Pillars for Brilliant Presentations
by Sophia Pasquariello - Everyone wants to deliver presentations that make an impact. However, even the most experienced speakers can find themselves questioning their effectiveness. Communication professionals face an additional challenge, as they’re often in the role of advising others on presenting rather than presenting themselves. Presentation expert Meridith Grundei, founder of Grundei Coaching, has insights on bridging the gap and turning good presentations into unforgettable ones.
Read moreThe Accessibility Advantage: Revolutionizing Brand Reputation
As PR and communications professionals, you know that your brand's reputation is everything. But today, how your brand is perceived goes far beyond just words—it's about actions, inclusivity, and accessibility. This presentation dives deep into the vital connection between brand reputation and digital accessibility, showing you how making your digital content accessible to all audiences isn't just the right thing to do—it's a powerful strategy for amplifying your brand's impact and credibility.
This practical and engaging session will help PR and communications pros with the tools and knowledge needed to elevate your brand's reputation through digital accessibility.
Key Takeaways
- Discover how digital accessibility directly influences brand reputation in our socially conscious and connected world.
- Learn how investing in accessibility can expand your audience reach, enhance user experience, and drive tangible business results.
- Gain practical insights on seamlessly integrating accessibility into your PR and communications strategies, ensuring your content is both inclusive and engaging.
- Explore ways to effectively communicate your commitment to accessibility, build deeper trust, and position your brand as a leader in the industry.
About Matisse Hamel-Neils
Matisse Hamel-Nelis is an award-winning Métis communications and digital accessibility consultant based in Toronto. With extensive public relations experience, Matisse is both the founder and principal of Matisse Nelis Consulting and a part-time professor at Durham College, where she developed and now leads the Public Relations Graduate Certificate program. She is the founder and host of PR & Lattes, a podcast and blog that provides a platform for communications professionals to share insights and ideas on public relations, marketing, and accessibility. Matisse is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and accessibility in all her roles. Certified as an Accessible Documents Specialist (ADS) and a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, Matisse is a respected authority on accessibility in digital communications.
Alcantara Discusses IABC and Public Relations in October's South Jersey Magazine
IABC Philadelphia's president, Rick Alcantara, discusses public relations, professional development, AI and more in the October issue of South Jersey Magazine. "His number 1 piece of advice for companies looking to communicate effectively in today's landscape is to 'walk the walk.' In other words, don't just recite certain platitudes, but actually back them up by conducting business in an ethical manner."
Building Trust: How Effective Communication Makes Leaders (No Matter Your Role)
by Diane Streleckis - Ask a communication professional the ultimate goal of any message and they’ll likely say creating trust. Former two-star Navy Admiral and current Fortune 100 aerospace company VP Mike Manazir agrees.
“Effective leadership is founded on trust,” he said. “Communication portrays that trust.” Most importantly, he noted, people follow those that they trust.
Read moreSave the Date: Third Annual Marcom Super Meetup
Mark your calendar for January 23 when the Marcom Super Meetup returns to Philadelphia. The third annual networking event will be open to members of several Philadelphia-area PR, marketing and advertising associations, including IABC, PRSA, Philly Ad Club, PPRA, AMA and others. Details will be coming in the next few weeks.
3 Ways to Election-Proof Your Company’s Reputation
By Diane Streleckis - This highly charged election cycle can be particularly fraught for communication professionals. Leaders often want to share their policy perspectives or feel pressured to do so by expectant employees or stakeholders. But the risks to the company’s public perception, as well as a leader’s individually, can be high if a message goes awry.
Read moreRenew Your Dues in October
Renew your IABC dues in October for a chance to receive complimentary registration to Alex Sevigny's AI Master Class, Part 2. You'll also receive access to Part 1.
Level Up Your Crisis Communication Strategy With Generative AI
The world of crisis communication is transforming before our eyes as AI introduces new reputational risks and opportunities to level up how we prepare and respond to crises. If you feel underprepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities this rapidly evolving landscape presents, this is the session for you. Join us as we explore AI's practical tools and applications in crisis comms management, discover how to integrate it seamlessly into your existing workflows and crisis communications plans, and learn from real-world examples about AI's potential to lead to crisis scenarios and what to avoid.
Takeaways
- Discover which AI tools will be most helpful and how to incorporate them into your crisis communication systems.
- Learn to leverage AI for proactive risk assessment, identify emerging threats, and mitigate potential issues before they escalate into full-blown crises.
- Explore and understand what's on the AI landscape right now and get a glimpse of the latest emerging AI tech for communicators.
- Get step-by-step instructions on crafting effective prompts and fine-tuning your AI model to generate compelling, industry and brand-specific crisis messaging.
- Gain valuable insights to protect your organization's reputation and confidently navigate the complexities of the AI era.
About Rebecca Bultsma, AI Trainer, Speaker, and Consultant
As an internationally accredited communications professional and sought-after AI trainer, speaker, and consultant, Rebecca focuses on empowering communicators to integrate AI into their workflows confidently and ethically. She brings over 16 years of strategic communication and public relations experience to her work, having led communication strategies for diverse audiences in the K-12 education sector in Canada. Her extensive knowledge of AI is grounded in two years of dedicated research and practical application across various industries, and she is currently deepening her understanding of ethical AI principles with a Masters degree in Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics at the University of Edinburgh.
Rebecca is known for her contagious enthusiasm and ability to draw on her extensive professional communications experience to bridge the gap between complex concepts and practical applications and make AI accessible, engaging, and relevant for every audience. Passionate about human-AI collaboration and ethical AI adoption, she is adamant that successful communication in the age of AI is about empowering people to leverage technology to connect more authentically, build stronger relationships, and create a lasting impact.
Outside of her work, Rebecca is a devoted wife to her high school sweetheart, mother of four college students, and Frenchie mom, proving that it IS possible to chase big dreams, raise a family, and still find time for mountain hikes—all while navigating the ever-evolving world of AI.
Learn from Politicians’ Video Missteps: 4 Cautionary Tales from an Emmy-Winning Journalist
By Diane Streleckis - The nature of politics means politicians are used to being interviewed on video. But just because they do it often doesn’t mean they’re immune from common missteps. Kerry Barrett, founder of media-training firm Kerry Barrett Consulting. and an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist, shared four anecdotes highlighting what communication professionals can look out for, whether they’re on camera or advising business leaders and colleagues.
Read moreTransform Your Stress into Strength
Jessica Hallahan, MPH, a stress management public health educator, will help you relieve stress by telling her story about how burnout took over her life. Jessica will also help you understand stress and create habits to relieve anxiety today. The habits include communication, environment, mindfulness, acceptance, and self-care.
What you'll learn:
- An understanding of the importance of learning teamwork and accountability.
- An understanding of stress and personal awareness of employees' reactions to stress.
- Five habits you can start today to help relieve stress.
About Jessica Hallahan
Jessica Hallahan started her career and education in the drug and alcohol industry. She was working with men, reducing their sentence from jail in exchange for going to rehab. Jessica saw a need for prevention education. Her clients and coworkers were struggling with a thing called stress. She switched from a Master's in social work to a Master's in public health.
Jessica created her program and presented it to her class. Her professor suggested that she should turn her program into a business. August 2024 is four years of business for her Journey To Yourself, LLC business. Jessica is a public health educator focusing on stress management and burnout prevention. She focuses on two habits: communication and time management. Clients work with Jessica individually or through her company training program.