2019 Communicators Summit: The Future is Now

Focusing on the future is tough for communicators when so much of the time, we’re focused on the present. What if we told you the future is now? That technology is building communities who are reacting to your efforts as we speak. Join us for the 2019 Communicators Summit as we explore the future that is driving how we communicate today. Our one-of-a-kind event will help us all see how the road of progress meets the path to strategy.

OU Tulsa, Schusterman Learning Center, 4502 E 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135

Registration will run for early bird tickets until Oct. 23 and the final registration deadline is Nov. 4.

Full Summit
• $65.00 Member early bird (Ends Oct. 23)
• $75.00 Non-member early bird
• $80.00 Member
• $90.00 Non-member
• $40.00 Student rate

Keynote Only
• $25.00 Member
• $35.00 Non-member
• $15.00 Student

Sponsors: Cox Communication, ONEOK, Helmerich & Payne, Resolute PR and Byers Creative

Agenda

Registration/Lunch/Welcome ( 11 a.m.-noon )

Session 1, (noon-1 p.m.) : Future of Engagement

Speakers: Nicole Nascenzi, Senior Communications Specialist – Digital Media Strategy, Williams
Melanie Christian, Vice President & General Manager, Tulsa, SAXUM

Prepare for the evolution of social media and what’s next for meaningful stakeholder engagement and community building from early adopter Nicole Nascenzi, Senior Communications Specialist – Digital Media Strategy at Williams. Nascenzi will be joined by Melanie Christian, Vice President and General Manager at SAXUM, who will provide elements critical to creating a successful stakeholder engagement plan.

Session 2, (1:15-2:15 p.m.): “Tech”nically Speaking

Speaker: Brian McGinness, Director of Corporate Applications, ONEOK

If the future is happening now, how do we understand and use technology in a way that makes sense for our businesses? After all, just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. With an unending range of possibilities at our fingertips, how do we as professional creatives begin to channel the power of tech in a way that moves us and our stakeholders forward? Join Brian McGinness for a “tech talk” about the current ways AI and sophisticated technologies are changing the world. Brian will help us better understand the current state of tech, realize our opportunities and think about the challenges that are ahead.

Keynote (2:30-4 p.m.): Seizing Our Future – A Conversation with Sujata Gosalia

Moderated by Whitney Emerick, Director of Communications for AEP-PSO.

Join our keynote conversation with Sujata Gosalia as we chat about the future and beyond.

There are a lot of topics trending in our industry. As chief strategy officer, Sujata has the pulse on how technology and opportunity are leading the way to a more creative and human approach in marketing and communications. From big data and consumer privacy to broadcasting and streaming, be part of our discussion with one of the country’s leading communication executives as she helps us break down what’s next.

Sujata will focus on trending topics that are leading us toward a future that is more exciting and personalized than we ever realized.

Happy Hour, (4:30-6 p.m.): Join us for a happy hour after the conference, location details coming soon!

Speaker Bios

Nicole Nascenzi, APR
Senior Communications Specialist – Digital Media Strategy
Williams

Nicole Nascenzi is an early adopter of social media, helping others recognize the tool would fundamentally change the ways communicators communicate. Nascenzi will discuss the evolution of social media and what’s next for meaningful stakeholder engagement and community building.

Nascenzi leads digital media strategy for Fortune 500 energy company Williams. She manages the company’s websites and social channels, ensuring brand consistency and message alignment. She is a change management champion, having led digital communications integration for acquisitions, developed website and digital channels for company spin-off, supervised migration of digital tools, and developed and directed a series of CEO interview videos for employee communications during corporate reorganization.

Additionally, Nascenzi spent nearly four years at one of Oklahoma’s fastest-growing universities and is an award-winning former journalist, having served as a reporter for the region’s largest daily newspaper.

Melanie Christian
Vice President & General Manager, Tulsa
SAXUM

Melanie Christian knows how to move audiences to action. She has spent her entire communications career developing persuasive messaging and tactics to educate, engage and activate stakeholders. She will discuss critical elements to creating a successful stakeholder engagement plan.

Christian currently leads Saxum’s energy and consumer practice group. She previously served as Marketing Director of the Tulsa Health Department.

Brian McGinness
Director of Corporate Applications
ONEOK

Brian McGinness is Director of Corporate Applications at ONEOK, responsible for the Natural Gas Liquids Commercial Applications. Brian is a life-long techie who began programming at 12 years old. Although a native of Champaign, Illinois, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma as a National Merit Scholar, where he studied Computer Engineering.

He is the founder and former owner of MMORPGmoney.com – a company focused on selling virtual currency for online video games. Following the sale of his dot-com, he began learning to leverage machine and deep learning of AI concepts in the areas where he likes to play – most recently for old Atari and PvP-type games, as well as daily fantasy sports.

His overall focus in the world of Artificial Intelligence has always centered on big data and helping others understand how their data impacts their online experiences.

Sujata Gosalia
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Cox Communications

Sujata Gosalia oversees existing strategy and new business development organizations and is responsible for strategic business planning, competitive assessments, marketplace evaluations and new growth opportunities. She also oversees Cox Media, the company’s advertising division.

Gosalia brings more than 15 years of experience in driving growth, innovation and value creation within media, technology, communications and business services companies.

Previously, she was a partner in the communications, media and technology practice of the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman, and managed the firm’s New York office. Gosalia also served as senior vice president of marketing at Neustar, a cloud-based information and analytics company, where she was responsible for marketing strategy and offer innovation across the company’s product portfolio. Most recently, Sujata was senior vice president of strategy for Sodexo, a B2B services company, where she drove a global transformation in the company’s corporate services segment.

Sujata was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with two bachelor’s degrees: one in economics from the Wharton School and another in international studies from the College of Arts and Sciences. She also holds a master’s degree in politics of the world economy from the London School of Economics. Sujata speaks Spanish, Gujarati and Hindi, is a dance and travel enthusiast and serves as a board member of the national non-profit organization South Asian-Americans Leading Together.