8:30	Registration and Coffee
8:50	Mihi Whakatau
9:00	Opening remarks from the MC Kat Day, General Manager, Breakout Room and Herd MSL NZ
	Future of Comms and PR
9:10	Opening Keynote: The future of Comms and PR Understanding how shifting media landscapes are redrawing the rules of public relations Looking at technology and what is coming next, AI-generated content, synthetic media, real-time monitoring, and the automation of storytelling Exploring what global trends in strategy, storytelling, and influence mean for New Zealand communicators operating in a small, connected market Andrew McPherson, AI Transformation and Delivery Leadership
9:40	Panel discussion: Navigating the new world of PR, trust, storytelling and technologies Exploring how AI and emerging technology are fundamentally changing the way we tell stories Examining how trust becomes the critical currency when information moves faster than ever Navigating the tension between innovation and ethics as misinformation and digital risk reshape the communications landscape Reimagining what it means to be a responsible, resilient communicator in a rapidly changing world Hanna Kilpin, Head of Marketing Communications, Sharesies Yannis Naumann, Global Communications Manager, Zespri International Emily Isle, Chief Digital Officer, *MBM*
10:30	Morning break
11:00	Organic vs Paid: Navigating digital marketing in a rapidly changing landscape Understanding where organic ends and paid begins and why the line between the two is increasingly blurred Building genuine relationships with your audience through consistent, authentic and values-led communication Knowing when to invest in paid to amplify what is already working organically Growing an audience that trusts you, how earned credibility and community connection outlast any ad budget Staying visible and relevant across channels without sacrificing the authenticity that makes people stay Dee Crooks, General Manager – Brand and Communications, ProCare
11:50	Fireside chat: Media relations in a shrinking landscape Adapting to a reduced media ecosystem with fewer journalists, tighter newsrooms, and faster turnaround expectations Strengthening journalist relationships as long-term partnerships rather than transactional interactions Understanding what makes a story land today, relevance, timing, clarity, and audience value Rethinking earned media value alongside owned and paid channels in a more competitive attention economy Facilitator: Loren Tomlinson, Director & Lead Digital Marketing Strategist, The Social Collective Jenni Mortimer, Chief Lifestyle & Entertainment Reporter, Newsroom
12:30	Lunch
	Mastering AI in Comms and PR
1:30	From experimentation to implementation: Operationalising AI in Comms Knowing when and where AI fits in your communications workflow Understanding the risks: data privacy, bias and over-reliance on automation Getting your data right, why quality and governance determine your AI output What operationalising AI actually looks like in a comms and PR team Taking your team on the journey, building confidence and a culture of responsible innovation Nicola Crowther, Head of Employee Communications, Fonterra
2:20	AI and the law: AI, copyright, data sovereignty and IP Understanding copyright in the age of AI, who owns content when a machine creates it Navigating data sovereignty, where your data lives, who controls it and why it matters Protecting Māori IP and cultural knowledge from unauthorised AI use and appropriation What Te Tiriti obligations mean for organisations using AI in Aotearoa New Zealand Getting usage rights right, licensing, attribution and the legal grey zones of AI-generated content Lynell Tuffery Huria, Tumuaki \| Partner, Kahui Legal
3:00	Rethinking workforce capability in a fast-changing environment Building a culture of continuous learning: making upskilling part of everyday work, not a separate activity Identifying and closing capability gaps quickly without relying on long, formal training cycles Balancing individual development with organisational priorities in a fast-moving environment Practical ways to stay current yourself as a leader while enabling capability growth across your team Gil Sewell, Kaihautu Tikanga / Chief People & Culture Officer, Ember Simon Kozak, Head of Brand and Communications, Ember
3:30	Afternoon break
4:00	Beyond the story: Building the digital ecosystem that makes your PR work Why great PR coverage is wasted without a supporting digital ecosystem (social, email, website) How AI-powered search is changing who gets found after a media feature - and what that means for comms professionals and their clients The three things every brand needs in place before they pitch, not after Practical steps to close the gap between earned media and owned media Loren Tomlinson, Director & Lead Digital Marketing Strategist, The Social Collective
4:30	AI Powered Creative Mischief: Using AI to create braver, sharper, and more memorable marketing Most businesses are using AI to make marketing faster. Steve Ballantyne from Brand IQ is more interested in how it can make marketing more interesting. In this session, Steve will share how Brand IQ is using AI Powered Creative Mischief across advertising, brand storytelling, impossible visuals, videos, music, and internal communications. He will explore how AI can help brands escape predictable thinking, experiment with bolder ideas and create work with more humour, surprise, and personality. Steve will also reveal the tools and creative processes behind the work, including how Brand IQ turns human insights into AI-powered executions, pressure-tests ideas quickly and creates ambitious-looking campaigns without ambitious-looking budgets. Along the way, he will share what has worked, what has failed and why taste, judgement, ethics, and storytelling still need to remain firmly human. This is not about using AI to produce more marketing. It is about using AI to challenge conventions, unlock stronger ideas and create work people actually notice. Steve Ballantyne, Director, Brand IQ
5:00	Summary remarks from the MC followed by Networking Reception

9:00	Opening remarks from the MC Kat Day, General Manager, Breakout Room and Herd MSL NZ
	Communicating change and transformation
9:10	The psychology behind transformation and how to navigate it Understanding how people psychologically respond to change, uncertainty, risk and loss of control Recognising why emotional reactions to transformation are rarely linear or predictable Exploring the role of trust, identity and experience in how people interpret and accept change Designing change communication that builds clarity, psychological safety and resilience Dr Sarah Anticich, Clinical, Organisational & Industrial Psychologist
9:40	Communicating change within your organisation Communicating change when certainty is incomplete, what to share, what to hold, and when Balancing transparency with responsibility without fuelling speculation, anxiety, or misinformation Building trust through cadence, clarity, and repetition, not information overload Supporting employees with consistent, calm, and empathetic messaging from leadership Aligning internal and external narratives so stakeholders hear one coherent story Equipping leaders to communicate confidently so alignment doesn't depend on the comms team Nigel Wilson, Communications, Culture & Change Leader
10:30	Morning break
11:00	Navigating change resistance: Communicating in a sceptical world Understanding why people resist change and what that means for how you frame and deliver your message Building trust before you need it why credibility is earned long before a policy announcement is made Reaching and communicating with those who don't want to hear it, strategies for engaging resistant and hard-to-reach audiences Influencing hearts and minds through authentic storytelling, evidence and consistent messaging Identifying, countering and getting ahead of misinformation before it shapes the narrative for you Deirdre Robert, Principal Adviser – Strategy, Commerce Commission Frances Coles, Principal Adviser for Digital, Commerce Commission
11:30	Case Study: Communicating a rebrand and major organisational shift Sequencing internal and external messaging to protect clarity, reduce uncertainty, and avoid conflicting narratives Balancing transparency with commercial sensitivity, deciding what to share early, what to stage, and how to frame the story Using leadership communication to anchor the "why now" and maintain confidence in long-term direction Managing internal emotional and cultural impact while keeping the external rebrand focused on continuity of purpose Positioning brand transition as evolution, not disruption, especially where parts of the business are being exited or closed
	Connecting, Measuring and Protecting
12:00	NZ Blood Case Study: How to avoid the trap of making the measurable important rather than the important measurable Understanding the pressure PR and comms practitioners face to produce hard numbers and why that instinct can work against you Recognising when hard numbers aren't the right choice, and when qualitative insights can be more meaningful and credible Identifying what is important to your organisation before deciding how to measure it Applying practical approaches to measuring the harder-to-quantify stuff in ways that hold up to scrutiny Communicating qualitative and mixed-method findings clearly and convincingly to executives, boards, and senior stakeholders Ximena Smith, Marketing Communications Advisor, New Zealand Blood Service
12:40	Lunch
1:40	Panel discussion: How to truly connect and engage audiences in 2026? Defining what genuine audience engagement actually looks like in 2026 and why so many organisations are still getting it wrong Understanding the difference between engagement as optics and engagement as meaningful practice Choosing the right channels, language and messengers to reach audiences who are increasingly fragmented and harder to find Embracing Te ao Māori and cultural fluency as core engagement tools rather than optional add-ons Co-designing communication with your audiences rather than broadcasting at them Building the kind of long-term trust that keeps audiences engaged, loyal and willing to advocate for you Facilitator: Moumita Das Roy, Marketer and Social Impact Advocate Frank Koloi, Manager Marketing & Communications, Corporate Services, The Fono Georgia Nelson, Communications and Advocacy Manager, Rural Women New Zealand Rochelle West, Communications and Digital Team Lead, PowerCo
2:20	Protecting trust and engagement when a crisis and misinformation strike Preparing before the storm, what good crisis planning and rapid-response frameworks look like in practice Leading communications under pressure when time, information and trust are all in short supply Navigating stakeholder expectations across media, employees, customers and board during a live crisis Understanding how misinformation spreads and why it outpaces traditional response strategies Holding the line on professional responsibility when every message is scrutinised Rebuilding reputation and restoring trust after the storm Anna Johnstone, Head of Public Relations, Fonterra
3:00	Summary remarks from the MC

19 - 20 October 2026 | Crowne Plaza, Auckland

Comms & PR Conference

Harnessing technology, navigating transformation, mastering storytelling.

Brightstar are delighted to bring you the 2026 Comms & PR Conference this October.

Co-located with PRINZ Awards 2025

Key themes

Who will attend

Venue

The location and how you can get there

Check out our other upcoming events

2026 Agenda:

Speakers:

Rochelle West

Moumita Das Roy

Steve Ballantyne

Ximena Smith

Emily Isle

Loren Tomlinson

Georgia Nelson

Yannis Naumann

Dee Crooks

Simon Kozak

Nicola Crowther

Frank Koloi

Gil Sewell

Dr Sarah Anticich

Deirdre Robert

Jenni Mortimer

Tickets

Double Pass

Early Bird

Standard Price

Last Minute

Super Early Bird

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General Contact

Brightstar are delighted to bring you the
2026 Comms & PR Conference this October.