"Leading With Emotional Intelligence"

Presented by Tania Lewandowski
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
Omaha, Nebraska

This workshop is designed for Managers, Directors, and company CEO’s who want to enhance their ability to remain at the top of their industry. From Japan to Russia, South America, and worldwide, leaders are tapping into the best kept secret of leadership to continue to stay competitive in the growing evolution of today’s economy and workforce. Throughout the course of this process, we will define what emotional intelligence is; how it correlates with the ability to lead; how to resonate with your direct reports to achieve impacting results; build a culture of emotionally intelligent leaders; and how to leave with the tools to apply the power of this universally understood language of leadership, emotional intelligence.
 

"Leading Your Team Through Change"

Presented by Rose Lawyer
HRD Solutions
Columbus, Ohio

Since all organizations undergo change continually it behooves leaders to help their teams navigate more efficiently through change transitions.  Many leaders can lose focus on how to manage not only the change process, but how to deliver results before, during and after the change.  HRD Solutions will provide a “how to” guide for leaders that will help them lead their teams through change.
 

New to IARE or a "first-timer" at the IARE Annual Conference? Join IARE Board members to learn about the organization, how you can become involved and how to make the most of your experience at the IARE Annual Conference.
 

Meet in the Royal Palm Foyer. Buses will depart at approximately 5:45 p.m. Please remember to bring your IARE name badge, if already registered, or you can pick-up your name badge before boarding.

IARE's Teambuilding Activity will be held at the Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Drive. The evening will begin with a scavenger hunt through the exhibits and fill conclude with a tropical party to welcome you to Florida. Appetizers, drink tickets and a cash bar will be provided. Buses will return attendees to the Quorum Hotel at 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit: http://www.flaquarium.org/
 

"7 Ways To Become 1 Great Thinker"

Presented by Tom Laughon
Catch Your Limit Consulting
Tallahassee, Florida
 

Looking for something new?

Looking for something to jumpstart your brain?

7 Ways to Become 1 Great Thinker is high energy, creative, motivational and perfect for leaders in a variety of organizations!

Learn the importance, value and rewards of thinking smarter and being creative.  Understand that change is what it’s all about … in these fast-change, competitive times EVERYONE must think better, faster, smarter, broader, deeper and higher.

You’ll learn about:  1 Brain, 2 Ways to Work, 3 Ways to Win, 4 Ways to Communicate, 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, 6 Hats* and 7 is Genius!

* A more comprehensive and interactive look at Six Hat Thinking is included in the workshop.
 

One of the greatest benefits of the IARE Annual Conference is the opportunity for networking with industry colleagues. The Call Center Forums are designed to stimulate discussion on call center issues specific to size and number of employees. These forums will provide facilitated discussion for call center managers to share insights and strategies to enhance call center performance.
 

Lunch sponsored by Upstream Works Software
 

Join our Sponsors and Exhibitors in our Supplier Showcase to discuss ways to keep our contact center functioning as efficiently as possible.

Play our Supplier Showcase game and win a fabulous door prize. Collect signatures from all of our Sponsors and Exhibitors and you'll be entered to win.
  

"Big Ideas, Creativity & Innovation"

Presented by Tom Laughon
Catch Your Limit Consulting
Tallahassee, Florida

"Bringing Out the Best in People"

Presented by Rose Lawyer
HRD Solutions
Columbus, Ohio

True performance management is more than setting goals, deadlines and deliverables.  It is recognizing the qualities that make us different and capitalizing on our strengths.  Highly motivational leaders who are good at developing others have learned that by understanding the needs of their individual team members and responding to them accordingly, they can achieve higher levels of success than their peers.  This session provides the foundation of applied behavior analysis and motivational tips geared toward positively reinforcing individual performance.
 

"Bringing Out the Best in People"

Presented by Rose Lawyer
HRD Solutions
Columbus, Ohio
 

"Big Ideas, Creativity & Innovation"

Presented by Tom Laughon
Catch Your Limit Consulting
Tallahassee, Florida
 

"Big Ideas, Creativity & Innovation"

Presented by Tom Laughon
Catch Your Limit Consulting
Tallahassee, Florida
 

"Bringing Out the Best in People"

Presented by Rose Lawyer
HRD Solutions
Columbus, Ohio
 

Recognize excellence in the contact center industry! Network with your colleagues during this informal reception and awards presentation. Be sure to make plans for the evening to visit with colleagues and friends from across the continent and around the world.

Reception sponsored by West Corporation
 

Join Nuance Communications for an unforgettable evening under the stars! This optional off-site dinner is for conference attendees, Platinum and Gold Sponsor Representatives. Transportation will be provided to the Yacht StarShip, for a dinner cruise on Tampa Bay.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Tim Gallagher of Nuance Communications, tim.gallagher@nuance.com or stop by Nuance's table in the Supplier Showcase.
 

"Life is What Happens When You're Waiting on the Bus: Creating Work/Life Balance"

Presented by Dana Bickford
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Finding work-life balance in today's frenetically-paced world is no simple task. Spend more time at work than at home and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, if you're facing challenges in your personal life such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital or financial problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.

Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress — and its harmful effects — is the result.

You can leave this workshop with the following:

• A vision statement for your life

• Identification of your personal core values

• 10 tips to assist you in achieving a better "life balance"

"Hospitality Customer Care" Discussion Group

Facilitated by Dean Tarasenko and Phyllis Burckhard
Choice Hotels
Minot, North Dakota

Discussion topics include:

• First Call Resolution
• Resolving Agent Errors
• Guest Satisfaction Surveys
   

"Agent Monitoring" Discussion Group

Facilitated by Connie Smith
Envision
Seattle, Washington
 

"Skills Based Routing and Multi-skill Scheduling" Discussion Group

Facilitated by Nathan Stearns
IEX Corporation, a subsidiary of NICE Systems Ltd.
Richardson, Texas

Skills based routing (SBR) and multi-skill scheduling can make even the most seasoned contact center professional cringe.  There have been many instances where SBR and multi-skill scheduling has been perceived as ‘too complicated,’ ‘hard to manage’, and even ‘more trouble than its worth.’  Over the years, the technology supporting SBR and multi-skill scheduling has evolved, as has our understanding of the ins and outs of creating efficient SBR strategies.  Additionally, we have learned a lot about what works (and what doesn’t) when creating schedules to match to our SBR strategies and tables. We will discuss best practices and lessons learned.

"Coaching: The Missing Link to Improving Agent Effectiveness"

Presented by Connie Smith
Envision
Seattle, Washington

Coaching has become one of the most important drivers of agent effectiveness within the contact center yet many centers have not allocated the time or resources to develop and implement a well thought out program.  An effective coaching program is not as simple as selecting someone to conduct side-by-side sessions to discuss “done well’s” and “do betters.”  There is much more to it then that.  A coaching program should be a daily routine that is welcomed by all and is integrated into the lifecycle of your contact center.  You’ve developed a training program, implemented a quality monitoring program, now it’s time for you to focus on the missing link to agent effectiveness, a coaching program.     

 Please join us to learn more about: 

• The guiding principles every coaching program must have

• Why the art of delivering feedback will make or break your program  

• Different coaching methods such as side-by-sides, one-on-ones and fly-bys and when to use each

• The dramatic performance improvements that coaching can have on your center

"Driving Results Through Activity Based Compensation"

Presented by Chris Engle
ACS, Inc.
Dallas, Texas

Activity Based Compensation (ABC) is an agent payment philosophy that rewards call center agents for their individual contributions based on clearly defined performance metrics – equally weighted between quality and productivity. ABC as discussed in this session is far more robust than traditional agent incentives and ongoing agent bonuses -- it is a completely unique way of motivating all types of call center agents -- not just sales agents -- to improve both quality and productivity.

This session will utilize case studies and over 12 years of ACS experience in implementing activity based comp into a call center environment. Beneficial for those who manage both in-house and outsourced call centers, this session will include a discussion best practices in ABC, an implementation roadmap, potential pitfalls and things to avoid, as well as travel industry specific management issues.
 

"Leveraging Home Agents"

Presented by Mark Frei
West Corporation
Omaha, Nebraska

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, today’s consumers have an unprecedented choice in travel and hospitality options. Home agent solutions enable companies to deliver a higher level of care to their callers, increasing revenue and brand loyalty. In this highly interactive session, you will learn how leading companies are capitalizing on this growing and vital new call center trend and get real-world feedback on the effectiveness of home agents. Join us as we team up and play “Home Agent Feud” and discover how home agents can:

• Deliver marked improvements in Key Performance Indicators, such as quality and conversions.

• Increase staffing flexibility by up to 40%.

• Provide significant increases in agent productivity.

• Eliminate unnecessary staffing and minimize personnel costs.
   

"Using Behavioral Analytics to Enhance the Customer Experience"

Presented by Bob Seward
Nuance Communications
Menlo Park, California

According to a 2006 Benchmark Portal study, over 90% of Travel & Hospitality websites offer a 1-800 number to call a contact center for more information. Imagine, then, the ability to track a customer's progress within your organizations customer care solutions; starting with a web-based transaction, followed-up by automated call and then, ultimately, speaking with an agent. Using consumer behavior intelligence and analytics, companies can now determine how consumers are using all the customer care options within an organization, helping move customer satisfaction and automation rates to the next level. Come hear how to access a more complete view into your offerings, allowing you to track successful transactions as well as identify the areas in your customer service portfolio that may benefit from improvements.  

At this session you learn about :

• The value of behavioral analytics to gain fresh insights into the operational performance of customer care offerings
• How companies are leveraging these insights to discover hidden opportunities to enhance the customer experience
• The newest tools that are available to help companies optimize their self-service offerings

Hear what IARE has been doing this year. This is also your opportunity to decide who will be leading your organization during the next year.

Lunch sponsored by LLE Language Services
 

"Selling is Everyone's Business: What it Takes to Create a Great Sales Person or Service Provider"

Presented by Bob Coakley
The Next Level Sales Consulting
El Segundo, California

In this session we will cover the art of training and coaching your team members; vital topics include:

• The role and best practices of a  coach/manager/supervisor

• Help them out or help them OUT – help agents improve their skills or help them out the door

• Providing feedback, motivation, and inspiration for your sales and service teams that impact results

•  Transferring the skills of top performers to everyone else on the team

• Creating an environment that encourages improvement and performance

Some suggestions for uniquely Tampa activities:

Ybor City, and the famous Columbia Restaurant. A tradition since 1905, located at 211 East 7th Avenue. Easily accessible by taxi. Visit http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ for more information.

Seminole Hard Rock Casino, a lavish casino property in the tradition of the Hard Rock franchise. Accessible by taxi, the casino is located at 5223 North Orient Road. For more information, please visit: http://www.seminolehardrock.com/.

Channelside -- The Channel District of Tampa Bay, with dining, entertainment and shopping. Located at 615 Channelside Drive, accessible by taxi. Visit http://www.channelsidetampa.com/ for information.

International Plaza and Bay Street -- Upscale shopping, dining and entertainment. Located five minutes from the Quorum Hotel and accessible by the Quorum's complimentary shuttle. For more information, visit: http://www.shopinternationalplaza.com/

Transportation information: Taxis are available, but are not always available outside of the hotel. Please call well in advance to schedule a pick-up:
United Cab Company (813) 253-2424
Yellow Cab Company (813) 253-0121
 

Schedule for transportation:

• 9:00 a.m.   Bus departs for Hilton Reservations Contact Center, 7920 Woodland Center Boulevard #1200.
• 9:30 a.m.   Tours begin and will last approximately two hours.
• 11:30 a.m.  Bus departs for airport drop off
• 12:15 p.m.  Bus returns to Quorum Hotel

Please note: Space on shuttle bus is limited, please verify your attendance by stopping by the registration desk before Wednesday morning.