PIO Calendar

Speak Calm into Chaos: Introduction to Crisis Communication
2026-09-30 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/speak-calm-into-chaos-introduction-to-crisis-communication-3/
This introductory course provides a foundational understanding of how clear, accurate, and timely communication supports effective emergency response. Participants will explore key principles of emergency messaging, examine real-world examples, and gain insight into how communication impacts public trust and outcomes. The course also introduces core concepts related to audience analysis, message development, and delivery strategies used by emergency management professionals.

Communicating During a Critical Incident for Police and Fire Departments
2026-09-30 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/communicating-during-a-critical-incident-for-police-and-fire-departments/
For public information officers, the ability to communicate clearly, quickly and with credibility during a critical incident is essential. Whether facing an active shooter, a large fire, severe weather or another high-impact event, your agency’s response will be measured not only by operational success but also by how well you inform the media and your community. As the public information officer and media relations professional with more than 20 years of experience, Adam has a track record of successfully managing crises and issues that garnered national media attention.
Completing this course will teach you:
How to craft clear, effective messaging during fast-moving events
Best practices for handling media inquiries, interviews and news conferences
Strategies to build and maintain public trust during a crisis
The role of social media and digital platforms in incident communications
Coordinating messaging across agencies in a joint information setting
This course is designed for Law enforcement and fire public information officers, or other personnel responsible for sharing information with the media and community during critical incidents.

NAGC Virtual Fall Workshop
2026-09-30 12:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Government communicators are expected to do more with less: smaller budgets, leaner teams, and audiences that are harder to reach. This half-day virtual workshop is designed to help you reach further, spend smarter and communicate better.
Your ticket to the workshop unlocks what you need to know to create impactful podcasts, produce award-winning videos and unveil social media strategies that work. Whether you’re a solo PIO, part of a small agency team, or leading communications for a large government organization, the NAGC Fall Workshop is built for practitioners who need real, actionable strategies they can apply the moment the workshop ends to meet their audience where they are.
Agenda includes panels and presentations on podcasting, video, public information campaigns on a budget, and social media strategies. Click the event link for a full agenda!

Save the Date: STAR Awards and Compact Symposium
2026-10-01 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA), 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA, 90802, United States
The CAPIO | SCAN STAR Awards recognize excellence in government video programming in 56 categories. Winners will be announced at the STAR Awards Luncheon + Compact Symposium aboard the iconic Queen Mary in Long Beach on October 1, 2026
Compact Symposium Tentative Schedule:
9 – 11:30 a.m. – Education / Training
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – STAR Awards Lunch
1:30 – 3 p.m. – Education / Training

Boston AI Week 2026 Summit
2026-10-01 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Foundation Medicine, Boston, 400 Summer Street, Boston, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
One day. One room. The people building Massachusetts’ AI economy — and the evidence to prove it.
The Boston AI Summit is the flagship conference of Boston AI Week: a single-track, one-room gathering of the executives, founders, investors, researchers, and public-sector leaders shaping AI in Massachusetts. The day opens with the official release of The State of AI in Massachusetts 2026 — what thousands of people across the Commonwealth told us about how AI is actually being adopted — and builds from there: evidence, then discussion, then more evidence, until the closing conversation sends the week off.

ILEA: Police-Media Relations
2026-10-05 00:00 - 2026-10-07 23:59 (America/New_York) | ILEA Headquarters at The Center for American and International Law, 5201 Democracy Drive, Plano, TX, 75024, United States
Law enforcement is under an intense amount of scrutiny for a wide range of policing practices. The modern Public Information Officer is at the crossroads to ensure organizational messaging resonates with the public and demonstrates the value and nobility that police agencies provide to their respective communities.
Attendees will receive expert instruction in core competency areas of media management, visual storytelling, and innovative content to bolster citizen engagement. Specific case studies including controversial force incidents, officer-involved shootings, employee misconduct and other relevant areas will be discussed.
Students will learn how to craft news releases, conduct media interviews and plan press conferences. Participants will also conduct in-person assessments with scenarios which will be filmed to provide immediate feedback on best practices and lessons learned. In addition, students will receive reference materials and checklists.

Content Marketing World 2026
2026-10-05 00:00 - 2026-10-07 23:59 (America/New_York) | Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street, Denver, CO, 80202, United States
Content Marketing World will return for another inspiring meeting between top digital marketing experts, creators, and enthusiasts eager to delve into the depths of content marketing. The 2026 edition of the leading US event will take place from 5 to 7 October, with special workshops and conference sessions dedicated to the latest developments in the marketing industry. The Colorado Convention Center in Denver will host over 3,400 visitors from the marketing community worldwide.
CMWorld 2026 will emphasise trending content topics, explore in-depth strategies, and provide actionable approaches for all visitors. Forward-thinking marketing practitioners and decision-makers will present advanced marketing tools, practices, and solutions, delivering valuable know-how and insights to support attendees’ marketing success and help organisations of all sizes grow. The densely packed conference programme will provide a comprehensive overview of proven, expert practices in content creation, marketing strategy, social media presence, branding, and much more. A special focus will be placed on trending topics, such as the role of AI in marketing, the power of analytics and data, strategies for persuasive content marketing, storytelling techniques and the art of visual narratives.
The renowned Content Marketing World conference, serving as a industry reference point, is a must-visit event for everyone, whether professionally involved or interested in marketing and innovation. If you plan to attend the 2026 edition in Denver, save time and effort by arranging your hotel accommodation with ExpoBeds. Send more details about your travel, and we will provide you with a personalised free hotel offer.

FBI-LEEDA Master Public Information Officer (MPO)
2026-10-05 00:00 - 2026-10-09 23:59 (America/New_York) | Ogden, Utah, Ogden, UT, United States
Building off of the FBI-LEEDA Media & Public Relations course, the Master Public Information Officer course moves the participant from the tactical to the strategic level of media and brand management. Participants will spend 4 ½ days exploring; the business model of media engagement, take a deeper dive into cultivating a brand image through internal and external communications, and learn how to proactively pitch stories in today’s 24/7 news environment. Students will learn the advanced means of creating high-quality in-house videos for social media, develop messaging calendars, and learn the art of being a strategic advisor. This course will build on crisis management skills in tabletop exercises designed to build the framework for a crisis communication manual.

PER-344 Social Media Tools & Techniques
2026-10-06 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/per-344-social-media-tools-techniques-13/
This performance-level web-based course is designed for individuals in the public and private sectors who are responsible for gathering and disseminating disaster-related information and who would like to increase their knowledge and understanding about social media and its uses during crisis communication to support organizational preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

MGT-467 Sport and Special Event Public Information and Emergency Notification
2026-10-06 00:00 - 2026-10-07 23:59 (America/New_York) | Smyrna, DE, Smyrna, DE, United States
The Sport and Special Event Public Information and Emergency Notification course brings planners, operators, public information professionals, government, public safety, and marketing professionals together in an effort to prepare and/or enhance venue and event communication programs. The course prescribes best practices to common communication pitfalls and provides flexible and scalable solutions to a wide-range of scenarios. The training leverages a combination of exercises, discussions, and activities to optimize participant experience.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-10-06 00:00 - 2026-10-08 23:59 (America/New_York) | Sartell, MN, Sartell, MN, United States
To equip participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/ emergency response.

K0105 Public Information Basics
2026-10-06 00:00 - 2026-10-08 23:59 (America/New_York)

MGT-340: Crisis Leadership: A Community Case Study
2026-10-06 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Northport, AL, Northport, AL, United States
This seminar uses one of three case studies to examine the dynamics leadership, planning and communications during a crisis from the perspective of an elected or community leaders. This four-hour seminar explores recent case studies to frame the discussion regarding methods to overcome challenges in planning and responding to a large-scale incident. The seminar’s outcome is to develop individual and jurisdictional action plans to guide improved preparedness and emergency response.
Available Case Studies:

Hurricane Harvey: Chaos on the Gulf Coast
Mayhem at Mandalay Bay
The Camp Fire: Crisis in California

Media Relations (MR)
2026-10-07 00:00 - 2026-10-08 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles) | City of Inglewood (CA) EOC, 1 Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA, 90301, United States
This course is a 16-hour training which will provide participants an opportunity to apply advanced public interview/information skills. Focusing on the PIO interview and public speaking capabilities, participants will experience on-camera presentations, radio broadcasts, newsprint, periodicals, and social media communications using current best practices in the industry.

Risk Communications and Managing Opposing Viewpoints for Public Health Professionals
2026-10-07 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
In this two-part class, John Guilfoil takes public health directors and communicators through an experiential journey that is tailor-made for the extreme demands and ever-evolving world of public health. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, municipal governments have been called upon to deliver timely, confident advice and guidelines amid rapidly-changing circumstances and an evolving range of powerful doubters, misinformation trolls and conspiracy theorists.
In part-one, John offers a back-to-basics approach to risk communication. From mosquitoes to rats to season flu, learn how to communicate with your residents, coworkers and intergovernmental contacts and work to create communications plans that fulfill a World Health Organization goal of providing “real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who face a hazard or threat to their survival, health, or economic or social wellbeing.
In the second half of the training, learn how to navigate in a world of competing viewpoints — and in a world of misinformation, disinformation and gasp Facebook commenters. Learn that conflicting viewpoints are a normal part of constituent services, understand the differences between healthy skepticism and conspiracy theory, learn techniques to remain dispassionate and above board in communicating public health information. This well-reviewed class also covers active listening techniques and two breakout sessions.

MGT-340: Crisis Leadership: A Community Case Study
2026-10-08 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Pendleton, OR, Pendleton, OR, United States

FBI-LEEDA Master Public Information Officer (MPO)
2026-10-12 00:00 - 2026-10-16 23:59 (America/New_York) | Southlake, Texas, Southlake, TX, United States

MGT-318 Public Information in an All-Hazards Incident
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-14 23:59 (America/New_York) | Lufkin, TX, Lufkin, TX, United States
This course examines the role of public information in all-hazards incident management and provides practical training in crisis communication techniques. In a major incident, it is of critical importance that community leaders, incident managers, and Public Information Officers (PIO) are prepared to communicate with the public through traditional and social media. This course focuses on the role of public information in all-hazards incident management; the information needs of the press and public in a crisis; and strategies for planning, conducting, and managing the public information effort during a crisis event.

Internal Communications Conference
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Microsoft Headquarters, Seattle, WA, 15010 NE 35th Street, Redmond, WA, 98052, United States
The pressure on communicators has never been greater. Neither has the opportunity.

Leadership transitions. AI rollouts. Geopolitical tensions. Internal and strategic communicators are navigating one of the most complex workplace environments in decades. Employees expect faster updates, authentic leadership and consistent messaging across all platforms. Meanwhile, communicators are helping their organization adopt AI, navigate digital transformation and keep teams aligned through constant change.
With change comes opportunity.
Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference on Oct. 13-15 gives you the playbook you need to lead with clarity and credibility and advance your role within your organization.
Join us on Microsoft’s campus for an immersive learning and networking event filled with practical strategies you need to meet this moment with confidence. You’ll learn how to strengthen executive communication, guide teams through disruption, combat misinformation and integrate emerging tech into your workflows responsibly. Join hundreds of peers from leading organizations and leave with ideas, tools and frameworks you can apply immediately.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Park City, UT, Park City, UT, United States

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Opelika, AL, Opelika, AL, United States

T-PUB4033: Texas Public Information Officer
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-15 23:59 (America/Chicago) | Breckenridge, TX, Breckenridge, TX, United States
The Texas Public Information Officer Course will provide initial information for those individuals who are employed or appointed by a state agency or local government entity and whose duties include communicating with the public during a disaster regarding the importance of early communication and coordination of crisis information.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Management and Setup
2026-10-14 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/emergency-operations-center-eoc-management-and-setup-2/
As a public official that is involved in Emergency Management, the ability to communicate effectively and quickly is essential. Creating an EOC provides the framework of a communication network during an emergency, a major crisis, weather event, power outages, active shooter, or any other event that may significantly impact your community. This 4.5-hour course will teach you how to design an EOC and how to manage communications before, during, and after an EOC activation. As the former Fire Chief in Foxborough, MA and Nashua, NH, Chief Hatfield has over 40 years of knowledge and experience in the private, municipal, state and federal life safety and emergency management fields.
Completing this course will teach you:
Why and When an EOC Activation is Necessary
How to Set Up an Effective EOC
How Technology Drives Effectiveness
How to Fund and Design an EOC
Demobilizing and Recovery Efforts
This course is for Emergency Management Directors, Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, Public Safety Command Staff and Personnel, Municipal Leaders, and anyone involved in Emergency Operations Center activations.

PER-344 Social Media Tools & Techniques
2026-10-15 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | South Carolina Emergency Management Division, 2779 Fish Hatchery Road, West Columbia, SC, 29172, United States

Crisis Communications Boot Camp Austin
2026-10-15 00:00 - 2026-10-16 23:59 (America/New_York) | The Cathedral ATX, 2403 E 16th Street, Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Crisis Communications Boot Camp Austin 2
We’re back in Texas.
After five years, the Crisis Communications Boot Camp Austin 2 returns — part of a global training series delivered in over 40 cities, trusted by senior communicators worldwide.
Why Communicators Attend
Because when a crisis hits, you don’t get time to think.
You are expected to lead.
This training is built for that reality.
You will learn directly from communications leaders at: Amazon, NASCAR, IBM, Stanford University, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Entergy, City of Austin and Flex — people making high-stakes decisions in real time.

Communications Elevated 2026
2026-10-15 08:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver) | Lowry Conference Center (Denver, CO), 1061 Akron Way, Denver, CO, 80230, United States
Communications Elevated is IABC Colorado’s first, full-day conference designed to bring communicators together for learning, connection, and practical insight that elevates our work.
Communicators are navigating constant change, new tools, evolving expectations, and increasing demands for clarity and impact.
Communications Elevated is being built to help you:

Strengthen your skills and confidence

Learn from experienced practitioners

Connect with peers across communications disciplines

Walk away with insights you can immediately apply

Whether you work in internal communications, PR, marketing, or a related field, this conference is designed to meet you where you are and elevate your skills.

PER-343 Social Media Engagement Strategies
2026-10-16 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | South Carolina Emergency Management Division, 2779 Fish Hatchery Road, West Columbia, SC, 29172, United States
This eight-hour performance-level course is designed to provide participants with knowledge and skills using social media tools to engage individuals and volunteer organizations for assistance during an emergency. Participants will learn about social media engagement techniques, individual and organizational roles in crisis communication, and Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST).

Communication Leadership Summit USA
2026-10-16 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | Alexander Court (Washington, DC), 2001 K Street Northwest, Washington, DC, 20036, United States
As the communication profession continues to evolve, industry leaders are navigating increasingly complex challenges around AI, trust, reputation, workforce engagement, and business impact.
That’s why IABC, in collaboration with Stategic, is excited to host the Communication Leadership Summit USA (CLS USA) on 16 October 2026 in Washington, D.C.
Unlike a traditional conference, CLS USA is designed as an interactive “unconference,” where participants create the agenda and engage in peer-driven discussions on the topics most relevant to their work. This proven format fosters candid conversations, fresh perspectives, and practical insights from professionals across industries, sectors, and career stages.
From corporate communicators and consultants to public affairs and internal communication professionals, attendees will gather for a day of collaborative discussion, fresh perspectives, and practical problem-solving.
By keeping the event intentionally small, participants can fully engage in conversations, build new relationships, and leave with ideas they can put into practice right away.

Public Relations Society of America ICON 2026
2026-10-18 00:00 - 2026-10-20 23:59 (America/New_York) | Orlando World Center Marriott, 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL, 32821, United States
Experience the largest annual conference for communications and public relations professionals, presented by PRSA.
Hear inspiring keynotes from nationally recognized leaders and industry experts.
Choose from a wide range of breakout sessions designed to elevate your skills and expand your expertise.
Connect with peers, mentors, and partners through dedicated networking events and informal meet-ups.
Explore the latest trends in AI, ethics, media, and strategic communication shaping the future of the profession.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-10-19 00:00 - 2026-10-21 23:59 (America/New_York) | Forsyth, GA, Forsyth, GA, United States
