2026 Schedule

Inspired by Montell Jordan’s ’90s anthem, Charles Newman explores what happens when you shift from polished, top-down posts to real staff stories. By putting employees front and center, this keynote shows how authentic voices can change the sound of social channels, strengthen trust, and deepen connection. Through powerful real-world experiences from his agency, you'll see how spotlighting people creates content that resonates. When your people set the beat and you understand how to keep the rhythm going, your social presence finally pops.

Federal courts — including the U.S. Supreme Court — continue to issue new rulings on what government social media managers can and cannot do with comments on government social media posts. Even if you’ve heard attorney and First Amendment expert Mark Weaver speak before, you’ll be surprised (and glad to hear about) some of the latest court cases. Come ready to take notes and get practical pointers to do your job better and avoid being sued.

When people see real humans behind government messages, trust grows. This session shows how our local public health agency uses humor, trends and personality to make communications feel approachable, authentic and human – even with little to no budget.

Learn how to adapt social trends, apply humor responsibly and help staff get comfortable on camera. Through real campaign examples and an interactive exercise, you’ll leave ready to craft content that connects, engages and builds trust – without losing credibility.

Attendees will learn:

• The value of an audit of your brand and content to define your voice.
• How to use trends and humor strategically to make your agency relatable.
• How to tap staff as creative resources and identify who’s ready to shine on camera.

AI is advancing at breakneck speed—transforming how public communicators create, verify, and share information. But keeping up with that pace isn’t just about learning new tools; it’s about understanding our evolving ethical responsibilities.

This session unpacks what’s changed most in the past year, where AI is headed next, and how communicators can stay grounded in transparency, accountability, and human judgment amid accelerating technology.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to evaluate new AI tools and trends through an ethical lens before adopting them.
• Identify which aspects of AI governance are getting simpler and which ethical challenges are becoming more complex.
• Develop a personal framework to stay informed and responsible as technology continues to evolve faster than policy.

This session takes you behind the scenes with the Louisiana State Police Public Affairs team as they navigated a rapid series of high-pressure events – including a terrorist attack, historic winter storm, the Super Bowl, and a record-breaking Mardi Gras season. Through each incident, their social media team had to provide timely updates, coordinate messaging across partners, and maintain public trust in a fast-changing environment.

Drawing from this intense stretch, the session shares practical principles and repeatable tactics you can apply to your own social media crisis response. Key takeaways are:

• Strategies for real-time crisis communication during unfolding events
• Lessons in managing public messaging across multiple high-profile incidents
• How to maintain public trust through transparency and rapid response

Budgets are tight, but creativity doesn’t have to be. As a government social media professional, you’re often expected to produce eye-catching visuals and videos without the support of a full creative team. This session focuses on how to think and work like a designer – using practical creative techniques and the latest free tools that can take your content from basic to brilliant. You’ll learn:

• Four foundational rules to instantly elevate your visuals
• Proven methods to quickly create (and clear!) engaging, pro-level videos
• Easy, effective time management techniques specifically for creative work
• You’ll leave with real-world creative strategies, insider resources, and renewed confidence to craft professional, on-brand content that connects – all without spending a dime.

As social media experts in government, by now you’ve started getting the hang of the Section 508 requirements for accessibility. You’ve mastered your alt text and learned about color contrast for your graphics. But what are you still missing?

This session will dive into those little nitty-gritty details that will help take your platforms from simple compliance to full accessibility. We’ll zero in on what makes content truly screen-reader ready so you can better serve everyone in your community.

We’ll discuss how these platforms talk to screen readers, and what our channels can do to maximize the user experience for people with disabilities. It’s not about compliance; it’s about real accessibility.

Using video as a part of your social media strategy is expected by your audience. However, poor planning, unfocused execution and untrained editing will leave your viewers underwhelmed and hitting the unsubscribe button. Short-form storytelling demands clarity, focus and tight pacing – every second counts when you’re trying to keep viewers watching.

In this session, learn how to:

• Effectively plan your videos for speedy and professional execution
• Get the most from your on-camera talent
• Edit stylistically to keep everyone engaged

How do you consistently create reels that resonate with your community and brand? In this session, Team McKinney pulls back the curtain on their creative process, from initial brainstorming sessions to ideation, production, and final publication. Learn how we decide which trends to jump on and which to skip, collaborate across 24 departments, and managed to feature 119 city employees in reels last year. Attendees will get a candid look at the strategies and purpose-driven storytelling that turn big ideas into real impact. You will also learn the single non-negotiable element that must be in place before the team moves forward with any reel.

Takeaways:

• A repeatable framework for brainstorming reel ideas that align with your goals
• How to evaluate trends, know when to join in, & adapt them for a government voice
• Behind-the-scenes tips on workflow & scheduling to stay timely and accurate

We get it. You’re running your social media accounts fueled by caffeine, creativity, and … well, nothing else, because you couldn’t get IT to approve it. Microsoft or bust, baby! But what if the tools you already have could actually work for you?

In this practical session, we’ll explore how to turn the apps already provided by Microsoft into a full-fledged social media content system. You’ll learn how to:

• Simplify submissions using Microsoft Forms and Power Automate to collect story ideas, photos, and updates from teams across your agency.
• Build a Microsoft List that becomes your living content calendar. It’s sure to be your new favorite secret weapon.
• Collaborate and share efficiently with Teams and SharePoint.

Many government social media managers have heard it: “Can’t we just turn off the comments?” It’s an especially common request in public safety, where leaders are trained to control risk, not invite it. But for communicators, the comment section isn’t chaos, it’s connection. It’s where trust is built long before a crisis hits.

This session explores how to talk up the chain, educate chiefs, directors, and attorneys on the value of keeping comments open, and fill your “trust tank” before tough headlines hit. Real examples show how agencies shifted leadership mindsets, handled trolls and misinformation, and turned “don’t post that” into collaboration. Because transparency and timeliness protect credibility far better than silence ever could.

Bottom line: If you silence the comments, you silence the chance to build credibility before the crisis.

Unpolished is in and so is user-generated content. Incorporating UGC can foster trust, amplify your message, and help your content better reflect your community. As audiences increasingly gravitate to relatable sources, embracing UGC is no longer optional for public agencies — it’s essential. In this advanced-level session, participants will decode the data around UGC’s benefits, learn how to balance authenticity and compliance, and unlock ways to use UGC to create partnerships, increase transparency, and leverage the voice of your community.

• Create a UGC policy addressing accessibility, copyright, and permissions to protect your agency and respect creators.
• Define criteria for accepting, sharing, and engaging with UGC without risking public trust or reputation.
• Champion UGC as a community-first strategy to grow and sustain audiences, including historically underrepresented groups.

Government programs and policies can be complex, and language barriers can prevent multilingual communities from accessing and engaging with vital information. As trust in government declines in many communities, agencies must adopt new strategies to build connections.

When the NYC Campaign Finance Board communicated the Matching Funds Program, focus groups revealed a key insight: people understood it better when messaging emphasized community benefits rather than the complex process.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Build Message Testing Strategies: Apply research methods—including focus groups, creative testing, surveys, and more—adaptable for any agency size.
• Translate Insights to Impact: Shift from complex processes to outcome-driven messaging that clearly shows community benefits.
• Leverage Trusted Messengers: Partner with credible voices in diverse communities to amplify reach and build trust.