2007 Annual Conference Schedule
 |
 |
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Board of Directors Executive Committee Meeting
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom CD
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Board of Directors Meeting
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom C & D
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Pre-Registration Open
Location: Pier 66 Hotel -Captain's Room
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Board Candidates Orientation
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom A
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Orientation for First Time Attendees and International Delegates
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom B
First time attendees and international delegates can come learn how to get the most out of the conference. Sister Cities International staff members will walk attendees through the schedule and answer attendees' questions on the various events and session.
2:10 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
International Attendees Session - Part 2
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom B
The second part of the orientation will give the international attendees the opportunity to focus on their specific needs during the conference.
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
New Member Session
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom A
This session will allow you to interact and learn from other new members, ask the membership team questions, and learn about all aspects of Sister Cities International. Topics to be discussed at the session include how to create a successful sister cities program; criteria for selecting a sister city; benefits of membership and frequently asked questions.
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Honorary Board Meeting
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom B
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
State Coordinators Meeting
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom C & D
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Shuttles buses to depart from the Hyatt Pier 66 for the Welcome Reception at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception
Location: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Do not miss the first opportunity to meet your fellow conference delegates. Plan to attend the Welcome Reception at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The reception will include a performance by the Seminole stomp dancers, complimentary admission to the Ah Tah Thi Ki Museum, and two poker tables with complimentary lessons.
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Shuttle buses for the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel will depart the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino every 30 minutes.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
|
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Conference Registration, Voter Registration & Information Desks Open
Location: Convention Center - 3rd Floor Concourse
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
International Marketplace Open
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian A-D
Visit the exhibit hall full of Florida businesses as well as non-profit organizations that your program can potentially partner with.
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Opening Plenary Session - Education for Peace Across Cultures
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Antonia Neubauer, Founder & Chairperson of READ Global
Location: Convention Center - Floridian C & D
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
SCI Silent Auction
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian F
Do not miss the chance to bid in the annual Sister Cities Silent Auction. Bid on auction items or purchase a raffle ticket.
10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Training Sessions:
Fundraising for Volunteers
Location: Convention Center: Room 301/302
Trainer: Ellis M.M. Robinson, President - Buttonwood Partnership, Author of The Nonprofit Membership Toolkit
Take this opportunity to develop a fundraising plan, select targets, and practice making your case for funding. The trainer will be Ellis M.M. Robinson, President of the Buttonwood Partnership and Author of Your Hands-on Membership Toolkit. Ms. Robinson has more than 25 years of membership development, fundraising and nonprofit management.
Pre-registration was required. Session is CLOSED to new participants. See Information Desk to get on the wait list.
Public Relations Boot Camp
Location: Convention Center: Room 317 & 318
Trainers: Ami Neiberger-Miller, Chief Executive, Steppingstone LLC; Alicia Anstead, Senior Reporter, Bangor Daily News and Editor, Inside Arts magazine
In this training session, learn how to get the press interested in your sister city program, practice responding to media inquiries, hone your sister city message and leave with a PR plan for your sister city program!
Pre-registration was required. Session is CLOSED to new participants. See Information Desk to get on the wait list.
10:15am - 11:45am
Workshops:
City-to-City Cooperation: Meeting the Climate Protection Change
Location: Convention Center: Room 304
Participants: Stephen (Tim) Honey, former Executive Director of Sister Cities International; Duane Kissick, President - PADCO/AECOM
Fifty years from now, the history books may well say that 2007 was THE pivotal year in saving the planet from the devastating effects of climate change. What is the role of Sister Cities International? Has your sister city program considered developing educational and governmental exchanges and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy consumption, provide clean water, and reduce air pollution? This workshop is for sister city officials who want an opportunity to learn and think together about developing manageable, sustainable, cooperative efforts to impact climate change.
Strengthening Your Sister City Partnerships
Location: Convention Center: Room 305
Trainer: Steven Barefield, Director of Training and Development for Our Town America and Immediate Past Chair St. Petersburg, Florida Sister Cities Commission
Join Steven and your sister city colleagues this thought-provoking and future-oriented workshop. How do sister city programs build capacity, renew themselves, involve more sectors of the community, and maintain intimate ties with their international partners? In this structured, professionally-facilitated session, you will work with your sister city colleagues to articulate and develop a shared understanding of what constitutes a vital, enduring partnership over the next 50 years. The result will be a "White Paper" on strengthening partnerships that will be available to all sister city members.
Regionalism: Culture, Tourism & Economic Development
Location: Convention Center - Room 315
Moderator: Bob Swindell, Vice President of Business Development, The Broward Alliance
Panelists: Deborah Wilkinson, Global Business Development Director, Broward County Office of Economic Development; Representative from The Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc. and the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University; Jan Goodheart, Director of Public Affairs The Broward Center for Performing Arts; Alfredo Gonzalez, Vice President of Tourism Sales for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Broward County. has successfully used international tourism and culture and leveraging regionalism as a tool for economic development. Learn what they have done and how they've done it. Gain great tips and take home value for elected officials, local and state government officials and sister city program leaders interested in promoting tourism.
Focus on Africa
Location: Convention Center - Room 316
Panelists: Mark Walton, Executive Vice President, Sponsorship and Corporate Development, The Africa Channel; Rumit Mehta, Director of Business Development, Safari Ventures
There is no denying Africa has wars, famines and natural and man-made disasters, but it also has high rises, stock markets, and internet cafes. This is the Africa you don't see on the nightly news. Listen to the stories of successes, the struggles, the challenges, and the solutions from those who are building Africa one investment, one business at a time. In this session, you'll learn how you and your sister city can take advantage of 21st century African opportunities - the towns, villages and cities of Africa are eager for sister city involvement in economic and cultural development as they move to achieve success in a globalized world.
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Networking Lunch
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian G& H
Take time to network with colleagues and stroll the exhibit hall after you pick-up a box lunch in the ballroom.
1:15pm - 2:45pm
Workshops:
Developing Strategic and Sustainable Sister City Relationships
Location: Convention Center: Room 305
Moderator: Carol Robertson Lopez, New Mexico State Coordinator, Sister Cities International
Panelists: Claire McElveign, Director of External Affairs and International Relations, Office of the Mayor, Atlanta, Georgia; Pamela McNaught, Executive Director, Norfolk Sister Cities Association, Inc.; Donna Vroom, Executive Director, Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc.
More than 375 communities from around the world are seeking sister cities. Hear strategies that U.S. sister cities believe are important to consider when entering into & sustaining a sister city relationship. Issues to be discussed include: developing a strategic plan for your sister city program, setting priorities, developing selection criteria, communicating with potential partners, measuring impact, success, and more!
Focus on Latin America: Partnerships for the 21st Century
Location: Convention Center: Room 316
Panelists: J.A. "Tony" Ojeda, Jr., Executive Director, the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium of Miami-Dade County; Walter Loy, Chair of the Miami-Dade County Sister Cities Coordinating Council.
Invited Panelists: Representative of the United States Southern Command; Joseph ?David? Pena, J. David Pena and Associates, International Affairs and Immigration Law; Representative of Enterprise Florida
Miami-Dade County bills itself as the Gateway to the Americas and has 19 sister cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tony Ojeda, who has been called "an encyclopedia of international trade information,"the sister cities program has developed unique economic, trade, cultural and humanitarian partnerships that signify new and fruitful directions for a sister city. You will learn about a unique partnership with the U.S. military-United States Southern Command, how the Miami-Dade partnership with Enterprise Florida benefits both Miami-Dade and its sister cities, and promising Latin American projects designed to increase prosperity and stability through city-to-city cooperation.
1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Cross Cultural Adaptability Skills: Don't Leave Home Without Them
Location: Convention Center: Room 315
Facilitator: Dr. Donna Goldstein, Cross-Cultural Psychologist, Author and Managing Director of Development Associates International, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Whether you are looking forward to your first or your 15th exchange or are a cross-cultural novice or an expert, you will learn new skills and have fun at this session. Cross Cultural Adaptability is an experiential workshop designed to show you how to observe and decode cultural behavior and communications that seem strange, funny, unfriendly, or downright offensive. Through role plays and small group discussions, you will learn how to interpret - and avoid misinterpreting - common, observable behaviors found in cultures around the world. You'll leave the workshop being able to use your newfound cultural observation skills right here at the Annual Conference and with your colleagues and friends at home and abroad.
1:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Training Sessions:
Fundraising for Volunteers continued - Room 301 & 302
Public Relations Boot Camp continued - Room 317 & 318
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Workshops:
Jump Start Your Youth Program
Location: Convention Center: Room 304
Panelists: Cassie Gonzalez, Youth Ambassador, President Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International; Misty Cisneros, Youth and Education Program Manager, Phoenix Sister Cities Commission
This session is an opportunity for youth and adults to put their heads together to create and revive youth programs. Every youth program is different and each has its own rewards & challenges. Other communities have struggled and succeeded in involving strong youth members. Hear their story about developing & sustaining youth involvement in their program. Youth and adults will discuss what works and what doesn't in good youth programs. Then, analyze your own program to determine which ideas and suggestions will work best in your community.
Building Peace through Citizen Diplomacy: The Islamic Partnership Initiative
Location: Convention Center: Room 305
Workshop Dialogue Chair: Mary Palko, Global Envoy and 2005-2006 Sister Cities International Islamic Task Force Chair , Fort Worth Sister Cities International
Resource Panelists: Ellen Goldberg, President, Sister Cities of Houston; Omar Ayyashi, Director of International Affairs, City of Louisville and Participant, Waging Peace in Our Communities Project
What is the Sister Cities International Islamic Partnership Initiative? Is your sister city ready to explore partnerships in predominantly Islamic countries? How are sister cities reaching out to include U.S. Muslim communities in sister city programs? What has been the experience of cities that have such partnerships? How do you begin to establish these relationships? Participate in a wide-ranging discussion with sister city members who can answer your questions, provide guidance, and serve as mentors in what could be the most important peace-building effort ever undertaken by Sister Cities International.
Crossing the Divide: Youth and Adult Dialogue
Location: Convention Center: Room 316
Facilitator: Carlos Capua, Global Alumni Program Chair, Academy Coordinator and Reciprocal Youth Exchange Ambassador, Fort Worth Sister Cities International
Adults and Youth - can we ever cross the divide? Why do we want to? The session is a structured dialogue between the youth and the adult members. Participants will talk about how youth and adults interact and about sister city related topics in small groups. The outcomes of the discussion will be shared among the group as a whole.
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Creating a Cyber Sister City
Location: Convention Center - Room 315
Panelists: Traver Gruen Kennedy, Vice President, Community and Governmental Affairs, Day-Jet Corporation; Arlon Kennedy, Board Member and Chair, Ghana Country Committee, Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International; Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Paramount Chief of the Agogo Traditional Area, Ashanti, Ghana; Jo Moskowitz, Director, Community and Governmental Affairs, Citrix Systems Inc.; Uri Dushi, Media Manager, Citrix Systems Inc.; Daniel Warren, Founder, One Village Planet; Nathan Burrell, President/Founder, The Minority E-Commerce Association
Citrix Systems, the Digital Development Partnership, Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International and the leaders of the Ashanti people in Agogo, Ghana have worked together over the last several years to create the Agogo Information Training and Access Center, offering this rural African village a window into the world of online information. For the first time in the United States, allof the major players in the development of this unique Cyber Sister City are together to tell their story and to show how other sister cities can create cyber sister cities and play a significant role in narrowing the "digital divide" the telecommunications and technology gap between rich and poor countries.
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Shuttle buses will begin leaving the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel for the World Mayors Reception
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
World Mayor's Reception
Location: Broward Performing Arts Center
8:00 p.m.
Presentation of Flags at Esplanade Park
Attendees will be led to Esplanade Park across from the Performing Arts Center, to watch the procession of flags. Afterwards, attendees can choose to enjoy dinner or entertainment on their own in the Downtown Fort Lauderdale's Historic Riverfront Area.
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Shuttles will loop between the Broward Center and the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel.
Friday, July 20, 2007
|
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Voting Check-in
Location: Convention Center - Lobby
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Registration & Information Desks Open
Location: Convention Center - Concourse
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Board of Directors Candidates Continental Breakfast
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian G & H
Learn about the individuals running for the Sister Cities International Board of Director before casting your vote on Saturday morning.
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
International Marketplace Open
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian A-D
9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Plenary Session - Bridging the Cultural Divide/ Walking in the Other Side's Shoes
Keynote Speaker: Salman Ahmad, musician and founding member of Junoon
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian G & H
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Best Practices Showcase and Global Conversations
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian E & F
Learn about the projects and programs that your fellow sister city programs-incomplete sentence. The Best Practices Showcase gives you the once-a-year opportunity to talk one-on-one with your colleagues to get in-depth tips on successful programs and how to replicate them. In addition, various programs will be making 15 minute presentations in the Showcase Presentation Area. Visit the Showcase area for a schedule of presentations.
For those looking for a sister city, there will be a Global Conversation area within the Best Practice area for cities to connect. Space is limited. Sign up in advance at the registration desk by Thursday, July 19 at noon.
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
SCI Silent Auction Open
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian E & F
10:15 a.m. - 11: 30 a.m.
U.S. - Africa Sister Cities International Meeting
Location: Convention Center - Room 316
12:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Lou Wozar Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian G & H
Celebrate with the local program award winners. Enjoy learning about the award winning programs that your fellow sister city colleagues have started around the world.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Best Practices Showcase and Global Conversations Continues
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian F
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Shuttles will depart the Hyatt for the 2008 Conference Reception on Hollywood Beach.
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
2008 Conference Reception: Experience a taste of Kansas City on the beach!
Location: Behind the Hollywood Beach Marriott, Hollywood Beach, Hollywood, FL
Join Kansas City on the beautiful Hollywood Beach Boardwalk for a special reception that will feature all that Kansas City is famous for. Enjoy the smooth sounds of classic Kansas City jazz performed by Kansas City's own Majestic Seven. Taste mouth-watering samples of Kansas City's authentic world-famous barbecue from Zarda Bar-B-Q. Wash it down and stay cool with a refreshing Boulevard Beer from the Midwest's largest specialty brewery based in Kansas City. Come dressed for a beach party like no other- Kansas City Style!
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Shuttles will depart the Hollywood Beach going to the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel and Downtown Hollywood.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
|
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Open Forum with the Audit Committee
Location: Convention Center - Room 301
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Information Desk Open
Location: Convention Center - Lobby
8:15 a.m.
Doors Open for the Annual Business Meeting
Location: Convention Center - Floridian C & D
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sister Cities International Annual Business Meeting
Location: Convention Center - Floridian C & D
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Board of Directors Meeting & Box Lunch
Location: Pier 66 Hotel - Panorama Ballroom
1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Country/Continent Networking Forums
Location: Convention Center - 302, 304, 305, 315, 316
Are you looking for a sister city? Are you hoping to share stories about your successes and struggles in a certain country? Are you hoping to share with your American counterpart how-best to work in your country? All this and more as part of our informal, small table conversations. Bring a friend and join the discussion.
6:30 p.m. -11:00 p.m.
Grande Gala Veneziana
Location: Convention Center - Grand Floridian Ballroom
Enjoy the evening with an Italian theme! The cocktail hour (6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.) will include live entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, complimentary wine and a silent auction. During the dinner attendees will enjoy good food, complimentary wine & a cash bar, a short program, a live auction of high end items and end the evening dancing with your old and new friends.
Best Practices Showcase Participants
Arts & Culture
City of Coral Gables Sister City Program
Maryland Sister States Program
Phoenix Sister Cities
September Concerts
Communications
Charlotte Sister Cities
Humanitarian Assistance
Wheelchairs for Peace
Membership
Fort Worth Sister Cities
Islamic Partnership Initiative
Sarasota Sister Cities Association, Inc.
Sustainable Development
Jacksonville Sister Cities Association
La Crosse, WI - La Crosse Dubna Friendship Association
The Open World Program
PADCO l AECOM
Tourism
Laredo International Sister Cities Festival
Safari Ventures
Youth & Education
Lakeland Sister Cities International
Omaha Sister Cities Association
Phoenix Sister Cities - Youth Ambassador Exchange Program