The way organizations communicate with their employees is heavily linked to factors like employee engagement, productivity, and company culture. It’s no wonder why effective internal communication is a huge focus for successful organizations. That’s why staying on top of internal communications trends and best practices is essential for businesses looking to thrive in 2024 and beyond. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of enlightening events and internal communications conferences on the horizon that are designed to help professionals stay updated and connected.
Table of contents
- 11th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – West
- Employee Communications & Culture Conference
- Employee Engagement Summit
- UNLEASH America 2024
- Future of Work USA
- International Conference on Communications 2024
- IABC World Conference 2024
- 11th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – East
- Internal Communications Conference
- What’s Next?
- FAQ
This blog post is your guide to the best internal communications conferences in 2024. Ranging from engaging keynotes by industry thought leaders to hands-on workshops and panel discussions, these communication-focused conferences provide invaluable insights to elevate your communications.
How effective is your internal communications strategy? Do you do regular audits to ensure it remains aligned and impactful? If you don’t, you can easily lose track of how engaged your employees are — or aren’t. Get valuable insights by using Cerkl’s free audit template today.
Download Your Free Strategic Internal Communications Audit Template Now
Our template will enable you to assess how well your internal comms are working and how your employees feel. You’ll be able to assess the core competencies, shortcomings, growth potential, and challenges of your comms, and move forward accordingly.
Join us as we explore the top conferences that will inspire and inform, setting the stage for a year of transformative internal communication strategies.
11th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – West
Dates: Jan 30-Feb 1
Location: San Francisco, California
Host: Advanced Learning Institute (ALI)
Featured Speakers:
- Tarek Kamil, Founder and CEO, Cerkl
- Susie Decker, Senior Manager of Internal Communications and Women’s ERG Lead, Thumbtack
- Lauren Stephens, Executive Director of Internal Communications, MGM Resorts International
- Briana Rodriquez, Associate Director of Communications, S&P Global
Key Topics of Interest:
- Internal communications
- Employee engagement
- Brand communication
- Strategic communications
- Employee experience
Why You Should Attend:
ALI has mastered the art of building relationships and communities from their internal communications conferences. Speakers and attendees who see this value often attend multiple events that ALI hosts throughout the year. They’ve created a positive and welcoming community centered around the shared experiences and challenges of communication, showing how we can help each other get through them. Being a part of the ALI community is invaluable.
Employee Communications & Culture Conference
Dates: April 16-18
Location: Chicago, IL
Host: Ragan
Featured Speakers:
- Linh Le, Director of Corporate Comms, Strava
- Ali Duncan Martin, Director of Corporate Communications, BMO Financial Group
- Joelle Pauley-Fine, Head of International Communications and Health, Google
- Sumreen Ahmed, Global Change Management Lead, Accenture
Key Topics of Interest:
- Employee communications
- Employee experience
- Strategic and authentic storytelling
- Change and crisis communications
Why You Should Attend:
One thing Ragan really excels at is providing a variety of session formats. While it’s not uncommon for an internal communication conference to mix in keynote sessions with panels and interactive breakout sessions, Ragan takes it to the next level with lively debates and more. They are great at keeping attendees engaged throughout their conferences by providing a variety of session styles for them to choose from.
Employee Engagement Summit
Dates: May 1
Location: London, United Kingdom
Host: Engage Business Media
Past Speakers:
- Frankie Freeman-Day, Head of Internal & Executive Communications, YouTube
- Natasha Whitehurst, Global Inclusion Lead, Rolls-Royce
- Nicole Bearne, Head of Internal Communications, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
- Danny Stacy, Head of Talent Intelligence, Indeed
Key Topics of Interest:
- Employee engagement
- Employee wellness, diversity, and inclusion
- Recruitment and talent retention
- Engagement strategies and leadership
Why You Should Attend:
Over the years, Engage Business Media has found some of the most interesting speakers that any internal communication conference could hope for. This variety of speakers they have achieved in terms of industry and background ensures that attendees get numerous different perspectives on engagement and the employee experience.
UNLEASH America 2024
Dates: May 7-9
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Host: Unleash Group
Previous Speakers:
- Andrew Winnemore, VP of HR Services and Digital Employee Experience, Microsoft
- Heather Yukro, VP of Digital Talent, Mastercard
- Nick Boyd, Senior Director of Global Hiring Initiatives and Enablement, Nike
- TaQuonda Hill, General Manager of IT Transformation, Delta Airlines
Key Topics of Interest:
- Innovative technology
- Future of work
- People and talent management
- Employee retention
- Employee experience
Why You Should Attend:
Although this conference has a focus on human resources, the speakers for this event cover a variety of topics. The learnings they offer go far beyond human resources. This means that you’re sure to get valuable insights and takeaways you can use to elevate your work. You will learn about emerging technologies that are changing the workplace, how to manage your workforce efficiently, best practices for effective employee retention, and so much more.
Future of Work USA
Dates: Jun 3-4
Location: New York
Host: M-Media Events
Featured and Previous Speakers:
- Seema Bhansali, VP of Employee Experience and Inclusion, Henry Schein
- Nicole Turner, Senior VP of Technology Hubs, Mastercard
- Gustavo Viano, VP of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Brinks
- Brett Gregorka, Head of Communications and Engagement, Morton Salt
Key Topics of Interest:
- Internal Communications
- Change Management
- Digital Workplace
- Employee Experience and Engagement
Why You Should Attend:
As the name implies, this conference focuses on the future. Bringing together leaders and experts from global organizations, there is nobody that won’t learn something new from this conference. This conference promises to be a great way to learn about trends and emerging ideas. You’ll leave the conference enlightened and prepared to face whatever challenges the future holds.
International Conference on Communications 2024
Dates: June 9-13
Location: Denver, Colorado
Host: IEEE Communications Society
Previous Speakers:
- Peiying Zhu, Senior Vice President, Huawei
- Mathias Fink, Professor, ESPCI Paris
- Mérouane Debbah, Professor, Technology Innovation Institute
- Muriel Médard, Professor of Software Science and Engineering, MIT
Key Topics of Interest:
- Communications theory
- Wireless communications
- Wireless networking
- Optical networking
Why you should attend:
When IEEE says “international” conference, they mean it. They bring in experts from all over the world to share unique perspectives and experiences. With a focus on leaders in technology and research, it’s not uncommon for professors and researchers from esteemed universities to be in the speaker lineup. Don’t forget your notebook and pen because you’ll need to take home many learnings from the conference.
IABC World Conference 2024
Dates: June 23-26
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Host: International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
Past Speakers:
- Farida Habeeb PhD, Senior Manager of DEI and Strategy, Brilliant Ink
- Chris Lee, VP of Employee Experience and Internal Communication, Gallagher Communications
- Zaria Parvez, Global Social Media Manager, Duolingo
- Lisa Abbott, Communications Manager, Deloitte
Key Topics of Interest:
- Communications
- Internal communications and relationships
- Communications strategy
Why You Should Attend:
IABC are pros at curating a stellar lineup of speakers and topics that tie into the common theme of the event. Last year, their theme was “Can Communication Deepen” and they looked into ways communication affects relationships, purpose, impact, curiosity, and more throughout our teams and organizations. The sessions this year are designed to explore various aspects of this theme and do so without feeling repetitive. Attendees are assured that they will leave this internal communication conference with a better understanding of how they can use their role to advance the interests of their team and their organization.
11th Annual Strategic Internal Communications – East
Dates: July 16-18
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Host: Advanced Learning Institute (ALI)
Featured Speakers:
- TBD
Key Topics of Interest:
- Strategic internal communications
- Engaging remote employees
- Effective communication during times of change and crisis
- Measuring communication effectiveness
- Creating engaging employee experiences
Why You Should Attend:
This conference is the east coast version of the internal communications conferences in San Francisco they hold earlier in the year. If you can’t make it to the west coast in January, we highly recommend finding your way to Boston this summer. The ALI community is full of like-minded professionals and experts that want to improve how we communicate and collaborate. You will not regret joining this community focused on sharing insights and learning together.
Internal Communications Conference
Dates: October 16-18
Location: Microsoft Headquarters, Redmond, Washington
Host: Ragan
Featured Speakers:
- TBD
Key Topics of Interest:
- Internal communication trends
- Employee engagement practices
- Leadership and executive communications
Why You Should Attend:
While information is limited on this event, it is an annual function that Ragan hosts at Microsoft’s Learning Center. It is one of Ragan’s biggest internal communications conferences and never fails to bring exciting and qualified speakers. The insights from this internal communication conference are always profound and impactful. Don’t miss it!
What’s Next?
If you want even more than the internal communications conferences in 2024 to elevate your IC game, check out our blog on employee experience conferences. You can also download the resource below. The IC Channel Audit helps you strategically analyze the communication channels you use and how you use them. Check it out to see where you can improve your strategy moving forward.
FAQ
In internal communications, professionals manage the flow of information within an organization, ensuring that employees are well-informed, engaged, and aligned with the company’s goals. The most important part is to make certain that communication is effective and to ensure that you maximize employee engagement.
Internal communications are crucial because they foster transparency, and promote employee engagement and a sense of belonging. Ultimately, internal communications enhance organizational cohesion and performance, and well done will positively impact your bottom line.
AI promises to be an increasingly popular internal communication trend along with the use of data, insights, and analytics. At the same time, the importance of human connections, employee engagement, and the need to build trust in leadership are also high points that are already trending.
The “best” example of internal communications depends on an organization’s context. But a well-executed and comprehensive intranet system facilitating two-way communication, updates, and collaboration is often considered exemplary. A platform that enables you to streamline communications, segment audiences, and schedule messages is certainly up there with the best of the best.
