Speechwriting & Public Affairs
Thursday, March 4, 2021
11:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m. ET
Inform, influence and inspire in the new normal
Meet the moment • Rebuild trust • Recover business
Restore reputation • Shape strategy • Craft messaging
Over the 33 years we've hosted this conference, no time has been more critical. Our nation is divided, perhaps more than at nearly any other time over the past 100 years.
The good news is communicators and public affairs professionals are in a unique position to foster unity, find consensus and bring audiences together while communicating our ideas and agendas. If you want to educate, engage and uplift your audience in the wake of unparalleled uncertainty, political upheaval and social justice issues—then this is one event you can't afford to miss. Join us online on March 4 for Ragan's Speechwriting & Public Affairs Conference.
Join our A-list speakers and trainers for the public affairs strategies, legislative forecasts, storytelling magic and speechwriting secrets you need to inform, influence and inspire your constituents under a new administration. The path forward starts here.
Top 12 things you'll learn at this conference:
- The black and blue majority: How to navigate the new reality and administration
- Consensus builders: Keys to handling regulators and legislative roadblocks
- Public affairs strategies: Winning case studies, steps and templates to borrow
- Persuasive messages: How to craft unifying and uplifting messages around today's most divisive social and political issues
- Issues roadmap: How to handle health and wellness, vaccine rollouts, social activism, new regulations, right to choose, gun control, data safety, financial relief, tax reform, lobbying regulations and other hot button issues
- Presidential speeches: Secrets of conveying confidence, clarity and compassion
- Storytelling magic: How to transform boring topics into blockbusters—plus three surprising “StoryHacks” to get out of any executive communications jam
- Beyond words: Body language principles for more powerful speeches
- Tech for content creators: Harnessing podcasts, social media and other tools to create and share content that builds advocacy, authority and reputation
- Thought leadership: How to transform spokespeople into media and legislative darlings
- Diversity matters: Using inclusive language to respect and reflect diverse audiences
- What's next: Top trends that will reshape public affairs and public speaking
Register today. Once registered, you'll be able to join the private LinkedIn group right away!
#RaganSpeech
YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE THESE EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIALS:
- Pandemics, Politics, Purpose: A New Model for Public Affairs
- Speechwriters Inclusive Language Tip Sheet
- Report: using Social and Search Data to Build Vaccine Confidence
Plus, all attendees receive:
- Access to a private LinkedIn group for attendees only
- All slides and presentations from speakers
- Connections to our esteemed speakers
AGENDA
Join to learn new strategies and techniques to elevate your public affairs and speechwriting skills, prestige and impact.
A whirlwind of uncertainty, pandemic and divisiveness nearly tore our nation apart last year. It's time to heal and move forward and find common ground to achieve your agenda. Join to hear how it's done firsthand from a master of public affairs consensus building.
You'll hear:
- How to more effectively communicate with state and national politicians
- How to navigate regulators and legislative roadblocks: Simple steps and examples to help you bridge polarization and find common interest
- The New Trust Trifecta: The role of empathetic leadership, employee wellness and ethical reawakening in restoring our trust in institutions
- What to expect: The top risks and opportunities of 2021
Join this panel for insights from decades of White House and government insiders—so your own spokesperson or public affairs rep can command the podium like a pro.
You'll discover:
- How to find your exec's voice to achieve authenticity and earn trust
- How to turn complex policy issues into digestible soundbites audiences love
- Pivots plus people power: How the best leaders stick to their messages while connecting emotionally with audiences
- Inaugural insights—lessons and takeaways from past presidential speeches
If there’s one thing we learned this year, it’s that all bets are off if you’re working from a public affairs strategy that’s set in stone (and the past). Hear how to ramp up your public affairs strategy so it’s more responsive to current events and instant crises—with insights from public affairs insiders who know something about “putting out fires" and handling crises.
You'll learn:
- The structure of a more adaptable public affairs plan, top to bottom
- How to optimize audience segmentation and channel selection
- How to assess your plan, monitor results and adjust messaging in real-time
- Lessons from firefighting and FEMA training: How to flip your strategy when
everything changes overnight - How to understand the psychology behind crisis response strategies
- Insights for predicting stakeholders reactions to your organization's crisis response
- What organizations can do before a crisis to mitigate the effects of one
With hope on the way, vaccine communications should be at the top of your strategic concerns. Join to hear how to communicate the facts—and dispel misinformation—to all your stakeholder groups. from employees to policymakers, the public and even the press.
You'll discover:
- What's new: How Covid-19 has changed public affairs, policy and PR
- Behind-the-scenes lessons from the rollout and ongoing vax confusion
- Insights into working with the White House, federal government and CDC
- Understanding motivations for American vaccine confidence
- How social and digital data can inform leaders and communicators building unity around vaccine confidence
- Bonus workplace wellness toolkit: CDC FAQs, slides, social media content and videos to share
Storytelling brings speeches to life and moves audiences by touching their hearts. Hear how to write more authentic, emotionally powerful speeches for your execs—so you can more successfully engage audiences on important issues that align with your purpose.
You'll discover:
- What execs can learn about unifying messages and storytelling structure from presidential speeches, inaugurations and even SOU addresses
- Examples and insights for crafting honest, authentic executive communications
- Three “StoryHacks” to get out of any executive communications jam—lessons from Oprah and the producers of “The Book of Mormon” Broadway hit, among others:
- Hack #1:“And-But-Therefore”: Helps create content when you’re stuck
- Hack #2: “What, So What, Now What”: Create content faster when under pressure
- Hack #3: “Once Upon a Time”: Create content when struggling with a pitch
Governor Cuomo won an Emmy for his Covid-19 Zoom updates, but audiences and execs are experiencing Zoom fatigue. So how do you maximize your message when everyone is remote? Join to hear how to tap new tools to expand reach for your mission, agenda and executive communications content in the WFH era.
You'll learn:
- Content strategy: How to cascade executive, internal and external communications messages across platforms to reach different audiences (from Gen Z to Boomers)
- Speeches 3.0: How reimagine tired, traditional speeches and townhalls with Teams, Friday forums and video apps
- Tech tools that make your job easier—including Canva, iMovie and Adobe (plus new ways to use Zoom)
- DIY podcast techniques every communicator should try, whether your in internal, executive or external comms
- How to amplify your message across social media
More than 95% of speechwriters are white. That's a striking stat and the call to action is clear: We must diversify speechwriting and our messages in order to create stories that resonate with and include everyone. How else can you expect to reach your audiences if you're not recognizing, respecting and reflecting their experience? Join for some candid talk about driving diversity and inclusion with every word you write, phrase you turn and audience you face.
You'll learn:
- Why we need speechwriters of color (especially after 2020's racial justice movement)
- The power of diverse stories and voices—and how to include them
- Red flags to avoid when writing inclusively (gendered, ableist and dehumanizing language)—plus binary language to excise from your or your speeches today
- Brands taking a stand: How to talk about and commit to diversity, inclusion and social justice issues in a competent, empathetic and actionable manner
Merriam-Webster declared "Pandemic" the word of the year for 2020. Public affairs and executive communicators might choose a different word: empathy. The year's trio of crises—the coronavirus, economic disruption and civil unrest—forced many to confront the way they communicate with their audiences and stakeholders, including influencers and legislators. In this session, Ragan Consulting's Jim Ylisela makes the case for continued empathy and emotion in our executive communications and public affairs outreach, even as the world returns to some version of normal.
This session will cover:
- Why leaders should embrace emotion, not hide from it
- Why listening (no, really listening) is the key to better audience engagement—regardless whether you're talking to staff, regulators or reporters
- How to infuse empathy into executive communication, from speeches to public affairs writing to an Op-ed in The New York Times
- Why the "first person" story is making a comeback in executive communications
Hope may be in the air, but distrust still pervades both sides of the aisle, trust in institutions continues to nosedive and many PACs remain frozen. So what’s the path forward for public affairs? Join for an unvarnished take on selling ideas that influence, the higher social impact of public affairs and how to represent facts in service of both truth and your agenda. You’ll hear:
- What to expect amid continued threats and political disruption
- How to handle the “trust gap” created by fringe voices and political influences
(many using the same tools and tactics you do) - Selling ideas that influence: Our responsibility as public affairs pros in the era of alternative facts, the beatdown of truth and even “The Big Lie”
- Building bridges: How to find new ways to work together
- How to navigate the merging of consumerism and activism—especially as
stakeholders in government are increasingly younger - What the future holds for paused PAC contributions and more...
We'll share the top tactics and strategies from the virtual conference as you prepare to implement these ideas for your organization.
If you are interested in submitting a speaker proposal, please contact Brian Pittman at Brianp@ragan.com
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
You should attend if you spend at least a quarter of your time in any of these areas:
Public affairs • Executive communications • Speechwriting • Government relations • Reputation management • Crisis communications • PR • Internal communications • Issues management • Social media • Storytelling • Writing and editing • Media relations
| Early Bird Rates (until 02/18/21) |
Regular Rates | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $699 | $799 |
| Ragan Insider Registration | $599 | $699 |
| Nonprofit Registration | $549 | $649 |
Phone registrations and group pricing: For group orders please contact our customer service team at 800-878-5331 or cservice@ragan.com
SPONSORSHIP
Thank you to our sponsors:
Join us as an event sponsor and meet your target audience, showcase your products, present thought leadership, generate leads and boost your brand.
Here are a few examples of opportunities we offer:
- Speaking sessions on our main agenda
- Lightning talks on our main agenda
- Pre-conference workshop sessions
- Bonus breakfast sessions
- One-on-one meetings
- Networking passes
- Marketing collateral and on-site branding
- Ragan and PR Daily Awards sponsorship
For more information on opportunities available at this specific event, reach out to HannahL@ragan.com.
Ragan events are educational, inspirational and fun!
Our sponsors are an important part of the success of each event.
Registration
For questions related to event registrations, please contact:
Shallon Blackburn
Customer Service & Sales Manager
ShallonB@ragan.com
Sponsorship
If you’re interested in sponsoring this event, please contact:
Hannah Lavelle
Sales & Client Relations Manager
HannahL@ragan.com
Program
For information on programming and speakers please contact:
Brian Pittman
Manager, Strategic Programming
Brianp@ragan.com
PRESENTED BY:
