Virtually everything you need to know about your future as a communicator.
What does the future of communications hold? The Future of Communications will answer that critical question and bring you the most important trends, tools and best practices to include in your upcoming playbook.
No matter your position, organization or industry, this is the communications event you must attend before the close of 2020. As communicators navigate historical crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, you've also had to adjust to virtual opportunities and content, communicating with and engaging remote employees, understanding changing consumer behaviors, applying creativity and compassion to business metrics and decisions, and much more. Now, you can survey the landscape to see what's next and plan accordingly.
The Future of Communications on-demand conference offers you an opportunity to learn from leading PR, social media, marketing and employee communications pros how to build a solid foundation and employ sound strategies for the near and long-term future, along with ways to boost your brand, build trust, create meaning, respond to crisis and harness the power of insights and technology.
Thriving in 2021 and beyond will require you to always be two steps ahead. Attend from the comfort of your home and partake in the industry's most-anticipated conference that looks to the future while taking stock of how far we've come. As an attendee, you'll have access to all the presentations post-event plus an array of bonus materials to help you navigate what's on the horizon for months to come.
Purchase you registration Today.
#RaganFuture
You'll receive these bonus materials:
- Oracle's Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Machine Learning are the Future of Communications report
- Mental Health America's resources for mental health in and out of the workplace
- Early access to research from Ragan Communications and Institute for PR
- HOK's Navigating a Path Forward guide to the future of the workplace
- Handy guide to Barcelona 3.0
- And more!
Plus, all attendees receive:
- All slides and presentations from speakers
- Connections to our esteemed speakers
We also have special guests during the conference who will surprise and delight you!
Top takeaways for you and your team:
- How audience behaviors have transformed, and what you can do to adapt your messages
- How to better engage with employees and bridge the gap while most employees work from home or are faced with a new workplace environment
- The types of pitches reporters like—and loathe
- What you should know about making a podcast, and why it's harder than you might think
- Ways to increase employee satisfaction by integrating workplace insights and feedback from your HR team
- What skills and traits you should hone to move up the ladder
- How to be agile, nimble and communicate transparently in times of uncertainty
- New tips and tools to help power social media efforts across platforms including Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more
- Ways to turn DE&I statements into meaningful action that strengthens your reputation
- How to use insights to drive your crisis responses
- How you can set your organization up for social media success—even if your brand is "unsexy"
- Which communications efforts to invest in and where to scale back
- Which new video creation tools to invest in—and how to use them effectively
- Best practices in optimizing your content and targeting the right audiences
- How brands without news grab coverage and conversation through "news-jacking" and more
- How to communicate to and engage dispersed and remote employees
- Case studies of content and campaigns that stand out from the ever-growing noise of marketing messages and misinformation
- Ways to reach and inspire your workforce and other stakeholders through executive thought leadership
- What the talent landscape looks like and how you can handle a world that's "forever virtual"
- Ideas to take risks and come out on top, without destroying trust and reputation
We'll prepare you for two information-packed days and ways to get the most of out of this conference, including networking opportunities and more!
Creating and executing strategic campaigns, content and messages can feel like an exercise in futility with continuing crises including a global pandemic, a nationwide movement seeking racial justice and equality, a tumultuous presidential election and more. What can communicators do to prepare and respond to a constantly shifting landscape as well as changing audience behaviors? In our opening conversation with Amanda Schoch, Chief Communications Officer at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, along with Richard Levick, Chairman and CEO at LEVICK, and Michael Kaye, Global Communications & PR Manager at OKCupid, we'll discuss what's on the horizon for communicators and how to get ahead while building trust.
You'll learn:
- How audience behaviors have transformed, and what you can do to adapt your messages
- Ways to respond to unexpected crises as well as potential threats on the horizon
- How communicators can navigate political and social issues as audiences become more polarized
- Takeaways for how to succeed in the next six to 12 months
Consumer behavior has drastically shifted during COVID-19, with more people than ever before becoming digital-first audiences who are embracing online brand engagement, e-commerce and more. Because welive in an insights economy, data can help you clinch communications success—if you measure what matters most, listen to what your audiences are telling you, and jump on trends as they appear. Matt Roberts, Senior Manager of Consumer Insights and Personalization Analytics for Adidas, will share the roadmap to success when answering the call of today’s consumer—and why you should invest in a digital-first strategy today.
You'll learn:
- Why e-commerce and digital-first consumer behaviors aren’t a next-year strategy—and what you can do to catch up
- How to collect the right data and have it deliver messaging that resonates with your consumers
- Tips for following the blueprint of successful brands and meeting consumers where they are
- Messaging strategies needed to keep the trust of the public during uncertain and volatile times
- How to elevate the right spokespeople and thought leaders in a crisis situation
- Proactive measures you can take to respond to the next unexpected crisis
Resources will undoubtedly be tight for communicators, but you're probably also not a stranger to stretching budgets and getting the biggest bang for your campaign buck. Where should you prioritize your dollars as we enter the new year, and how can you do more for less, especially as communications campaigns and strategies change during times of uncertainty? Join us for a discussion with Gladys Hernandez, Director of Marketing & Advocacy for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, and Hillary Kwiatek, Employee Communications Specialist for Lehigh University, for insights on how to work with limited or shrinking PR and internal communications budgets, especially as organizations continue to combat the fallout of COVID-19.
You'll learn:
- Which communications efforts to invest in and where to scale back
- Ideas for repurposing content, stretching media coverage wins and more
- How to grab a larger piece of the budget pie, especially when resources are scarce (Hint: It's all about measurement)
- Why you need a multi-tiered communications budget as the next year progresses
Get to know fellow attendees and learn from our sponsors in the conference's virtual networking room and exclusive LinkedIn group.
- What you should know about making a podcast, and why it's harder than you might think
- Why authenticity is key to your messaging and conversations
- Tools, tips and analytics to help drive your efforts
- How you can find and connect with passionate audience(s)
The past year has dramatically changed what employees expect from the organizations they work for—and what we consider "the workplace". What's next for employers looking to keep employees engaged in their mission and helping them adapt to rapid change in a new business landscape? Shalini Gupta, Leader and CEO Communications Manager at BT (British Telecommunications), Jacqeline Rooney, Head of Internal Strategic Response, Internal Communications for Facebook, and Rachel Lutz, Internal Communications Manager at Deloitte, will share important takeaways and insights as you navigate how you'll continue to keep your workforce on the same page in the new normal.
You'll learn:
- Ways to meaningfully integrate DE&I goals and initiatives
- How to better engage with employees and bridge the gap while most employees work from home or are faced with a new workplace environment
- Strategies for encouraging employee advocacy and leveraging employee-generated content
- How to be agile, nimble and communicate transparently in times of uncertainty
- How to integrate change management best practices into executive communications
As a communications professional, how do you ensure your news release has all the elements needed to catch the eye of the media and ensure message adoption? In this lightning talk, Corine Varga, Sales Enablement Manager for Business Wire will walk you through four tips for how to grab the media’s attention now that can be carried through to the new year.
Network with fellow attendees and learn from our sponsoring partners during this interactive break.
Many organizations are looking for ways to reach Gen Z consumers and beyond, but using slang on Twitter and sharing memes without understanding your target audience won't win you any favors. Instead, this conversation will help you understand both the content and audiences across social media platforms, but also help you embrace the shifting social media landscape. Join Chris Harihar, Partner at Crenshaw Communications, as he uncovers trends and takeaways with Ben Goggin, Senior Editor, Digital Culture for Insider; Aly Ellis, Director of Social Media for Cheddar; and Kieyle Taylor, Global Head of Partnerships, Managing Partner, at GroupM.
You'll learn:
- The newest social media features across platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Twitter—and how you can best use them to communicate
- Takeaways from Reddit and why communicators should better understand internet culture when engaging and crafting content
- Ways to better use social media and technology in ways that fit with your brand's voice and organization's mission
Innovative platforms, tools and technologies can help make your job as a communicator easier—if you know how to take full advantage of them. Michael Delgado, Director of Social Media for Experian, will share tools and technology trends you can harness to help shape PR and social media efforts as you look to stand out in the digital media landscape of tomorrow.
You'll learn:
- Platforms that make content creation and distribution more efficient than ever
- Which new video creation tools to invest in—and how to use them effectively
- Tips for using AI to better understand and target your stakeholders
- Measurement tools that will help you become a more strategic, forward-thinking communicator
You've learned the inconvenient truths. Now prepare to enter the growing podcast landscape. Join Rob Loewenthal, founder and CEO of Whooshkaa, for a discussion on how you can use podcasts to bridge the gap and keep employees engaged while they WFH.
He'll discuss:
- The power of audio as a communication medium
- Use cases for private podcasts
- Companies / industries currently using private podcasts, and;
- How it works / the process for creating your own private internal podcast.
As consumers are bombarded with messages, content and more, yesterday's strategies won't make the cut on social media. Glean inspiration from a legacy brand making connections and thriving on Twitter and beyond: Lisa Schneider, Chief Digital Officer for Merriam-Webster, will share how the company stays relevant while remaining true to its mission, along with how you can blend communications foundations with digital savvy to thrive in today's attention economy.
You'll learn:
- Ways to craft messages for digital-first audiences
- Takeaways on writing and content for social media platforms—and what the future holds
- Tips for balancing current conversations, trends and more with your organization's mission and tone
- How you can set your organization up for social media success—even if your brand is "unsexy"
As people stay at home during COVID-19, online shopping is more popular than ever. The growing e-commerce trend is here to stay, too. Join us for a conversation with Jon Chang, Global Head of Shopping Growth Marketing for Klarna, as we talk about the company’s shopping app explosion, top trending gifts for the holiday season and marketing insights.
Gone are the days of disconnected internal campaigns and communications efforts. To succeed, internal communications and HR pros must work together to support and enhance employees' experiences and connection to your organization's mission. In this insightful conversation, Courtney Laws, Director of Human Resources, Change Management and Communications for Maximus, and Elizabeth Lewis, Senior Director, HR and Employee Communications for RBC, will share ideas for breaking down silos and reinventing how you can approach employee engagement.
You'll learn:
- Ways to communicate needs and content resources across teams
- How to better prepare teams for internal campaigns that span across your organization
- Ways to increase employee satisfaction by integrating workplace insights and feedback from your HR team
- How to align your HR and internal communications goals
Most consumers and employees now say they will not support an organization that does not align with their values. Consumers are looking to organizations more than ever before to take stands on social issues as well as become a positive change agent around diversity, CSR and sustainability. Join Janet Stovall, Senior Director of Social Impact and The UPS Foundation for UPS, and DE&I Expert for Ragan Consulting Group, as she shares how you can pick up the torch and take a leadership role in this increasingly important area.
You'll learn:
- Ways to communicate with internal and external stakeholders with authenticity
- Lessons learned from successes as well as efforts that fell short
- How to champion important conversations within your organization
- Ways to measure the impact of your purpose-led campaigns
We'll share the top 15 takeaways from the day, and set the stage for the next day's Future Comms sessions.
We'll share reminders and instructions for interacting with us and our speakers as we discuss the future of the industry and what that means for you.
Content continues to reign supreme, but only those who develop integrated and insights-driven strategies across social and digital platforms will stand out from the crowd. Buckle up for this session with Rachel Moore, Social Media Marketing Manager for Talent Acquisition for TTEC, as she covers what you should know about paid and promoted content across social media platforms.
In this session, you’ll learn why:
- A/B testing your paid social is key to understanding your audience at every step
- Testing out and measuring new channels and features is key to survival in the shifting social landscape
- Consistency in content and branding is vital, from the top of the funnel to the bottom of your “Thank You” page
- Clicks are competing with conversations, communities and influencers
If you're looking to take the next step in your campaign or career, you need executive buy-in. However, getting a seat at the table isn't enough. To grab a chair, increase your budget, secure a promotion and more, you must become a master negotiator as well as a communicator. Mary Olson-Menzel, Founder and CEO of MVP Executive Search & Coaching and Melissa Shahbazian, SparkinSight Coaching Co-Founder, will uncover the secrets of how to talk with the C-suite.
You'll learn:
- What skills and traits you should hone to move up the ladder and grow as a leader
- Ways to make sure executives are noticing and appreciating all of your hard work in the virtual world
- The conversations you must have now to set you up for future success
Storytelling continues to be a driving force behind connected and effective digital marketing, video and social media efforts, especially as more employees and consumers turn to online platforms to find information, advice and recommendations. Valerie Barker Waller, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for YMCA of the USA, will share some of the nonprofits outstanding efforts and how they've used them to engage the community and beyond.
You'll learn:
- Secrets for creating captivating digital content and videos
- Ways to highlight important messages while remaining audience-centric
- How YMCA is using storytelling to highlight its offerings and resources
As more employees and consumers turn to social media and other digital channels to find information, advice and recommendations, it's important to tie your leaders and employees to your organization's social media footprint. This is even more crucial during continuing uncertainty. Steve Kearns, Marketing Manager of Content & Social Media for LinkedIn, will share ways you can use the platform to amplify the voices and stories of your executives and employees as well as connecting storytelling efforts to meaningful interactions.
You'll learn:
- How to put your leaders and brand front and center on LinkedIn
- Ways to highlight important messages while remaining audience-centric
- Top features and hacks to power your content through videos, posts and more
Organizations are being called to the mat as consumers push for meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that truly make a difference. From amplifying diverse voices, recruiting diverse talent and pledging commitments to change, learn how the Black Lives Matter movement and other efforts have changed our messages and efforts—along with how you can prepare for a future filled with purpose. Lee Deas and Katie Kern, Co-Founders of Act In Solidarity, will also share step-by-step actions that you can plan and execute within 30, 60 and 90 days, strengthening your DE&I commitments.
You'll learn:
- Ways to turn statements into meaningful action that strengthens your reputation
- Tips for inclusive language and content that's authentic and transparent
- How to avoid the "call-out" culture with consumers and more
- How and why communicators should be part of DE&I efforts within their organizations
Network with fellow attendees and sponsors as you talk about what you've learned so far.
What’s old is new again. The forefathers and mothers of public relations and press agentry—namely, PT Barnum, Edward Bernays, Ivy Lee and feminist Doris Fleischman—taught us transparent communications principles while making publicity campaigns experiential. Bernays even galvanized a feminist women’s march that was subtly sponsored and brand-integrated by Virginia Slims. Though we're past Edwardian era press agentry, we can apply these innovative ideas in modern ways to help us stand out in our fast-moving digital media landscape. Neil Alumkal, Founder and President of Stuntman PR, will show you how PR pros can be more creative and willing to leap into the spotlight, as newsrooms continue to shrink and content floods online channels.
- Ways to creatively highlight your offerings to create more clicks
- How brands without news grabbed coverage and conversation through "news-jacking" and more
- Ideas for calculating and taking strategic risks that pay off
- How to skirt controversy while creating a spectacle for your brand
Join Katie Liston, Head of Marketing for ContactMonkey for an exclusive look at what their recent global survey reveals about internal communicator's goals, challenges and measurement strategies going into 2021. The results might surprise you.
How can you grab coveted media coverage when crises dominate the news—especially when you don't have huge news to share? Learn how to thrive in the changing news media landscape. Join us for a discussion with Emily Mekstan, Senior Manager of Retail and Owned Brand Communications at Walgreens; Cheryl Smith, Publisher of I Messenger Media and Secretary for the National Association of Black Journalists; and Gregg Castano, Founder and CEO of News Direct, will share lessons learned along with top tips to stand out from the crowd.
You'll learn:
- Tips for press releases and PR copy that lands coverage
- Ways to measure your efforts with meaningful KPIs
- How to keep ahead of the narrative and cater to what reporters and readers crave
- The types of pitches reporters like—and loathe
We'll take a quick break for lunch and give you another chance to connect virtually with attendees and sponsors.
Nimbly adapting your communications approach for a virtual environment is challenging enough… now try launching a new company brand on top of that. Not hard enough? How about without any budget for internal communications. Listen in as Allie Zahn, Senior Internal Communications Manager for NI, shares how the company's global internal communications team leveraged Yammer to effectively engage employees before, during, and after their new company brand launch and increased Yammer adoption by ~50% across the organization.
- how to make Yammer a valuable addition to your communications arsenal
- to create a strategic plan including creative ways to launch including user generated content, campaigns, contests, all with a zero-dollar budget
- keys to success, including engagement tactics and measuring the things that mattered
Now more than ever before, managers are interacting with employees in more authentic and meaningful ways as they confront burnout and stress, communicate difficult business decisions and workforce realignments and more. Naomi Jones, Communications Director for SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, and Allison Jackson, Director of Corporate Communications at KPMG, will reveal ways you can better equip tomorrow's managers for success.
You'll learn:
- Psychological best practices for effective communications and conflict resolution
- Ways to give your managers freedom to communicate and crucial information and assets
- How managers can better open up two-way conversations, recognize employees more frequently and elicit crucial feedback
- Best practices to help managers and leaders support employee wellness—along with the business case for doing so
Don't throw yet another email message at employees already overwhelmed with content. Instead, learn how to use forward-thinking strategies to get your email messages across and take advantage of new technology at your disposal. Mike McNeilly, Enterprise Account Executive for PoliteMail, will uncover eye-opening data and show you how.
You'll learn:
- Tools that can help measure employee email efforts and when to adjust
- Secrets of distribution and timing that can boost email engagement
- Research-backed traits of emails employees actually want to read
- New trends in employee behavior to be aware of when creating strategies
Get caffeinated as we share a cup of coffee with Al Hopper, Owner and Founder of Full Deck Coffee, for a chat about what a "strong brew" really means, along with lessons learned about branding, customer loyalty, marketing without a budget and giving back to the community.
What does the future of work look like? Tina McCorkindale, President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, will share new data and takeaways from the organization's eye-opening research report.
There has long been conversation about the invisibility of women and other diverse groups in business and in public life. For women alone, an analysis by Talkwalker for the PR Council's Close the Say Gap initiative revealed that women were quoted in 32.9% of U.S. media coverage from October 2019-March 2020 while men were featured in 67.1%. The last couple of years have heightened awareness on these gaps and we’re now starting to see a shift in representation of experts who are women, minorities, and those often not heard enough or not heard ever before.
Join Heather Kernahan, CEO of Hotwire Global, for a talk on how we can invest in up and coming leaders, support their growth in skills such as communications, and ensure voices of all backgrounds are elevated to highly referenced expert thought leaders.
The "new normal" is rapidly shifting organizations' workforces to teams that might become permanently remote, as hybrid and increasingly global workplaces present additional challenges of engagement. Emma Almond, Global PR and Communications Director for ManpowerGroup, will share what's now and next as we strap in for a future where competition for talent and workforces are dispersed across the globe—and what employees want from their workplace has dramatically changed. You'll glean insights from examples as well as the organization's Future of Work report.
You'll learn:
- Generational and demographic differences in what employees want from their workplace and job during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- How to address concerns around work-life balance, skill development, inequity, workplace safety and more
- Why personalized, transparent communications are more important than ever
As organizations face the economic fallout of COVID-19, budgets have never been tighter and the expectations have never been higher for you to make the business case for your programs—and your job. We'll talk with Kathyrn Campbell, Director of Research & Insights for Ticketmaster, as she shares a few top trends to pay attention to, along with what you should include in your strategies as you plan for the next 6-12 months.
You'll learn:
- Which previously important metrics and activities now mean little to leaders—and commonly overlooked KPI's and programs to pay attention to
- Why the user experience is paramount, especially as the technology resistant embrace e-commerce
- How your role will continue to evolve
- Skills PR and communications pros must have to take advantage of changing audience behaviors
We'll share the top 15 takeaways of the day, lessons learned and some thought-provoking new research findings as we close our conference jam-packed with inspiration for your current and upcoming efforts.
If you are interested in submitting a speaker proposal, please contact Beki Winchel at BekiW@ragan.com
We Know You're Zoom-Fatigued!
The Future of Communications Conference takes into account that you are probably attending from this event from home, with a myriad of distractions and a desire to consume content in new ways. We've put together an agenda that includes short-takes, deep-dives, fireside chats, panels and more. Session times range from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Plus, you'll be able to view any of the sessions on-demand afterwards. So, you don't have to attend both days and all sessions, though we hope you'll be an active participant if you choose.
| On Demand Rates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $599 | |
| Ragan Insider Registration | $449 | |
| Nonprofit Registration | $399 |
Customer service
- If you have any questions or need to register by phone, please contact our customer service at 800.878.5331 or cservice@ragan.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
Join us as an event sponsor and meet your target audience, showcase your products, present thought leadership, generate leads and boost your brand.
Here are a few examples of opportunities we offer:
- Speaking sessions on our main agenda
- Lightning talks on our main agenda
- Pre-conference workshop sessions
- Bonus breakfast sessions
- One-on-one meetings
- Networking passes
- Marketing collateral and on-site branding
- Ragan and PR Daily Awards sponsorship
For more information on opportunities available at this specific event, reach out to HannahL@ragan.com.
Ragan events are educational, inspirational and fun!
Our sponsors are an important part of the success of each event.
Registration
For questions related to event registrations, please contact:
Shallon Blackburn
Customer Service & Sales Manager
ShallonB@ragan.com
Sponsorship
If you’re interested in sponsoring this event, please contact:
Hannah Lavelle
Sales & Client Relations Manager
HannahL@ragan.com
Program
For information on programming and speakers please contact:
Mandy Zaransky
Chief Operating Officer/Head of Leadership Councils
Mandyz@ragan.com
On Demand access is available for 12-months post purchase.
For questions, please contact customer service at
CService@Ragan.com or by calling 800-878-5331.
