Future of Communications Conference
Ragan’s conference pairs internal and external communication tracks with keynotes and pre-conference workshops on AI, organizational change, executive communication, measurement, and reputation.
Organized byThis event has ended
Held on 20 October 2026
Austin, Texas, United States
Paid
What to expect
The main conference combines shared sessions with parallel internal and external tracks. The internal program covers change fatigue and manager trust, collaboration between communication, HR, and technology teams, executive visibility, AI accountability, and defending communication budgets. The external track includes crisis response, public affairs, reputation, and how brands appear in AI search.
Specific employee communication sessions include New York Life’s work to bring editorial and digital teams together around The Square, and Whataburger’s move from a weekly PDF newsletter to a multimedia, role-based app. Kelly Barnett discusses BNSF Railway’s approach to leader enablement, including meeting resources, pulse polls, and digital signage. A panel considers how Gen Z employees respond to workplace messaging.
Wednesday’s workshops offer choices across crisis simulation, business fluency, employee channel planning, AI-assisted editorial governance, and AI adoption. Exercises include making a case for investment to a fictional executive, updating a newsletter strategy, and designing a short AI practice exercise. The alternative Center for AI Strategy Summit uses peer discussions, workflow demonstrations, and advisor exchanges on adoption, governance, and risk.
Led by
Selected speakers
Before you book
Standard conference registration is $3,495. The $3,895 all-access pass adds pre-conference workshops and the conference recording. The Center for AI Strategy Summit package is $4,299 at the standard rate and includes the summit, conference sessions, recording, and annual membership. Attendees choose the workshops or the summit during registration. Lower rates are listed for Ragan Insiders and nonprofit, government, and education attendees; group pricing is available for three or more. Vendor registration is $4,999. Conference registrations include sessions, speaker presentation decks, networking, and Ragan editorial notes.
