Building the capacity of municipal communicators to bring value
Sponsored by SummersDirect
Communicating clearly is what a municipality does – or needs to do – every day. More than ever, municipalities need in-house teams with the knowledge and skills to tackle communications challenges and produce solutions that deliver results.
Canada’s Municipal Communications Conference supports this need. Each year, the conference brings together communications professionals from across the country. Organized by SummersDirect Conference and Events, the 19th annual conference was held in Toronto in November 2024. It gathered nearly 200 participants from nine provinces and territories in person and online.
Brian Lambie, president of Redbrick Communications, has chaired the conference for many years.
“I was committed to this conference from the start, because it was the only conference that pulled expertise from the municipal community,” Lambie said. “The content is on target, practical, and transferable in municipalities, large and small. It reflects a sector that is growing, evolving, and maturing.”
Return on Investment for Municipal Communicators
Julie Harvie-Shemko, founder of communications and strategy firm Red Thread Connections, has attended the conference many times and presented two sessions this year. Back in the day, when she led a municipal communications department, she always prioritized the conference for her staff.
“The return on investment through new ideas, enhanced skills, and professional connections was consistently worth the time away from the office,” she said.
Cynthia Lockrey, a B.C.-based consultant who works with local governments across Canada, valued hearing about what’s working.
“Taking the time to hit pause, listen, and reflect allows us to avoid challenges that others have faced and be more strategic in our communications,” said Lockrey, who also presented twice at the conference.
Tackling Shared Challenges
Kent Waugh, managing partner of the W Group and a presenter at the conference, said hearing how municipal communicators step up and tackle challenges is reassuring. You know you’re not alone in facing common challenges, he said, and it provides valuable opportunities to learn from others.
“It’s the premier conference in Canada for municipal communicators, bar none,” Waugh said.
Hearing about real-world challenges and successes “further highlighted the shared commitment to fostering transparency, accessibility, representation, and trust within communities,” said Colin Ellis, director of partnerships with PublicInput, which creates public engagement software.
Adrian Seeley, a sales representative with Chameleon Digital Media, said as a first-time attendee he appreciated being able to connect with municipal communicators.
“I was able to hear firsthand about the common problems municipalities deal with regularly,” Seeley said. “It will guide us in finding stronger ways to help municipalities in the future.”
The Municipal Communications Conference will mark its 20th anniversary in 2025. To learn more, visit www.summersdirect.com. MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Tom Sheahan’s article: Two-way texting an important communications tool for municipalities.
Bruce Malloch is a communications professional based in Toronto.
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