Special Events
The social events at IABC's World Conference help you connect personally and professionally to a global network of communication professionals. This year's events offer a rich blend of culture, cuisine, entertainment and opportunities to volunteer and help the local community.
saturday, 6 june
Pre-conference Community Projects (9 a.m.–1 p.m.)
This year, IABC is offering two community projects to meet the diverse needs of those who enjoy physical, outdoor volunteer work and those who prefer to donate their time to a communication-related project. We encourage you to participate in one of these activities to give back to the conference's host community.
Join us in helping improve the quality of life in San Francisco with a beach clean-up day
Go outdoors and help beautify a stretch of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. Before the conference starts, join IABC staff and volunteers for a day of community service in our partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the government organization that helps present the diverse resources of one of America's most popular National Parks to today's visitors, and helps preserve these precious resources for future generations.
Participants will clean up part of the city’s western coast and remove graffiti from a portion of the five-mile coastal sea wall. Purify the beach by sifting through sand to find broken glass, removing trash from the area and sweeping the stairs for safety or pick up a paintbrush and paint the sea wall gray to cover the graffiti.
Restoring one of the city’s most popular beaches provides safe and clean recreational areas for the community to gather and play, soak in the sun, read a good book or bond with friends and family, and is a great way to give back to the community.
Online registration for this volunteer project is open. The registration fee for this event is US$55, which includes transportation to and from the volunteer site and a boxed lunch.
Explore the MAGIC of reading and leave a little piece of your heart in San Francisco
Help make magic in the historic Fillmore District of San Francisco. Touch the life of a child, read to them and help them find the MAGIC inside. Before the conference starts, join IABC staff and volunteers for a day of community service in our partnership with the Fillmore/Western Addition Mobilization of Adolescent Growth In our Communities (Mo' MAGIC),
a collaborative of more than 50 programs and organizations serving under-served youth in San Francisco.
Statistics show that over the summer months, children and youth from low-income families can experience a significant amount of summer learning loss. Studies also show that being read to or reading to others can help decrease summer learning loss. Last summer, Mo' MAGIC gave books to more than 300 youth and hosted seven reading events for 500 children and youth. This year, we invite you to help us kick off a season of reading and the magic it brings.
Help bring magic to the life of a child by passing out books, reading, being read to, helping a child create a page about themselves for a newsletter and sharing a little bit about your career. Donating your time to youth brings joy to their lives and yours, and is an enriching way to serve the community.
For a glimpse of the experiences you could share, view photos from past Mo’ MAGIC projects.
Online registration for this volunteer project is open. The registration fee for this event is US$55, which includes transportation to and from the volunteer site and a boxed lunch.
Walking Tours of San Francisco (2 p.m.)
IABC/San Francisco chapter volunteers will host walking tours through historic San Francisco neighborhoods. Join knowledgeable tour guides and fellow conference attenders to explore some of San Francisco’s most unique nooks and crannies. Hear fascinating—and sometimes scandalous—tales that have made San Francisco the traveler's destination of choice for decades. Remember to wear comfortable shoes!
Coit Tower/North Beach: The group will ride the MUNI street trolley or MUNI Metro subway down Market Street to the Ferry Building, where the walking tour begins. You’ll walk up the Embarcadero toward Fisherman’s Wharf and detour up the historic and steep Filbert Steps to Coit Tower. From there, the group will explore some quaint Italian neighborhoods of North Beach before returning to the hotel via the Financial District.
Total walking distance: approximately 1.75 miles
Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
Activity level: Long, steep uphill stair climb required, otherwise moderate
Union Square: Tour the world-famous Union Square shopping district and historic, colorful Chinatown.
Total walking distance: approximately 1.25 miles
Time: 2 hours
Activity level: Easy walk with only moderate uphill
Fisherman’s Wharf/Hyde Street cable car: The group will ride the MUNI street trolley or MUNI Metro subway down Market Street to the Ferry Building, where the walking tour begins. Stroll from the Ferry Building down the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf via Pier 39. Visit famous Ghirardelli Square, the Cannery and the Maritime Museum. Return to the hotel via the Hyde Street cable car.
Total walking distance: approximately: 2.25 miles
Time: 2.5 -3 hours, depending on wait time for the cable car
Activity level: Easy and level walk, but fairly long.
Groups will meet in the Marriott hotel lobby and depart promptly at the designated times. There is no fee to join a walking tour, but you will need to pay for your own public transportation if indicated. MUNI street trolley and Metro subway fares are US$1.50 adults/US$0.50 seniors and youth (5–17) with valid identification. The Hyde Street cable car fare is US$5. Exact change is required.
Additional activities may be scheduled. Please check back for more information.
sunday, 7 june
Walking Tour of San Francisco (11 a.m.)
Collect your conference registration materials in the morning, then plan to join this walking tour if you missed it on Saturday. You can end the tour with lunch before you return to the hotel for the 1 p.m. conference sessions. Meet your guide in the Marriott hotel lobby. There is no fee to join the walking tour.
Union Square: Tour the world-famous Union Square shopping district and historic, colorful Chinatown.
Total walking distance: approximately 1.25 miles
Time: 2 hours
Activity level: Easy walk with only moderate uphill
Pre-conference Workshop (2–5 p.m.)
Presentation information to come.
Intercultural Communication for Communicators (4–5 p.m.)
 Leadership and innovation in a changing global business landscape
This session will introduce some eye-opening data on shifting global workforce demographics and pose thought-provoking questions about the implications of that data. You will explore non-traditional sources of leadership, innovation and mission-critical business resources, and how the global business environment of the near future will require a distinctive set of competencies for success.
Session attenders will:
- Be equipped with new data and valuable insights into key global trends
- Learn the unique set of competencies required of global leaders
- Gain awareness of the practical implications of thinking globally
Ernest Gundling, Ph.D., is co-founder and co-president of Aperian Global. As one of Aperian’s chief specialists in global leadership development and global innovation, he consults with clients in developing strategic global approaches to leadership and organizational development, coaching executives with global responsibilities and working with multicultural management teams.
Opening General Session and Keynote Address (5:20–6:30 p.m.)
Presentation information to come.
Welcome Reception (7:30–10 p.m.)
On Sunday evening, you’re invited to the 2009 Welcome Reception where you’ll enjoy stunning vistas of the San Francisco Bay, fine food and drink, and the company of fellow attenders from more than 40 countries.
This reception is included in your conference registration and includes a hosted bar.
The Welcome Reception is sponsored by
Monday, 8 june
General Session with IABC's 2009 EXCEL Award Winner (9:15–10:15 a.m.)
The CEO’s perspective: A model of communication success in turbulent times
Recent turbulence in global economic markets has challenged the leadership skills of even the most seasoned executives. The ability to rise to the occasion during such times and demonstrate strategic communication with employees and stakeholders is the true hallmark of a leader. In this insightful session, the winner of the IABC Excellence in Communication Leadership (EXCEL) Award discusses communication challenges within his or her organization. Hear how a visionary CEO demonstrates leadership and commitment to the communication profession and those who practice it. Learn what it takes to lead in today’s challenging and ever-changing global economic environment, gain a new perspective on the role communication plays in a successful organization and receive advice about how to work more productively with your CEO to achieve organizational success.
The 2009 EXCEL winner will be announced in March.
Lunch & Learning (12:30–1:45 p.m.)
 Leading in a storm: Generating positive energy in tough times
In crisis, people commonly default to behaviors that drain their energy and undermine their productivity. They become fear driven, reactive and demoralized at precisely the time that their companies need clear, innovative thinking and unwavering commitment. While time is finite, energy can be expanded and renewed to fuel sustainable productivity. Tony Schwartz lays out an approach to thriving in the current storm. His talk is grounded in four highly practical strategies designed to help leaders shift from depleted to energized, anxious to realistically optimistic, distracted to focused and expedient to purposeful.
Tony Schwartz is president and founder of the The Energy Project. He has 30 years of experience writing about and working with elite athletes, FBI agents, heart surgeons and Fortune 500 senior executives to help them perform under extraordinary pressure by more skillfully managing their energy. Schwartz is a noted speaker, journalist and best-selling author, whose most recent book is titled The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy Not Time.
Gold Quill Awards® Gala Dinner (7:30–10 p.m.)
The value of gold: Recognizing international communication excellence
In celebration of the 2009 Gold Quill Award winners, this black-tie-optional dinner and awards ceremony honors outstanding work from around the world. Surround yourself with professional excellence and interact with distinguished communicators. Join Gold Quill chair Paul Matalucci, ABC, and Emmy-award winning emcee Doug McConnell in recognizing IABC’s 2009 Gold Quill Award winners during this inspiring event.
 Doug McConnell is co-founder and host of OpenRoad.TV, the traveler's video guide to the American West. From 1993 to 2008, he was the host and senior editor of Bay Area Backroads, the longest running and most popular regional television series in Northern California. Prior to joining Backroads, McConnell hosted, reported and produced programs for network and cable television stations in the U.S. and abroad. He has received numerous awards, including multiple Emmys and the prestigious Harold Gilliam Award for environmental reporting in Northern California.
The Gold Quill Awards event will also feature entertainment.
The 2009 Gold Quill Awards® program is sponsored by
Table centerpieces will be donated to a local community organization after the event as part of IABC’s continuing efforts to reuse, recycle and reduce waste.
tuesday, 9 june
General Session (9:30–10:30 a.m.)
 Sustainable leadership: Robert Swan, Polar Explorer
In a tumultuous economic environment, all businesses face significant unexpected challenges. How do we move forward when the unimaginable happens? As one of the world’s most renowned explorers, Robert Swan is an expert on responsible leadership. Listen as he shares tales of exploration to the North and South Poles, and insights into our environment and what it takes to achieve success. Swan knows that to overcome seemingly dire circumstances takes the right combination of trust, guidance and collaboration.
Robert Swan, OBE, is a polar explorer, environmental leader and special envoy to the director of UNESCO. As the first man to walk both the North and South Poles, Swan witnessed first-hand the damage to the Polar regions. Over a five-year period, he removed and recycled more than 1,500 tons of waste from the Antarctic Peninsula. He is a noted speaker at global environmental summits, a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Youth and a visiting professor at the School of Environment at Leeds University. In 1995, Swan was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
IABC Research Foundation Luncheon & Seminar (12:30–1:45 p.m.)
Presentation information to come.
Networking Reception (5:30–6:45 p.m.)
Catch up with friends, make new career connections and meet face-to-face with representatives from companies who can bring innovation to your programs and workplace. This reception offers hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and time to relax after a full day of educational sessions.
This reception is included in your conference registration.
San Francisco Dine-Around (7 p.m.)
There’s a reason that San Francisco is one of the world’s top dining destinations. No matter what the size of your budget is, you’ll always find a great meal here—from a Mexican taco truck with five-star online community reviews to a total five-star dining experience. Join fellow communicators for the annual Dine-Around, one of the most popular conference networking events. The IABC/San Francisco chapter has compiled a list of great local area restaurants just for you. To participate, just stop by the Dine-Around table at the conference registration area to make your final choice. A host will lead each group in an evening of dining and networking.
Conference attenders are responsible for all costs, including transportation, food and beverage.
wednesday, 10 june
Closing General Session (10–11 a.m.)
Presentation information to come.
Post-conference Workshop (11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.)
Presentation information to come.
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