In an election year, the theme of listening is a particularly appropriate topic for communicators. And what better place to focus on the political process than Washington, D.C.? At the 2004 annual conference, "Can You Hear Us Now? The Art of (Truly) Listening to Key Constituencies," we'll draw on the political arena for "lessons learned" that apply to corporate roles. It's the Beltway meeting the Boardroom.

Harvey Greisman, IBM Global Services and chair of the conference, has emphasized the importance of not just hearing but listening, interpreting, and responding appropriately to what is heard. "We'll look at listening from an academic and practical point of view," says Greisman. "What's important is not just what we hear on the surface but what is really beneath the words that should direct our response."

To stimulate the discussion, a number of prominent speakers have been confirmed.

• David Gergen, noted commentator, author, Harvard professor, and former editor of U.S. News & World Report, will share his insights on leadership.
• Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon, will share his thoughts on listening to stakeholders and how the company's present and future depend on doing that well.
• Gwen Ifill, moderator of "Washington Week," will comment on the political scene and how well politicians in general score on listening and what corporate communicators can learn from them.
• Larry Speakes, Dee Dee Myers, and Jody Powell—all former White House press secretaries—will participate in a panel led by Bill Margaritis, reliving tough moments and lessons learned.
• Dan McGinn and Peter Hart, both political consultants, will reveal the best and worst in political campaigns and what we can learn from those experiences.
• Alan Hilburg, one of the world's leading strategic counselors on mitigating crisis and reputation management issues in legal contexts, will lead a Socratic dialog in which listening is a key component to the analysis of the issue.
• Torie Clarke, former Pentagon spokesperson, will give her perspective on messaging and communicating in a complex matrix of constituencies.

In addition, the dinner on Monday evening will be held at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, with entertainment decidedly on the lighter side by The Capitol Steps.

The annual conference will run from 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 12, through 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 14, at the Westfields Marriott Conference Center in Chantilly, Virginia. To view a current agenda, please click here.

The annual conference is open to Page Society members and their companions only.