CPRS Northern Lights

That’s a wrap!

Our 2024 CPRS Northern Lights Fall Conference in Prince George, BC was a success!

On Oct. 18, we were so fortunate to gather for a full day and learn from esteemed communication professionals, connect with one another and grow in our careers.

A big round of applause to everyone who attended, and those who brought this event to life!

Thank you to our presenters and panelists for sharing your experiences, knowledge and insights:

Daytime Keynote Speaker: Juli Holloway, SCMP, IABC Fellow

Panelists | Mistakes and What We Did Next:

• Renee McClosky, APR, FCPRS | Retired Local Gov’t Communications Manager

• Alyson Gorely-Cramer, MA, APR | Principal & CEO, Monogram Communications

• Steve Raper | Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, Northern Health

• Andrea Palmer | Director Of Communications at Carrier Sekani Family Services

Daytime Closing Speaker: Shirley Bond, Retired Member of the Legislative Assembly, Prince George-Valemount

Evening Keynote Speaker: Cam McAlpine, APR, Partner, Earnscliffe Strategies

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting this year’s conference:

Gold Sponsor: NDIT

Daytime Speaker Sponsor: Carrier-Sekani Family Services

Silver Sponsor: Monogram Communications

Silver Sponsor: Tourism Prince George

Bronze Sponsor: Concept Design

Daytime Room Sponsor: UNBC

Evening Room Sponsor: Courtyard by Marriott (Prince George)

Lastly, this wouldn’t have come together without the endless time and dedication from our volunteer planning committee, thank you:

Nadine Nygaard

Miya Fast

Andrea Palmer

Cori Ramsay

Julie Rogers

We hope to see you all again at a future CPRS NL Fall Conference!

Introducing your speakers for the 2024 Fall Conference:

Daytime Keynote Speaker: Juli Holloway, SCMP, IABC Fellow, Strategic communications leader, advisor, scholar |  Juli will focus on Indigenous history of communications (or lack thereof), engagement and moving forward in an inclusive way.

Evening Keynote Speaker: Cam McAlpine, APR  Partner, Earnscliffe Strategies | Cam will share lessons from the PR frontlines and how to incorporate ethics into your daily work

Panelists | Mistakes and What We Did Next:

• Renee McClosky, APR, FCPRS  | Retired Local Gov’t Communications Manager
• Alyson Gorely-Cramer, MA, APR |  Principal & CEO, Monogram Communications
• Steve Raper | Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, Northern Health
• Andrea Palmer | Director Of Communications at Carrier Sekani Family Services

AI Presenter: John Reid IT Director from CSFS | John will be presenting on ethics and best practices in using AI in our work

Daytime Closing Speaker: Shirley Bond, Retired Member of the Legislative Assembly, Prince George-Valemount | Shirley will be talking about her career in public office, how she works with professional communicators, the importance of clarity, transparency and honesty!

We are so excited for this year’s lineup,and can’t wait to learn together from these esteemed communicators and experts. 

There’s still time to grab your ticket and secure your spot for the 2024 Fall Conference in Prince George on Oct 18.

REGISTER HERE

Take a look at our 2024 Fall Conference! 👀 What are you looking forward to the most?!

We have a day chock-full of learning, connecting and having fun on Oct. 18!

Please share this with your comms friends, colleagues or mentees. It’s open to CPRS Northern Lights members, non-members and students.

Don’t forget to use discount codes if you’re a member or student (in the Eventbrite description).

GET YOUR TICKET(s): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cprs-northern-lights-fall-conference-tickets-1000974641097?aff=oddtdtcreator&irclickid=08ZTvT3KoxyKWPJQgiQNdx50UkC3vDQCS0BlTo0&utm_campaign=afsp_ceal_pmk_fpp_0_us_0_0_bau_0&utm_content=1818731__wordpress.com&utm_source=impact&irgwc=1&sharedid=wordpress.com&utm_term=10078&utm_medium=ebaf&irpid=10078

It’s official! Tickets for our second annual Fall Conference are live!

Follow this link to purchase your tickets. Note that early bird pricing is in effect until Sept 27. Discount codes for CPRS members and students are in the event description.

Please note that there are only 50 tickets total so be sure to get your tickets before this amazing professional development opportunity sells out.

The Northern Lights Annual General Meeting is on Wednesday, June 19.

Northern Lights members will have received their invitation to the AGM via e-mail. It will be held through Zoom.

We’ll start with a special presentation at 3:00 p.m. ahead of the AGM business.

Here’s what to know about our AGM special presentation:

Communicating in a Good Way: Connecting with Indigenous People

Fact: Indigenous people are the fastest growing population in Canada – growing nearly 10% between 2016 and 2021. This means a shift where we live, work and play – and the way we communicate must shift too. Ben Borne, Founder, Communicator & Leader at Symmetry Public Relations is dialing in from Treaty 6 Territory to shed led on the Indigenous Worldview and how it informs our communication approaches. You’ll takeaway some guiding principles for engaging with Indigenous communities, and most importantly, get hands on practice working with messages to make sure they are reaching Indigenous people in a good way.

---

Ben is a communications professional on paper, but a relationship builder at heart. He hails from Yellow Quill First Nation 300km east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and lives in Saskatoon. He is the descendant of a 60s scoop survivor, and through his work as a communications professional has started his journey to reclaim his identity. Over the years working with Indigenous people, he has nurtured a passion for using communications to create inclusive, generous, and responsible communities.

Ben has 11 years’ experience in the communications industry, currently working as a Co-Founder, Communicator & Leader at Symmetry Public Relations, the agency he founded with his business partner in 2020. Throughout his career, he’s worked in corporate communications, digital marketing, corporate performance, and business strategy. Ben is a sessional lecturer teaching Strategic Communications at First Nations University, Indigenous Business in Canada at the University of Saskatchewan, and now Community Engagement at Simon Fraser University.

Ben’s work has led to several professional accomplishments including being listed on CBC’s Future40 list in the business and entrepreneurship category in 2020 and taking home national and international awards for his work.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts from Canadian Mennonite University (2013), a Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria (2019), and a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University (2023) where he was also the recipient of the Founders Award for his exemplary leadership qualities, commitment to sustainability, positive and proactive work in equity, diversity and inclusion, and personal growth.

In his spare time, Ben likes to read, go for nice long walks, travel, and pretend to be a hardcore gamer.