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Crisis Communications SIG: Signal or noise? Social media triage in an age of trolls and disruption Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. Eastern | 4:00 p.m. CT This session explores how crisis managers triage social media activity during high-stakes moments – protecting organizational credibility and avoiding responses that make the situation worse. Drawing on practitioner experience and global examples, we will examine practical frameworks and decision-making guardrails when emotions run high and digital communities are anything but neutral. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Matt Tidwell as our guest speaker. A seasoned consultant and educator, Matt has held senior roles at Fortune 500 companies, worked with agencies and conducted academic research in crisis communication. He is currently teaching the next generation of leaders as a program director for professional graduate studies at the University of Kansas. Matt also served on the International Executive Board of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), helping raise global communication standards for a network of several thousand professionals. We are also pleased to have Dianne Chase, executive, crisis and cybersecurity communication expert, co-moderate the session. Founder and CEO of Chase Media and Communication, Dianne is a former award-winning broadcast journalist, news director and anchor. She also served as Global Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Dianne recently published a book called The 7 C's of The New Communication Compass: Insights, Inspiration, and Strategies for Navigating Future Forward Success, a practical guide to communicating with clarity when complexity and stakes are high.   Focus question How can communicators effectively triage social media activity during a crisis – deciding what requires action, what should be monitored and what can be ignored – without escalating risk or undermining trust?   Additional questions (if time permits) How do trolls with AI-generated content and coordinated disinformation campaigns change the way organizations should assess “public sentiment” and manage reputational risks? When does engaging online help maintain credibility – and when does it legitimize bad-faith actors or fuel polarization? What guardrails, escalation thresholds and internal decision processes should be in place for teams managing social media during crises? Read more

LinkedIn in 2026 is just a "professional social network", it is a power business grow engine. And this engine has evolved; it is no longer about posting more content. It’s about strategic visibility, intentional positioning, and engineered influence. In this live, interactive 3-hour online workshop, you will learn how to build a powerful, opportunity-driven personal brand on LinkedIn, one that attracts the right people, starts meaningful conversations, and converts visibility into real business outcomes. Designed specifically for professional communicators, consultants, founders, coaches, and business leaders, this workshop goes beyond theory. You’ll work live on your own LinkedIn presence, guided step-by-step through the exact frameworks used to help thousands of professionals generate opportunities consistently, without chasing clients or relying on hacks. This session reflects how LinkedIn really works in 2026, using the updated 360Brew model and a proven influence-to-income approach. This is a practical workshop: Attendees will have the chance to work on hands-on exercises to build their UVP, optimise their LinkedIn profiles, analyse the best content formats, and understand conversion tactics.  LinkedIn rewards clarity, consistency, and credibility, not noise. If you want LinkedIn to start working for you in 2026 instead of feeling like a content treadmill, this workshop will give you the structure and mindset to do exactly that.  Learning outcomes:  o Understanding the new LinkedIn model, 360Brew o Building  a magnetic LinkedIn profile that attracts the right audience o Building a high-level content strategy that positions you as a subject matter expert. o Developing your engagement strategy to turn content into conversations and conversions.  Read more

You can’t fix a problem until you first identify what it is and why the current approach doesn’t work. In this dynamic session, Mary Lou Panzano admits her early-career mistakes and the lessons she learned. She reveals the research behind what most leaders get wrong when driving change and introduces ways to fix those problems. This candid session, sprinkled with humor, will deliver real-world stories, actionable takeaways, and leadership insights you can apply immediately in your organization, career, and life. => Learn the four main reasons why most change efforts fail => Discover a proven framework to achieve sustainable, people-centered transformation => Walk away with practical leadership behaviors that spark lasting change and real results Speaker: Mary Lou Panzano Mary Lou Panzano is an award-winning communications executive with over 35 years of experience in employee communications at global companies, empowering leaders to guide strategic organizational change. She is a certified leadership coach, communications advisor, speaker, and best-selling author, passionate about helping people succeed through any change they wish to make in their business or lives. Mary Lou is a featured author in the Cracking the Rich Code, Volume 18 anthology, and her solo book, Cementing Change: Cracking the Code for Communications that Work, will be published in 2026. Live Sessions:  The live one hour sessions will take place at 9:00 AM CT & 5:00 PM CT on 5 February 2026.  Read more

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organisations operate and communicate – faster, broader, and with growing autonomy. But as AI becomes embedded in everyday practice, the impact on human dignity as well as ethical questions can no longer be treated as secondary. Designed for senior communication professionals navigating AI adoption, and focused on ethical judgement not technical instruction, this webinar explores the challenges and responsibilities communicators face when introducing AI, from transparency and trust to stakeholder accountability and human oversight. Drawing on real-world examples and practical experience, the session will help participants think critically about where ethical judgement and human governance sit in an AI-enabled communication environment – and why communicators must play a leading role. This session focuses on the leadership and ethical responsibilities of communicators in an AI-enabled environment, rather than the technology itself. 1. Identify the ethical responsibilities communicators hold when AI is introduced into organisations and communication – regardless of who owns the technology. 2. Discuss how AI adoption changes expectations of leadership, transparency, and users’ trust in communication functions. 3. Evaluate how ethical judgement, accountability, and decision-making must remain human-led in AI-enabled communication environments. 4. Apply ethical leadership principles to real communication scenarios involving AI-supported content, analysis, or decision-making. 5. Recognise the strategic role communicators play in advising senior execs and guiding responsible AI use across organisations, teams, and stakeholders. Read more

AI is changing how organizations create, share, and manage content. But in the rush to innovate, few are pausing to ask: Are we using it responsibly? Communicators are at the center of that conversation. We shape messages, define voice, and uphold organizational integrity. This session explores how communication leaders can craft ethical AI guidelines that protect trust while driving innovation. We’ll look at real-world examples of companies navigating the promise and pitfalls of generative AI, from internal content creation to brand storytelling. You’ll learn how to evaluate risk, build cross-functional partnerships with IT and legal, and write policies that empower teams to use AI confidently and transparently. Because when everyone has access to the same tools, ethical use becomes your competitive advantage, and communicators must lead the way in deciding how AI shapes our words, our workplaces, and our world. Key Takeaways Identify where AI introduces risk and opportunity in communication workflows Learn the essential components of an ethical AI use policy Explore frameworks for balancing agility, innovation, and accountability Leave with a customizable outline and sample language to start your own policy   Audience Level: Intermediate to advanced communicators, content strategists, and leaders managing AI adoption Read more

When attention is the scarcest resource in change, communication must work harder. Dr. Jen Frahm explores the intersection of applied neuroscience, agile change, and change communication to reveal how to achieve cut-through in complex environments. Together, we’ll unpack: How to create cut-through when audiences are tired, overwhelmed, or working in complex systems. How to communicate inclusively and respectfully with diverse audiences. How to foster clarity in times of extreme uncertainty and ambiguity. You’ll walk away with three brain-friendly communication techniques you can apply immediately to make your messages stick and your change conversations count.   Speaker Dr. Jen Frahm is the co-founder of The Agile Change Leadership Institute and builds change capability in organizations. She is a global expert on organizational change, communication and transformation, a tamer of ambiguity, speaker of truths, and solver of problems. An IABC recommended speaker, she is known for being at the frontier of business agility and change. She is the author of Change. Leader – The changes you need to make first (2021), Conversations of Change: A guide to workplace change (2017), and co-author of The Agile Change Playbook (2020). Her latest book Change. Communication will be published in 2026. She has designed and delivered change across multiple industries and professions, from wine sales to wedding dresses, veterinary products to energy retailers, nuns and engineers, big banks, small IT companies, publicly listed, privately owned and non-profit organizations, and across 28 countries. She now lives and works from Seddon on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung (Naarm / Melbourne), Australia. Read more