Share
I might be biased, but StoryConnect is the best utility and broadband industry conference of the year, and you should attend.
Sure, I’m part of the team that organizes it, and that might sway my opinion a bit, but hear me out. Everyone who has been to StoryConnect or our StoryConnect Workshop raves about how much fun they had. Both have a history of being intimate gatherings that provide ample opportunities to connect with your peers in the industry and the Pioneer staff. Now that they are rolled into one event, I’m excited to share it with many of you.
The Pioneer team plans social events to maximize your networking potential. Game night is legendary. Imagine a room full of creative communicators playing Minute-to-Win-It-style games for prizes and, more importantly, bragging rights.
StoryConnect is also a big opportunity to get to know our Pioneer team. We make sure the staff-to-attendee ratio is such that we have time to sit down and get to know you. This is the best way to learn how we can help you do your job better. Many of the services we offer now are a direct result of conversations at StoryConnect. We do our best work when we know what your needs are.
But fun is not the only reason to come. We want you to join us because of the high-quality sessions we have planned. From photography and writing to communications planning and broadband, our speakers will help you find ways to do your job better and faster. While the agenda is not entirely set yet, we’re lining up sessions on:
- AI tools for communicators
- Communicator to CEO career track
- Trends in rural video and broadband usage
- Broadband rollouts zone by zone
- Six ways to share your energy efficiency story
- Identifying stories in your community
- Story structure and concise writing
- Telling stories through photography
- The self-editing process
- Telling your story through digital advertising
- The basics of market research
- Sunset photo walk and photo critique
Exchange Ideas
One thing that may be new for some of you is the Idea Exchange, which has been the most popular session at StoryConnect for years. In this fast-paced session, 10 selected attendees have three minutes each to share a cool idea they did at their organization. This session is popular because you go home with solid, actionable ideas you can immediately implement. This year, we will split into two Idea Exchanges — one focusing on internal communications and the other focusing on external communications. If you have an idea you’d like to share, reach out to Andy Johns.
Meet Two StorytellersÂ
I’m also pleased to announce our photo and writing instructors. Editor Teddy Feinberg will lead our writing sessions and offer hands-on coaching to help attendees improve their writing. Teddy has a background in news and sports writing with stops in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and California before his current role as managing editor at the Idaho Press. He will bring great tips on concise writing and a nice energy to his sessions.
If you know me, you know photography will always be my passion, so I’m excited to learn from photo instructor Chris Pietsch. Chris is the director of photography for Gannett newspapers in Oregon and an instructor at the University of Oregon. Chris brings a wealth of stories and experience from his storied, award-winning career, and we’re thrilled to have him.
Â
Discover the Story Setting
So, an expanded list of new friends who you can rely on to share ideas throughout the coming years, great sessions with quality instructors and fun networking games — oh, did I mention StoryConnect is in Hood River, Oregon?
This region is known for its diverse beauty and was recently named one of the top 15 happiest places in America. Hood River is near Mount Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon at a stunning 11,239 feet. Running past Hood River is the Columbia River, which in addition to being beautiful, provides affordable hydropower to the region and endless recreational opportunities. It is known as the windsurfing capital of the world. Anyone flying in will get to see a lot of this beauty — including the iconic Multnomah Falls — on the 60-minute drive from PDX to Hood River.
The Hood River Valley is known for agriculture. Thirty percent of the nation’s winter pears are grown there, along with apples, cherries, berries, peaches and more. While I’m not sure how much of that will be in season during StoryConnect, I hear the type of Columbia River Gorge agriculture that goes into a bottle with a cork on top is always in season.
Registration is open now at StoryConnect.com, but early bird pricing disappears on Jan. 8.
Please contact me or Andy Johns if you have questions or need more information to justify the trip. I look forward to seeing each of you in April at StoryConnect!
I might be biased, but StoryConnect is the best utility and broadband industry conference of the year, and you should attend.
Sure, I’m part of the team that organizes it, and that might sway my opinion a bit, but hear me out. Everyone who has been to StoryConnect or our StoryConnect Workshop raves about how much fun they had. Both have a history of being intimate gatherings that provide ample opportunities to connect with your peers in the industry and the Pioneer staff. Now that they are rolled into one event, I’m excited to share it with many of you.
The Pioneer team plans social events to maximize your networking potential. Game night is legendary. Imagine a room full of creative communicators playing Minute-to-Win-It-style games for prizes and, more importantly, bragging rights.
StoryConnect is also a big opportunity to get to know our Pioneer team. We make sure the staff-to-attendee ratio is such that we have time to sit down and get to know you. This is the best way to learn how we can help you do your job better. Many of the services we offer now are a direct result of conversations at StoryConnect. We do our best work when we know what your needs are.
But fun is not the only reason to come. We want you to join us because of the high-quality sessions we have planned. From photography and writing to communications planning and broadband, our speakers will help you find ways to do your job better and faster. While the agenda is not entirely set yet, we’re lining up sessions on:
- AI tools for communicators
- Communicator to CEO career track
- Trends in rural video and broadband usage
- Broadband rollouts zone by zone
- Six ways to share your energy efficiency story
- Identifying stories in your community
- Story structure and concise writing
- Telling stories through photography
- The self-editing process
- Telling your story through digital advertising
- The basics of market research
- Sunset photo walk and photo critique
Exchange Ideas
One thing that may be new for some of you is the Idea Exchange, which has been the most popular session at StoryConnect for years. In this fast-paced session, 10 selected attendees have three minutes each to share a cool idea they did at their organization. This session is popular because you go home with solid, actionable ideas you can immediately implement. This year, we will split into two Idea Exchanges — one focusing on internal communications and the other focusing on external communications. If you have an idea you’d like to share, reach out to Andy Johns.
Meet Two StorytellersÂ
I’m also pleased to announce our photo and writing instructors. Editor Teddy Feinberg will lead our writing sessions and offer hands-on coaching to help attendees improve their writing. Teddy has a background in news and sports writing with stops in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and California before his current role as managing editor at the Idaho Press. He will bring great tips on concise writing and a nice energy to his sessions.
If you know me, you know photography will always be my passion, so I’m excited to learn from photo instructor Chris Pietsch. Chris is the director of photography for Gannett newspapers in Oregon and an instructor at the University of Oregon. Chris brings a wealth of stories and experience from his storied, award-winning career, and we’re thrilled to have him.
Â
Discover the Story Setting
So, an expanded list of new friends who you can rely on to share ideas throughout the coming years, great sessions with quality instructors and fun networking games — oh, did I mention StoryConnect is in Hood River, Oregon?
This region is known for its diverse beauty and was recently named one of the top 15 happiest places in America. Hood River is near Mount Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon at a stunning 11,239 feet. Running past Hood River is the Columbia River, which in addition to being beautiful, provides affordable hydropower to the region and endless recreational opportunities. It is known as the windsurfing capital of the world. Anyone flying in will get to see a lot of this beauty — including the iconic Multnomah Falls — on the 60-minute drive from PDX to Hood River.
The Hood River Valley is known for agriculture. Thirty percent of the nation’s winter pears are grown there, along with apples, cherries, berries, peaches and more. While I’m not sure how much of that will be in season during StoryConnect, I hear the type of Columbia River Gorge agriculture that goes into a bottle with a cork on top is always in season.
Registration is open now at StoryConnect.com, but early bird pricing disappears on Jan. 8.
Please contact me or Andy Johns if you have questions or need more information to justify the trip. I look forward to seeing each of you in April at StoryConnect!