Ragan Communications has selected digital media entrepreneur and What’s Trending founder Shira Lazar as a keynote speaker for its 2026 Future of Communications Conference. The three-day event is scheduled for Nov. 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Austin as part of Communications Week.

Lazar’s keynote, titled “Think Like a Creator: Thriving at the Intersection of AI, Trust and the Future of Communications,” will examine how artificial intelligence, creator-driven media and evolving expectations around authenticity are transforming organizational communications.

The communications landscape is changing rapidly. Executives are increasingly producing content themselves, employees are functioning as publishers, and brands are competing for attention across an expanding and fragmented media environment. Against that backdrop, communicators need to look beyond technology alone and consider how experimentation, curiosity, authenticity and trust can help organizations build stronger connections with their audiences.

During her presentation, Lazar will discuss the growing overlap between corporate communications and the creator economy, the ways AI is influencing work and media, and the steps communications professionals can take to stay relevant as the industry continues to evolve.

Three Days Focused on the Future of Communications
Lazar’s appearance is part of a three-day conference that will bring hundreds of communications professionals to Austin to discuss emerging priorities across internal and external communications, public relations, reputation management, employee communications and leadership.

The 2026 Future of Communications Conference is expected to feature more than 50 senior communications executives, leaders and subject-matter experts across more than 30 keynotes, workshops, case studies, fireside conversations and peer-to-peer sessions.

The speaker lineup includes communications professionals representing organizations such as Lockheed Martin, United Airlines, Dell Technologies, Notion, State Farm, IBM, Colgate-Palmolive, Hachette Book Group, Mozilla, Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services, Dow Jones, Anker, Code for America and Cotality, among others.

AI and Emerging Challenges Take Center Stage
The conference agenda focuses on challenges communications teams are dealing with today as well as developments expected to influence the profession in 2027.

Topics will include AI governance, agentic AI workflows, executive communications, employee engagement, corporate reputation, crisis readiness, misinformation, organizational transformation, communications measurement and return on investment. Sessions will also address emerging media platforms and the increasing role of AI-powered search in how audiences discover information.

Another area of focus will be the changing nature of online discoverability. Attendees will explore how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are affecting brand visibility, along with the implications of AI systems becoming an audience for corporate information.

The program will also examine how organizations can respond to deepfakes and synthetic media and maintain an identifiable human voice as AI-generated communications become increasingly widespread.

Dedicated AI Strategy Summit
A dedicated Center for AI Strategy Summit, taking place Nov. 11, will provide additional programming focused specifically on artificial intelligence.

The summit will explore practical approaches to AI adoption, workflow development and governance, along with legal and brand considerations. It will also examine emerging opportunities that communications teams may need to prepare for as organizations expand their use of AI through 2027.

Networking and Peer Exchange
In addition to formal sessions, the Future of Communications Conference will provide opportunities for attendees to interact with other communications professionals. Structured networking, roundtable discussions, receptions and peer conversations are designed to encourage the exchange of practical experiences and ideas.

The conference represents the flagship educational event within Communications Week 2026, which runs Nov. 9–13. Communications Week brings together communications professionals and organizations to recognize the profession while exploring the technologies, trends and changing expectations shaping its future.

The next registration pricing deadline is Oct. 9.

Readers of 3BL Media can receive an additional $500 off registration by using the code 3BL.

In recent years, the world has experienced considerable change, and Nielsen has adapted in response. We are not only transforming our business model but also evolving our culture and employee experience to ensure we continue delivering exceptional work. Our focus is on fostering employee growth and engagement.

We have been dedicating resources to develop our employees' skills, acknowledge top performers, clarify job roles, and support career growth for all. Additionally, we have prioritized offering flexibility to our employees and made significant progress in enhancing our well-being program, particularly in the area of emotional health, to ensure it is accessible globally.

Our values serve as the cornerstone of our organization, with our cultural behaviors—accountability, performance, operational excellence, and grit—bringing these values to life through everyday actions. These behaviors fuel our transformation and help us create a better future for all. We aim to empower our employees to live these values every day, as they are the driving force behind our culture.

In 2023 and into 2024, we focused on integrating our values and cultural behaviors into the daily employee experience, including introducing them early in our onboarding process, so new hires at Nielsen are aligned with our company’s core identity.

Our Values:

Leadership Development Supporting and engaging people managers is a crucial element in driving employee growth and engagement. These leaders significantly influence our business success, team development, and the promotion of our values and cultural behaviors.

We continue to invest in leadership development through a variety of programs tailored to meet the needs of our managers. By the end of 2023, nearly 550 people managers participated in cohort-based leadership programs like Lead, Boost, and Ascend. In 2024, we shifted to recruiting candidates for the 12-week Lead and Boost programs through applications, rather than nominations, and introduced six global cohorts of 150 participants. Lead focuses on managers with less than two years of experience to establish leadership fundamentals, while Boost helps experienced managers enhance team engagement skills. The Ascend program provides top talent with customized coaching and assessment over six months.

In 2023, nearly 400 people managers engaged in Leader Lab, which offers quarterly virtual learning sessions and on-demand People Leader Essentials training through Degreed. Employees across the company also have access to career development programs that align with our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. More details are available in the Business Inclusion, Impact, and Belonging section of our 2024 ESG report.

Expanding Capabilities and Enabling Growth We offer resources and opportunities for employees to grow their skills, an integral part of our Growth Culture commitment. With the rapid transformation of our company and the evolving media landscape, we emphasized learning programs in 2023 to help employees better understand these changes and expand their skills. In 2023, 82% of our employees used our Learning Management System and Degreed platforms, completing over 32,500 learning activities.