National Press Club Communicators' Summit 2018 - Today's Biggest Challenges: Technology and Inter-Generational Communications

On Wednesday, October 31, the National Press Club will host its annual Communicators’ Summit in the National Press Club, Ballroom -- located at 529 14th Street, NW -- 13th floor. This year's program will address new technologies (including Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality) that can help public relations professionals and journalists with effective story telling and reaching audiences. At the same time, because technology has opened doors for consumers to get news and information via numerous platforms, communicators need to reach them not just by those platforms, but by using inter-generational -- even multicultural language that resonates and engages towards some action -- to buy a product, to vote a particular way, support a POV or even just to inform or educate.

Schedule

8:00-8:30 a.m. – Registration/Networking/Continental Breakfast

8:30-8:35 a.m. – Welcome remarks

8:35-9:35 a.m. – Francesco Marconi, R&D Chief, The Wall Street Journal, will discuss how Artificial Intelligence is delivering new tools that advance the work of journalists and communicators.

9:35-9:45 a.m. – BREAK

9:45-11:00 a.m. – Session I: Understanding Generational Communications -- from Millennials, GEN-Y Z, GEN-Y. How to understand these generations from a communicator and journalist POV and how to reach them with messaging in order to influence and drive change, AND how to work and communicate with these people in the most effective way.

• Shira Harrington – CEO of Purposeful Hire, Inc


• Omar Jones – Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Chief of Public Affairs


• Matt Bennett – Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, Motion Picture Association of America


• Andrea Coville – CEO, Brodeur Partners


• Karen Addis – President & CEO at Addis Communications & National Press Club member (Moderator)

11:00-11:15 a.m. – BREAK

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Session II: How media organizations are using different technologies and re-purposing news content to reach readers across various audiences (be they generational, multi-cultural, etc) and how can communicators help journalists and media organizations make their jobs easier knowing that content is edited to fit various audiences?

• Mary Nahorniak – Deputy Managing Editor of Digital, USA Today


• Sudeep Reddy – Managing Editor, Politico


• Justin Green – Deputy Managing Editor, Axios


• Derek Wallbank – Team Leader, Bloomberg First Word


• Lindsay Murphy – VP, Racepoint Global & National Press Club member (moderator)

12:30-1:00 p.m. – Break for Lunch Setup

1:00-2:30 p.m. – Lunch/Luncheon Speaker: Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. Sesno will discuss challenges and opportunities, along with take-aways and lessons for today’s communicators – not just how to use innovation get one's message out to key audiences (via various platforms), but also what are some issues (be they technological, generational, or even political) that get in the way of good communications. Moderated by Angela Greiling Keene, Deputy Editor, POLITICO States and past president of the National Press Club.

2:30-2:35 p.m. – Closing Remarks

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