This session is a rapid-fire introduction to several important functions of Microsoft Excel, all of which will help you digest, manipulate and display data quickly and easily. Aimed at an audience between beginner and intermediate, the training will cover if statements, pivot tables and pivot charts, vlookup, conditional formatting, filter and sort and other fun functions and formulas. The session will include a demo of the above topics by using the various functions to turn a raw dataset into useful products. Audience members with laptops can download the dataset and play along, and a read-along handout given to all participants will list, in order, every function being demonstrated.

Trainers: Amelia Showalter

Have you ever had to give an online training/presentation and felt like you were awkwardly lecturing an unresponsive computer? Worse, have you ever had to participate in an online training (any online training)? As distance training becomes easier to do technologically, more people struggle with ways to keep online presentations engaging, interactive and impactful. Join this session to learn about Obama for America’s 10 tips for executing awesome trainings, and how we’ve adjusted our ten offline tips so that they translate to online presentations. We’ll cover concrete tactics you can use to keep your participants awake, specific online tools that are most amenable to those tactics and most commonly committed errors. You’ll leave ready to webinar the heck out of your organization or fellow organizers.

Trainers: Sara El-Amine, Brad Schenck

Chris Cassidy’s social media rapid response training, given twice at NOI bootcamps, is a consistent crowd favorite. (Ok, second favorite once.) Here, he’s taking that gold/silver-medal formula and expanding it from just social media to include static online sites and public relations. Rapid response is something that requires a coordinated message and approach across mediums. You’ll learn tips and best practices, as well as recent examples of failures and successes, for approaching communications crises.

Trainers: Chris Cassidy

New scientifically effective proven campaign tactics from the Analyst Institute. Randomized controlled experiments have been used by academics and political organizations for the past 10 years to uncover what works and what doesn’t when talking to voters. We will briefly recap old and new proven effective GOTV best practices and touch on findings from voter registration tests (focused on Latino Voters), volunteer and advocacy tests, television ad testing and more. As a progressive community, we have limited resources and it’s important that we maximize our efforts by employing tactics that are proven to be effective. You will leave this presentation with simple phrases, tools and tricks to help you win.

Trainers: Regina Schwartz

History has shown that when progressives mount a solid engagement organizing, we win the battle for hearts, minds and votes. Learn the tactics, timelines and tools from two of the best field organizers out there currently on the front lines of the 2012 battleground.

Trainers: Matthew 'Mudcat' Arnold, Helen Strain

Media appearances are performances. To be a good performer, one needs tools and techniques. This session will teach the tools and techniques used by professional actors to create star presence. It will be an interactive master class as taught by Joel Silberman, New York theatrical director and media trainer to performers and successful progressive candidates.

Trainers: Joel Silberman

Molly Katchpole took on Bank of America’s $5 fee. Katy Butler fought to give “Bully” a “PG-13” rating so students can see the film. Saudi women successfully got the world’s top diplomats, like Secretary of State Clinton, to support their right to drive. From local concerns to global issues, people are winning campaigns every day. This training will be a hands-on, interactive workshop for individuals and small organizations to start and run their own campaign. We’ll start with how to create a solid theory of change, brainstorm creative tactics and tools, and talk about strategies for reaching the media and getting a response from your decision-maker. You’ll leave this workshop with the knowledge to plan a strategic campaign and the skills to launch it in the room, so bring your laptops and ideas.

Trainers: Lola Elfman