PRSA 2026 Association/Nonprofit Conference
Resilience in Uncertainty: Communicating Through Change, Risk, and Complexity
August 11-12 | Grapevine, Texas
Overview
Join us at the 9th Annual Association/Nonprofit Conference!
We are proud to host a targeted conference that provides content focused specifically on the issues and priorities most relevant to our members’ daily opportunities and challenges. Our ninth annual conference will be held from August 11-12, 2026, at the Great Wolf Lodge | Grapevine, 100 Great Wolf Drive in Grapevine, Texas.
This event is open to both PRSA members and nonmembers. Conference attendees will gain valuable insights, networking opportunities, and exposure to the latest industry trends. It is a chance to learn from experts and forge connections that can enhance professional growth and knowledge.
Registration Info
| REGISTRATION OPTIONS | SAVER By July 24 | REGULAR After July 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Full Conference | ||
| PRSA ANP Section Member | $649 | $799 |
| PRSA Member | $799 | $949 |
| Nonmember | $999 | $1149 |
| Day Registration — Tuesday Only | ||
| PRSA ANP Section Member | $449 | $549 |
| PRSA Member | $549 | $649 |
| Nonmember | $699 | $799 |
Take advantage of our Early Saver Rate.
Agenda
CONFERENCE AGENDA
| Day 1, Tuesday, Aug. 11 | |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | Registration Open Pre-function Area |
| 8–9 a.m. | Breakfast White Pine III |
| 8–8:25 a.m. | Opening/Welcome/Icebreakers White Pine III Heather Willden and Rachel Pipitone |
| 8:30–9:15 a.m. | General Session | PR is Humanity's Heartbeat: Building Resilience in Change, Risk and Complexity White Pine III Public relations professionals are Humanity's Heartbeat. When budgets tighten, members get louder, boards get nervous and the news cycle is endless, the PR leader must be the steadiest voice in the room. This interactive keynote conversation reframes resilient public relations as social capital, not just message discipline. Association and nonprofit leaders leave with the start of a connection habit, a trusted framework and the language to elevate the public relations profession and professional. Speaker: Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA, Founder, Chasing the Sun |
| 9:15–9:30 a.m. | Break |
| 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Session 1A – Leading with Empathy During Times of Uncertainty and Change White Pine III When policy changes overnight, funding evaporates and public confusion turns to fear, nonprofits must answer a defining question: Do you communicate to protect the organization or to protect the people it serves? Drawing on a real-world case study from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, this session offers a practical empathy-first communications framework to apply when clarity is nonexistent. Speaker: Laura Frnka-Davis, APR, Founder, LFD Communications |
| 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Session 1B – Serving More Than Meals: A Community Campaign for Senior Dignity Red Oak BakerRipley's Marketing and Communications team launched the Senior Meals Campaign to increase awareness, support fundraising efforts and address growing food insecurity among older adults in Harris County. Learn how integrated media, marketing and fundraising strategies elevated visibility, mobilized community support and strengthened service delivery. Speakers: Sucre Woodley, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, BakerRipley Cristina Cave, Director, Internal and CEO Communications, BakerRipley |
| 10:40–11:40 a.m. | Session 2A – From Reactive to Resilient: Building a Communications Operating System for Uncertain Times White Pine III Learn how communications teams can move from reactive execution to resilient leadership through practical systems for planning, prioritization, collaboration and visibility. Attendees will gain strategies for improving workflows, leadership alignment and decision-making even when resources are constrained and priorities shift. Speaker: Tracie Bertaut, APR, American Heart Association |
| 10:40–11:40 a.m. | Session 2B – Beyond the Prompt: Mastering the 10 Essential AI Ethics Skills for the Modern PR Practitioner Red Oak As AI tools increasingly handle routine tasks, the role of the PR professional is shifting from content creator to ethical evaluator. This session explores the most pressing ethical risks associated with AI and the higher-order competencies required to navigate them successfully. Speakers: Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., Baylor University Alyssa Erchinger, Baylor University Michael Aguilar, Baylor University |
| 11:50 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Lunch/Networking Roundtables White Pine III |
| 12:30–1:30 p.m. | AI Symposium – The Human Advantage in the AI Era: Why Storytelling, Judgment and Trust Are the New Essential PR Skills (or Don't Put a Tomato in Your Fruit Smoothie) White Pine III AI is changing how communications work gets done, but it is not replacing the need for human judgment, emotional intelligence, cultural relevance and trust. Explore which skills become more valuable as AI becomes more common and how to balance technology with human-centered communications. Speaker: Tracie Bertaut, APR, American Heart Association |
| 1:30–2:30 p.m. | AI Symposium – A Different Story for Every Member: How Agentic AI Crafts a Personalized Narrative for Each Person You Serve Without Losing Your Voice White Pine III Discover how agentic AI can create personalized narratives for members, donors and stakeholders at scale while preserving organizational voice and mission alignment. Speaker: Roy Abdo, Founder and CEO, Digital Revamp |
| 2:30–2:40 p.m. | Break |
| 2:40–3:20 p.m. | AI Symposium – Panel Discussion White Pine III |
| 3:30–4:30 p.m. | Session 3A – The Fun Factor: How Supporting and Developing Your Creative Team Drives Organizational Resilience White Pine III
|
| 3:30–4:30 p.m. | Session 3B – You Don't Have a "Brand" and You Don't Want One — Making a Promise to Your Stakeholders Red Oak Explore why associations and nonprofits should rethink traditional branding approaches and instead focus on building trust through clearly defined and consistently fulfilled stakeholder promises. Speaker: Scott Ward, Fifth Estate Communications |
| 4:30–6:30 p.m. | Networking & Appetizers Conference Center |
| 6:30 p.m. | Adjournment |
| Day 2, Wednesday, Aug. 12 | |
| 7:30 a.m.–Noon | Registration Open Pre-function Area |
| 8–9 a.m. | Breakfast White Pine III |
| 8:30–9 a.m. | Opening Remarks Heather Willden |
| 9:10–10:10 a.m. | Session 4A – Lessons From a Rebrand: The 4 Trust Risks That Can Derail Organizational Change White Pine III Learn how to identify and manage the four trust risks that commonly undermine successful rebrands: surprise, confusion, resistance and inconsistency. Includes real-world nonprofit case studies, interactive discussion and actionable strategies. Speaker: Andrea Zimmerman, Managing Partner and Head of Brand Strategy, Honeymoon |
| 9:10–10:10 a.m. | Session 4B – When Attention Is Scarce: Creative Strategies for Mission-Driven Engagement Red Oak Explore creative approaches for experiential engagement, audience participation and mission-focused campaigns that prevent messaging fatigue and build authentic connections with stakeholders. Speaker: Michele Hill, Director of Communications and Marketing, Kentucky League of Cities |
| 10:10–10:20 a.m. | Break |
| 10:20–11:20 a.m. | Session 5A – Stop Reporting. Start Proving: Turning PR Measurement Into Decisions That Actually Matter White Pine III Learn how to move beyond reporting metrics and build measurement systems that drive decision-making and demonstrate organizational impact. Speaker: Sam Sims, APR, Fellow PRSA, Sims Grp |
| 10:20–11:20 a.m. | Session 5B – Beyond Translation: Building Authentic Trust With Underrepresented Communities Red Oak This session equips nonprofit and association communicators with practical strategies for building authentic relationships with historically underrepresented communities, focusing on trust-building rather than representation optics alone. Speaker: Margarita Vega, Founder, Vega Treviño PR |
| 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | Lunch White Pine III |
| Noon–1 p.m. | Closing Session – TBD White Pine III |
| 1 p.m. | See You Next Year! |
Hotel Info
Room Reservations at Great Wolf Lodge | Grapevine, 100 Great Wolf Drive in Grapevine, Texas.
Reservations are due by July 12th. Guests may book by calling our Central Reservations Department at 1-800-693-9653 and referencing your group code 2608PRSA. Check-in is August 10, with checkout on August 12. Please request the group rate of $149.
Sponsors
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Dorcas Jegede
Section Program Manager
dorcas.jegede@prsa.org