2013 Legislative Boot Camp Schedule

To view the schedule in a PDF document, click here.

Saturday, March 2, 2013
 
Participants arrive at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

7:30 – 8:00 AM Registration

8:00 – 8:15 AM Welcome and Introductions
  Tami Smith, CSR, RPR, CPE, NCRA President
  Jim Cudahy, CAE, Executive Director & NCRA CEO
  Room:

8:15 – 8:30 AM Goals of Boot Camp - What You Need to Know
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Brandon Schall, PLC, NCRA Government Relations Specialist
  Room:
This is an overview of Boot Camp.  This seminar will discuss what to expect, and you will receive helpful hints that will put you one step ahead.

8:30 – 9:30 AM Politics 101
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Room:
This is the nuts and bolts of how legislation is made.  You will learn how bills become laws, how to interact
effectively with staff, and how to advocate for your ideas!
 
9:30 – 10:30 AM Utilizing Grassroots in Your Efforts for Maximum Success
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Room:
This session will give you the tools for your advocacy toolbox and help you construct a full scale grassroots
campaign that will push your legislative campaigns over the top. In this day and age, you must incorporate grassroots into your overall strategy to have the maximum impact. 

10:30 – 10:45 AM Break

10:45 – 12:15 PM How to Effectively Communicate with Legislators on
  Capitol Hill and State Legislative Staffers - TBD
  Room:
Legislative staff from Capitol Hill and state government will come in and provide you with important inside knowledge of how to communicate with federal and state lawmakers and staff. They will also touch on what the life of a staffer is like.

12:15 – 1:30 PM Lunch at hotel with your team
  Room:
Enjoy a delicious lunch and hear a special announcement from Donna Betza, CMRS, and Chair of NCRA PAC.

1:30 – 2:30 PM Additional Issues Affecting Court Reporters: Contracting
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Room:
This session will provide details on one of the biggest state-level issues facing our affiliate associations.

2:30 – 3:30 PM The Life of a Capitol Hill Reporter
  Edward H. Johnson, RPR, CRR
  Room:
"Reporting on Capitol Hill:  Witnessing History in the Making"
What is it like to be an Official Reporter to the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.?   What does the job entail and what training is required?  How does one get a job reporting for Congress?    How do you handle 435 different speaker identifications?  Ed Johnson will share the answers to these and other questions as he relates his personal experiences as an Official Reporter for Congress.  Attendees will also learn some of the history of making the record in the House of Representatives and the Office of Official Reporters

3:30 – 3:45 PM Break

3:45 – 5:00 PM Understanding NCRA’s 2013 Federal Initiatives and Game Scenario
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Room:
Take good notes here because this is where the details of our scenario will be disclosed and the background
information on how to make your arguments and pitch more effective.  Understanding these issues
completely will give you the upper hand against the other groups at Boot Camp and in your mock meetings
and on Capitol Hill.

5:00 – 6:00 PM Networking 
  B.J. Shorak, Deputy Executive Director of NCRF
  Room:
Most of us have interacted with hundreds, if not thousands, of people over the years, so we know social graces and the intricacies of the “meet and greet.”  Or do we?  Different personality styles respond differently to the same situations.  No surprise that shy or introverted people react differently than outgoing extroverts in conversations or at social gatherings.  Become aware of these distinctions and how to best accommodate them.  Which one are you?  Discover social cues.   Where are good networking opportunities?  How do you respond to or open a line of discussion with total strangers?  Learn some tricks to make the most of every networking opportunity.  

***Dinner On Your Own***
(Group Working Dinner)

Monday, March 4, 2013

7:30 – 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 AM Dealing with the Press
  Christina Lewellen, NCRA Sr. Director of Marketing and Communication
  TBD Representative from Bendure Communications
  Room:
This session will detail strategies to effectively interact with the press. As state leaders you will be called upon to respond to press calls and the importance of getting your message across. This session will teach you what to do and what NOT to do when dealing with the press. You will need this for your mock meetings and to avoid the ambush paparazzi!

9:30 – 10:00 AM Final Preparation
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Brandon Schall, PLC, NCRA Government Relations Specialist
Time to ask any final questions and prepare for the upcoming meetings with your team

10:00 – 1:00 PM Meetings with Impact Role Players in Breakout Sessions
  NOTE: Various rooms; breakout chart will be handed out
    
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch on your own with your team to discuss your strategy for approaching the mock hearings

2:30 – 4:30 PM Hearings
Time to put what you have learned into action!  Get your message straight and put your game face on, because it is time to testify in front of a panel of Senators.  Prizes will be given to the group with the best presentation.

4:30 – 4:45 PM Break

4:45 – 5:15 PM What to expect on the Hill/Hill maps and instruction
  Dave Wenhold, CAE, PLC, Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies
  Adam Finkel, NCRA Senior Government Relations Specialist
  Room:
Final instructions and review the final plan for “Hill Day”

5:15 – 5:45 PM Wrap-up and Q&A
  Tami Smith, CSR, RPR, CPE, NCRA President
 Room:
NOTE: You will receive your HILL DAY folders at the end of wrap-up.

***Dinner On Your Own***

Tuesday, March 5, 2013: HILL DAY

7:45 AM  Meet in lobby for buses

8:00 AM  Depart en route Garfield Circle
  (Maryland Ave. and 1st Street, SW; Adjacent to the US Botanic Garden)

8:45 AM  Arrive at Garfield Circle
  (Maryland Ave. and 1st Street, SW; Adjacent to the US Botanic Garden)
  NOTE: Photo at Capitol

9:00 – 5:00 PM Meetings with Legislators and Key Staff
NOTE: Some meetings will start at 9:30 AM, please plan to arrive on time for your meetings.  See your Hill Packet for details.

***LUNCH ON YOUR OWN***

TBD  Boot Camp Debrief and Fundraiser at the Capitol Hill Club
  Location: Capitol Hill Club
   301 1st Street, SE
   Washington, DC 20003
  Room: 3rd Floor California Room
  Phone:  202-484-4590
 
7:00 PM Depart for the Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner, VA
 
NOTE: Buses will pick you up at Garfield Circle
 
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Morning Departure/Check-Out before NOON

TBD TOTAL CEUs for Boot Camp Weekend