10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications - West
New Strategic Internal Communications Strategies To Boost Culture, Employee Engagement, And Collaboration In 2023
January 31, 2023 - February 02, 2023 | San Francisco
Follow & Tweet #ALIComms
The #1 Top-Rated Conference For Internal Communications
Join Your Peers In The Bay Area To Reconnect, Share Stories And Hear The Latest Best Practices For Engaging Your Employees!




Shel Holtz, SCMP
Sr. Director Of Communications
Kelsey Stanczyk
Communications Manager
Stephen J Nelson
Accessibility/Diversity Program Manager
Susie Decker
Sr. Manager, Internal Communications & Women’s ERG Lead
In this 3-Day Conference, you will have the opportunity to catch up with your peers, learn about the challenges they’re facing—and the tactics they’re using to overcome them.
Internal Communication is at a turning point. How are you adapting to prepare for 2023? This conference will outline practical and tactical solutions to help you:

- Tactics to rebalance relationships and address “The Great Resignation”
- Identify new communications channels and technologies to deliver a more personalized employee experience
- Put strategies and resources in place to communicate with a divided, blended and dispersed workforce
- Integrate thinking models from change management, learning, and communications design
- Draft a clear and informative internal communications strategy
- Use the right communication tools and channels for your employees—keeping them simple and easy to adopt
- How internal communications can champion diversity, equity and inclusion in your organization
- Strategies to nurture culture & a sense of belonging
- Personalize and prioritize messages to avoid communication overload
- Make communications visual when possible—digital signage, videos, internal social networks, and more
- Develop and provide consistent messaging across channels and departments to avoid any miscommunication
- Keep communication open and transparent in order to build honest relationships
Benefits of the 3-Day Pass

Maximize your time by signing up for our Pre-Conference Workshops on Tuesday, January 31.
Interactive Pre-Conference Workshops are led by thought leaders and experts on strategic internal communications. Each small group session will prepare you for the conference the following day, provide you with practical answers to questions that keep you up at night, and inspire you to creatively tackle your most pressing internal communications challenges.
Who Should Attend
This Conference has been designed for Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, Specialists, Officers, Leaders, and Consultants in:

- Internal Communications
- Employee Engagement
- Brand Communication
- Strategic Communications
- Employee Communications
- Training & Development
- Employee Relations
- Public Relations
- Human Resources
- Strategic Planning
- Intranet Communications
- Digital Communications
- Global Communications
- Organizational Development
- Corporate Communications
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Employee Experience
Benefits of Attending This ALI Conference
- Access to practical presentation with real examples and proven strategies from your peers at a variety of leading organizations
- Networking list for attendees to continue the conversation after the conference
- Interactive, hands-on breakout sessions allowing you to work with your strategic internal communications peers
- Certificate of attendance for CEUs
- Opportunity to meet with peers face-to-face while remaining safe
- Guaranteed extensive, how-to instruction that you can use immediately
- Opportunity to have your most pressing questions on the topic answered in real-time
This isn’t a passive experience! You will be encouraged to engage throughout the entire event through small group breakouts, networking breaks & more!
Leave with a thorough understanding of the latest best practices in strategic internal communications—and how they apply or can be applied in your work context.
What People are Saying
“The speakers, the information presented, and overall structure of the conference was wonderful and impactful. I’m so glad I attended!”

“Great information that I can start to use when I get back to the office.”

“Love the real world, boots on the ground experience. Also good to have a meet your table mates component.”

“Funny, practical, valuable frameworks with examples. Great team dynamic as well.”

“This was phenomenal. I enjoyed this section the most, by far. Thanks for the practical tools and really appreciated the humor and examples.”

Learn more about ALI Conferences
Learn more about our services, conferences, trainings, and how you can connect with us.
Agenda
The time zone for this event: [PST]
Pre-Conference Workshops: Find Out Why ALI Workshops Are Consistently Rated As Valuable Time Spent! - 01/31/2023 |
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8:30 am - 9:00 am | Continental Breakfast, Coffee & RegistrationEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea and continental breakfast as you meet your workshop leader and fellow attendees. Stop by the registration desk to sign-in and pick up your materials for the next 3 days. We'll kick things off at 9:00! | |||
9:00 am - 10:15 am | From Theory To Action: Building A Human-Centric Internal Communications StrategyPreston Lewis, Founder + CEO | Intactic As a communicator, you can produce more effective employee communications by developing a deeper and more emotional understanding of your audiences. In this interactive workshop, you will come away with a unique methodology to move from theory to action and build strategic communication campaigns that will engage stakeholders at all levels of your organization. You will learn how to harness the collective insight of your internal communication and design teams by using a collaborative mapping technique and human-centric approach to strategy development. This renowned technique has resulted in successful enterprise-wide programs for companies such as Gap Inc., GE, Starbucks, Oracle, and Genentech. In this comprehensive and hands-on workshop, you will leave with tools to help you:
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10:15 am - 10:30 am | Morning Refreshments & Networking BreakEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea and other refreshments as you network with your peers as we switch over to the next workshop. | |||
10:30 am - 11:45 am | The New Important KPI: Keep People ImaginingAJ Sarcione, Facilitator & Strategist | Get Your Shine With a background in vision-led communications and marketing, AJ provides workshops and strategic facilitation that support companies and C-suite leaders in activating themselves and their teams. Previously head of mojo and employee experience at Verizon and head of internal marketing at Yahoo, AJ has built and led global teams and in this workshop he will provide a framework for yours! Create better team experiences and more effective plans by combining the power of the heart and the potential of the brain to drive imagination. This session will cover:
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11:45 am - 1:30 pm | Lunch On Your Own, But Not Alone—Reservations Are BookedReservations have been made at a number of local restaurants. Don't miss this opportunity to have lunch with your peers at a local San Francisco hot spot! | |||
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm | The Digital Transformation: Change Management Communications Strategies For 2023!Geoff Ables, Managing Partner | C5 Insight The struggle is real: over 60% of digital workplace projects fail to achieve their adoption objectives. Change is incredibly difficult - and a critical part of your digital transformation communications strategy. In this session, you'll learn how to get ahead of change, communication strategies for the 5 stages of any change process, and unique considerations for intranets and other digital workplace transformations. Take Aways
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2:45 pm - 3:00 pm | Afternoon Refreshments & Stretch BreakRefresh your coffee and grab a sweet treat—you're in the home stretch! | |||
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm | “How Was Your Weekend?” and Other Things You Should Say to Your CEOGary Ross, President | INSIDE COMMS Topic: Becoming a Trusted Advisor You have the communications expertise to handle anything, but you haven't yet cracked the code to be considered a trusted advisor for senior executives. Breaking into the inner circle can mean the difference between being at the table for important decisions or serving simply as an order taker. Veteran C-suite advisor, comms department head, and internal communications consultant Gary Ross, who has advised dozens of C-level executives throughout his 30-year career, will provide a detailed roadmap to distinguish yourself and grab executives' attention so they not only listen to you but also seek you out when the stakes are high. Attendees will: 1) learn specific actions they can take to help them build relationships with senior executives 2) understand how to advance their career by distinguishing themselves from others in the minds of senior executives 3) define the role of a trusted advisor beyond communications expertise. | |||
4:15 pm - 4:30 pm | Close Of Workshops | |||
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Networking Reception For Workshop Attendees, Speakers & Sponsors @ Venue BarCheers to a great day full of content! Join us in the hotel lobby main bar for complimentary drinks and networking with your peers. | |||
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm | Dinner With A Group—Reservations Have Been Made To Take In The Sights Of San FranciscoFirst time in San Francisco? Want to get out of the hotel? Meet your peers in the lobby at 6:00. You'll be heading out to dinner at a local hot spot as you take in the sights of the city. | |||
Day 1: General Sessions - 02/01/2023 |
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8:00 am - 8:30 am | Registration: Badges, Breakfast & BeveragesEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea and continental breakfast as you meet your fellow attendees. Sign-in, pick up your materials and enjoy a continental breakfast before we start the day. Be sure to stop by and visit your sponsors! | |||
8:30 am - 9:00 am | Chairperson's Welcome & Speed NetworkingPreston Lewis, Founder + CEO | Intactic Welcome to the 10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications Conference. In this fast-paced forum, you'll get to know your fellow peers, their biggest internal communications challenges, and a few fun facts. | |||
9:00 am - 9:35 am | Community Platform: Driving Engagement In Uncertain TimesLaurel Dzneladze, Employee Communications Digital Platforms Leader | LinkedIn Details coming soon! | |||
9:35 am - 10:15 am | Robot Communicators: Crafting Internal Communications with Artificial IntelligenceShel Holtz, SCMP, Sr. Director of Communications | Webcor "Generative AI" has infiltrated media newsrooms, marketing departments, and public relations offices. Why not internal communication? Can't find the image you need from your stock photo service? Create it from whole cloth using a graphics generator. Need to crank out a bunch of personnel announcements but don't have the time (or patience)? Let a text generator help. Soon you will even be able to produce video with nothing more than a text prompt. In this eye-opening session, communications technology evangelist Shel Holtz will demonstrate some of these tools and explain how they can augment your current communication efforts. You will learn:
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10:15 am - 10:30 am | Workforce Communications Made EasyNate Lee, Senior Account Executive | Anthill While you enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and other refreshments our sponsor will present to you a bonus session. Solutions for employees that don't sit at a desk. | |||
10:30 am - 10:50 am | Morning Refreshments, Networking Break + Visit Your SponsorsEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and other refreshments as you network with your peers. Be sure to stop by and visit your sponsors and be sure to fill out your evaluation forms. | |||
10:50 am - 11:25 am | Connect & Engage All Employees: How Sleep Number Migrated & Launched A New Modern IntranetBrian Edwards, Digital Workplace, Principal Consultant | Habanero Consulting Gorup Kelsey Stanczyk, Communications Manager | Sleep Number Corporation In this session, Sleep Number Communications Manager Kelsey Stanczyk and Habanero Director, Products and Services, Brian Edwards will share how Sleep Number migrated complex content to a new platform and launched a modern intranet that serves and connects all employees. You’ll learn:
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11:25 am - 12:00 pm | 🔥 Fireside Chat: Truly Personalized Internal Communication…at ScaleAnthea Pang, Senior Director, Global Communications Strategy | VMware Tarek Kamil, CEO & Founder | Cerkl In this Q&A session you will learn how VMWare modernized its internal communication to provide personalized content to each employee. You’ll learn:
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12:00 pm - 1:45 pm | Lunch On Your Own, But Not Alone—Reservations Are BookedReservations have been made at a number of local restaurants. Don't miss this opportunity to have lunch with your peers at a local San Francisco hot spot! | |||
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm | Interactive Group Breakout: Using Social Media for Employee Advocacy to Empower Employees and Amplify Key MessagesSabrina Rose Merritt, CEO & Founder | October Social Media In this session participants will learn:
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2:30 pm - 3:05 pm | Internal Podcasts: The Curious Case of Creating Compelling ContentChip Midnight, Event Technologist Consultant | Nationwide In a business environment where companies are fighting for talent and to retain employees, company culture is a critical factor. Using a newly-launched po Insurance is giving employees a voice to share their stories in an ever-changing world. In this session, you’ll learn Nationwide’s strategy to creating podcas intimacy, authenticity and the ability to create connections and walk away with some inspiration on where to start your podcast journey. In this session, you’ll learn:
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3:05 pm - 3:35 pm | The Top Digital Workplace Communications Tools At Your Fingertips: Q&A, Demos & RefreshmentsEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and other refreshments as you network with your peers. Be sure to stop by and visit your sponsors! With the variety of tools available it's hard to navigate and choose the one that is best for your organization. In this fast-paced session you'll have the opportunity to see demonstrations of top digital workplace and communications tools of your choice. We'll alert you when it's time to switch—grab a sweet treat on your way. | |||
3:35 pm - 4:10 pm | Curating the Employee Experience in a Hybrid Work WorldJustin Ryckebusch, Principal, Enterprise Customer Success | Simpplr Felicity Lau, Employee Experience Manager | Coupa Employee Experience has changed drastically since 2020 as has the technology implemented by organizations to facilitate the future of work. Join this session to unlock your employee's potential with the latest digital tools and strategies to build employee engagement. | |||
4:10 pm - 5:00 pm | Interactive Thought Leadership Panel: Best Advice and Communications SolutionsStephen J Nelson, Accessibility/Diversity Program Manager | Alaska Airlines Emilia Shapiro, Senior Internal Communications Manager, People | Cruise Susie Decker, Senior Manager, Internal Communications & Women's ERG Lead | Thumbtack In this "no-pressure" setting, you'll be able to ask your most pressing questions and receive honest feedback from your peers. More panelists TBA! | |||
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm | Close Of Day 1—Join Us For A Networking Reception @ Venue BarDon't stop the conversation! Join us at the lobby bar as you network with your peers and sponsors in the adjacent at the #ALIcomms. Participate in raffles & sign-up for dinner with your peers! | |||
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm | Dinner With A Group—Reservations Have Been MadeWant to keep the conversation going? Join a group of attendees for dinner at a local San Francisco hot spot.
Sign-up at the registration desk or during the networking reception to join a group at tonight's dine-around. Reservations have been made. | |||
Day 2: General Sessions - 02/02/2023 |
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8:00 am - 8:30 am | Badges Breakfast, Beverages + Visit Your SponsorsEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea and continental breakfast as you network with fellow attendees on this final day. | |||
8:30 am - 9:00 am | Day 2 Kick Off & Chairperson AddressPreston Lewis, Founder + CEO | Intactic With a day, or two if you joined us in the workshops, under your belt you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Together we will recap yesterday's top takeaways and set the stage for this final day of learning. | |||
9:00 am - 9:35 am | Employee Hierarchy Of Communication NeedsPatrick Holmes, Executive Director of Communications & Marketing | UC Berkeley Internal-communications-focused adaptation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and use it to illustrate the importance of having an audience-first approach to internal communications. Using this model as a framework, you will be walked through a series of case studies with tips you can apply to your work. You’ll learn how to improve your editorial planning process, use FEMA’s planning cycles to improve your emergency and crisis communications strategy and use your role in communications to drive organizational change that improves communications outcomes. | |||
9:35 am - 10:10 am | Internal Communications & HR: The Listening PartnersElizabeth Schilling, Corporate Communications Manager | Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. As Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., a not-for-profit electric utility, took on the challenge of transforming into a more flexible, continuous-improvement organization, HR and Internal Communications knew the voice of employees would be a crucial piece of the transformation’s success. By leveraging employee surveys, working groups, and an ongoing listening strategy, the organization heard directly from employees about what was working well, and where they needed to address challenges. During this session, attendees will:
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10:10 am - 10:30 am | Morning Refreshments, Networking Break + Visit Your SponsorsEnjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and other refreshments as you network with your peers. Be sure to stop by and visit your sponsors and be sure to fill out your evaluation forms. | |||
10:30 am - 11:00 am | Interactive Group Breakout Session: Spotlight IC CoachingVictoria Dew, SCMP, CEO | Dewpoint Communications | |||
11:00 am - 11:35 am | Moderating Internal Communication Content to Enhance Reception | Tik Tok Killed the YouTube Star—Why Bite Sized Content WinsDavid Orzolek, VP of Employee Relations | Driveline Retail Merchandising
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11:35 am - 12:10 pm | Architecting the Acquisition Experience: A Comprehensive Communications Playbook for AcquisitionsAlyssa Summers, Director, Global Internal Communications | Vertafore Takeaways:
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12:10 pm - 12:45 pm | Rapid-Fire Panel: Get Your Biggest Communications Questions AnsweredJessica Bauer, Head of Internal Communications | Brex Marissa Lundstrom, Senior Communications Manager, Design to Delivery | Danone Michelle Wagner, Associate Director, Employee Communications | MidPen Housing Laney Erokan, Head of Internal Communications | Palmetto Amanda Atkins, Founder & CEO | Atkins Leadership HQ You've submitted your biggest internal communication challenges, you've continued to submit questions over the past 24 hours, and this is your opportunity to get answers to those questions. With an expert speaker panel with a variety of experience levels—you're bound to takeaway practical ideas that will immediately enhance your internal communications strategies. Moderator: Amanda Atkins, Founder & CEO Atkins Leadership HQ More panelists TBA! | |||
12:45 pm - 1:00 pm | Key Takeaways, Conference Wrap-UpThank you for joining us for the 10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications Conference. Be sure to share your thoughts and photos using #ALIcomms. You will receive a link to OneDrive next week with copies of all presentations. |
Speakers


Brian Edwards
Digital Workplace, Principal Consultant | Habanero Consulting Gorup


Gary Ross
President | INSIDE COMMS


Felicity Lau
Employee Experience Manager | Coupa


Justin Ryckebusch
Principal, Enterprise Customer Success | Simpplr


Marissa Lundstrom
Senior Communications Manager, Design to Delivery | Danone


Nate Lee
Senior Account Executive | Anthill


Jessica Bauer
Head of Internal Communications | Brex


Anthea Pang
Senior Director, Global Communications Strategy | VMware


Alyssa Summers
Director, Global Internal Communications | Vertafore
What People are Saying
“The speakers, the information presented, and overall structure of the conference was wonderful and impactful. I’m so glad I attended!”

“Great information that I can start to use when I get back to the office.”

“Love the real world, boots on the ground experience. Also good to have a meet your table mates component.”

“Funny, practical, valuable frameworks with examples. Great team dynamic as well.”

“This was phenomenal. I enjoyed this section the most, by far. Thanks for the practical tools and really appreciated the humor and examples.”

Sponsors
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Interested in becoming a Sponsor?
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Venue
Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco
555 North Point St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 563-1234
Fisherman’s Wharf, on the northern waterfront, is one of the city's most popular areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn, as do postcard views of the bay, Golden Gate, and Alcatraz. There’s also a colony of sea lions to see and historic ships to tour.

Make Your Reservations
Booking:
Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco
Phone: (415) 563-1234
To receive your discounted rate of $299/night, be sure to mention the 10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications - West/Advanced Learning Institute group rate. Booking deadline 1/1/2023.
Flying:
✈️ San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
🚗 Distance from property: 14 Miles (30 Minutes)
Contact Us
-
EARLY BIRD
IN-PERSON 3-Day All-Access Pass
10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – West
Jan 31- Feb 2, 2023$3,395.00
Register -
EARLY BIRD
IN-PERSON 2-Day All-Access Pass
10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – West
Feb 1- Feb 2, 2023$2,795.00
Register -
EARLY BIRD
2-Day Prerecorded Pass
10th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – West
Feb 1- Feb 2, 2023$1,995.00
Register
Included In Your 3-Day In-Person Pass:
· 3 days of content and networking
· 25+ speakers
· Interactive pre-conference workshop day – smaller group, focused topics, to set the foundation before the main, two-day conference
· Bonus networking reception for workshop attendees and speakers
· Contact list for future networking
· Link to presentations, resources, and content
· Certificate of completion for CEUs
· Breakout groups to talk with your peers
· Peer-led case studies and panels featuring best practices
· Networking breakouts
· Networking reception during the main conference
· Continental breakfast, coffee & refreshments
Included In Your 2-Day In-Person Pass:
· 2 days of content and networking during the main conference
· 20+ speakers
· Contact list for future networking
· Link to main conference presentations, resources and content
· Certificate of completion for CEUs
· Breakout groups to talk with your peers
· Peer-led case studies and panels featuring best practices
· Networking breakouts
· Networking reception
· Continental breakfast, coffee & refreshments
Additional Ways To Save:
Alumni Rate:
Past ALI conference attendees: Save $200 with promotion code "ALUM"
Questions? Contact us at 773-695-9400 or connect@aliconferences.com
Team Discounts:
Attend this training with colleagues and save!
- Team of 2: Save $200 each
- Team of 3: Save $300 each
- Team of 4: Register for 3 and get the 4th registration free
Contact us at 773-695-9400 or connect@aliconferences.com to receive your promotion code.
Nonprofit/Government Discount:
Nonprofit/government employees are eligible for a $200 discount. Contact us at 773-695-9400 or connect@aliconferences.com to receive your promotion code.
Vendor Rates:
Non-sponsoring vendors are required to pay a registration fee for the 2-day conference of $3,495. Contact us connect@aliconferences.com for the vendor registration link.
Terms & Conditions Of Your Registration:
PAYMENT
Payment is due two weeks prior to the event. If payment has not been received two weeks before the event, a credit-card hold, training form, or purchase order will be taken to ensure your space.
CANCELLATION POLICY
You may make substitutions at any time; please notify us as soon as possible. If you cancel (in writing) more than two weeks prior to the conference a refund will be provided less a $295 administration fee. Registered delegates who do not attend or who cancel two weeks prior to the conference or less will be issued a credit memo. Credit memos will be valid for one year from date of issuance and can be used by anyone in your organization.
PROGRAM CHANGES
Advanced Learning Institute, Inc. reserves the right to make changes in programs and speakers, or to cancel programs if enrollment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond its control prevail. Every effort will be made to contact each enrollee if a program is canceled. If a program is not held for any reason, A.L.I.’s liability is limited to the refund of the program fee only.
Testimonials
"You all really pulled together an impressive group of folks. I loved speaking with the Salesforce and Amazon communication teams. I always feel that I take more than I give at these meetings, thank you for making it time well spent."—Vice President, Organizational Communications, American Cancer Society
"This is the conference where innovators of our industry will convene & shape the blueprint for the modern communications function in the age of digital. This is the conference for you if you dare to challenge the status quo."—Senior Vice President, Corporate & Digital Communications Group, Mastercard
"I loved the conference! I think the line-up was terrific and representative of all sizes of businesses which I think makes it useful for everyone and helps broaden the talking points & open up different scenarios on the overarching topic."—Manager, Corporate Communications, Scripps Network Interactive