Session One: 9:45 am- 10:30am

• Anh Nguyen and Jennifer Texada - Reviving the Art of Communication with AI Innovation
  Revive the art of communication with AI! Building on last year’s insights, this session dives deeper into the latest AI tools for PR and Communications professionals, highlighting how they can enhance content creation—from graphics and templates to press releases and summaries. Discover best practices for using AI to craft unique, brand-specific content, and learn from real-world successes and challenges. By the end, attendees will have actionable strategies to integrate AI effectively into their workflows, ensuring that they not only stay on trend but also lead in innovation.
  
  

• Whitney Radley and Madison Mann - PR at the Core: Evolving Beyond Media Relations to Shape Brand Engagement 
  With ongoing shifts to the media landscape and content consumption trends, public relations is no longer synonymous with traditional media relations. The future of PR is dynamic — and practitioners must embrace a broader definition of PR to foster meaningful relationships with key audiences. This lecture will explore how PR pros can move beyond media and third-party endorsements to see PR as core to a brand’s DNA. Attendees will learn the importance of ensuring PR has a seat at the table, providing nuanced insights into audience sensibilities and sensitivities, and defining strategies that integrate seamlessly with the broader ecosystem of marketing and communications. 

  Through case studies from global giants such as McDonald’s, Planet Fitness, and Coca-Cola, this workshop will demonstrate how PR can be localized, humanized, and made relevant. Participants will discover how to think of PR not as a singular discipline but as a holistic, omnichannel practice essential for brand relevance and engagement in the modern world.

• Danielle Clark,APR,  Lindsey Sanders, and Stephanie DeLos Santos - Lost in Translation: Managing a Multi-Generational Team for Success
  The diverse generations in today’s workplace can create real issues on teams despite positive communication and intent. And the wider the age gap, the larger the divide. Learn about the differences in how each generation in the workplace today views themselves, others, the workplace and common behaviors. Hear about how a team with 40 years between the oldest and youngest member have successfully bridged the gap in perspective, style and function. Get tips for how you can create an environment of mutual respect where everyone is celebrated for their contributions while learning from each other every day.
  
  
• Mike O'Neill and Peyton Woodson-Cooper - Winning Messages: How the TDECU Comms Team Managed the Space City Credit Union Merger
  TDECU, Houston’s largest not-for-profit financial institution, is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, and brand loyalty among its employees and members is strong. On September 17, 2024, it made the exciting announcement that Space City Credit Union is merging into TDECU. In this presentation, we will detail how the team developed its internal and external communications campaign to deliver this historic announcement, and its continuing mission to launch Space City Financial.
  

Session Two: 10:45am- 11:30 am

• Jeremy Desel - Change Sparks- Reputation Index 2024- How Data Can Protect You
  This fall Argyle and Believeco Partners are releasing the inaugural Reputation Index. This report shows the impact of change spark events, planned and unplanned, like M&A transactions,
  leadership change, re-brands, financial movement and other crisis events on reputation. Driven by Argyle’s Reputation Scorecard the Index provides significant insights into actions companies
  did, or did not, take which impacted their reputation score. The scores are generated not only with traditional and digital mentions across channels, but numerous other sources assisted by
  proprietary AI, to gain the most comprehensive view of reputation available. This session examines the results of this research and its impact on how we respond to change.
  
  
• Elizabeth Gentry - Digital Branding Class
  Elevate your nonprofit's impact with our Digital Branding Class, tailored for social media professionals in the nonprofit sector. Learn how to craft compelling narratives, build strong online communities,
  and leverage social media platforms to amplify your mission. This course dives deep into strategic communication, offering hands-on experience with the latest digital tools and techniques. Whether
  you're looking to enhance brand awareness, engage with donors, or drive social change, my sessions will equip you with the skills to create a powerful online presence that resonates with your audience and furthers your cause.
  
  
• Gerard Braud- When “It” Hits the Fan 
  In the age of social media, the need for speed in an emerging crisis is critical. Yet too many organizations remained bogged down in a traditional slow process for writing,
  approving, and releasing information to the media, employees, and the public. When it is more critical than ever to fill the information void, combat rumors, and manage expectations,
  professional communicators need to break from old technics and embrace the future using the latest technology to automate and speed their communications.
  
  
• Jeff Frey - Enhancing Internal and Employee Communications through AI and Emotional Intelligence 
  In an age where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing every sector, the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in internal and employee communications is becoming more critical. This session will explore how AI tools can be effectively combined with EI principles to enhance employee engagement and communication strategies. Attendees will learn practical applications and strategies for integrating AI into
  their communications frameworks, leveraging data-driven insights while maintaining a human-centric approach that fosters trust and connection within the organization.

Session Three: 1:45pm-2:30pm

• Tamara Washington- The Role of Sports and Entertainment in Shaping Modern Media: Strategies for Capturing and Sustaining Audience Engagement
  This topic would explore how sports and entertainment trends can be utilized in media strategies, including the use of social media, live events, influencer marketing, and brand collaborations to
  maximize reach and engagement. It could also delve into the impact of real-time audience interactions and data analytics on content creation and media campaigns.
  
  
• Jeremy Little- Aligning Culture w/ Strategy: The Power of Engagement-Driven Communication in a Hybrid World
  In today’s evolving work environment, where remote and hybrid models are becoming the norm, internal and employee communications must transcend traditional push messages. Building a strong corporate culture and fostering genuine connections are more crucial than ever, which support business objectives such as connectivity, productivity, innovation, and profitability. This lecture will explore how internal communications can be transformed into an always-on program that consistently reinforces corporate values, thereby strengthening both internal culture and external audience engagement. Participants will learn how to focus engagement, ensuring efforts are aligned with overarching company goals and objectives. Through a combination of lectures and real-world case studies, guests will explore successful internal initiatives—both from within organizations and client projects—that have shown exponential improvement when aligned with strategic business plans. Participants will leave with actionable insights on how to create and implement communication strategies that not only connect employees but also drive business success.
  
  
• Jourdan Scruggs - Meet Me on the Front Lines
  Engaging and holding the attention of over 13,000 associates across two states and 108 different stores can be a tough challenge if you are not strategic. Factor in different schedules, different generations and different levels of seniority and you may have a doozy on your hands if you are not careful. Being intentional in the crafting of your message and the selection of your platform is key to reaching your target audience effectively. During this session, we will discuss how aligning storytelling, scheduling, your audience and your platform play a major role in executing successful internal communications plans
  that enhance knowledge and associate engagement.
  
  
• Kami Huyse, APR - Mastering AI in PR: Become an AI Prompt Chef
  This session is designed for PR professionals and communicators who want to effectively harness AI tools in their work. With a special focus on mastering the art of prompting, participants will learn how to craft precise prompts that yield the best AI-generated content, tailored to the unique needs of public relations and communication efforts. The session introduces the concept of becoming an AI Prompt Chef,& blending the right tools and techniques to enhance efficiency while preserving the human touch in communication.

Session Four: 2:45pm-3:30pm

• Merrie Spaeth - Your Most Important Audience? Your Employees
  This highly interactive presentation is illustrated with clips from Spaeth’s large library. It looks at how to align multiple channels of communication and the role of employees as ambassadors, how to articulate key values and why it’s important for the communications and PR professionals in an organization to collect stories which illustrate those values. We also look at why words are one of the prime
  foundations of communication and at examples of using them effectively and of examples of disaster.
  
  
• DeNesha Tellis - Communicating to Drive Change: A Quick Reference Guide
  Tired of employees tuning out during yet another change initiative? Join this eye-opening session where we’ll dive into the critical role internal communicators play in change efforts. DeNesha Tellis will walk you through how to tailor your communication strategies to each phase of the change process, from initial rollout to long-term adoption. Plus, we’ll tackle the toughest challenge: how to keep employees engaged when they’re overwhelmed by constant change. This session is packed with actionable insights you can implement right away. If you’re ready to be a true change champion, you won’t want to miss this!
  
  
• Nathan Pepper, Khyati Mehta, and Creighton Welch - Influence for Impact: How a New Generation of Houston PR Pros Is Leading the Energy Transition
  The energy transition will indelibly reshape Houston’s economy and its role in the global economy. As the energy industry undergoes one of its most radical technological shifts of our time, a new generation of Houston PR pros are playing a leading role in shaping the narrative and helping historic companies create new identities, promote new ways of doing business and communicate their progress with credibility and rigor. This candid panel reveals how sustainability communicators are earning a seat at the executive table in today’s dynamic environment, and driving change and influence to create impact at scale. Get real examples and best practices for stakeholder engagement, media outreach, sustainability, and digital technologies. 
  
  
• Robyn Egbert and Tricia Rudisill Bentley - Crisis Resilience through Coalition Building and Reputation Management
  This break-out session will explore how proactive coalition building and reputation management can serve as foundational elements in effective crisis management. By establishing trust and
  goodwill before a crisis strikes, organizations can mitigate damage, maintain customer loyalty, and ensure community support.

• Closing Session:3:45pm-4:00pm