FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kimberly Egan
Director of Marketing
Ragan Communications
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Ragan and PR Daily Announce Keynote and Brand-Leader Speaker Lineup for Social Media Conference 2026 in Orlando
Chicago, IL (February 16, 2026) — Ragan Communications and PR Daily announced the keynote address and featured speakers for their annual Social Media Conference, to be held March 9–11, 2026, at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort in Orlando, Florida. The three-day conference brings together senior social media, communications and marketing professionals from across industries for deep strategy, real-world case studies and peer-driven insights.
The conference keynote, The Art and Science of Non-Obvious Thinking, will set the tone for transformative learning, exploring how leaders can innovate social strategy even as platforms shift and audience expectations evolve. This session will be delivered by Rohit Bhargava, author and founder of The Non-Obvious Company, whose work on cultural trends and strategic foresight helps communicators anticipate what’s coming next.
In addition to the keynote, the conference will explore pressing real-world challenges and opportunities in social media strategy, including AI-powered workflows, crisis communication and reputation risk, social listening and analytics, and employee-driven storytelling. Attendees will participate in expert-led sessions and panels designed to reveal frameworks and tools they can apply immediately in their roles.
Featured speakers from well-known brands and organizations include:
- Chaka Cumberbatch, Head of Social, Metaverse and Wearables at Meta
- Leslie Douglas, Director of Paid, Creative and Social Media at Intel
- Veronica Cintron, Vice President of Communications, Tampa International Airport
- Cynthia Martinez, Vice President of External Communications, U.S. Soccer Federation
- Claire Nance, Head of Gaming Business Success Strategy, Activision Blizzard Media
- Patrick Pho, Lead of Volkswagen Content Studio, Volkswagen of America
- Maddie Richter, Social Media Manager, Alaska Airlines
- Melissa Rodriguez, Director of Social Discovery, BuzzFeed
- Jennifer Brown, Director of U.S. Influencer Marketing and Talent Partnerships, SHEIN
- Danny Clemens, Senior Manager, Social Media (National Geographic), The Walt Disney Company
- Sarah Walker, Executive Producer, Brand Studio Live Action & Partnerships Production, A+E Global Media
These brand and organizational leaders bring strategic acumen from global and consumer-facing contexts, providing attendees with a range of perspectives on social strategy, crisis preparedness, community building, content performance and measurement.
“Communicators need more than trend briefs to thrive on social media,” said Allison Carter, editor-in-chief of Ragan and PR Daily. “This conference will give professionals practical frameworks, peer insights and tools they can actually use. This lineup offers strategic breadth and depth from leaders who understand social media at its core.”
In addition to the main conference sessions, the agenda includes tactical and strategic workshop options, networking opportunities and a poolside reception designed to foster connection among attendees. Participants will walk away with frameworks that support executive alignment, operational scaling and cross-discipline collaboration.
Registration is now open, and VIP pricing is available through Feb. 20. Click here for more information on the event.
About Ragan Communications and PR Daily
Ragan Communications has been delivering trusted news, training and intelligence for more than 60 years to internal and external communicators, HR professionals and business leaders. Its daily news sites, PRDaily.com and Ragan.com, are read by more than 600,000 internal and external communicators monthly. Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council is one of the fastest-growing membership groups for communications executives, and its conferences, webinars and workshops are attended by more than 5,000 communicators a year. Ragan Training is the leading learning portal among communicators, offering more than 800 hours of training and development for communicators. Ragan is also the producer of Communications Week, which is held each November. Headquartered in Chicago, with team members spanning the country and loyal customers worldwide. Visit us at ragan.com.
