The new year brings new opportunities to attend the top PR conferences across North America and the world. There’s no better place to build one’s professional network and learn from industry all-stars at panels and educational events.
As the business of communications and public relations continues to evolve, along with the tools and technologies that support practitioners, hearing directly from industry colleagues working in-house and at agencies is one way to stay on top trends and best serve your clients.
We’ve put together a list of the top PR conferences and events to have on your calendar in 2023. Check out the list below.
Ragan Employee Communications 101
When: January 31, 2023
Where: Online
Employees are among the most important shareholders in any company or organization, and effective internal communications leaders understand what drives successful internal communications. This one-day online workshop brings together experts in internal communications to workshop topics ranging from internal communications terms to inclusive writing guides.
Learn more at www.ragan.com/store/employee-communications-101/
Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference
When: March 15–17, 2023
Where: Disney World, Orlando, FL
Organized by PR industry linchpins Ragan and PR Daily, the annual Social Media Conference gathers PR and communications pros to share strategies and best practices for helping brands and organizations utilize social media to connect with their audience and achieve their goals. With more than 65 speakers and over 50 hours of event programming, the conference promises ample networking opportunities, skills workshops and engaging panel discussions on topics ranging from the contemporary social media landscape to crafting stories for various communications platforms.
Learn more at www.ragan.com/store/social-media-conference/
Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Conference
When: August 14–16, 023
Where: Grand Hyatt, Denver, CO
This conference brings together wellness leaders and internal communications experts, providing networking opportunities and constructive strategies for making workplace wellness work.
Learn more: raganwellness.com/store/workplace-wellness-conference/
PRSA ICON 2023
When: October 15–17, 2023
Where: Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN
One of the biggest PR events of the year, PRSA ICON brings together public relations professionals from around the country for an event that blends networking and professional development.
Learn more at www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2023
PRSA Employee Communications
When: May 1–3, 2023
Where: Orlando, FL
The theme of this year’s PRSA Employee Communications Conference is “Blurred Lines: Embracing the New Demands of ‘Mixternal’ Communications.”
Learn more at www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/conferences
PRSA Corporate Communications
When: May 1–3, 2023
Where: Orlando, FL
The 2023 PRSA Corporate Communications Conference will focus on the theme of “Communicating to Connect the Dots.”
Learn more at www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/conferences
PRSA Public Affairs & Government
When: June 15–16, 2023
Where: Minneapolis, MN
Learn more at www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/conferences
PRSA Travel & Tourism
When: June 20–23, 2023
Where: Madison, WI
Learn more at www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/conferences
International Association of Business Communicators Conference 2023
When: June 4–7, 2023
Where: Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Canada
This year’s IABC Conference will focus on “curated, dialogue-focused learning experience that focus heavily on peer-to-peer interaction.” The goal is to connect with peers and learn from knowledgeable, experienced industry leaders through personal interactions and workshop sessions.
Learn more at www.iabc.com/Learn/Events/World-Conference-2023
Web Summit 2023
When: November 13–16, 2023
Where: Altice Arena & FIL, Lisbon, Portugal
Web Summit is a central global tech event, drawing more than 70,000 attendees and 900 speakers from more than 160 countries. This tech brings a huge variety of brands—from tech giants to small, scrappy startups—to Lisbon, Portugal.
This conference is more than a tech gathering, attracting pros from a range of fields, including journalism, venture capitalism, marketing, branding, and, of course, PR. With companies like Google, ABC, Siemens, and The New York Times in attendance, the conference offers a multitude of high-level talks and provides attendees with examples of companies tackling communications and social media branding in a variety of ways.
While Web Summit isn’t geared specifically toward PR and communications professionals, the conference’s scope and scale—and the sheer number of execs, up-and-comers, and communicators in attendance—make it a potentially valuable opportunity for PR professionals to learn and network.
Learn more at websummit.com/
Hubspot’s INBOUND 2023
When: September 5–8, 2023
Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, MA
Sales, marketing, and customer experience industry professionals convene at Hubspot’s INBOUND Conference every year to strategize and discuss the concept of “inbound marketing”--that is, marketing that aims to connect with customers through valuable content, curated experiences, and powerful communications. The conference attracts more than 70,000 attendees from around the world.
Learn more at www.inbound.com/
Content Marketing World 2023
When: September 26–29, 2023
Where: Washington, D.C.
This international communications conference brings together PR and marketing professionals from around the world to hear from all-star keynote speakers and come together to discuss the biggest issues facing the communications field today. In addition to keynote speakers, attendees can expect more than 100 hours of specialty sessions and industry-specific workshops.
Learn more at www.contentmarketingworld.com/
Fierce Pharma PR and Comms Conference 2023
Time and place details are TBA at this time
The Fierce Pharma PR and Comms Conference brings together life sciences communicators and PR professionals for two days of industry updates, networking and opportunities to discuss and learn best practices for effective communications in health care. This year’s focus will be “Redefine the Status Quo.”
Learn more at www.pharmaprsummit.com/
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media
When: July 18–2023
Where: Atlanta, GA
NCHCMM is the nation’s premier public health communications conference. Academics, public health researchers and practitioners, and federal and state government employees gather alongside health industry leaders and executives to network and develop dialogues that can extend long past the conference dates. This gathering aims to provide a learning environment where participants can share ideas and innovative approaches to the challenges and opportunities within the field of health communication, marketing, and media.
Learn more at www.nchcmm.org/
PR Decoded
Time and place details are TBA at this time
PRWeek’s annual conference includes presentations, workshops, and roundtables focused on the top challenges and key issues in the field of communications today. This year’s theme is TK.
Learn more at www.prdecoded.com/
PRWeek Crisis Comms
When: April 12–13, 2023
Where: Convene, Washington, D.C.
The Crisis Comms Conference showcases the tools and strategies public relations specialists can use to eliminate and prevent potential threats to organizations’ reputations, mitigate the negative effects of missteps or emergencies, and respond appropriately when public relations crises arise. This conference will gather communications professionals including in-house corporate affairs executives, client counselors, HR and legal professionals, and crisis comms tech vendors to deliver insights into best practices and techniques to best navigate some of the most challenging elements of the PR profession.
Learn more at www.prweekuscrisiscomms.com/
World Public Relations Forum 2023
When: September 21–23, 2023
Where: ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, India
The World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) is the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management’s flagship conference. The 2023 theme is “Building Goodwill for the Greater Good,” and the three-day conference will involve global speakers, networking opportunities, and inspiring sessions, open to communications professions from around the world.
Learn more at www.globalalliancepr.org/wprf
Sustainability Reporting & Communications USA
When: October 2023
Where: TBA
This conference will convene more than 300 sustainability, policy, and finance leaders to network and collaborate on techniques and strategies to navigate the ongoing transformation in sustainability reporting.
Learn more at events.reutersevents.com/sustainable-business/reporting-usa
ESG Communications Summit
When: April 28
Where: Toronto, Canada
The ESG Communications Summit will provide attendees with opportunities to learn and share strategies and techniques for corporate and institutional Environmental, Social and Governance reporting. Topics covered include: building measures and developing ROI for ESG communications campaigns, understanding how ESG influences employees, ongoing ESG policies across the globe, and how to avoid greenwashing.
Learn more at: www.thepworld.com/event/esg-communications-summit
FICC
When: March 2–3, 2023
Where: Virtual
The Future of Information and Communication Conference is a virtual forum for researchers from the industry and the academy to share knowledge and research in the field of Information and Communication.
Learn more at saiconference.com/FICC
The Power of Corporate Communications: Driving Business Results
When: March 16–17, 2023
Where: Brooklyn, NY
This conference is designed especially for senior-level professionals and their teams—the panels and workshops are geared to those who shape and execute organization-wide communications for internal and external audiences. At the 2023 conference, participants will examine what they’ve learned as communicators over the year before turning to questions of future communications and leadership strategies and practices.
Learn more at www.conference-board.org/events/corpcomms
