October 6, 2026 /3BL/ - Ragan Communications has unveiled the final agenda and speaker lineup for its Future of Communications Conference, bringing hundreds of communications professionals together Nov. 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Austin during Communications Week 2026.
The three-day program is designed to answer a question facing communications leaders across industries: What does it take to lead communications into 2027?
Artificial intelligence is transforming content creation, search, reputation management and communications operations. Employees are looking to their organizations for clarity amid constant change. Executives are becoming increasingly visible across new channels. Media influence is fragmenting. At the same time, communications teams face growing pressure to connect their work to business priorities and measurable results.
Ragan’s final conference program brings those issues together through more than 30 keynotes, hands-on workshops, case studies, fireside chats, panels and peer discussions led by more than 50 senior communications leaders, executives and industry experts.
Featured speakers represent organizations including Lockheed Martin, United Airlines, Dell Technologies, Notion, State Farm, IBM, Colgate-Palmolive, Hachette Book Group, Mozilla, Dow Jones, Anker, Code for America, Cotality and Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services.
Shira Lazar, founder of What’s Trending, will deliver the keynote “Think Like a Creator: Thriving at the Intersection of AI, Trust and the Future of Communications.” The session will explore how creator culture and artificial intelligence are changing expectations for brands, executives and communications professionals, and why authenticity and human judgment will become even more important as AI adoption grows.
Dr. Marcus Collins, professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, will open the second day with the keynote "Being Real: The Human Voice in an AI World." The session will examine why audiences quickly notice messaging that lacks originality or human perspective, how communicators can apply newsroom instincts to AI-assisted content and executive messaging, and how to measure trust, resonance and influence as AI-generated content floods every channel.
The agenda tackles artificial intelligence from multiple angles, including AI governance, agentic workflows, brand voice, synthetic media, deepfakes, AI-powered search and the changing role of human judgment.
Sessions also address executive communications, reputation management, employee communications, public affairs, organizational change, crisis communications, measurement, emerging media ecosystems, employee advocacy and communications leadership.
Among the issues attendees will explore are how GEO and AEO are changing brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, how communications teams can prepare for synthetic media and new forms of misinformation, how organizations can build AI-assisted workflows without sacrificing brand trust and how communicators can demonstrate their value to business leadership.
The conference opens Nov. 11 with a choice of immersive pre-conference experiences.
Attendees can participate in hands-on conference workshops or join Ragan’s Center for AI Strategy Summit. The AI Summit will examine what is working in enterprise AI adoption, what continues to stall progress and how communications leaders can develop practical, repeatable workflows while navigating governance, legal risk, employee trust and brand safety.
The main conference continues Nov. 12-13 with dedicated internal and external communications tracks, giving attendees the ability to customize their experience around the challenges most relevant to their roles.
Learning is only part of the experience. Hundreds of communications professionals will gather in Austin, creating opportunities to build relationships through structured networking, interactive table discussions, receptions, peer exchanges and informal conversations throughout the event.
The conference is a flagship event of Communications Week, Ragan’s annual gathering of the communications community, taking place Nov. 9-13. The week connects communications professionals and organizations through learning, networking, industry events and conversations focused on where the profession is heading next.
For communicators preparing their organizations and careers for 2027, the Future of Communications Conference offers a chance to see what peers are doing now, challenge existing approaches and return home with practical ideas and frameworks for what comes next.
The next registration pricing deadline is Oct. 9.
3BL Media readers can use code 3BL to save an additional $500 on registration.
View the complete agenda, speaker lineup and registration information for Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference at Ragan.com.
