Six Practical Rules for Crisis CommunicationsPublic Relations is an ever-evolving industry, as new technologies, emerging trends, and societal changes all are impacting how communicators do their jobs. Join us on November 22nd for a full day of breakout sessions and keynotes led by dynamic speakers and communications experts at the 2024 NCPRSA Strategic Communications Conference.
This year’s theme is “Shaping the Narrative: Redefining the PR Landscape” where we will dive into the ever-evolving PR industry and discover how technology, culture, and industry trends are impacting our field. Join us on the frontlines in shaping the future of PR. The conference draws PR and communications professionals from agencies, nonprofits, government agencies, and private corporations, as well as independent practitioners.
Event details:
Friday, November 22, 2024
8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
McKimmon Center,
1101 Gorman Street
Raleigh, NC 27606
Tickets:
· Members: $90 (There is an early bird ticket price of $80 available through Thursday, October 31 at 5 p.m.)
· Nonmembers: $115 (There is an early bird ticket price of $100 available through Thursday, October 31 at 5 p.m.)
· PRSSA members: $25
· Inspire Awards (only): $50
Topics of Discussion:
Opening Keynote - Journalist Panel: Ways to Get Your News Covered, or Deleted and Ignored
Are you frustrated with not gaining exposure and coverage from your local media outlets? Would you like to know the Top 10 things editors want in a press release and their Top 10 pet peeves? During this panel discussion, you’ll hear directly from some of the top journalists in the state. In a dynamic conversation moderated by Phil Lucey, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Press Association, three journalists – Donna King from Carolina Journal, Dane Huffman from the Triangle Business Journal, and Thad Ogburn from the News & Observer – will share their thoughts on how PR professionals can craft better pitches and build stronger relationships with the press to secure media coverage.
Breakout Session #1
Choose to attend one of the following three sessions:
- The Relevance of Newspapers in Today’s Digital World
Speaker(s): Phil Lucey, Executive Director, North Carolina Press Association: Today’s newspaper is continuing to transform and evolve, yet the mission has not changed – to be a community forum, watchdog, and place for all local news and information. In this session, you’ll learn how you can harness the power of newspapers for your community and your clients.
- How to Grow Your Agency
Speaker(s): Monty Hagler, CEO and Founder, RLF Communications & Heather Matthews, CEO, NP Strategy: Join industry leaders for an insightful panel as two communications firm heads share their journeys of agency growth, highlighting key strategies and lessons learned. This session offers a deep dive into effective methods for scaling success in the strategic communications industry.
Breakout Session #2
Choose to attend one of the following three sessions:
- Narrative Disruption: Rethinking Earned-Led Storytelling in a Fragmented Media Landscape
Speaker(s): Erin Ledbetter, Head of Strategy and Digital, Ketchum: In today’s rapidly evolving communications environment, the traditional concepts of earned media are being fundamentally challenged. With our tools evolving faster than ever, modern storytellers must rethink what it means to be "earned" in a world where content is consumed across an ever-expanding array of channels. This session explores how to navigate these platforms, adapt your storytelling for credibility and influence, and leverage new technologies like AI.
- Harnessing the Power of Culture in Your Communications
Speaker(s): Najuma Thorpe, Director, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, U.S. Steel: Culture is an “elephant in the room” for most organizations – something that everyone sees but no one acknowledges. But culture can be one of an organization’s most powerful weapons. Organizations that can identify, understand and leverage culture throughout the entity can successfully use it to bolster both internal and external communications. In this session, we will explore ways that you can harness the power of culture to strengthen your messaging and image with all stakeholders.
- An Antidote for Mistrust: Hyperlocal Communications
Speaker(s): Tori Ludwig, Director & Public Engagement Practice Lead, E&V Strategic Communications:Trust is a precious resource, one difficult to earn and harder to keep. In our business, we study trust—how to foster it, how to sustain it, and how to repair it when broken. And we know communications is a critical part of the equation. During this session, attendees will learn what hyperlocal communications look like, when to consider hyperlocal communications, and common strategies and tactics that break down barriers, create understanding and establish trust.
Breakout Session #3
Choose to attend one of the following three sessions:
- Navigating PR Challenges in the New Media Landscape
Speaker(s): Brandon Ives, CEO, Brasco & Greg Behr, Senior Director, PR & Strategic Communication, Brasco: Today's media landscape has undergone a significant transformation and is evolving quickly through technological advancements and the rise of digital platforms. These changes present obstacles for PR professionals. This presentation will cover: managing effective PR through digital channels, the integration of video and creative content for effective PR, managing traditional media challenges and utilizing data analytics.
- Working in Lockstep with Legal
Speaker(s): David Hamilton, Director of Communication, North America, Lenovo & Christian Dysart, Shareholder and Attorney, Maynard Nexsen; Hosted by Mary Cullen. Whether you’re in-house or agency, you will likely have to work in conjunction with a legal team at some point during your communications career. In this session, we’ll discuss the importance of working in lockstep with legal to protect the reputation of the organization you represent and attendees will learn best practices and helpful tips.
- Empowering Emerging PR Professionals
Speaker(s): Anna Beth McCormick, Senior Account Specialist, E&V Strategic Communications: The future of the public relations and communication industry are college students. Do students know that a job like yours exists? Join this breakout session for a discussion about the different ways you and your organization can engage with universities and student organizations to build awareness for the industry, recruit new talent, and influence the next generation of PR practitioners.
InSpire Awards Luncheon
NCPRSA's InSpire Awards honor our region’s most successful and innovative communications programs from the past year. Communications professionals from agencies, corporate, nonprofits, associations, and government offices, as well as solo practitioners across our area produce outstanding work and achieve fantastic results each year. The InSpire Awards celebrate the best campaigns, projects, and initiatives in our region!
Afternoon Keynote - Six Practical Rules for Crisis Communications with
Greg Trevor, University Spokesperson and Senior Advisor for Crisis
Communications at the University of Georgia
In an era of bitter polarization, PR professionals must be better prepared than ever to manage communications surrounding the crises that will inevitably arise. Greg Trevor will share common-sense skills and insights from decades of difficult – and sometimes painful – crisis communications experiences. Greg also will provide fellow communicators with: - Steps they can take to be ready for crises before they occur; - The latest tools to identify and anticipate potential crises; - Practical rules to effectively manage communications in the middle of a crisis; and - Best practices to apply the lessons from crises in the aftermath.
Greg Trevor has more than 35 years of communications experience – as a newspaper journalist and PR professional. In addition to speaking on behalf of the university, Trevor advises university leaders on crisis communications and conducts training exercises for faculty, staff and students. He is also a guest lecturer on crisis communications at UGA and
across North America. Before coming to UGA in 2016, Trevor served as Senior Director for News and Media Relations at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He previously
served as Senior Information Officer for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Trevor is a survivor of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. His first-person account of those attacks has been published worldwide. Prior to the Port Authority, Trevor worked at newspapers in Virginia, New Jersey and North Carolina – including four years as a Statehouse reporter in Raleigh for The Charlotte Observer.
PR for Good Panel Discussion & Toy Drive
The goal of the PR for Good initiative is to help nonprofits that are located in the membership area of the NC Chapter of PRSA do the most good in their communities. This year, our PR for Good committee worked with two non-profits. In this session, you’ll hear from Holly Schwab, Founder of Zach’s Toy Chest, a non-profit designed to help pediatric patients by providing new unwrapped toys at hospitals, about how the PR for Good committee assisted her organization in gaining more visibility in the community – followed by a panel discussion with some of the PR for Good team members who worked on the project. To show your support, we invite you to donate a new, unwrapped toy to help ZTC fight childhood cancer, one toy at a time. NCPRSA will host a collection at check-in.
NCPRSA would like to thank Access Wire, NP Strategy, and Eckel & Vaughan for their sponsorships of the 2024 Strategic Communications Conference and Access Wire, Pioneer Strategies, Brasco, Eckel & Vaughan, and Joseph Gaitens APR, AIGA for their support of NCPRSA Chapter during 2024.