Ragan Communications is set to host hundreds of communications professionals in Austin, Texas, from Nov. 11-13 for the 2026 Future of Communications Conference, one of the centerpiece events of Communications Week.

The three-day gathering will be held at the Hyatt Regency Austin and will bring together professionals and senior leaders working in internal communications, public relations, corporate communications, marketing, employee communications, public affairs and other related fields. The event will focus on the trends transforming the communications industry and the strategies professionals will need as they prepare for 2027.

The 2026 conference comes as the communications profession undergoes significant change. Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of routine business operations rather than remaining primarily an experimental technology. At the same time, organizations are dealing with shifting workforce expectations, a rapidly changing media landscape, growing reputational threats, economic challenges and greater demands to prove the measurable business impact of communications.

The Future of Communications Conference aims to equip professionals with the knowledge and practical approaches needed to turn these developments into opportunities for leadership and growth.

The agenda features more than 30 sessions spanning keynote presentations, workshops, case studies, fireside conversations, panel discussions and peer-to-peer exchanges. Topics will include responsible AI implementation and governance, executive communications, corporate reputation, crisis response, employee engagement, organizational transformation, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), communications measurement and strategic communications.

More than 50 experienced communications executives, industry specialists and senior leaders are expected to share their insights. Attendees will also have opportunities to network with hundreds of professionals who are confronting similar challenges within their own organizations.

New AI Strategy Summit
One of the key additions to this year's conference is the Center for AI Strategy Summit, scheduled for Nov. 11. Professionals who choose the AI Summit as their pre-conference program will participate in open discussions about how organizations can advance AI adoption in a responsible and effective manner.

The summit will examine the current state of AI adoption, the obstacles limiting wider implementation and the challenges surrounding trust. Participants will explore how communications teams can transition from isolated AI experiments to consistent, scalable workflows.

The program will also feature real-world AI workflows and applications, along with discussions about governance, brand safety and emerging concerns involving agentic AI, synthetic content and legal exposure. A central theme will be determining where human oversight and professional judgment remain essential as AI becomes more deeply integrated into communications.

Those attending the Center for AI Strategy Summit will also receive a complimentary one-year membership in Ragan's Center for AI Strategy.

Hands-on Workshop Option
Professionals who instead select Ragan's conference workshop program on Nov. 11 will have access to practical sessions covering subjects such as deepfakes and synthetic media, crisis readiness, AI-driven search, GEO and AEO, building AI-capable communications teams and preserving credible, authentic content as artificial intelligence speeds up content creation.

The main conference program will continue on Nov. 12 and 13, featuring separate tracks for internal and external communications, general sessions, interactive conversations, networking opportunities and discussions with speakers and fellow participants.

The Future of Communications Conference forms a central part of Communications Week, which runs Nov. 9-13. The annual event brings together communications professionals, organizations and industry leaders for educational sessions, networking and discussions focused on the direction of the communications field.

For professionals planning for the communications landscape of 2027, the Austin event provides an opportunity to step away from everyday responsibilities, learn from the experiences of other organizations, expand professional networks and return to their workplaces with strategies that can be put into practice immediately.

The next registration pricing deadline is Sept. 4.

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

Click here to know more.

Hershey’s longstanding history, dating back to 1894, doesn’t protect its team from today’s workplace pressures. Employees are faced with competing priorities, limited time, delivering strong results in a dynamic market, and keeping up with changing consumer preferences and industry trends.

I transitioned into employee communications in early 2024 after previously focusing on external audiences and channels. The Hershey Communications team is made up of forward-thinking, high-caliber professionals who bring extensive external expertise alongside a deep understanding of what employees care about. Drawing on data-informed insights, we listened closely to their perspectives — whether openly shared or more quietly expressed. Meanwhile, the company itself was undergoing a significant transformation. With the addition of salty snack brands, Hershey was growing beyond its roots as a pure candy manufacturer and becoming a multi-category snacking enterprise — requiring us to manage structural and operational change alongside ongoing external pressures.