AGENDA
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2026
Day 1 • Kickoff, Economics of Trust & Future Watch
Mount Tabor Conference Room
Noon
Coffee/beverages, settling in, meet and greet –All members — travel-in, food, and connection time
1 p.m.
Conference Kickoff
Introductions • Icebreaker
2:00 p.m.
OPENING WORKSHOP - PR 3.0: AI and the New Economics of Trust
Elizabeth Edwards, PRCG President; Founder & President, Volume PR and Engagement Science Lab — Denver, CO.
--
The role of PR agencies in an artificial world; the new skill sets and services our agencies need to build; the business opportunities ahead.
3:15 p.m.
Break
3:30 p.m.
President's State of the Network
Elizabeth Edwards
--
PRCG in review, 2026 priorities, and what the 2026 PRCG conference is designed to deliver.
4:00 p.m.
Future Watch 2026: Major Trends and Events that PR Pros Should Have on Their Radar Screen — and What PR Consultants Should Do to Prepare
Stephen Dupont, APR, Futurist; Principal, Dupont Foresight
--
What foresight do we need; what trends are we watching • Sensemaking workshop • Group share
5:30 p.m.
Rooftop Reception
Hampton Inn & Suites Portland Pearl - Cinco de Mayo Celebration! Join us hand-poured margaritas from famed Portland mixologist,
6:45 p.m.
Depart for Dine-Arounds
Private member networking dinners at Portland dining hot spots
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026
Day 2 • Authority & Authenticity in an Artificial World
Mount Tabor Conference Room
9:00 a.m.
OPENING KEYNOTE — ADHD and Me: Maintaining Stakeholder Attention Through Influence
Dan Farkas, Ohio University, Cleveland, OH
--
How the neuroscience of attention and modern influencer practices can reverse digital distraction and drive meaningful engagement.
10:00 a.m.
Tech Tools & Workflows in PR: AI with Authority — Live Learning Lab
Elizabeth Edwards
--
Top AI Tools for Communication & PR Pros & The New Rules of SEO & AI Search (AEO & GEO) with tabletop breakouts.
11:00 a.m.
AI Agents & Agentic PR - Ready for Work
Langley Allbritton, AI Comms Consulting
--
Hands-On AI Strategy Session: How To Build A Custom GPT & Claude Cowork Jumpstart
12:00 p.m
Lunch
1:00 p.m.
PR is Humanity’s Heartbeat
Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chasing the Sun
--
Keynote Conversation – The public relations profession has been undervalued, misnamed, and misunderstood for decades. Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA, with experience running global teams at Weber Shandwick and Edelman, will host a Keynote Conversation the profession has been waiting for. The Conversation is not a defense of the industry, but a celebration with a plan. This Conversation will empower attendees to command the trusted-advisor position with clients, while identifying go-to-market opportunities with fellow members. Attendees will leave with a renewed love for the profession, its relationship with its publics, a renewed look at how to build social capital, and permission to celebrate the humanity within every organization they serve.
2:15 p.m.
Ethics Superpower: A Tabletop Workshop
Rhonda Morin, APR, Senior Communicator, Oregon Health & Science University
--
Interactive ethics scenarios for agency leaders navigating AI and client work including a look at the new PRSA Behavioral Ethics & Professional Standards (BEPS) for Ethical AI Use.
3:15 p.m.
Break
3:30 p.m.
How to Make More and Keep More: Strategic Business Development & Industry Profitability Best Practices
Ken Jacobs, Principal, Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching
--
Practical strategies to create targeted business development that wins your sweet-spot clients, then walks through the industry profitability benchmarks, ratios, and focus areas that determine how much of that revenue you actually keep.
4:45 p.m.
PRCG Committee Workshops
-
Marketing & Content Expansion
-
Membership & Education
6:30 p.m.
Group Dinner, Bellpine at the Ritz Carlton Portland, 20th Floor
Dinner & Dialog
--
Facilitated networking and member development conversation over a 5-course shared tasting and wine pairing menu.
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026
Day 3 • Agency Practice, Member Expertise & Close
Mount Tabor Conference Room
8:30 a.m.
Staying Visible When No One Clicks
Kent Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Gravitate
--
Connecting PR to the new reality of AI-driven discovery, unpacking what "no-click" search means for your work and how content credibility, brand authority, and strategic visibility position PR professionals to lead through the shift. You'll leave with practical ways to shape stories that surface in AI summaries, earn third-party validation, and expand your service offering.
9:30 a.m.
Lightning Presentations from PRCG Members
Kent Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Gravitate
-
Why Media Relations Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI — Jennifer Regen Bisbee, APR, Fellow PRSA, Bisbee and Company; PRC, Orlando, FL
-
Growing a Boutique Agency and Redefining Agency Culture in a Hybrid World — Denver Peacock, JD, APR, The Peacock Group; PRC, Little Rock, AR
-
Getting the Most Out of Your PRCG Membership — Steve Bumgarner, Capture Public Relations & Marketing; PRC, Winston/Salem/Charlotte, NC
10:15 a.m.
When AI Gets It Wrong: How Communicators Can Shape Accurate AI Answers
Rashaad O'Neal, MA, PRSA Puget Sound Communications Committee Lead
--
Connecting PR to the new reality of AI-driven discovery, unpacking what "no-click" search means for your work and how content credibility, brand authority, and strategic visibility position PR professionals to lead through the shift. You'll leave with practical ways to shape stories that surface in AI summaries, earn third-party validation, and expand your service offering.
11:15 a.m.
All About Business — Working Roundtables
-
Building Business: Make More & Keep More — Self-directed
-
Crisis Comms in the World of AI — Self-directed
-
Media Relations in the Age of AI — Jennifer Regen Bisbee
-
Growing a Boutique Agency in a Hybrid World — Denver Peacock
12 p.m.
Wrap up and 2027: Milwaukee, here we come!
Elizabeth Edwards — Closing Remarks & 2027 Conference Highlights