Agenda
- 20 - 22 August 2024
- InterContinental, Wellington
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
- Exploring immersive social: Is it the next platform?
- Harnessing being brave to engage the audience
- Leveraging AI for data interpretation: Insights and innovations
Craig McKay
Domain Chapter Lead Social Media, Spark New Zealand, Former Chapter Lead Social Media
Air New Zealand
- Cultivating and managing positive social media relationships during a period of change
- Examining current global trends and successful strategies in public sector social media
- Evaluating, finding faults, implementing effective initiatives and demonstrating tangible continuous improvements to harness transparency and trust via accountability
Charlotte Daniels
Head of Indo-Pacific Communications Hub, British High Commission Singapore
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 
*Virtual presentation
- Exploring the influence of social media on political language and buzzwords
- Understanding what platforms, when, what, how and why?
- Riding the wave of emojis and memes – what’s acceptable and how to handle going viral
- Unpacking how campaigns are tracked, collated and reported on
Moderator:
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
Panellists:
Warren Kagarise
Digital Engagement Manager
King Country, Washington 
‘2023 Social Media Professional of the Year’
Charlotte Daniels
Head of Indo-Pacific Communications Hub, British High Commission Singapore
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Krystine Nation
Social Media Manager
Horowhenua District Council
- Growing engagement and call to action via pulling on the heart-strings
- Understanding how to film respectfully via body cameras, phones etc
- Examining the challenges and wins in implementing campaigns involving First Responders and those needing urgent assistance
- Film once, use repeatedly – ensuring your content has a life of purpose
Clare Burgess
Marketing and Communications Manager
Cantenburry West Coast Air Rescue Trust
- Examining the internal buy-in necessary to green light a bespoke campaign
- Maximising impact on minimal budget and timeframes to reach targeted audiences
- Measuring success and reach post campaign and setting next steps
Holly Lawrence-Watt
Digital Media Manager
NSW Police 
*Virtual Presentation
- Understanding the value in uncovering hidden patterns and identifying emerging trends
- Exploring the best ways to actively monitor and analyse social media conversations
- Enhancing communication and response during a crisis
- Maximising the importance of identifying and monitoring keywords and hashtags
Lafaele Mapusua
Senior Advisor-Pacific Engagement (Strategy)
Stats NZ
- Identifying the appropriate digital platform, tone, and format to effectively communicate with your specific target audience
- Understanding the make-or-break components of a successful audience engagement strategy across digital platforms
- Educating leadership and colleagues about why it’s important to cultivate digital audiences and incorporate their feedback
Warren Kagarise
Digital Engagement Manager
King Country, Washington
‘2023 Social Media Professional of the Year’
*Virtual Presentation
The real-time edit: Leveraging the algorithm via continuous improvement
Facilitated by:
Craig McKay
Domain Chapter Lead Social Media, Spark New Zealand, Former Chapter Lead Social Media
Air New Zealand
Too many trolls, not enough bridges – content moderation and practical strategies for dealing with online agitators
Facilitated by:
Beck Mckinney
Senior Leader, Communications and Engagement – Brand and Digital Channels
Environment Canterbury
Facilitated by:
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications,
Counties Manukau Health
Facilitated by:
Laura Gemmell
Chief Executive Officer
Eco Choice Aotearoa
- Exploring the reach and engagement achieved during the set local body elections campaign
- Amplifying connection via TikTok – was cut through achieved?
- Examining the paid-channel campaign strategy for the 2023-2024 Long Term Plan
Emma Young
Manager Marketing and Identity
Christchurch City Council
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
- Leveraging audience input in crafting content and design strategy via an in/by/through immersion cycle -are we speaking AUDIENCE language in a way they can understand?
- Utilising a wide range of content formats to get the point across in the most meaningful and impactful ways
- Aligning messaging with persona tone, voice and content that mirrors and meets the make-up of your diverse audience
Edwina Pio
Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Specialist
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Exploring how the City of Toronto used over 700 community ambassadors to increase vaccine engagement by using a ‘Get out the vote’ approach
- Understanding why a “by community for community” approach is key to target hard to reach audiences
- Unpacking why working with community can offer valuable insights into the needs and concerns of the community and help shape messages to be more relevant, targeted and meaningful
Beth Waldman
Director of Communications
City of Toronto 
- How to effectively have two-way conversations with a multi-faceted community through social media
- Overcoming lack of trust within the community at large by humanising the brand
- Reach-engaging more, earlier and consistently to gain traction before you need the audience to listen
- Using social media for community safety awareness – how do we address the digital divide between the haves and the have nots?
Krystine Nation
Social Media Manager
Horowhenua District Council
- Demystifying Generative AI (GenAI) and highlighting its potential within the public sector
- Exploring an array of cutting-edge tools that are redefining efficiency, engagement, and service
- Deep diving into the critical aspect of ‘prompting’—the art and science of crafting precise queries to elicit the most effective responses from AI
Zach Seipert
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Central Utah Water Conservancy District
*Virtual presentation
- Leveraging existing credibility to amplify audience responsiveness
- Exploring strategies for combatting fake news and malicious misinformation
- Navigating how to create an on-line presence that rewards positive engagement and is brave enough to call out hecklers
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
- Unpacking TOP’s strategy and key learnings from the ‘23 campaign as a Party and members across social platforms
- Maximising short contract and volunteer members to achieve reach and engagement
- Overcoming minimal budget and low exposure at physical debates by exploiting socials to make the most impact
Anna Heyward
Social Media and Content Lead
TOP-The Opportunities Party
- Unpacking strategic and tactical ideas for agencies with small teams and small budgets
- Leveraging social channels to attract talent across departments
- Examining when to label a channel unfit for your public sector engagement and how to pivot diplomatically without causing a splash in the social scene.
- Balancing organic, curated and automated content to maximise engagement and outcomes
Moderator:
Rachel Macgregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
Panellists:
Sheree Wereta
Digital and Social Media Advisor
Napier City Council
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
Amy Cooper
Digital Communications Lead
Whanau Awhina Plunket
- Examining how your organisation can more effectively communicate its mission through authentic storytelling
- Navigating collaboration to build trust and connection among target audiences
- Leveraging innovation and agility to gain valuable insights into the challenges and needs facing communities
Laura Gemmell
Chief Executive Officer
Eco Choice Aotearoa
- Examining lessons from the establishment of one of the first in house video teams in the Victorian Public Service
- Understanding the main hurdles to overcome and risks to manage
- Exploring the mainadvantages and benefits of having an in-house team
- Unpacking how to measure and demonstrate the return on investment
Chris Riordan
Manager, Creative Services
Department of Education VIC
*Virtual presentation
- Navigating the pros and cons of leveraging external advisors and dealing with creative agencies on a budget with limited resources
- Adapting an awareness campaign into an action focused approach with a long-term strategic view
- Unpacking the digital way forward under the refreshed campaign
Beck McKinney
Senior Leader, Communications and Engagement – Brand and Digital Channels
Environment Canterbury
In an era where digital engagement shapes public opinion and community relations, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming social media strategies is undeniable. This interactive half-day workshop, designed specifically for New Zealand’s government sector staff, explores the integration of AI to address contemporary challenges in public communication. This workshop aims to empower you with AI knowledge and tools to help integrate AI into your work, optimise your social media presence, tackle misinformation, and craft impactful, budget-friendly campaigns to foster authentic connections for engaging diverse audiences. Through practical applications and interactive exercises, gain insights to enhance your digital strategy and content creation. Leave equipped with the tools and know-how for efficient communication, ready to implement AI solutions that align with your goals.
Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:
- Strategic AI Integration: Mastering how to leverage AI to amplify your social media strategies without overspending.
- Authentic Engagement: Utilising AI to develop content that resonates, building trust and effectively combating misinformation.
- Inclusive Communication: Applying AI to cater to diverse audiences, ensuring your messaging is accessible, inclusive, and engaging.
- Efficiency and Innovation: Discovering ways AI can streamline operations, enhance content creation, and foster innovation within the public sector.
- Navigating Challenges: Identifying and overcoming key concerns related to budget constraints, staff reductions, and the ethical use of AI in communication strategies.
Amanda Jeffs
Founder
MRKT WRKZ
Social media platforms work in different ways and reach different audiences making it essential that content strategies are tailored appropriately. While working within the constraints of limited financial and human resources, a ‘one size fits all’ approach can be tempting, however, tailoring your content to the channel is essential to ensure that your material is as relevant to your audiences as possible.
This interactive workshop will equip attendees with the skills to adapt their content (and content strategies) to the relevant channel whilst avoiding the need to re-invent the wheel with each post. You’ll learn the main factors to look out for while repurposing content and how to maximise your ROI.
Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:
- Develop content that performs well on each channel
- Adapt your language, hashtags and commonly used words to produce the best results
- Modify your content to your target demographic
- Maximise your use of the various engagement options offered by social media channels
- Building a separate content calendar for different social media messages
Lafaele Mapusua
Senior Advisor-Pacific Engagement (Strategy)
Stats NZ
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
- Exploring immersive social: Is it the next platform?
- Harnessing being brave to engage the audience
- Leveraging AI for data interpretation: Insights and innovations
Craig McKay
Domain Chapter Lead Social Media, Spark New Zealand, Former Chapter Lead Social Media
Air New Zealand
- Cultivating and managing positive social media relationships during a period of change
- Examining current global trends and successful strategies in public sector social media
- Evaluating, finding faults, implementing effective initiatives and demonstrating tangible continuous improvements to harness transparency and trust via accountability
Charlotte Daniels
Head of Indo-Pacific Communications Hub, British High Commission Singapore
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
*Virtual presentation
- Exploring the influence of social media on political language and buzzwords
- Understanding what platforms, when, what, how and why?
- Riding the wave of emojis and memes – what’s acceptable and how to handle going viral
- Unpacking how campaigns are tracked, collated and reported on
Moderator:
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
Panellists:
Warren Kagarise
Digital Engagement Manager
King Country, Washington
‘2023 Social Media Professional of the Year’
Charlotte Daniels
Head of Indo-Pacific Communications Hub, British High Commission Singapore
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Krystine Nation
Social Media Manager
Horowhenua District Council
- Growing engagement and call to action via pulling on the heart-strings
- Understanding how to film respectfully via body cameras, phones etc
- Examining the challenges and wins in implementing campaigns involving First Responders and those needing urgent assistance
- Film once, use repeatedly – ensuring your content has a life of purpose
Clare Burgess
Marketing and Communications Manager
Cantenburry West Coast Air Rescue Trust
- Examining the internal buy-in necessary to green light a bespoke campaign
- Maximising impact on minimal budget and timeframes to reach targeted audiences
- Measuring success and reach post campaign and setting next steps
Holly Lawrence-Watt
Digital Media Manager
NSW Police
*Virtual Presentation
- Understanding the value in uncovering hidden patterns and identifying emerging trends
- Exploring the best ways to actively monitor and analyse social media conversations
- Enhancing communication and response during a crisis
- Maximising the importance of identifying and monitoring keywords and hashtags
Lafaele Mapusua
Senior Advisor-Pacific Engagement (Strategy)
Stats NZ
- Identifying the appropriate digital platform, tone, and format to effectively communicate with your specific target audience
- Understanding the make-or-break components of a successful audience engagement strategy across digital platforms
- Educating leadership and colleagues about why it’s important to cultivate digital audiences and incorporate their feedback
Warren Kagarise
Digital Engagement Manager
King Country, Washington
‘2023 Social Media Professional of the Year’
*Virtual Presentation
The real-time edit: Leveraging the algorithm via continuous improvement
Facilitated by:
Craig McKay
Domain Chapter Lead Social Media, Spark New Zealand, Former Chapter Lead Social Media
Air New Zealand
Too many trolls, not enough bridges – content moderation and practical strategies for dealing with online agitators
Facilitated by:
Beck Mckinney
Senior Leader, Communications and Engagement – Brand and Digital Channels
Environment Canterbury
Facilitated by:
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications,
Counties Manukau Health
Facilitated by:
Laura Gemmell
Chief Executive Officer
Eco Choice Aotearoa
- Exploring the reach and engagement achieved during the set local body elections campaign
- Amplifying connection via TikTok – was cut through achieved?
- Examining the paid-channel campaign strategy for the 2023-2024 Long Term Plan
Emma Young
Manager Marketing and Identity
Christchurch City Council
Rachel MacGregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
- Leveraging audience input in crafting content and design strategy via an in/by/through immersion cycle -are we speaking AUDIENCE language in a way they can understand?
- Utilising a wide range of content formats to get the point across in the most meaningful and impactful ways
- Aligning messaging with persona tone, voice and content that mirrors and meets the make-up of your diverse audience
Edwina Pio
Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Specialist
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Exploring how the City of Toronto used over 700 community ambassadors to increase vaccine engagement by using a ‘Get out the vote’ approach
- Understanding why a “by community for community” approach is key to target hard to reach audiences
- Unpacking why working with community can offer valuable insights into the needs and concerns of the community and help shape messages to be more relevant, targeted and meaningful
Beth Waldman
Director of Communications
City of Toronto
- How to effectively have two-way conversations with a multi-faceted community through social media
- Overcoming lack of trust within the community at large by humanising the brand
- Reach-engaging more, earlier and consistently to gain traction before you need the audience to listen
- Using social media for community safety awareness – how do we address the digital divide between the haves and the have nots?
Krystine Nation
Social Media Manager
Horowhenua District Council
- Demystifying Generative AI (GenAI) and highlighting its potential within the public sector
- Exploring an array of cutting-edge tools that are redefining efficiency, engagement, and service
- Deep diving into the critical aspect of ‘prompting’—the art and science of crafting precise queries to elicit the most effective responses from AI
Zach Seipert
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Central Utah Water Conservancy District
*Virtual presentation
- Leveraging existing credibility to amplify audience responsiveness
- Exploring strategies for combatting fake news and malicious misinformation
- Navigating how to create an on-line presence that rewards positive engagement and is brave enough to call out hecklers
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
- Unpacking TOP’s strategy and key learnings from the ‘23 campaign as a Party and members across social platforms
- Maximising short contract and volunteer members to achieve reach and engagement
- Overcoming minimal budget and low exposure at physical debates by exploiting socials to make the most impact
Anna Heyward
Social Media and Content Lead
TOP-The Opportunities Party
- Unpacking strategic and tactical ideas for agencies with small teams and small budgets
- Leveraging social channels to attract talent across departments
- Examining when to label a channel unfit for your public sector engagement and how to pivot diplomatically without causing a splash in the social scene.
- Balancing organic, curated and automated content to maximise engagement and outcomes
Moderator:
Rachel Macgregor
Portfolio lead, Community, Corporate Affairs and Communications
Counties Manukau Health
Panellists:
Sheree Wereta
Digital and Social Media Advisor
Napier City Council
Ben Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
Rangitikei District Council
Amy Cooper
Digital Communications Lead
Whanau Awhina Plunket
- Examining how your organisation can more effectively communicate its mission through authentic storytelling
- Navigating collaboration to build trust and connection among target audiences
- Leveraging innovation and agility to gain valuable insights into the challenges and needs facing communities
Laura Gemmell
Chief Executive Officer
Eco Choice Aotearoa
- Examining lessons from the establishment of one of the first in house video teams in the Victorian Public Service
- Understanding the main hurdles to overcome and risks to manage
- Exploring the mainadvantages and benefits of having an in-house team
- Unpacking how to measure and demonstrate the return on investment
Chris Riordan
Manager, Creative Services
Department of Education VIC
*Virtual presentation
- Navigating the pros and cons of leveraging external advisors and dealing with creative agencies on a budget with limited resources
- Adapting an awareness campaign into an action focused approach with a long-term strategic view
- Unpacking the digital way forward under the refreshed campaign
Beck McKinney
Senior Leader, Communications and Engagement – Brand and Digital Channels
Environment Canterbury
In an era where digital engagement shapes public opinion and community relations, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming social media strategies is undeniable. This interactive half-day workshop, designed specifically for New Zealand’s government sector staff, explores the integration of AI to address contemporary challenges in public communication. This workshop aims to empower you with AI knowledge and tools to help integrate AI into your work, optimise your social media presence, tackle misinformation, and craft impactful, budget-friendly campaigns to foster authentic connections for engaging diverse audiences. Through practical applications and interactive exercises, gain insights to enhance your digital strategy and content creation. Leave equipped with the tools and know-how for efficient communication, ready to implement AI solutions that align with your goals.
Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:
- Strategic AI Integration: Mastering how to leverage AI to amplify your social media strategies without overspending.
- Authentic Engagement: Utilising AI to develop content that resonates, building trust and effectively combating misinformation.
- Inclusive Communication: Applying AI to cater to diverse audiences, ensuring your messaging is accessible, inclusive, and engaging.
- Efficiency and Innovation: Discovering ways AI can streamline operations, enhance content creation, and foster innovation within the public sector.
- Navigating Challenges: Identifying and overcoming key concerns related to budget constraints, staff reductions, and the ethical use of AI in communication strategies.
Amanda Jeffs
Founder
MRKT WRKZ
Social media platforms work in different ways and reach different audiences making it essential that content strategies are tailored appropriately. While working within the constraints of limited financial and human resources, a ‘one size fits all’ approach can be tempting, however, tailoring your content to the channel is essential to ensure that your material is as relevant to your audiences as possible.
This interactive workshop will equip attendees with the skills to adapt their content (and content strategies) to the relevant channel whilst avoiding the need to re-invent the wheel with each post. You’ll learn the main factors to look out for while repurposing content and how to maximise your ROI.
Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:
- Develop content that performs well on each channel
- Adapt your language, hashtags and commonly used words to produce the best results
- Modify your content to your target demographic
- Maximise your use of the various engagement options offered by social media channels
- Building a separate content calendar for different social media messages
Lafaele Mapusua
Senior Advisor-Pacific Engagement (Strategy)
Stats NZ