Communications Symposium

2022 PRSA Charlotte Communications Symposium
Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Click here to register.

Join us for PRSA Charlotte's Annual Communications Symposium on Wednesday, April 27! This half-day virtual event is filled with dynamic programming that will enable you to bring new ideas, strategies, and perspectives to your teams and clients.

At this year's symposium, we're excited to welcome two award-winning communications professionals as our keynote speakers to present on the timely and impactful topics of crisis management and communicating with heart.

Opening Keynote: Crisis Management: Communicating in and After a Disaster
Natural disasters. Global pandemics. Economic instability. Civilian kidnapping. Political Assassination. If there is a crisis in Haiti or the Caribbean, Jacqueline Charles has been boots on the ground humanizing the stories for the crisis that have unfortunately become the norm. In this session, you'll hear firsthand how Charles navigates and communicates during and after a crisis.

• Jacqueline Charles is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy-Award-winning Caribbean correspondent at the Miami Herald with responsibility for Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean. Charles has written extensively throughout her career about U.S. immigration issues and their effect on the Haitian community and has been recognized as "Haiti's Ambassador to the world," by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. She currently serves on UNC's School of Media and Journalism's Board of Advisors and is a founding member of the Carolina Association of Black Journalists, NABJ's student chapter. Charles has been featured on ABC's Nightline, CNN, CBS, National Public Radio, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, MSNBC, and Aljazeera, among other public appearances.

Closing Keynote: The Power of Heart First Communications
After two years of unprecedented change brought on by the pandemic and social unrest, we're in a time that calls for a new level of inspired leadership, what David Grossman defines as a "Heart First" approach. Leading with the heart first is about championing empathy, humanity, and authenticity to become a better leader and build genuine connections. This session is for any leader who wishes to make a real difference for their teams, bring more of who they truly are to the workplace, and help others bring their best selves to work, too.

• David Grossman, ABC, APR, and Fellow PRSA is the Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based communications consultancy focused on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development, and internal communications. Grossman provides expert commentary and analysis on how leaders and companies can build trust and keep employees engaged through crisis and change, communicating with remote teams, and more. Grossman is a four-time author and recently published "Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything." He's been featured on NBC Nightly News, CBS MoneyWatch, in Forbes, the Chicago Tribune, World Economic Forum, and the LA Times.

In addition to our keynote presentations, choose from the exciting breakout sessions below from an impressive lineup of communications leaders.

1. Cultivating Employee Communication & Connection: featuring Maren McGrane, Vice President, Culture & Strategic Initiatives, Sonic Automotive, Inc.

2. Everyday Heroes: Addressing Taboo Subjects & Fundraising During a Pandemic: Featuring: Rachel Sutherland, CEO of Rachel Sutherland Communications &

3. The Power of Brand Journalism: Maximizing Your Story with Traditional Media and Brand Journalism Strategies: featuring Ashley Brown, Clinical Communications Senior Strategist, Atrium Health & Carly Wooten, Owner of Wooten PR

4. Networking: It's Not About Getting a Job; It's About Getting Ahead: featuring Ray Jones, Principal of Media Ink Communications

5. Practicing PR Across the Narratives: Race, Gender and Identity: featuring Karen Lindsey, PhD, Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication, Elon University

6. Should Your Organization Start a Podcast? A Case Study of How An Engineering Firm Embraced Podcasting as an Internal and External Communication Tool: featuring Julie Smith, Marketing Communications Manager, Engineering Consulting Services(ECS) & Kristen Stegall, CEO & Podcast Producer, Novice Studios

7. How to Effectively Leverage Your Time and Accomplishments: featuring Lauren Sweeney, Vice President of Business Development, Rise Up For You

Click here to view the full agenda.

Throughout the virtual half-day event, you'll also have the opportunity to build your network of fellow communications professionals during our speed networking sessions and connect over coffee breakouts.

Reserve your seat today! The first 100 people to register will receive a box of swag from our great sponsors and a copy of David Grossman's latest book, "Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything."

Registration Information

PRSA Members*

• $80

*As this is a virtual symposium, member pricing is available to PRSA members outside of the Charlotte Chapter.

Non-PRSA Members:

• Regular: $100

To learn more about becoming a PRSA member, please visit www.prsacharlotte.org/about-us/join-prsa.

Students

• $25

Group rates are available for companies registering five or more employees. Please contact Danielle Doolen at info@prsacharlotte.org to learn more.

Click here to register.

Sponsorship Opportunities
We also have several sponsorship levels to earn your company recognition and visibility among hundreds of communications professionals. If you're interested in supporting Charlotte's PR community, please contact Samantha Story at info@prsacharlotte.org.