We’ll kick off the event by “meeting” and connecting with your peers from across the nation. You'll have this opportunity to discuss challenges and solutions with your peers and share common experiences as we all navigate dramatic change.

From 30,000-year-old cave drawings to 7-second vines, there's no denying that we are natural-born storytellers. But with a growing demand to tell every company announcement, accomplishment, and initiative as a "story," how can you keep your team from feeling overwhelmed?

In this session, you'll learn:

• Simple and efficient ways to divide and conquer content creation
• Key differences your team should consider when talking to internal and external audiences
• How to avoid burnout with your content creators and manage other team's expectations

Policies and procedures don’t have to be boring. Breathe life into your content by featuring your best resource: people! In the time it would take you to make a grilled cheese sandwich, you’ll gain insights into:

• How to source story ideas that spotlight success within your organization.
• Using thematic tools to make content entertaining and memorable.
• Elevating team members as subject matter experts.

People today have very limited attention spans. That’s why it’s critical to “write tight” and structure information for the online reader, who may even be reading it on their phones.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Respect your readers, “write tight”—and make every word count
• Write for the Modern Web: Mastering the 5-50-5-50 rule
• Layer your online information so readers can decide how much time they want to spend with your content
• Do feature stories online, when nobody has time to read anymore
• Craft the perfect news headline so even if the readers only skim the headline, they still get the most important news
• Boil down hundreds and hundreds of words into a single, solid summary
• Edit yourself and make sure your copy is as tight as can be

Stories are a primal form of communication. The primary function of stories is social connection.  Stories are how we think. Stories talk in images, engaging our right brain and triggering our imagination.

• Why starting with your audience is so important, rather than your message?
• What is the difference between window dressing images and storytelling images?
• What is the call to action?
• You will learn why this approach will have you learning more about your organization and becoming a better storyteller.

Before you can share compelling and authentic stories with your team, you have figure out what voices are missing, hear what those people have to say, and then help them share their stories in a way that feels authentic for them. Basically story telling starts with story listening. When Teach For America assessed their internal communications, they realized that the voices missing were of the students impacted by staff members' work every day.

This case study will take a look at what TFA's Staff Communications team tried and what they learned, offering tips for:

• Identifying what voices and stories might be missing from your internal communications work
• Crafting a storytelling approach that helps new storytellers find their voice
• Picking a storytelling format that feels authentic, both for the storyteller and the audience

Hear from top communications professionals who can address your greatest challenges to help you write better content, craft engaging stories, and reach broader audiences.

As a group, you will share your 'golden nuggets' and summarize tips on what to do when you return to your office.