Open Board Meeting + PD Panel - The rhetoric behind the referendum
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Organized by: IABC/Calgary — https://www.eventbrite.com/o/64577720733
Join IABC/Calgary for a member-exclusive evening pairing our Nov. Board Meeting with an engaging panel, featuring scholars from MRU & U of C
IABC/Calgary meeting (5:30 p.m.)
Start the evening with a behind-the-scenes look at your IABC/Calgary Board as we conduct our monthly meeting and share an update about plans for the 2026/27 Board year. You’ll get a rare opportunity to see how chapter decisions are made and how your priorities are translated into action.
As one of the few IABC chapters to regularly open our board meetings to members, we continue to create opportunities for transparency, engagement, and connection between chapter leaders and the communications community.
The rhetoric behind the referendum
Following the meeting, our expert panel will explore the communication strategies, persuasive techniques, and rhetorical approaches that influenced Alberta's referendum outcome. With the results known, panelists will analyze the narratives, framing, emotional appeals, credibility markers, and messaging choices that shaped public understanding and voter behaviour. Together, we’ll unpack the narratives, framing, and emotional appeals used in Alberta’s referendum campaign to explore what resonated, what fell flat, and why.
Featured panellists:
Mount Royal University
Dr. Brooks DeCillia, Assistant Professor, Journalism
Brooks DeCillia spent more than 20 years reporting and producing news at CBC. These days, he teaches at Mount Royal University's School of Communication Studies, where he researches the nexus of media and public opinion.
University of Calgary
Dr. Maria Petrova Bakardjieva, Chair: Communication and Media Studies
Dr. Maria Bakardjieva is professor and Chair in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Calgary. Her research examines the use of digital media in various cultural and practical contexts with a focus on user agency, critical reflexivity and emancipation. Her recent publications have focused on the role digital media play in citizen engagement and democratic participation.
Brandi Weston, MA
Brandi Weston, MA, is a Calgary-based communications professional and researcher whose work explores the intersections of media, politics, and democracy. She completed her graduate research at the University of Calgary, focusing on populism, information disorder, social movements, and media in the context of Alberta.
This is not a political debate. It's a communications-focused discussion, designed for practitioners who want to better understand how influence works in the real world. Whether you're passionate about public affairs, change communication, leadership messaging, employee communication, or strategic storytelling, this conversation will offer valuable insights into the art and science of persuasion.
You'll learn:
Which communication strategies appeared to resonate most with Albertans
How rhetoric and framing influenced public discussion
The role of emotion, trust, and credibility in shaping opinions
What communicators can learn from the referendum regardless of political perspective
How principles of persuasion apply across organizational and public communication contexts
Who should attend?
This is a member-exclusive event.
IABC/Calgary Members and Member-Lite Members are welcome to attend. Especially members seeking fresh perspectives on influence, messaging, strategic communication, and civic discourse.
Come see your Board in action. Stay for a communications-nerd deep dive into one of Alberta's most-discussed public conversations.
Important Notices:
By participating in this event, you consent to being photographed, videotaped and/or audio-taped. You authorize IABC/Calgary to use any of these recordings for activities and events, as well as for print and electronic promotional material, including on the internet. If you have any concerns with this, please contact the event organizer.
This venue, as well as IABC/Calgary, is not responsible for the loss or damage of your personal belongings while attending this event.
Join IABC/Calgary for a member-exclusive evening pairing our Nov. Board Meeting with an engaging panel, featuring scholars from MRU & U of C
IABC/Calgary meeting (5:30 p.m.)
Start the evening with a behind-the-scenes look at your IABC/Calgary Board as we conduct our monthly meeting and share an update about plans for the 2026/27 Board year. You’ll get a rare opportunity to see how chapter decisions are made and how your priorities are translated into action.
As one of the few IABC chapters to regularly open our board meetings to members, we continue to create opportunities for transparency, engagement, and connection between chapter leaders and the communications community.
The rhetoric behind the referendum
Following the meeting, our expert panel will explore the communication strategies, persuasive techniques, and rhetorical approaches that influenced Alberta's referendum outcome. With the results known, panelists will analyze the narratives, framing, emotional appeals, credibility markers, and messaging choices that shaped public understanding and voter behaviour. Together, we’ll unpack the narratives, framing, and emotional appeals used in Alberta’s referendum campaign to explore what resonated, what fell flat, and why.
Featured panellists:
Mount Royal University
Dr. Brooks DeCillia, Assistant Professor, Journalism
Brooks DeCillia spent more than 20 years reporting and producing news at CBC. These days, he teaches at Mount Royal University's School of Communication Studies, where he researches the nexus of media and public opinion.
University of Calgary
Dr. Maria Petrova Bakardjieva, Chair: Communication and Media Studies
Dr. Maria Bakardjieva is professor and Chair in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Calgary. Her research examines the use of digital media in various cultural and practical contexts with a focus on user agency, critical reflexivity and emancipation. Her recent publications have focused on the role digital media play in citizen engagement and democratic participation.
Brandi Weston, MA
Brandi Weston, MA, is a Calgary-based communications professional and researcher whose work explores the intersections of media, politics, and democracy. She completed her graduate research at the University of Calgary, focusing on populism, information disorder, social movements, and media in the context of Alberta.
This is not a political debate. It's a communications-focused discussion, designed for practitioners who want to better understand how influence works in the real world. Whether you're passionate about public affairs, change communication, leadership messaging, employee communication, or strategic storytelling, this conversation will offer valuable insights into the art and science of persuasion.
You'll learn:
Which communication strategies appeared to resonate most with Albertans
How rhetoric and framing influenced public discussion
The role of emotion, trust, and credibility in shaping opinions
What communicators can learn from the referendum regardless of political perspective
How principles of persuasion apply across organizational and public communication contexts
Who should attend?
This is a member-exclusive event.
IABC/Calgary Members and Member-Lite Members are welcome to attend. Especially members seeking fresh perspectives on influence, messaging, strategic communication, and civic discourse.
Come see your Board in action. Stay for a communications-nerd deep dive into one of Alberta's most-discussed public conversations.
Important Notices:
By participating in this event, you consent to being photographed, videotaped and/or audio-taped. You authorize IABC/Calgary to use any of these recordings for activities and events, as well as for print and electronic promotional material, including on the internet. If you have any concerns with this, please contact the event organizer.
This venue, as well as IABC/Calgary, is not responsible for the loss or damage of your personal belongings while attending this event.
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Where is it happening?
National, 341 10 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, AB T2R 0C5, CA, Canada
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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