National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems

The Voice for Public Pensions

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Pension Communications Summit Education

PRELIMINARY AGENDA
As of 9/27/23
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21
 
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM     Registration
 
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM     Introductions & Networking
  • Get to know your fellow pension communications professionals during this informal kickoff session 

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM     Journalist Fireside Chat: State of the Industry
  • Hear the journalist perspective on the state of the industry

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM     Networking Reception
 

MONDAY, JANUARY 22
 
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM     Registration
 
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM     Breakfast
 
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM     Gen Z to Boomers: Tips for Communicating with Members at Various Life Stages
  • Communicating with members from onboarding to retirement
  • Addressing various communications preferences and technological savviness
  • Improving engagement at various life stages

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM     Case Study: Building Trust in a DB Plan
     Speaker: Marty Karlon, New Hampshire Retirement System
  • Find out how the New Hampshire Retirement System implemented an effective communications strategy to correct misinformation and build trust in the system 
  • Get tips for taking control of your plan’s narrative 
  • Learn strategies for building trust in your pension’s investments, administration

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM     Breaking Down Complex Investment Topics for All Audiences
  • How to effectively communicate about complex topics – such as investment strategies or pension administration - with various audiences

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM   Networking Break

10:30 AM – 11:15 AM   Engaging Your Employers: The ROI of a Dedicated Communications Specialist 
      Speakers: Shawn Harper and Jonathan Yost, Oregon PERS
  • Find out how Oregon PERS significantly reduced their call center volume with an employer communications specialist
  • Get ideas for improving data and reducing call volume
  • Learn scalable strategies to optimize communications to employers and improve the experience for plan participants and retirees 

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM  Do’s and Don’ts for Your Next Website or App Launch
  • Learn from the experience of peers who recently went through a website redesign or app launch
  • Learn more about the transformational impact of self-service apps and portals

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM   Networking Lunch
 
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM      Optimizing Your Fund's Social Media Strategy
  • A look at various approaches, use cases for social media
  • Setting internal policies

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM     How to Effectively (and Responsibly) Use AI in Your Communications
  • Opportunities to use AI in your communications
  • Tools and programs to consider
  • The importance of having an AI policy in place (and tips for developing a thought policy)

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM     The Cybersecurity Landscape: Responding to a Data Breach
  • A look at the current cybersecurity landscape
  • Proactive policies and procedures to consider implementing
  • Responding to a data breach (internally and externally)

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM     Networking Break
 
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM     The Role of the Communications Team During a PAS Replacement or Transition
     Speaker: Laurie Mitchell, Tegrit
  • How a new pension administration system (PAS) creates opportunities for improved member communications
  • Establishing your role in the transition or replacement process
  • Tips for making the communications transition a success

4:00 PM – 4:45 PM     Change Management and Communications Leadership
  • Demonstrating the value of the communications role internally
  • Working effectively across teams and managing up
  • Tips for effective change management and leadership

4:45 PM – 5:00 PM     Honoring the 2024 Public Pension Communicator of the Year
 
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM     Closing Remarks and Facilitated Networking
 
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM     Joint Communications Summit and Legislative Conference Networking Reception