Registration and Morning Coffee
Crisis Overload: How Communications Leaders Stay in Control When Everything Hits at Once
In today’s always-on media environment, crises rarely happen in isolation—and when they overlap, the real challenge becomes communication control, not issue management. This session explores how communications leaders can run multiple crisis narratives in parallel without losing clarity, consistency, or credibility. Tammy Scott will share practical approaches to prioritizing messages, sequencing disclosures, aligning internal and external communications, and protecting trust when attention, resources, and leadership focus are stretched thin. You’ll learn how to avoid message collisions, manage spokesperson fatigue, and maintain a clear communications center of gravity—so one crisis doesn’t amplify another.
Tammy Scott, ICD.D, VP Brand & Communications, FCC / FAC
Leading Through Chaos: How Modern Communicators Build Trust Under Pressure
In today’s always-on, hyper-polarized world, crises rarely arrive one at a time. They stack, overlap, and escalate - often before the full facts are even known. In this high-stakes environment, communicators are no longer just messengers. They are leaders, stabilizers, and architects of trust.
Drawing on real-world experience leading communications across complex innovation and government-adjacent organizations, Alicia Pereira explores how modern communicators can guide organizations through moments when everything feels like it’s breaking at once. This session goes beyond traditional crisis playbooks to examine what trust really requires today: presence over perfection, empathy alongside authority, and clarity amid uncertainty.
Participants will hear timely case studies from the worlds of technology, infrastructure, and brand leadership, and gain practical frameworks they can apply immediately, from navigating the critical first 30 minutes of a crisis, to managing multiple stakeholders under pressure, to maintaining narrative credibility in a fragmented media landscape shaped by AI and misinformation.
Attendees will leave with concrete strategies to lead decisively, support executives, protect organizational reputation, and build durable trust long after the headlines fade.
This session is designed for communicators and leaders who want to move from reactive crisis management to confident, trust-driven leadership when it matters most.
Alicia Pereira, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Ontario Centre of Innovation
Communicating Trust in a Divided Society: The Communicator’s Role When Audiences Polarize
In today’s fragmented social, political, and media landscape, trust is no longer automatic—it requires intentional effort to establish, protect and restore. This session provides practical guidance for corporate communicators on navigating polarization, conflicting narratives and heightened public skepticism without compromising credibility or consistency. Drawing on real-world examples, the discussion will outline actionable strategies for delivering messages with empathy, clarity. Participants will learn how to:
- Segment your audience to ensure your messages resonate and cut through the noise.
- Manage internal and external tensions during periods of organizational or societal strain.
- Use storytelling to evoke emotion and leverage tangible proof points to earn trust.
Kelsey Rutherford, Director, Corporate Communications, Sun Life
Networking and Refreshment Break
Trade Wars, Tariffs & Trust: Communicating in an Age of Economic Disruption
This session explores how trade wars, tariffs, and sudden economic policy shifts quickly escalate into reputation, trust, and leadership challenges for organizations. As global tensions drive market volatility, supply-chain disruption, and stakeholder uncertainty, communicators are expected to respond with clarity under pressure. The session will focus on how to translate complex economic developments into credible, human-centered messaging, advise leadership during periods of instability, and maintain trust with employees, customers, investors, and the public when economic disruption becomes a communications crisis.
Sharan Kaur, Principal, Navigator Ltd.
From Global Shock to Local Reality: A City of Ottawa Case Study on Communicating Economic Disruption
When global trade tensions and tariff decisions ripple down to cities, municipal communicators are often the first line of explanation—and reassurance—for residents, businesses, and local institutions. This case-study session examines how economic shockwaves translate into real local impact, from rising costs and procurement challenges to infrastructure delays, public anxiety, and political pressure. Drawing on the experience of the City of Ottawa, the session explores how public-sector communicators turn complex global forces into clear, credible, and human-centered messaging. Attendees will learn how to communicate financial impact without amplifying fear, manage expectations when services and timelines are affected, brief elected officials under intense scrutiny, and protect public trust when the causes of disruption are global—but the consequences are felt locally.
Megan Dussault, Program Manager, Public Information, City of Ottawa
Lunch for Speakers and Delegates
Media & Narrative Control During Crisis: Managing the Message When Everyone Is Talking
When crises unfold in a fragmented media environment, narrative control is no longer linear or predictable. This session examines how communicators manage media and narrative control in real time—fighting disinformation as it spreads, responding to social media escalation, and working with journalists under intense pressure. It focuses on making smart decisions when creators, influencers, employees, and critics are all shaping the story at once, including how to correct false information without amplifying it, monitor and respond to viral content, and maintain message discipline when speed, scrutiny, and uncertainty collide.
Marina Jimenez, Director, Communications, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN
Key Strategies for Internal Communications During Major Incidents
In times of major incidents and crises, a solid internal communications strategy is essential for organizational resilience and employee engagement. Recent years have shown that effective internal communications not only empower employees to deliver exceptional results but also play a critical role in ensuring that an organization can withstand unexpected disruptions. In this session, Dustin will share proven strategies for managing internal communications during major incidents, focusing on preparing your teams for crises, maintaining productivity, and fostering a culture of transparency and trust. Participants will learn practical techniques to keep their teams informed, aligned, and motivated in the face of challenging circumstances.
Dustin Sternbeck, Chief Communications Officer, City of Denton
Real-Time Crisis Management in the AI Era: What Leaders Get Wrong in the First 30 Minutes
In today’s always-on environment, crises no longer unfold over days—they erupt in minutes, amplified by AI-driven misinformation, fragmented media, and intense public scrutiny. This session breaks down the critical first minutes of a crisis and the mistakes leaders repeatedly make under pressure: moving too slowly, over-lawyering responses, speaking without alignment, or staying silent when expectations demand action. Drawing on real-world public affairs and crisis-response experience, this presentation offers a practical framework for making fast, credible decisions, aligning leadership and communications teams in real time, and stabilizing trust before the narrative hardens. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable guidance for navigating the most consequential moments of a modern crisis.
Saeed Selvam, President, Selvam Public Affairs
Responsible AI in Crisis Communications: Guardrails, Judgment & Trust
AI can dramatically enhance speed and insight during a crisis—but without clear guardrails, it can just as quickly amplify risk, bias, and misinformation. This session explores how communications leaders can use AI responsibly in high-pressure crisis situations, from social listening and scenario modeling to drafting statements and advising leadership. Scott Tabachnick will focus on where AI should support decision-making, where human judgment must remain non-negotiable, and how to set ethical, legal, and reputational boundaries before a crisis hits. The goal: using AI to strengthen trust, not undermine it, when stakes are highest.
Scott Tabachnick, Corporate Communications Lead, Canada, Accenture
End of Day One
A Full-Day Interactive Workshop: Crisis Communications in an Age of Skepticism and Polarization
In a world marked by increasing skepticism and polarization, traditional crisis plans are no longer sufficient. Join Greg Trevor for an immersive, hands-on workshop designed to help you rethink and update your crisis communication strategy to address the evolving challenges of today's landscape. This interactive session will guide you through real-world scenarios, including navigating cancel culture, taking a stand amid political and social divides, and managing sensitive issues like layoffs and perceived inauthenticity. Working closely with your peers, you will practice effective use of social media, conduct challenging media interviews, and handle a high-stakes press conference in an environment where every word is scrutinized.
By the end of this workshop, you will return to your organization with:
- Ten cutting-edge crisis communication strategies tailored for an era of skepticism and polarization
- A clear action plan to boost executive readiness and response capabilities
- Enhanced skills for communicating under pressure in an increasingly hostile environment
You will also learn how to:
- Strike the right balance between preparation and rapid response in your crisis plan
- Critically assess your organization’s tone, language, and social media presence during a crisis
- Respond effectively to aggressive questioning in media interviews
- Reassess and strengthen your crisis communication strategy to better navigate the complexities of today's polarized world
Prepare to leave with the tools and insights necessary to ensure your organization is crisis-ready in a time of unprecedented scrutiny and division.
About Your Workshop Leader:
Greg Trevor, Public Safety Communications and Outreach Coordinator, has more than 35 years of communications experience. In addition to speaking on behalf of the university, Greg advises members of the university community on crisis communications and conducts training exercises for faculty, staff, and students. He is also a guest lecturer on crisis communications at UGA and across North America.
Before joining UGA in 2016, Greg served as Senior Director for News and Media Relations at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He previously held the role of Senior Information Officer at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Greg is a survivor of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. His first-person account of those events has been published worldwide. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Government from the University of Virginia.
