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Program Agenda & Objectives

Session I: Campaigns and Elections - Exploding the Myths

• Explore the requirements for and implications of running for office for the candidate and his or her family.
• Assess the candidate's readiness to run for elected office.
• Consider opportunities to enhance the candidate's knowledge, connections, and visibility in the months/years prior to launching a formal campaign.
• Understand the elements of a campaign plan.
• Understand a campaign timeline, and strategies for sticking with a formal campaign plan. 

Session II: On the Campaign Trail (Part I) - Message and Media

• Understand the importance of, and guidelines for, the campaign web presence.
• Explore strategies for defining and developing a campaign message, including effective and affordable polling.
• Consider options for getting the message to voters - web-based, grassroots, direct mail, and paid and earned media - and strategies for effectively employing each.
• Understand how to effectively and successfully engage with media.

Session III: On the Campaign Trail (Part II) - Message, Media, and Serving

• Understand strategies for raising cash and non-cash resources.
• Consider the role of negative campaigning in a successful campaign and strategies for planning, using, and defending against negative campaigning.
• Gain insights into the process of meeting with and soliciting endorsements from the editorial board.
• Understand the importance of finishing strongly in the last days of the campaign and strategies for getting out the vote.
• Consider principles of public service that enable an elected official to be effective in serving the best interests of his or her constituents and the greater public good.

Optional Session IV: Interactive Session for Candidates - NEW!
Go in-depth and hands-on with the most important aspects of every campaign - your media presence, dialing for dollars, and your voter data.  Understand these aspects that can make or break your campaign with a full hour of each topic with the professionals in the business.

• Get on camera and answer the tough questions.  Experience your camera presence and hear what the professionals have to say about being camera-ready.
• Do you have a voter file?  Do you know where to get out your vote?  If you’re ambivalent about these questions, you won’t want to miss this clear, straight-forward explanation of what a voter file is, how to manipulate it, and know where to find your voters.
• Asking for money is hard, but asking for money for YOURSELF can be even more difficult.  With so many candidates calling, how do you get your message through to someone you don’t know, to get the contribution you need.  You’ll find out!