Noon - 4 p.m.

Every agency owner, CEO and VP wants to build and manage a stronger and more profitable agency. Learn how during a four-hour master class in agency management.

In this session, four presenters will provide clear and actionable guidance on building and maintaining a profitable agency, from gaining an accurate financial picture to developing a winning new business plan to effectively managing employees and protecting your agency.

Darryl Salerno, president of Second Quadrant Solutions, will explain why PR agency owners shouldn’t ignore the numbers and instead should focus on key financial ratios that will allow their agency to flourish.

Ken Jacobs, principal of Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching, will make the case for moving from a reactionary approach to new business to making a proactive new business plan that fuels your agency’s growth.

Molly Eyerman, founder & CEO of VIVO Growth Partners, will share management strategies for agency leaders to take the most challenging aspect of running a successful agency — its people – and turn it into its biggest strength.

Sharon L. Toerek, Founder of Toerek Law, will show you how to build a legal foundation for your agency so that you can protect what makes it unique, from your people to client relationships to your intellectual capital.

In this session, agency owners, CEOs, VPs and leaders can expect to learn:

• How to change the way you think about finding and winning new clients,

• How to stop giving away work and maximize bottom lines, and

• How to effectively manage employees and position them to grow the agency with you.

• How to protect your agency against common, but often overlooked, legal dangers.

Often called “Counselors 101,” this pre-conference session is recommended for every first-time conference attendee, and returning attendees should consider a refresher on these foundational concepts every few years.

This pre-conference session is sponsored by Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching, Second Quadrant Solutions, Toerek Law and VIVO Growth Partners.

Noon-1:45 p.m.

What steps should you, as a PR agency leader, take to enhance the value of your firm? What obstacles or opportunities can you anticipate? How can you minimize your legal and operational risks?

Michael Lasky (Founder and Chair of Davis+Gilbert’s Public Relations Law Practice and long-time friend of CAPRSA) and Samantha Rothaus (Partner, Advertising + Marketing Law, Davis+Gilbert) join forces in this not-to-be missed session to answer these essential questions.

Michael and Samantha will present key findings from Davis+Gilbert’s 11th Annual PR Survey Trends Report and recommend important action items for agency leaders to take.

Topics of discussion will include:

• Minimizing Bad Debts and Client Disputes: Re-examining key changes to the agency-client agreement.

• Generative AI: Navigating the risks and opportunities presented by this game-changing emerging technology.

• Influencers and Paid Endorsers: Evaluating recent changes in federal regulations and implementing new approaches to endorser content.

• Restrictive Covenant Agreements: Establishing best practices in light of evolving legal requirements.

• Classifications for Independent Contractors and Overtime Eligibility: Examining your firm’s practices in light of new federal and state laws.

• Incentive Compensation: What works best to attract and retain top talent; and

• PR M&A: Reviewing today’s M+A environment and its implications for nimble, strategically focused firms, including a discussion of the key findings from Davis+Gilbert’s Annual PR/Earned Media M+A Report.

This session is sponsored by Davis+Gilbert.

2-4 p.m.

Kristelle Siarza Moon, APR, has advised organizations and agencies on their digital services within their public relations and marketing agencies. Last year, Kristelle presented on improving your social media processes. This year, she’s expanded the workshop to four additional lines of service in a digital marketing department.

In 2014, she founded Siarza Social Digital (now known as Siarza), which has grown to provide content development, website design, app development, search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, and programmatic advertising. Growing her staff in the United States and the Philippines and building a team overseas in an ethical manner has been a question of curiosity for other owners. Since joining CAPRSA her commonly asked question is: How do you run the digital marketing side of your business?

Counselors can expect to learn about:

• Process and procedures for social, web, email, and digital advertising

• Tools to keep all digital projects low on hours

• How to build a team (near and far) that specializes in digital services

• The APR guidelines of AI and why it matters

• Overview of software applications that make your online side run smoothly

This session is sponsored by HeyOrca.