Educational Sessions

Level up your skills and lead your team to success

Wednesday, June 19

Session 1: 2-3:15 p.m.

  • This Editorial Roundtable aims to directly address the challenges participants face in their work, share practical tips and tricks, and collectively explore future directions for Catholic media.

  • This Communications Roundtable is for exploring effective communication strategies, addressing common challenges, and harnessing new opportunities.

  • This Marketing and Operations Roundtable is designed to facilitate a rich exchange of insights, strategies, and best practices tailored to enhancing the business side of Catholic media, addressing challenges unique to the sector, and exploring innovative solutions for growth and impact.

  • The Digital Media Roundtable aims to empower participants with the latest digital trends, tools, and practices to enhance their organization's digital footprint in a mission-aligned manner.

Thursday, June 20

Session 2: 9:30-10:30 a.m.

  • How can journalists use church and secular data and statistics to identify and write a news story about the church and faith community? Where are statistics available for free or low cost? Which statistics are meaningful and newsworthy? How do you analyze the data and turn numbers into a compelling story?

    • Presenter: Jenny Miles, Archdiocese of Atlanta

    • Room TBD

  • It’s too easy to lose website users: clunky design, the slightest bump in loading time, an inability to find the content they want, and they’re gone. That’s bad news when, for most brands, your website is the first impression people have of you. So how we do give users what they want and improve their engagement with our brand? We do what others don’t dare to: brave the daunting world of analytics to collect insights and direct what we put on our website.

    • Presenter: Tim Durski, Cathedral of Christ the King

    • Room TBD

  • Join us for a session about how to lead a spiritual pilgrimage to build revenue and communities of disciples in your diocese! We will unlock the secrets of the most successful pilgrimages to include discerning destinations, choosing a spiritual leader, marketing strategies to promote your pilgrimage, revenue opportunities and best practices for a sacred encounter with Jesus. We leave as strangers and return as family! Bring your ideas and questions!

    Moderator: Christopher Gunty, Associate Publisher/Editor of the Catholic Review

    Session Leaders: LeAnn Brand, L.P. Pilgrimages Services & Jill Daly, Israel Ministry of Tourism (Pilgrimage Companies)

  • Facebook can be a great tool to get your message and mission out to millions, but only if you can attract followers.

    There are several techniques that can make your Facebook a standout.

    Rob Kaczmark will be asking for volunteers to have their Facebook accounts audited at the session.

  • In a world saturated with information and content, capturing readers’ hearts and minds is both an art and a science. Led by Susan Moses, Editor of the North Texas Catholic, this workshop delves into the process of creating impactful narratives that resonate with audiences while staying true to the Church’s mission. Discover how to blend storytelling techniques with core Catholic values to produce content that not only engages but also inspires action and deepens faith. By the workshop’s conclusion, participants will possess a clearer understanding of constructing narratives that not only captivate readers but also uplift, educate, and bring them closer to the heart of the Church’s teachings and mission.

    • Presenter: Susan Moses, North Texas Catholic

    • Room TBD

Session 3: 11 a.m.-Noon

  • The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta encompasses the northern half of the state of Georgia and includes more than 100 parishes and missions and more than 20 schools. In an effort to tell the story of the archdiocese, the Office of Archives and Records used ArcGIS to highlight the contextual relationship between these various institutions’ geography and their history. Working collaboratively with limited technical support, Archives staff encountered a few of challenges along the way. However, the project ultimately proved to be an effective (and free!) narrative tool that celebrates the rich history of the archdiocese and its people. Join us as the Office of Archives and Records shares how they created the map and what resources they used to populate the content (spoiler alert: newspapers played a key role!). We will also demonstrate some examples of the collaborations between archives and The Georgia Bulletin Newspaper.

    • Presenters: Angelique Richardson, CA, CRA, and Geoffrey Hetherington, Office of Archives and Records, Archdiocese of Atlanta

    • Room TBD

  • Explore the synergies between diverse channels, crafting a unified strategy that amplifies your brand’s voice. Uncover the power of seamless integration, where every element works in harmony to captivate your audience, while ensuring your message resonates across platforms.

    • Presenter: Kerting Baldwin, Ed.D, APR, Executive Director Communications and Engagement, Province of Our Lady of Gudalupe, Order of Friars Minor (OFM)

    • Room TBD

  • We’re living through a monumental shift in how Catholics consume the news and interact with the broader Church. The shift from print to digital has prompted both concern and innovation at dioceses across the country. In this practical, fast-paced session, Nic Prenger, founder of Prenger Solutions Group, will share case studies from dioceses who are using new technology to reach more Catholics than ever before. Topics will include:

    • The shifting role of the diocesan communications office

    • How parishes are eager to handle distribution if you create the content

    • Innovative case studies from the (arch)dioceses of Boston, Wichita, Phoenix, Des Moines and Harrisburg

    • Creative ideas to support pastors and parish staff who are stretched thin

    • The impact of parish clustering on your diocesan communications strategy

    • New resources and training to help your parishes

    • Nic Prenger, Prenger Solutions Group

    • Room TBD

  • Do you have a great idea for a podcast but don’t know where to start? Are you looking to grow the audience of an existing podcast? Do you feel your show isn’t getting the listenership it deserves?

    Join America Media’s audio producer Maggi Van Dorn and Colleen Dulle, host and producer of “Inside the Vatican”, for a crash course on podcasting with purpose.

    Learn to identify your core audience, develop engaging content, leverage existing partnerships and use social media effectively to spark organic growth and carry out your mission.

    • Presented by Maggi Van Dorn and Colleen Dulle, “Inside the Vatican”

    • Room TBD

  • In today's visually driven world, the integration of photography, infographics, and design in media is paramount. This workshop, led by Kayla Simon, Executive Director of Publishing and Creative Director at FAITH Catholic, will explore the transformative power of these visual tools in enhancing the reader's experience, particularly within the context of Catholic media. Participants will delve into how these elements can be effectively utilized to convey faith stories, teachings, and messages, ensuring that the essence of the Church's teachings resonates deeply and meaningfully with its audience.

    • Presenter: Kayla Simon, FAITH Publishing

    • Room TBD

Friday, June 21

Session 4: 10-11:15 a.m.

  • Many of the world’s conflicts are unfolding in countries where Eastern Christians reflect the Christian majority yet remain a minority among the population. Little is known about these Christians and how their traditions and spirituality help them navigate the conflict, violence and loss they endure.

    In this workshop, Eastern Catholic leaders in some of the world’s most worrisome hotspots will engage with journalists to discuss the reality on the ground and the work of the church to assist the most vulnerable, promote peace and rebuild.

    This workshop, sponsored by Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), marks the golden anniversary of its flagship publication, ONE, faithfully reporting on the Eastern churches for 50 years.

    • Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, CNEWA president

    • Joseph Hazboun, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission (via Zoom)

    • Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia (via Zoom)

    • Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin, Ethiopian Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat, Ethiopia (via Zoom)

    • Michael J.L. La Civita, CNEWA Director of Communications

    • Room TBD

  • Discover the art of telling powerful stories at the Catholic Media Conference in this engaging workshop. This 75-minute session is dedicated to exploring how magazines can effectively spotlight inspiring real-life tales of individuals and communities living their faith

    Participants will learn:

    • Techniques for uncovering and ethically sharing impactful faith stories.

    • Strategies for crafting narratives that are both engaging and empathetic.

    • The importance of visuals in enhancing these narratives and the best practices for their use.

    • Tips for effectively promoting these stories to motivate and inspire a wider audience.

    This workshop is perfect for writers, editors, and anyone passionate about bringing the essence of faith to life through storytelling. Enhance your skills in narrative crafting and join us in celebrating the power of faith in action!

    • Presenter: Teresa Peterson, Gulf Coast Catholic Magazine

    • Room TBD

  • Voice, usage, and tone. What makes a good brand style guide? How do you maintain a unique message and look but stay consistent with your brand's mission? In this session, we'll explore what makes a good brand style guide. What information do you and your team need to communicate clearly, and most importantly consistently? Learn how to build and protect your brand's visual identity in an ever-changing digital landscape where the material specs are ever-changing. We'll dive into best practices across color, type, visual hierarchy and even logo architecture. We'll explore the best way to bring your story to audiences in paid and owned media channels — and how to produce images and video for each of those units. Hope you can join us for a fast, fun, and informative session on the power of your Brand.

    • Presenter: Todd Aldridge, Creative Director and Executive Producer, Charlotte

    • Room TBD

  • Learn key SEO strategies, tactics, and best practices to enhance your online visibility and drive organic traffic to your website. Topics include understanding search engine algorithms and ranking factors, keyword research, and how to measure success. By the end of the workshop, you will have a comprehensive understanding of SEO strategies and the confidence to build your online presence.

    • Presenter: Samantha Smith, Spirit and Sparkle

    • Room TBD

  • Spiritual complacency, Flannery O’Connor suggests, is perhaps the greatest block to Christianity—and, unfortunately, it is rampant in our world today. How do we break through to people who just don’t seem to care? How do we engage people who seem less and less interested in what the Church has to say? The answers are rooted in some often neglected communication principles, the way humans are wired, and why people even follow anyone in the first place.

    • Presenter: Matt Warner, founder of Flocknote

    • Room TBD

Region Roundtable Discussions

    • Facilitated by Carol Zimmermann, Eastern Region Rep.

    • Room TBD

    • Facilitated by Michael Stechschulte, Midwestern Region Rep.

    • Room TBD

    • Facilitated by James Ramos, Southern Region Rep.

    • Room TBD

    • Facilitated by Pablo Kay, Western Region Rep.

    • Room TBD