The human experience is defined by change. People, organizations, and the communities they serve are always evolving. Communicators are called upon to drive major transformation in organizations amidst resistance, fear and distrust. 

In this conversation, we will focus on how cultivating a core of compassion strengthens our ability to guide communication strategies that help to counter resistance, catalyze change, and foster healthy environments.

Objective: Engage communication professionals in exploring the role of compassion in supporting individuals, teams, and leaders undergoing change.

In this 45-minute session, participants will gain:

• A deeper understanding of the role that compassion plays at work.
• A framework for strengthening self-compassion.
• Actionable strategies for communicating with compassion when supporting individuals and teams through change.

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About Arlene Amitirigala

Arlene Amitirigala (she/her) is principal & chief communications ctrategist at TrulyArlene Communications.  She currently holds the role of Director, Internal Communications at Enercare Inc. based in Toronto, Canada.

A communications strategist with expertise in internal communications, behavioural change, employee engagement, and building a culture of inclusive leadership, Arlene’s career journey spans several senior roles in marketing and communication in the private and public sectors across various industries including tourism, investment banking and manufacturing. 

Her experience includes co-hosting an award-winning national radio program, leading corporate communications for Diageo’s West Latin America business and working with clients such as UNESCO and the Caribbean Development Bank. She served on the Board of IABC/Toronto Board 2021-2022 and subsequently held the role of Co-Director of Communications on the Professional Independent Communicators Executive Team. 

Born in Jamaica, Arlene studied journalism at the undergraduate level. She holds a postgraduate certificate in Global Marketing Communication and Advertising from Emerson College, a Master’s in Communication from the University of The West Indies, and an MBA with distinction from the Solvay Management School in Belgium. 

Having lived for several years in South America and Europe, Arlene speaks both Spanish and French. She maintains a blog at www.TrulyArlene.com and hosts The Change Diaries Podcast. 

Featuring Nancy Harhut

Email remains one of the most effective marketing channels out there. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get your target audience to pay attention to what you send.

And simply outsourcing your message to AI won’t solve the problem.

Instead, you need to know how people decide to open, read, and respond because that knowledge enables you to create emails that get the job done.

In this example-jammed presentation, you’ll discover seven proven, brain-science-backed ways to increase your email success. They’re easy, ethical, and effective. And best of all, they’ll give you a real competitive advantage.

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Key takeaways:

• Discover how people decide to open your emails (It’s not what you’ve been told!)
• Gain 7 proven ways to make the emails you send irresistible—backed by behavioral science
• Take your email game to the next level and crush your competition with these easy, effective creative hacks

About Nancy Harhut

A top-ranked speaker, Nancy’s known for her interesting and actionable insights that focus on the impact of behavioral science on marketing. She's wowed audiences in Sydney, London, Berlin, and all over the US with her high-energy, example-jammed presentations. 

The Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of HBT Marketing, Nancy’s been named one of the 10 Most Fascinating People in B2B Marketing, a Social Top 50 Email Marketing Leader, and a Top 40 Digital Strategist. She and her teams have won over 200 awards for B2C and B2B marketing effectiveness. 

Check out her recent book, “Using Behavioral Science in Marketing,” winner of the National Indie Excellence Award, the NYC Big Book Award, the AMA Leonard L. Berry Marketing Book Award, and several other accolades.

In this engaging and interactive masterclass, participants will embark on a comprehensive journey to launch, expand, and elevate the use of ChatGPT and similar AI tools in business communications. The masterclass is structured in three dynamic hours, each designed to progressively deepen your understanding and skills.

Hour One focuses on launching and expanding your use of ChatGPT and similar tools. Through instruction, demonstration, case studies, and group discussion, you will learn how to start using generative AI on an individual level, and then expand it across teams and functions.

Hour Two delves deeper into applying these tools for project planning, execution, and crisis management, featuring group activities and demonstrations to illustrate advanced functionalities.

Hour Three takes participants to the next level, emphasizing how to use generative AI to help advance organizational goals and exploring the latest developments in generative AI. The masterclass concludes with a final Q&A and closing thoughts on promoting AI integration in your work.

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Learning Objective

By the end of this masterclass, you’ll be able to:

• Develop an AI Mindset and Understand Best Practices in Using Generative AI: Develop a new way of thinking about how you work and grasp the best practices for using ChatGPT and similar tools.
• Apply AI Tools to Individual and Team Functions: Learn how to implement AI tools in personal and team settings.
• Apply Generative AI to Major Projects: Discover how to integrate AI in project planning, execution, and follow-up for improved efficiency and output quality.
• Promote AI Integration in Professional Settings: Develop strategies to advocate for and integrate AI in your work environment effectively.

About Matt Russell

Matt Russell is a nationally recognized speaker on generative AI who presented a generative AI masterclass at the 2023 IABC World Conference. He has frontline experience establishing generative AI guidelines, use cases, super users' teams, and training processes for ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.

Formerly an award-winning senior reporter for The Rochester Post-Bulletin, Matt joined Mayo Clinic in 2012. He served as the communications lead for the $3.76 billion Campaign for Mayo Clinic and led Mayo Clinic’s engagement with PBS for the premiere tour supporting the Ken Burns documentary “The Mayo Clinic.” In his current role, he provides strategic communications consultation to the leadership of one of the world’s largest and most prestigious surgical and procedural practices.

Matt holds a bachelor's degree in English from St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.

For 26 years, Steve and Cindy Crescenzo of Crescenzo Communications have helped employee communicators move out of the role of “content order taker” and into their proper role as strategic communications counselors to the entire organization. They have learned a few things over the years and created this interactive workshop to discuss their five-step process for success and show examples of how it works.  

Gather your data . . . because you can’t do anything without data

• Learn proven tactics for gathering qualitative research: focus groups and interviews
• Of all the metrics available to you with new technology (and there are a lot) which ones do you need to pay attention to?
• How to combine metrics with what really matters: Behavior Change
• How to use data to tell your story to the people who matter

Fix your content . . . because you need to make the important interesting.

• Master the Four Cs of great content: Concise, Conversational, Compelling and Creative
• Learn how to nail the Big Three: Headlines, Leads and Quotes
• Harness the power of visual communication—including infographics
• Use quick, inexpensive multimedia to enhance your content

Build your plan . . . because you need a North Star to guide you

• Develop your Communication Manifesto: What is your overall goal?
• Learn a system for prioritizing your content, so you can “do less and do it better”
• Do a channel analysis, so you know which channels are good at which things

Get the right tools . . . because you need to reach a deskless, hybrid, younger workforce

• What technology do you need to get relevant information to the right audiences
• Learn how to build an interactive, online, mobile community
• Tame the Wild Wild West, aka the company’s e-mail

Measure your results . . . because you can’t assume anything in employee communications

• Use surveys, metrics, quick polls and other simple tactics to see what’s working and what’s not

About Steve Crescenzo Steve Crescenzo is a leading consultant, writer, and speaker who helps communicators worldwide ditch jargon and create engaging, creative corporate content. Known for blending creativity with strategic alignment, Steve has been voted the #1 speaker at IABC’s World Conference seven times. Alongside his wife and business partner, Cindy, he leads the highly acclaimed Employee Communication Master Class and Corporate Content Master Class. Steve has worked with top organizations like General Motors, Mayo Clinic, Target, and McDonalds, transforming their communication content and strategies.

About Cindy Crescenzo Cindy Crescenzo, President of Crescenzo Communications, has over 20 years of experience specializing in communication research, measurement, and strategic planning. Her expertise in data analysis and audience research helps communicators worldwide shift their approach to communication and create strategies that deliver measurable results. Cindy co-leads the acclaimed Employee Communication Master Class and Corporate Content Master Class with her husband and business partner, Steve Crescenzo. She has worked with top organizations like Mayo Clinic, Target, UC Health, and John Deere to transform their communication efforts and strengthen their communication strategies.

In today's rapidly evolving workplace, AI isn't just another tech trend—it's a transformative force that can dramatically enhance productivity and innovation. But how do you move your organization from AI anxiety to enthusiastic adoption?

Join us as Shel Holtz shares Webcor's success story in introducing generative AI tools across Webcor. This engaging 45-minute session reveals the communication strategies that turned skeptical employees into confident AI users who now leverage these powerful tools in their daily work.

What you'll discover:

• Demystifying AI through storytelling – Craft internal communications that transform complex AI concepts into relatable, accessible narratives that resonate with employees at all technical levels
• Building momentum through strategic pilot programs – Learn how to identify and engage early adopters who can become your AI champions and help create organization-wide excitement
• The art of effective prompting – Master practical techniques for developing clear, powerful prompts that unlock AI's full capabilities and deliver meaningful results
• Navigating the human side of technological change – Discover proven approaches to address concerns, build trust, and align AI initiatives with both organizational goals and employee needs

Don't miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights that will position you as a strategic leader in your organization's AI journey. Leave equipped with the tools to transform how your colleagues perceive and utilize this game-changing technology.

About Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz is senior director of communications at Webcor, a commercial builder in California. He brings to the job more than 45 years of experience in employee communications, corporate public relations, crisis communications, media relations, financial communications, investor relations, marketing communications, and compensation and benefits communications.

In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, business initiatives, and communications research.

Before joining Webcor in 2017, he had consulted independently for more than 20 years as principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, working with organizations worldwide to employ technology in their communications, from email and intranets to social media.

Earlier in his career, Shel was director of corporate communications for Allergan and Mattel and spent time at two global human resources consulting firms. His first job in the organizational communication field was with energy company ARCO in Los Angeles as an internal communications representative.

He has written six communication-themed books and is co-host of the first and longest-running communication-focused podcast, “For Immediate Release,” which debuted in early January 2005. Shel is a certified Strategic Communication Management Professional and an Accredited Business Communicator.

Shel has been a regular speaker globally on topics surrounding the application of online technology to strategic communication. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), a Senior Fellow of the Conference Board’s Marketing and Communication Center, and a Founding Research Fellow at the Team Flow Institute. He is a certified Strategic Communication Management Professional and an Accredited Business Communicator. Shel served six years on IABC’s international executive board and is a five-time winner of IABC’s Gold Quill award. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and editor after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge. He lives with his wife and their dog in Concord, California.