, Marketing, Advertising & Sales, Montgomery County Transit Services/Ride On, Rockville, MD
  • Steve Mitchell Rosenstock, Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART)
  • Cyndi Raskin, Director of Commuter Services and Chief Safety Officer, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, Tampa, FL
  • Frank White, III, President & CEO, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Kansas City, MO

Lunch on Your Own

12:30 - 2:30p.m.

Marketing & Communications Exchange and Round Tables

2:30 - 4:30p.m.

Meet with your marketing and communications peers at moderated round tables. Discuss the latest issues, gain insight into matters that affect your organization, and share your latest successes and challenges. Plus, take time to “shop” the Marketing Exchange and gather sample marketing and communications materials from your fellow attendees.
 
Moderator
  • Victor Garcia, garciav@sfrta.fl.gov, Corporate & Community Outreach Manager, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Pompano Beach, FL
Discussants
  • Jennifer Arndt, Director, Metro Community Education, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA
  • Vanessa P. Brooks, MA, Jacksonville Transportation Authority
  • Lauren Day, Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), Indianapolis, IN
  • Brendan Conway, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Milwaukee County Transit System, Milwaukee, WI
  • Meg Kester, Lane Transit District
  • Gregory Brackin, Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART), Tampa, FL
  • Elizabeth Anderson Bousley, Spokane Transit Authority

Advertising Revenue Information Exchange

3:30 - 5 p.m.

Join us for an open discussion on topics such as advertising contracts, new ad revenue generating ideas, and First Amendment issues. The free-flowing nature of this meeting will allow attendees to discuss topics of interest to the group.
 
Facilitator
  • Bobbie C. Crichton, Manager, Marketing & Communications, Miami-Dade Transit, Miami, FL

PIO Shop Talk

3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

This always popular media relations session is a chance to meet your peers and share your thoughts, concerns, and best practices in an informal session. On top of the educational exchanges, it is a great opportunity to build your network of public transit PIO colleagues.
 
Moderator
  • Michelle Cantey, Waccamaw Regional Transportation Authority

Group Dinners (Dutch-treat)

6:30 p.m. -

Your chance to meet other public transit marketing and communications professionals and build your network of industry contacts in a relaxed, casual setting. Can’t make it to dinner tonight? No worries, we have group dinners
scheduled for Tuesday.
 
Sign up for a dinner group in the registration area.
 

Tuesday, February 28

Joint Information Center (JIC) Workshop

8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

(Pre-registration required)
 
This is a unique opportunity to learn from FEMA crisis communications trainers. In this 4-hour session – tailored to a public transportation focus – attendees will participate in a simulated large-scale, multi-jurisdictional disaster.
 
Session participants will be asked to fill roles of non-transit PIOs, including role playing as members of the media and local officials. Many participants will be asked to step into unfamiliar roles, in which they will be intentionally pushed beyond their comfort zone so as to better prepare them for the demands of a major activation and what to expect if they participate in a Joint Information Center/System as part of a disaster response.
 
Participants will be asked to register and will have to commit to the entire four-hour session. There may be a small area where observers can sit. 
 
Session includes continental breakfast.
 
CERTIFIED FEMA INSTRUCTORS
  • Thomas Iovino, Certified FEMA Instructor and Communications Director, Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, Bradenton, FL
  • Holly Wade, Certified FEMA Instructor and Special Operations Manager, Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue, Tampa, FL
  • Bill Wade, Certified FEMA Instructor and Retired Captain, Tampa Fire and Rescue PIO, Tampa, FL
PUBLIC TRANSIT  PIOs
  • Bonnie Arnold, Public Information Officer, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Pompano Beach, FL
  • Bob Lasher, External Affairs Officer, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Sandra Morrison, Public Information Officer, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, Tampa, FL

2017 Call Center Challenge Finals

8:15 - 10 a.m.

Don’t miss the finals of the 2017 Call Center Challenge. Watch our five call center finalists face off in a competition to test their customer service and problem-solving skills at this lively and entertaining event. Come see who walks away with the title of public transit’s best call center employee.
 
Event includes hot plated breakfast.
 
Host
Thomas Costello
 
Constestants 
  • Katie Quinonez, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA
  • David Backers, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Philadelphia, PA
  • Violet Duncan, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, Portland, OR
  • Iliana Mena, Access Services, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
  • Melissa Barna, METRO Regional Transit Authority, Akron, OH

Customer Service & Social Media

10:15 - 11:30 a.m.

Social media has become an essential engagement tool for public transit agencies to connect with their riders. During this session, experts explore topics like best practices for posting on social-media platforms; how to respond to rider complaints; how social media strategy affects your brand; analytics and how to leverage them; and effective ways for your executives to use social media.
 
Moderator
  • JC Vannatta, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, OR
Panelists
  • Brandy Lynn Jones, Vice President of External Affairs, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority(SORTA)/Metro, Cincinnati, OH
  • Matthew Hibbard, Bi-State Development Agency (dba Metro)
  • Laurel R McJannet, Digital Content Specialist, Community Transit, Everett, WA

Lunch & Learn: Group Discussions by System Size

12 - 1:30 p.m.

Get your box lunch and head to one of three rooms that corresponds with your transit agency’s size – small, medium or large. It’s an ideal opportunity to discuss challenges your system encounters, your insights, successes – and failures – with your fellow marketing and communications colleagues.
 
SMALL SYSTEMS (Four million or fewer passenger trips annually) 
Facilitator
Maria Smith, Marketing Officer, Mountain Line Transit Authority, Morgantown, WV 
 
MEDIUM SYSTEMS (More than four million, but fewer than 20 million passenger trips annually)
Facilitator
Jacqueline K. Sheader, Public Relations Manager, Centre Area Transportation Authority, State College, PA
 
LARGE SYSTEMS (More than 20 million passenger trips annually)
Facilitator
Jennifer Jinadu-Wright, Director of Marketing & Communications, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

AdWheel Awards Celebration

1:45 - 2:15 p.m.

We’re celebrating the first place recipients of the 2017 AdWheel Awards. If you’ve won, congrats! All you have to do now is claim your award, pose for a photo and eat ice cream.
 
Remarks
  • Morgan Lyons, Owner, Lyons Strategic, Arlington, TX
  • Doran J. Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA

Research

2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

Come learn how research can enhance your marketing campaign and use customer input to better rebuild your brand. We will also share experiences on using research to ensure that your new technology fits the needs of your consumers. And bring your marketing research questions for the community to answer.
 
Moderator
  • Carol G. Smith, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Panelists
  • Bernice Alaniz, Director Business Operations and Communications BART Silicon Valley, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA
  • Susan B. Richards, Susan B. Richards, Charleston, SC
  • Aileen Pastor, Government Affairs Supervisor, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
  • Dr. Robin Salter, Senior Performance Analyst, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

Tips to Ensure a Successful Television Interview

2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

On-camera TV interviews are part of the job for many of us, even if we’re having a bad-hair day, wearing a striped shirt or left our smile at home. Learn about how to prepare for TV interviews to ensure your messages are heard as well as boost the public trust and reputation of your agency.
 
Trainers
  • Cynthia M. Baker, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Kansas City, MO
  • Paul Gonzales, Long Beach Transit, Long Beach, CA
  • Augusta Meyers, Communications Manager, Mid-Region Council of Governments, Albuquerque, NM
  • Jaime Kazlo, Director of Corporate Communications, Capital District Transportation Authority, Albany, NY
 

Wednesday, March 1

A Day in the Life

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Representatives from small, medium and large agencies describe how they navigate their way through social media. Presenters will share how they prioritize their needs, the resources they have and how they target their efforts. Ample time will be given for a lively discussion.
Moderator
  • Julia Schick, Director of Communications, LAKETRAN, Painesville, OH
Panelists
  • Fairen Catherine Horner, Blacksburg Transit, Blacksburg, VA
  • Amy L. Snyder, Deputy Managing Director, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Urbana, IL
  • John Gordon, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA

Social Media Palooza

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Be a part of a participant-driven, interactive meeting that uses an open space format. Have the opportunity to learn exactly what you need and connect with people with similar needs to learn from each other. There’s no pre-determined agenda and discussion topics are proposed by attendees leading up to Wednesday morning’s sessions.
 
Facilitators
  • Lolo Kazue Robison, Director of Marketing & Customer Experience, Public Information Officer, Capital Area Transportation Authority, Lansing, MI
  • Lisa Grace Bahr, Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), San Diego, CA
  • Amanda Clelland, Public Information Officer, WeGo Public Transit, Nashville, TN
  • Jacqueline K. Sheader, Public Relations Specialist, Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA), State College, PA

A Day in the Life

9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

Representatives from small, medium and large agencies describe how they navigate their way through social media. Presenters will share how they prioritize their needs, the resources they have and how they target their efforts. Ample time will be given for a lively discussion.
 
Moderator
  • Teresa Stepic, Senior Vice President, Client Relations, DDC Public Affairs, Washington, DC
Panelists
  • Julia Schick, Director of Communications, LAKETRAN, Painesville, OH
  • Martin Munguia, Corporate Communications Manager, Community Transit, Everett, WA
  • Alicia Trost, Chief Communications Officer, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Oakland, CA

Social Media Palooza

9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

Be a part of a participant-driven, interactive meeting that uses an open space format. Have the opportunity to learn exactly what you need and connect with people with similar needs to learn from each other. There’s no pre-determined agenda and discussion topics are proposed by attendees leading up to Wednesday morning’s sessions.
 
Facilitators
  • Jennifer Jinadu-Wright, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
  • Brittany Schlacter, Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid), Grand Rapids, MI
  • Lauren B. Parker, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet)
  • Ashlie Handy, Public Relations Manager/PIO, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL