Five members of the staff of State and Federal Communications attended the Public Affairs Council National Grassroots Conference in beautiful Key West, Florida last week. It was a great chance to learn more about what is happening in grassroots advocacy, to see old friends, and to make some new ones!

One of the best takeaways from the conference, I think, was the way it presented social media as a tool for grassroots advocacy. The offerings at the conference were not an introduction to social media, nor were they making an effort to convince everyone of the value and importance of social media’s arrival. The sessions this year provided insight into best practices of social media. I witnessed much more dialogue in the sessions as more people are aware of it and using it.

There were other high points as well. We really enjoyed hearing the 2010 Grassroots Innovation Awards Winners – Portland General Electric, the American Heart Association, and American Express – talk about the exciting things they are doing in public relations.

Another excellent moment was listening to former U.S. Representative Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.), who spoke at the Friday morning general session. His talk was on the 2010 elections, how they will affect business and public policy, as well as what to look for in the upcoming legislative session.

The conference gave us so much more than we can blog about. We had a great time. We cannot wait until next year!

Thank you very much to the Public Affairs Council for hosting this marvelous conference.

Photo of Elizabeth Bartz welcoming everyone at the Registration/Networking breakfast.