Customer Connections Preconference Seminars

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Designed to help you develop skill sets and dive deeper into complex subject matters, preconference seminars offer longer class times, smaller class sizes, interactive formats and experienced instructors. Seminars require advance registration and additional registration fee.

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Preconference Seminars - Sunday, October 27

Crisis Communications: What Every Leader Must Know
Talent Wars: Are You Ready for the Next Generation?
Discover Your Inner Leader
Making the Most of Electrification and Distributed Energy

Sunday, October 27

Crisis Communications: What Every Leader Must Know
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8:30 a.m. – Noon

Recommended CEUs .3 / PDHs 3.25 / CPEs 3.8, Communications & Marketing

When crises happen, you need to be prepared to turn the lights back on AND handle the related communications storm. Your real audience is not just the media. Learn how to connect with customers and stakeholders before, during, and after a crisis to protect your utility’s reputation. Build a rapid response plan to address the demands of social media and the 24/7 news cycle. Review the essentials of effective messaging and the focus at various states of response. Leave with an actionable crisis communications plan and prepare to be a spokesperson for your utility.

Instructor:

Neil Nixon, President, Nixon & Associates

Registration fee: $350 members / $700 nonmembers (All fees will increase by $50 after September 27).

Talent Wars: Are You Ready for the Next Generation?
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8:30 a.m. – Noon

Recommended CEUs .3 / PDHs 3.25 / CPEs 3.8, Personnel/Human Resources

Can public power attract and retain the millennial troops with the digital talent to power our smart world? See how others are building the energy workplace of the future and closing the gaps in diversity and inclusion. Understand generational differences in career expectations and workplace behaviors. Prepare for increased Baby Boomer retirement, manage the forgotten Gen Xers, and engage the millennials. Build a comprehensive plan of action to take on the increasing industry competition for new talent.

Instructor:

Janet Kieffer, Principal, INFLUENCE Consulting

This course offered free to members as part of the Association's Supporting Workforce Development strategic initiative. Registration fee: Free to members / $350 nonmembers (All fees will increase by $50 after September 27).

Discover Your Inner Leader
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1:30 – 5 p.m.

Recommended CEUs .3 / PDHs 3.25 / CPEs 3.8, Personal Development

You can thrive as a leader if you learn how to leverage your strengths, expectations, and interests. Understand your leadership style and how best to apply it to benefit your co-workers and customers. Participants will complete the online Birkman Method Personality assessment prior to the course to help you identify your strengths, interests, expectations, and stress behaviors and understand how each of these factors can impact your work environment and people around you. Discover your most productive self and construct an individual action plan to build on your strengths and areas of development.

Instructor:

Patty Cruz, Certified Birkman Consultant and Vice President of Consulting and Training, Hometown Connections

Registration fee: $400 members / $800 nonmembers (All fees will increase by $50 after September 27).

Making the Most of Electrification and Distributed Energy
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1:30 – 5 p.m.

Recommended CEUs .3 / PDHs 3.25 / CPEs 3.8, Specialized Knowledge

Increasing electrification — especially in transportation — offers potential for significant load growth but also poses new distribution system challenges. Distributed energy resources – including solar rooftop generation and energy storage – and changing customer preferences continue to impact the grid in new ways. Are you ready to meet the increasing demand and handle the new load patterns? Learn how adapt your business model and processes to accommodate electric vehicles and DERs. Discover how you can combine the benefits of electric transportation and energy storage and opportunities for electric heavy-duty transport and school buses. Explore emerging technologies and understand how you can make the most of electrification.

Instructors: