Join PRSA Charlotte for its 4th annual Communications Symposium. This comprehensive half-day of programming will provide expert insight and practical applications for essential competencies within communications. Speakers will cover important topics such as internal communications, media relations, crisis communication, storytelling, community relations, social media and more. Click here to register.
Communications is evolving. The lines are blurred between internal and external communications. Content is no longer just internal or just external but simply great stories that can be used in a variety of ways. Join us as Jason Anthoine, APR shares his experience from the frontlines of corporate communications with global brands on subjects like how to turn a potential crisis around (Crock-Pot "This is Us"), how to activate employees as brand ambassadors, our role as brand storytellers and much more.
 
Jason has nearly 30 years' experience leading corporate communications for some of the world's biggest brands including GE, Mars, Siemens, NBC Universal, InterContinental Hotels Group and more. His most recent work was as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Newell Brands, a Fortune 500 company with more than 200 brands that are at the heart of life for hundreds of millions of consumers where they live, learn, work and play.

Lunch Keynote
Saptosa Foster will discuss the development of multicultural communications campaigns, which she has done for Google, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Fox Broadcasting Company and Warner Bros.
 
Saptosa is managing partner of the One/35 Agency, a strategic communications firm based in New York and Atlanta, and she has more than a decade of experience in public relations and media.

Mecklenburg County experienced an unprecedented ransomware attack in December 2017. The County's crisis communication plan was put to the test throughout the incident, and the County Manager's decision not to pay the $23,000 ransom vaulted Mecklenburg County into the national spotlight. This unfortunate incident brought light to the increasing number of cyber threats experienced in government. With both resilience and transparency, governments can avoid a complete communication crisis.

• Stephanie  Smith, IT Security Director, Mecklenburg County
• Danny, Diehl, Public Information Director, Mecklenburg County
• Dena R. Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager

Breakout Sessions
Media Training for Communication Professionals (Eric Mower + Associates)
Today's journalists face new responsibilities. Of course, they still investigate stories that appear on air or in print. But more and more, their primary job is to draw readers to their websites. That means posting stories quickly, updating the news coverage throughout the day and providing a steady stream of content for social media. So when news breaks, how do you make sure your key messages are included from that initial post to the final story?
 
Readiness, Response and Recovery: How not-for-profit organizations communicate effectively before, during and after disaster situations (City of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte, Novant Health)
Communicators and decision-makers from the City of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte and Novant Health will discuss their organizations' best-made plans and greatest struggles when it comes to gathering accurate information, keeping the community up-to-speed and returning to normal operations when natural occurrences change the stakes. Attendees will come away with actionable advice to update their crisis plans, tools to communicate effectively to the masses and conversation points to cover with their teams.
 
Cutting Through the Clutter: How effective community relations strategies grab our limited attention and stand out in a crowded space (Food Lion, Junior League of Charlotte, IKEA, City of Charlotte)
Let's face it, in a digital era where there is constant connectivity, information overload and the demand for more, but with very shortened attention spans, organizations and brands must work harder to vie for our attention. Community relations campaigns work best within these confined constraints when they are clever, organized, build relationships, boost an organization's visibility, and identifies and meets a community need. Individual engagement campaigns and events should be designed and executed with these goals and deliverable outcomes in mind. Learn how four very different organizations developed extremely effective community relations campaigns and how their strategies have positively impacted Charlotte-area communities.
 
Change is Coming: How Charlotte employers successfully navigate change management through effective internal/employee communications (Snyder's-Lance, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Atrium Health)
You've heard it said "the only constant is change." In this interactive panel discussion, you'll hear from communications executives with Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare Systems), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Snyder-Lance, as they share reflections on comprehensive employee/internal communications strategies and campaigns for effective change management. These major Charlotte employers will provide insight on how to best help employees align their professional goals with long-terms organizational plans. Our panelists will also share how various public relations efforts have helped their employees adjust to the impacts of major organizational change. From implementing new technology, to announcing company mergers, and/or the onboarding of new executive leadership and processes, the expertise of our panelists offers practical success stories and lessons learned from two-way conversations with their respective workforces.

Social Media Outreach & Influence (Luguire George Andrews, AC&M, City of Charlotte)
Social media continues to rapidly evolve in response to the current social and political climate. Our panelists will discuss how they have tackled trends, including influencer marketing, and how to create a brand voice on social media, segment messages, and leverage social listening to inform campaigns.
 
Bouncing back from The Hack Attack: Mecklenburg County tells its story (Mecklenburg County)
Mecklenburg County experienced an unprecedented ransomware attack in December 2017. The County's crisis communication plan was put to the test throughout the incident, and the County Manager's decision not to pay the $23,000 ransom vaulted Mecklenburg County into the national spotlight. This unfortunate incident brought light to the increasing number of cyber threats experienced in government.  Join our panel as we discuss County leaders' response to the incident. With both resilience and transparency, and by putting a greater emphasis on security, governments can avoid a complete communication crisis.

 

Thank you to our sponsors

Symposium Sponsors