National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems

The Voice for Public Pensions

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Communications & Member Services Summit Agenda


PRELIMINARY AGENDA
(As of 10/22/25)
Interested in speaking opportunities? Please contact membership@ncpers.org.
 

MONDAY, MARCH 2

 
12:00 PM–6:30 PM
REGISTRATION 
 
2:30 PM–3:30 PM
Introductions & Networking
Get to know your fellow pension communications and member services professionals during this informal kickoff session. 
 
3:30 PM–4:15 PM
Why the Path to Successful Member Engagement is Nonlinear (and Lessons Learned Along the Way) 
Join us for an inspiring keynote on navigating challenges, learning from mistakes, and finding successful strategies to educate and engage with plan participants and beneficiaries. 
 
4:15 PM–5:00 PM
Mini Case Studies: Showcasing Success Stories
In a series of mini case studies, you’ll hear success stories from peers as they showcase creative solutions—from educational campaigns to new technology.  
 
5:15 PM–6:30 PM                                        NETWORKING RECEPTION 
 
 

TUESDAY, MARCH 3

 
6:00 AM–7:00 AM WELLNESS ACTIVITY 
 
7:00 AM-8:00 AM REGISTRATION 
 
7:00 AM–8:00 AM BREAKFAST
 
8:00 AM–9:00 AM
From Zoomer to Boomer: Member Engagement Across Generations 
  • Find out what the Arkansas Teachers Retirement System learned after creating a member engagement team with the goal of improving cross-generational communications  
  • What messaging and mediums are most effective for younger generations? 
  • Get scalable strategies for adapting existing communications for various audience segments. 
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
BREAKOUT A: Facilitated Discussion: Communicating Across Generations 
Engage in a facilitated discussion with peers on the challenges of communicating across generations. 
 
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
BREAKOUT B: Hackathon: Crowd-Sourcing Solutions to Your Communications & Member Services Challenges
Attendees can submit topics in advance around the challenges they face in their roles leading up to the event to crowdsource solutions from peers.  
 
9:50 AM–10:10 AM NETWORKING  BREAK 
 
10:10 AM–11:00 AM
BREAKOUT A: The Lifecycle of a Pension Administration System: From Identifying Need to RFP to Selection to Implementation 
  • Hear from a panel of pension professionals at various stages of PAS implementation on lessons learned 
  • Get tips for engaging members (and employers) at launch and beyond 
  • Gain insights on metrics for success post-launch
10:10 AM–11:00 AM
BREAKOUT B: Let’s Get Strategic: How to Elevate Your Plan’s Communications 
  • Where to begin with creating a strategic plan (and why it matters) 
  • Measuring success and understanding when to pivot 
  • Demonstrating value and gaining buy-in 
  • How to integrate your communications plan across the organization 
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
BREAKOUT A: Pension Administration System & Member Portal Presentation 
See demonstrations of existing system PAS and member portals 
 
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
BREAKOUT B: Breaking Through the Noise: A Look at Traditional vs. Digital Media 
  • How to successfully balance print vs. digital outreach 
  • Creative ways to catch your members’ attention 
  • Pros and cons of various mediums (including budget and time considerations) 
  • Balancing conflicting preferences for consuming information  
12:00 PM–1:00 PM LUNCH
 
1:00 PM–2:00 PM
Award Winners Ceremony and Panel 
  • Celebrate excellence in pension communications and member services during this awards ceremony and panel discussion.  
  • Find practical insights and inspiration from peers as they share their stories (and lessons learned along the way).  
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
BREAKOUT A: Reimagining Member Education: Case Studies 
From virtual expos to ambassador programs, explore creative solutions for engaging with and educating your members 
 
2:00 PM–2:50 PM
BREAKOUT B: Fraud Prevention and Identity Verification 
  • Retirement systems are dealing with increasing instances of security threats, identity thefts, and fraud attempts, powered by recent technological advancements. What are examples of the latest threats that plans should be prepared for? How are forward-thinking plans handling this new environment and keeping their members’ data secure?  
  • Identity theft, communicating the importance of preventative strategies  
  • What to consider if you’re giving guidance to members from a legal perspective   
2:50 PM–3:10 PM NETWORKING BREAK 
 
3:10 PM–4:00 PM
BREAKOUT A: Effective Storytelling for Impact
  • Using data and people to showcase the value of your plan 
  • Internal vs. external communications 
3:10 PM–4:00 PM
BREAKOUT B: Member Education: Improving Financial Literacy
  • Explore strategies to build financial literacy across your plan's membership
4:10 PM–5:00 PM
Does What You’re Measuring Matter? KPIs, Member Surveys, and Feedback from Plan Participants
  • What makes a survey effective?  
  • Strategies to improve response rates 
  • Dealing with data overload: Translating data into actionable strategies 
  • How to set realistic and effective KPIs for your plan  
6:00 PM–8:00 PM OPTIONAL NETWORKING EVENT
 
 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

 
7:00 AM-8:00 AM                                 REGISTRATION
7:00 AM–8:00 AM BREAKFAST
 
8:00 AM–9:00 AM
From Policy to Adoption: What Are Public Pensions Doing With and About Artificial Intelligence? 
  • A look at the current state of artificial intelligence impacting our pension space 
  • How are plan’s addressing false AI content (or AI-generated content)? 
  • Strategies for implementing an AI policy and various use cases 
9:00 AM–9:30 AM Facilitated Discussion: Comparing AI Use Cases
 
9:40 AM–10:50 AM
BREAKOUT A: “Somehow I Manage”: Tools for Successful Collaboration and Project Management 
Developing soft skills for effective collaboration, project management frameworks, and dealing with conflict
 
9:40 AM–10:50 AM
BREAKOUT B:The Future of Communications
  • Find out what’s next for the world of communications 
  • What areas should you be upskilling in today? 
  • How are leading communications adapting? 
10:50 AM–11:20 AM REFRESHMENT BREAK
 
11:10 AM–12:00 PM
Countering Misinformation and Building Trust 
How retirement systems can keep their plan participants informed, fight back against misinformation and AI-driven skepticism, and spread the facts about the plan’s investments and practices. 
 
12:00 PM–12:30 PM
Wrap Up & Thank Yous
Discuss key takeaways and goals for the year ahead
 
 

CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) CREDITS

By attending NCPERS Communications & Member Services Summit, you can earn 14 Continuing Education (CE) hours toward your Accredited Fiduciary (AF) recertification and/or state-mandated continuing education requirements. CE credits are automatically recorded in your NCPERS membership account after the conference, where you can log in to download your CE certificate.

NCPERS is an accredited Minimum Educational Training (MET) sponsor for Texas public retirement systems, as recognized by the State Pension Review Board. This accreditation does not imply an endorsement by the Board regarding the quality of the MET program.

Additionally, NCPERS is a recognized learning provider and continuing education sponsor in multiple states. Attendees are encouraged to check with their state’s requirements to confirm CE eligibility.