As the 2026 Northwest Communicators Conference celebrated its 30th year, it's safe to say that this year's event, sponsored by PRSA Oregon and PRSA Puget Sound, was one of the best ever. A tip of the fedora to to Allen Hall Public Relations, the UO School of Jurnalism and Communication's in-house public relations agency directed by faculty advisor Kelli Matthews, for its stellar efforts in helping make the conference a success.
Matthew Marcial, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Relations Society of America based in New York, kicked off the conference with an overview of what's been happening -- and what's to come -- with PRSA as an international organization serving the communications community. What's changing, he noted, was an increased effort to becoming "trusted advisors to leadership" and "an ethical compass in a complex environment."
The strategy now, he said, is to align communications with business outcomes, anticipate risks earlier and influence leadership decisions. Addressing the "trust gap," execution still matters and precision is needed over volume: "Audiences are skeptical and authenticity is required in bridging the chasm between words and actions.
Held at the University of Oregon's Portland Campus, Marcial also addressed the state of the society. The focus areas, he noted are "revenue, retention and recruitment." Challenges facing the society include the economic environment, competition and perception gaps, but "passion of membership" will drive the society to new heights as it goes virtual with its lease on 120 Wall Street expiring in February 2027.
The 2026 Northwest CommCon featured compelling keynote speakers like Elizabeth Edwards speaking on "AI and the New Trust Economy," Pulitzer Prize Winner Nigel Jaquiss from the Oregon Journalism Project, Katie Garcia of the Logos Institute speaking on "What You Can Do to Reverse Marginalization of the PR Profession," and Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA on "Leading with Empathy in the PR Profession."
Two sessions stood out for me. Katie Garcia's premise that "we don’t (necessarily) deserve a seat the table where decisions are made. We have to earn that seat at the table" resonated; and University of Oregon student comments in "Meet Your Audience: Gen Z." "Company culture and authenticity are important; beware of companies that lack vision or who fail to acknowledge employees. We're smarter than we look."
