IABC DC Metro

IABC Change Management SIG: “Confessions of a Communication Exec: Four Mistakes When Leading Change and How To Fix Them”
2026-02-04 00:00 UTC
Join the IABC Change Management Shared Interest Group (SIG) for “Confessions of a Communication Exec: 4 Mistakes When Leading Change and How To Fix Them” on Wednesday, February 4. To accommodate various time zones, there will be two sessions — one at 9 a.m. CT / 10 a.m. ET and the other at 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET.
You can’t fix a problem until you understand what’s broken — and why. In this candid, humor-filled session, Mary Lou Panzano shares early-career missteps, research-backed insights on why change efforts fail, and practical ways leaders can get change right. Expect real stories, actionable takeaways, and leadership lessons you can apply immediately at work and beyond.
You’ll learn how to:
☑️ Identify the four reasons most change initiatives fail
☑️ Apply a proven framework for sustainable, people-centered change
☑️ Use practical leadership behaviors that drive lasting results
There’s no cost to attend.
Click HERE to register!

IABC: “What Communicators Need to Stay Relevant in 2026”
2026-02-05 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC for “What Communicators Need to Stay Relevant in 2026” on Thursday, February 5, at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET. Gini Dietrich, founder, CEO, and author of Spin Sucks, will lead the discussion.
What We’ll Cover:
☑️ What communicators need to know about visibility, credibility, and trust in today’s AI-influenced landscape.
☑️ Why traditional channel-first planning no longer works — and what to use instead.
☑️ How the PESO Model® integrates paid, earned, shared, and owned media into one strategic system.
☑️ Real-world examples of PESO in action (and where most teams go wrong).
☑️ How to move from disconnected tactics to coordinated, measurable communications programs.
☑️ How the PESO Model® supports both individual contributors and senior leaders.
☑️ Practical ways IABC members can apply PESO immediately — regardless of team size or budget.
Who This is For:
☑️ Communications professionals managing multiple channels and stakeholders.
☑️ Practitioners who feel stuck in execution mode and want to be more strategic.
☑️ Leaders responsible for proving the impact of communications work.
☑️ IABC members looking for modern frameworks that actually scale.
Click HERE to register!

IABC: “AI, Integrity, and Influence: The Communicator’s Role in Setting Ethical Guardrails”
2026-02-10 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC for “AI, Integrity, and Influence: The Communicator’s Role in Setting Ethical Guardrails” on Tuesday, February 10 at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET, led by Emily Primeaux, Chief Content Officer at Dragonfly Editorial.
As AI reshapes how organizations create and manage content, communicators play a critical role in ensuring it’s used responsibly. This session explores how communication leaders can set ethical AI guidelines that protect trust while enabling innovation. Through real-world examples, you’ll learn how to assess risk, partner with legal and IT, and develop clear, practical AI policies.
You’ll learn how to:
☑️ Identify AI risks and opportunities in communication workflows
☑️ Build ethical, transparent AI use policies
☑️ Balance innovation, agility, and accountability
☑️ Walk away with a customizable policy outline and sample language
Click here to register!

IABC Seattle: MasterMind
2026-02-10 15:00 - 16:00
The next IABC Seattle MasterMind will be on Tuesday, February 10, at 12 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET.
The chapter designed these sessions to help you workshop solutions to your current comms challenges and hear how others have grappled with similar situations.
Think of it as one part mentoring, one part community building, and one part career coaching — finding a way forward together!
Bring a comms problem that’s on your plate and tap into the collective creativity, community support, and professional brainpower of IABC Seattle members. They’ll help you figure out that “single best next step” to take to get you closer to a solution.
Click HERE to register!

IABC AI Leadership and Communication SIG: Introductory Meeting
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00
Join the IABC AI Leadership and Communication Shared Interest Group (SIG) for its introductory meeting on Wednesday, February 11, at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET.
The IABC AI Leadership and Communication SIG supports communicators navigating the leadership, ethical, and organizational implications of AI — beyond the technology itself. In this members-only introductory webinar, founders Neville Hobson and Silvia Cambié explain why the SIG was formed, what it stands for, and how it approaches AI through a leadership and communication lens.
Participants will learn about the SIG’s purpose, guiding principles, and upcoming activities, explore ways to engage and contribute, and connect with fellow members committed to thoughtful, responsible leadership as AI reshapes communication practice.
Click here to register!

IABC Philadelphia: “The Ferris Bueller Guide to Smarter Storytelling”
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC Philadelphia for “The Ferris Bueller Guide to Smarter Storytelling” on Wednesday, February 18, at 12 p.m. ET. Rob Biesenbach, a keynote speaker and workshop leader, will head up the discussion.
If you want to sharpen your storytelling skills and help your people improve theirs, look no further than the classic American film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
In this engaging, practical session we’ll unpack the movie’s most important storytelling lesson and learn how it can help us connect with, captivate and compel any individual or audience to action — from customers and clients to colleagues and other key stakeholders.
That means:
☑️ Identifying and rising above the ordinary information (the data, stats and info) that
☑️ prevents us from delivering the big picture — the context, meaning and perspective;
☑️ Drawing out the best stories from our customers, constituents, members, and others;
☑️ Creating more captivating campaigns, preparing winning pitches, and presentations
☑️ and extending our influence inside and outside the organization.
Cost:
▪️IABC Philadelphia Members: $10
▪️Guests $25
▪️Students: $5
Click HERE to register!

IABC AI Leadership & Communication SIG: “AI, Ethics, and the Responsibility of Communicators”
2026-02-25 10:00 - 11:00
Join the IABC AI Leadership & Communication Shared Interest Group (SIG) for “AI, Ethics, and the Responsibility of Communicators” on Wednesday, February 25 at 9 a.m. CT / 10 a.m. ET.
Led by Silvia Cambié, senior AI governance specialist and digital transformation advisor, and Neville Hobson, communication professional, writer, and podcaster, this session explores the ethical and leadership responsibilities communicators face as AI becomes embedded in everyday work.
Designed for senior communication leaders, the webinar focuses on ethical judgment — not technical instruction — and examines how communicators must safeguard transparency, trust, accountability, and human oversight in AI-enabled environments. Through real-world examples, you’ll gain practical insight into where ethical governance belongs and why communicators must lead.
You’ll learn how to:
☑️ Define communicators’ ethical responsibilities in AI adoption
☑️ Understand how AI reshapes trust, transparency, and leadership expectations
☑️ Keep judgment, accountability, and decision-making human-led
☑️ Apply ethical leadership principles to real AI-supported scenarios
☑️ Advise senior leaders on responsible AI use across organizations
Click here to register!

IABC Philadelphia: “Think Like a Reader”
2026-03-18 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC Philadelphia for “Think Like a Reader” on Wednesday, March 18, at 12 p.m. ET.
Ann Wylie, a writing trainer, coach, and communications consultant, will share a four-step strategy for finding your voice and writing from the readers’ point of view. This ability will help you engage your readers and move them to act.
You’ll learn how to:
☑️ Take advantage of the formula readers use to decide what to read.
☑️ Top 2 rewards of reading to boost interest in your message.
☑️ Answer the No. 1 question your reader is asking about your piece.
☑️ Make a 2-minute perspective shift to focus your message on reader value.
Cost:
▪️IABC Philadelphia Members: $15
▪️Guests $25
▪️Students: $5
Click HERE to register!

IABC Master Class: “When Change Management Fails: Rebuilding Trust and Reputation when a Major Change Project Becomes a Crisis”
2026-03-30 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC Master Class for “When Change Management Fails: Rebuilding Trust and Reputation when a Major Change Project Becomes a Crisis” on Monday, March 30, at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET.
Bonnie Caver, Founder and CEO of Reputation Lighthouse, and Deborah Hileman, President and CEO of Institute for Crisis Management, will lead the discussion.
When change initiatives fail, poor communication is often the cause. This IABC Master Class explores why trust erodes during poorly managed transitions and how clear, honest, and consistent communication can rebuild credibility, stabilize teams, and restore stakeholder confidence. Learn proven frameworks, practical recovery strategies, and communication techniques that reduce risk and support lasting change.
Click HERE to register!

IABC Philadelphia: “Meet Your New Communications Research Partner: Generative AI”
2026-04-14 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC Philadelphia for “Meet Your New Communications Research Partner: Generative AI” on Tuesday, April 14, at 12 p.m. ET.
In this example-packed session, Shel Holtz will show practical, ethical workflows for public affairs and communications teams in their use of Generative AI.
Key Takeaways:
☑️ Choose the right copilot for the job: When to use ChatGPT Projects + Deep Research, Perplexity, Notebook LM, Custom GPTs/Gems, and other tools.
☑️ Prompt patterns that keep you honest: Structure prompts to prioritize primary sources, require inline citations, extract dates/deadlines, and flag secondary coverage.
☑️ Build reusable research assistants: Set up repeatable watchlists, weekly briefs, 30/60/90-day calendars, and risk heatmaps.
☑️ Create source-grounded Q&A binders: Use Notebook LM to interrogate curated material (e.g., CEO speeches, filings) with verifiable citations.
☑️ From findings to executive-ready outputs: Convert research into spokesperson notes, talking points, FAQs, and customer-facing summaries – fast.
☑️ Safeguards that protect your credibility: Disclosure, provenance links, and “never auto-publish” guardrails for responsible AI use in comms.
Cost:
▪️IABC Philadelphia Members: $15
▪️Guests $25
▪️Students: $5
Click HERE to register!

IABC Seattle: Early Career Catalyst Development Series
2026-05-04 - 2026-06-16
Join IABC Seattle’s Early Career Catalyst Development Series
Mondays, May 4-June 15 | 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET
Level up your comms career in just 6 weeks. This virtual series features 45-minute sessions (30-minute lesson + 15-minute live Q&A) led by experienced communications pros — designed for new and junior communicators.
You’ll cover:
☑️ Newsroom Essentials
☑️ Design 101
☑️ Executive Communications
☑️ Internal Communications
☑️ Leadership in Communications
☑️ Strategic Communications Panel
Live attendance encouraged; all sessions are recorded so you can catch replays if needed
Click here to register!

IABC Philadelphia: “7 Mistakes Communicators Make with B2B Messages (and the Brain Science to Beat Them)”
2026-05-21 12:00 - 13:00
Join IABC Philadelphia for “7 Mistakes Communicators Make with B2B Messages (and the Brain Science to Beat Them)” on Thursday, May 21, from 12–1 p.m. Nancy Harhut, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of HBT Marketing, will lead this session.
Even with the right information and benefits, B2B messages often fall flat. In this fast-paced, example-filled webinar, you’ll uncover the most common messaging mistakes and learn brain-science-backed fixes that boost engagement and performance.
You’ll learn:
☑️ The simplest, most overlooked way to increase revenue (7x more effective, per the B2B Institute)
☑️ The misconception about your audience that costs you sales
☑️ A proven way to rewrite headlines to boost engagement by up to 140%
Click HERE to register!

IABC World Conference 2026
2026-06-14 - 2026-06-16
Get ready to connect, learn, and lead in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. This June, communication professionals from across the industry will come together June 14-16 in Toronto for IABC’s flagship event, World Conference 2026.
Designed for today’s communicator, World Conference brings together global perspectives, expert-led sessions, and meaningful peer-to-peer learning. Every session is aligned to the IABC Career Roadmap, giving you practical strategies you can apply at any stage of your career.
This year’s theme focuses on the communicator’s evolving role in a rapidly changing world, how we stay agile, lead responsibly, and drive innovation.
Click HERE to register!
