Revisiting ICON 2023; Looking Ahead to 2024
By John Elsasser
November-December 2023
As of this writing, we are just a few weeks past the conclusion of ICON 2023, which took place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
I enjoyed this year’s conference and appreciated the opportunity to catch up with many attendees. We’re continuing to share insights from Nashville, including a quick recap of highlights on in this issue.
In addition, we’re posting Q&As with several thought leaders who spoke at PRSSA’s ICON on Oct. 13-15. Visit PRsay for interviews with Amanda Brooks, director of communications, ESPN; Alex Ebanks, vice president of communications, Essence Ventures; Gina Pesko Laughlin, vice president of global employee communications, Delta Air Lines; and Barbara M. Agrait, senior PR manager of global media relations, Amazon.
While at the Opryland, we also hosted two episodes of Strategies & Tactics Live. The first, on Oct. 16, featured Ray Day, APR, vice chair at Stagwell, and PRSA’s chair-elect for 2024. The second episode, which took place on Oct. 17, welcomed Jen Hartmann, global director of strategic public relations and enterprise social media at John Deere. For those who missed these insightful discussions, you can watch them on the PRSA LinkedIn page under the “Events” section.Celebrating a Platinum award
Just before leaving for ICON 2023, we learned that Strategies & Tactics received a Platinum MarCom Award for Association Publications.
Presented by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals, the MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communications while recognizing the creativity and hard work of industry professionals. (PRSA’s 75th-anniversary book also received a Platinum award in the Publications/Book/Company History category.)
This is the second major award for Strategies & Tactics in 2023 — earlier this year, we received a Bronze Excel Award in the Newspaper/General Excellence category.
Planning for 2024
I’ll close out my last editor’s note for 2023 with a look ahead to next year. I’m sharing our 2024 content calendar here.
We welcome articles that cover a range of topics, including but not limited to:
- In-depth exploration of current issues
- Insights into emerging technologies that may impact or are changing the comms/PR profession
- Timely analysis of news affecting the realm of communications and communicators
- Thoughtful reflections on professional growth and development
Some popular topics our members find engaging are crisis management, employee communications, DEI, measurement, storytelling and the evolving landscape of hybrid-remote work.
Please note that all submitted articles require approval from our editorial team before publication. We encourage a writing style that is engaging and free of jargon, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience. The length of articles can range from 600 to 1,000 words, though the final word count will be determined by the editorial team. Keep in mind that deadlines are roughly two months in advance of the publication date.
Please let us know if you’d like to write for the paper or for PRsay in the New Year. You may send your story ideas to us at john.elsasser@prsa.org and amy.jacques@prsa.org.
Thank you for considering us as a platform for your valuable insights and perspectives.
As the holiday season rapidly approaches, we send our best wishes to you and your families. Your membership in PRSA and your dedication to enhancing the communications profession are greatly appreciated!
