Quick Links

56th U.S. Annual Employee Benefits Conference

Article Search - INFOSOURCE® (EBIS®)

Meeting and Event Management Services

U.S. Legislative Tracker

Home > Educational Programs > Session Information

Benefit Communication and Technology Institute Session Handouts

Log In to access the available session handouts. You must already be registered for this conference to access handouts.

Monday, August 02, 2010

7:00 AM – 8:15 AM

Opening Session: Social Networking and Web 2.0

Jennifer Corriero M.A. (Speaker)
Co-Founder and Executive Director
TakingITGlobal
Toronto, ON

This opening session will provide an overview of Web 2.0 technologies and a survey of social networking including what is being done, opportunities and challenges and where this is all going. (#5—Communication)

8:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Benefits in Plain Language

Jack R. Wilkerson (Moderator)
Administrator
Airconditioning & Refrig Trust
Anaheim, CA

Theresa P. Card (Co-Speaker)
Senior Communications Consultant
Alcoa
Pittsburgh, PA

William J. Sweeney (Co-Speaker)
Principal
William Sweeney Communication
Clemmons, NC

Now more than ever it’s critical to communicate benefits in plain language to manage the expectations of your participants and to influence their behavior. This session covers • Coming to grips with literacy skills of your population • Culture and generation • Help them learn what they need to know • Help them understand what they need to do • Meeting your legal obligations • Turning disclosure requirements into a communications tool. (#5—Communication)

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Evaluating Your Communication Plans

Aaron Tabela (Speaker)
Senior Associate
Mercer
Boston, MA

Rhonda Kitter (Moderator)
Plan Accountant
National Education Association - Alaska Health Trust
Anchorage, AK

You think your communication is great. But can you prove its effectiveness? This session gets into the nuts and bolts of evaluating your current communication plans, including • Communications audits • Content • Media and messages • Measuring success. (#5—Communication)

Continuity Planning

Christopher E. Brecht GBA, RPA (Co-Speaker)
Vice President and Chief Operations Officer
Carday Associates Inc.
Columbia, MD

Jeff Herman (Co-Speaker)
Director of Sales and Marketing
basys, inc.
Linthicum Heights, MD

Laurel M. Scotti (Moderator)
Manager
Masonry Institute
Des Plaines, IL

There’s a lot more to business continuity planning than preparing for a major catastrophe. This session will look at • The range of possible business disruptions • The distinction between administrative issues and benefits issues • Working with your information technology team • Remote access • Internal vs. external needs (#5—Communication)

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Delivering on Your Promise

Claire E. Crawford (Speaker)
Vice President and Senior Consultant, National Communications Practice
The Segal Company
New York, NY

John J. Simmons (Moderator)
Trustee
Buffalo Carpenters Pension Fund
Oswego, NY

This session will teach you how to improve communications success by adopting a strategic approach designed to bring leadership, plan design and media into alignment, including • Getting a seat at the table • Establishing leadership and human resources buy-in • The say/do connection • Communicating up and down within your organization. (#5—Communication)

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Communication Open Forum—Ask the Experts

Christopher E. Brecht GBA, RPA (Panelist)
Vice President and Chief Operations Officer
Carday Associates Inc.
Columbia, MD

Claire E. Crawford (Panelist)
Vice President and Senior Consultant, National Communications Practice
The Segal Company
New York, NY

Theresa P. Card (Panelist)
Senior Communications Consultant
Alcoa
Pittsburgh, PA

William J. Sweeney (Panel Facilitator)
Principal
William Sweeney Communication
Clemmons, NC

Come ready to ask questions and share experiences with a panel of experts and other participants in a session that will review communication trends and provide practical advice. (#5—Communication)

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

7:00 AM – 8:15 AM

Enhancing the End User Experience

David Van Zeeland (Moderator)
VP Techn & Chief Tech Officer
International Foundation
Brookfield, WI

Joanna Pineda (Speaker)

Matrix Group International Inc.
Arlington, VA

Communication that places the needs and experience of the end user over technology is more effective than focusing on the technology. This session considers how technology can be used in benefits with a clear focus on the end user, including • Paperless enrollment • Technology tools for helping participants understand and access benefits • Design and organization for the end user • Administrative and compliance issues. (#5—Communication)

8:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Building Your Communications Strategy

Christopher Assenmacher (Speaker)
Partner
AB+M Partners, LLC
Washington, DC

Theresa P. Card (Moderator)
Senior Communications Consultant
Alcoa
Pittsburgh, PA

Many communicators have great tactical knowledge, but what about a strategic perspective? This session will focus on the development of your communications strategy, then drills down into • Knowing and targeting your audience • Developing your campaign • Selecting media and messages • Moving from strategic to tactical plans. (#5—Communication)

Is Your Organization HITECH-Compliant?

Christopher E. Brecht GBA, RPA (Moderator)
Vice President and Chief Operations Officer
Carday Associates Inc.
Columbia, MD

Kevin L. Wolfe (Speaker)
Vice President, Administration and Technology Consulting Practice
The Segal Company
Chicago, IL

This session provides an overview of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, including • Major provisions • Breach notification requirements • Risks and vulnerabilities • What you need to be doing. (#5—Communication)

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Communicating Health Care Reform

Liz Webler Rowell (Speaker)
Senior Consultant
Benz Communications
San Francisco, CA

William J. Sweeney (Moderator)
Principal
William Sweeney Communication
Clemmons, NC

The implications of the health care reform legislation enacted early in 2010 are far reaching. What will it mean for your organization and how will you position it? This session will provide an overview of the legislation with a focus on communications, including • Legal requirements • What employees need to know and when they need to know it • Reenforcing the value of your plans during this time of change. (#5—Communication)

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Effective Web Writing and Design

Julie Miller Ed. D. (Speaker)
Chief Executive Officer/President
Business Writing That Counts!
Woodinville, WA

Liz Webler Rowell (Moderator)
Senior Consultant
Benz Communications
San Francisco, CA

Back by popular demand! This session focuses on the mechanics of communicating via the Web, including • Writing to get results • Using appropriate language and style • Online vs. paper • Design and graphics that support your branding strategy. (#5—Communication)

Helping Participants Make the Right Choices at Retirement

Michael E. Callahan FSPA, EA, CPC, MAAA (Speaker)
Vice President and Operating Manager
Pentec, Inc.
Southington, CT

William J. Sweeney (Moderator)
Principal
William Sweeney Communication
Clemmons, NC

This session approaches retirement planning from the perspective of managing money in retirement, including • Education and planning tools • Making the decision to retire • Surviving in retirement. (#5—Communication)

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Technology Open Forum—Ask the Experts

Christopher Assenmacher (Panelist)
Partner
AB+M Partners, LLC
Washington, DC

Joanna Pineda (Panelist)

Matrix Group International Inc.
Arlington, VA

Julie Miller Ed. D. (Panelist)
Chief Executive Officer/President
Business Writing That Counts!
Woodinville, WA

Kevin L. Wolfe (Panel Facilitator)
Vice President, Administration and Technology Consulting Practice
The Segal Company
Chicago, IL

Come ready to ask questions and share experiences with a panel of experts and other participants in a session that will provide practical advice about technology trends, what applications people are really using, how to get the most out of your technology, and how to find and implement new technologies. (#5—Communication)

Print | Email |

Educational Programs

Schedule

Certificate Programs

US Annual

Canadian Annual

Webcasts

E-Learning Courses

Canadian E-Learning

Continuing Education and Other Credit