National Summit on Strategic Communications Features Senior Corporate Leaders and Military Officials

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Top leaders in business, military and government communications, public relations and public affairs will share strategies that enhance engagement for their organizations and discuss methods to increase the value of strategic communications at the 3rd National Summit on Strategic Communications on April 16-17 in Washington DC.

The 2012 Summit also will reveal the biggest shifts in the reputation of nations over the last four years with the presentation of findings from the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index (NBI) study. The annual study is conducted in 20 countries. Reputation leaders among distinct generations as well as "Brand America's" greatest strength and vulnerability are among study results. Other program topics include crisis management and trends in social media and measurement.

Organized annually, the highly-interactive National Summit has been recognized by public affairs and communications executives as a leading forum on strategic communications.  The Summit is co-hosted by ExL Events and Grupp Global Partners LLC and is sponsored by General Electric Company.  Media partners include PR Newswire and O'Dwyer's PR.

A complete agenda, faculty and registration information is available at www.strategicsummit.com. Discounts for early registration are available until February 24.

Participants will take away actionable strategies addressing today's top communications challenges.

• Creating organizational cultures which value communications
• Understanding America's new demographics and the interests of stakeholders
• Enabling greater transparency with knowledge-sharing and accessibility
• Synchronizing and integrating department and business functions
• Using on-demand, fact-based information to lead thought in social media
• Identifying effective and persuasive metrics to prove the value of communications
• Using next-generation technologies to reach target audiences
• Communicating to build partnerships across geographies and diverse cultures
• And Much More

"The imperative for military, government and private sector leaders is to use comprehensive new communication strategies to successfully promote their interests, policies, and objectives," said Robert W. Grupp, Conference Director.  "America's economic resilience and national security are inextricably linked to our collective ability to communicate successfully with a diverse and changing stakeholder universe. The National Summit provides actionable strategies to do that."  

Keynote presentations include:

Leadership, Strategy and Communication: The Ingredients for Success in a Complex World
Admiral Thad Allen, US Coast Guard (ret) and Senior VP, BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON

Renewal and Revitalization: The Evolving Business of Strategic Communications
Rear Admiral Dennis J. Moynihan, Chief of Information, US NAVY

Snapshot of Speakers:

• Gary Sheffer, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
• Jonathan Blum, Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer, YUM! BRANDS, INC.
• Paul Gennaro, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, AECOM
• Daniel Diermeier, PhD., Professor, Kellogg School of Management, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
• Gloria Story Dittus, Chairman, STORY PARTNERS
• C. Perry Yeatman, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, KRAFT FOODS
• Elizabeth Bartz, President & CEO, STATE AND FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
• David Michaelson PhD., Principal, DAVID MICHAELSON & COMPANY LLC
• General Jerry C. McAbee, US Marine Corps (ret); Technical Advisor for Media Analysis and Assessment, CUBIC CORP
• Devina Diggs, Analyst for the Cubic Media Analysis and Assessment Center, CUBIC CORP
• Col. Douglas P. Anderson, Director, Commander's Action Group, US AIR FORCE
• Kathleen Donald, Managing Director, CAMPBELL EWALD
• Helio Fred Garcia, Executive Director, LOGOS INSTITUTE FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT & EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
• Xiaoyan Zhao, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Director, Global Research and Consulting, GfK ROPER CUSTOM RESEARCH NORTH AMERICA
• Clarke Caywood, PhD., Professor, Medill School of Journalism,  NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
• Kevin A. Clark, President and Founder, CONTENT EVOLUTION LLC and Director Emeritus, IBM BRAND AND VALUES EXPERIENCE, IBM CORPORATION

This event will sell out.  Register now to reserve your spot.

******Register before Friday, February 24, 2012 and save $200 off the price of registration******
Visit http://www.strategicsummit.com for full conference details and to register.

About ExL Events
ExL Events, Inc. is an industry leader in developing innovative and educational conferences that serve various communities and allied professionals. Behind a diverse conference portfolio, our experienced team conducts extensive market research and targeted outreach. The results translate into innovative, high-quality conference events designed to exceed the information needs of today's leading professionals. http://www.exlpharma.com

About Grupp Global Partners LLC
Grupp Global Partners is a consulting firm that provides corporate communications, public relations and public affairs strategies and solutions for organizations operating across the world. The firm provides access to a unique team of public relations and marketing professionals, brand and creative specialists, business people, former diplomats, trade negotiators, journalists and intelligence officers. http://www.gruppglobal.com

SOURCE National Summit on Strategic Communications