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StoryConnect 2026 Agenda

StoryConnect Agenda

Our online agenda offers a deep dive into the magic of StoryConnect! You can download a copy of the agenda, too.

7:45 a.m. Optional Networking Adventure at Mount Rainier National Park (registration required)
4-6 p.m. Registration, outside Sterling Ballroom

6 p.m. Welcome Networking Party, Cobalt (Rooftop, 5th floor)

All sessions will be in the Stering Ballroom unless noted.

7:30 a.m. Brainstorm, Bubbles and Brew
Becky Mashburn and Sarah Lancaster
Meet outside the Sterling Ballroom
Start your day brewing fresh ideas on the Puget Sound! Bring coffee, tea or whatever else gets your creative ideas flowing, then join us for peer brainstorming. You’ll hear what stories are working, dive into shared challenges, brainstorm ways to strengthen campaigns and see what bubbles up to the surface.

8 a.m. Breakfast, Professional Headshots

9 a.m. Cut the Kelp: The Battle for Better Writing

Andy Johns, moderator
Panelists: Editor Emeritus Joel Myer, Mason PUD 3 Public Information Officer Sheila Corson, and OPALCO Manager of Communications Krista Bouchey

Panelists go head-to-head in a fast-paced writing showdown, racing to turn clunky sentences into short, punchy and personal stories. Watch how small edits cut through the kelp, sharpen your voice, and bring your story to the surface with clarity and impact.

10 a.m. Navigating Data Ports of Call
This roundtable discussion session, led by Sarah Lancaster, reimagines data discussions as a maritime adventure. We’ll have several Data Ports of Call tables set up, each with one or two Harbor Masters to lead discussions. Peer discussions will focus on broadband and electric consumer data, surveys and customer experience, digital ad analytics, market data and social media analytics.

Featuring Data Experts From:

11 a.m. Breakouts

  • Social Safari, Part 1: This is a hands-on, guided content walk designed to help you capture simple and effective video clips for your social media channels. We’ll explore the waterfront area together, showing you exactly what types of moments, movement, and visuals translate best on social so you can stop overthinking and start creating. Led by Allyson Goodnight and Misty Henderson
  • Madness and Magic: Marketing with AI
    Megan McKoy-Noe, Onyx Room East
    Dive into wild headlines on how we feel about and interact with AI. We’ll demystify agents and generative AI tools to help you spot the madness and celebrate the magic.

Noon Boxed Lunch

1 p.m. Breakouts

  • Social Safari, Part 2:You’ve captured the content, now it’s time to bring it to life. In Part Two of Social Safari, we’ll walk step-by-step through how to edit your clips and build an social media video using simple, intuitive tools. From trimming and transitions to text and timing, you’ll leave knowing exactly how to repeat the process on your own.
  • StoryConnect Writing Lab, Onyx Room East
    Bring your storytelling challenges to work one-on-one with Pioneer’s editorial team. Whether you’re struggling with editorial planning or how to tell the same story in new ways, this unique lab pairs you with a seasoned editor to brainstorm fresh ideas and refine your story together.

2 p.m. Breakouts

  • Rough Waters & Rave Reviews: Managing Your Online Reputation
    Digital Communications Manager, NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association Taylor Holland and LightStream Director of Marketing & Sales Tim Gilford
    Online reviews can create waves or storms for your organization. This session explores how to respond with confidence, protect trust, and turn both praise and criticism into opportunities to strengthen your reputation.
  • Harnessing Camera Controls and Story Connections
    Photojournalist Robin Conover, Onyx Room West
    Like a diver slipping below the surface, this session explores what really matters in photojournalism: control of your camera and connection with people. You’ll learn to balance exposure, color and composition while working with natural and artificial light to reveal authentic human stories. From subtle body language to intentional framing, this session is about seeing deeper—and photographing with purpose.

2:45 p.m. Break

3 p.m. Idea Exchange
Victoria Hampton, moderator
We all want to know what our peers are doing, right? During this crowd favorite session, hear from nine of your peers, from both broadband and electric utilities. Each person is limited to 3 minutes to share a storytelling tactic they put into place. During three Q/A breaks throughout the exchange, ask them how you can make the idea work for YOU!

4 p.m. A Recipe for Sweeter Community Connections
Kathi Rennaker, Director of Marketing, Brown & Haley 
Whether it’s a city-wide community storytelling series with the Girl Scouts or adding flavor to local coffee and ice cream, Almond Roca is baked into the Tacoma community. Hear how this global confection brand stays local with sweet staff storytelling and unique community partnerships. And yes, she’s promised to bring Almond Roca to share!

  • Kathi Rennaker

    Vice President of Marketing, Brown & Haley (Almond Roca)

6 p.m. Dine Around, sign up at the registration station

6:30 a.m. Photo Walk with Photojournalist Robin Conover
Chase the light with your peers! Yes, it’s early. But it’s also fun to walk the sound looking for inspiration. Grab your camera or smart phone and meet us in the lobby. They walk the Puget Sound as Robin helps you find ways to frame your pictures, use different types of light and catch pictures that tell a story. This is optional, but participants can send their favorite shots to Robin for a chance to be featured in his Thursday morning general session.

8:00 a.m. Breakfast, Professional Headshots

9 a.m. The StoryConnect Podcast: LIVE!
Watch three on-stage interviews with your peers and industry experts on the award-winning “The StoryConnect Podcast.”

Photo office hours, Onyx Room West

9:45 a.m. Building Trust and Credibility in Your Community
Suki Dardarian
Session details coming soon.

10:45 a.m. Break

11 a.m. A Seaside Chat with Joey Clift: Reframe Your Story For Kids
Joey Clift, Emmy-Nominated Writer and Comedian
Struggling to reach younger members? TV writer, comedian and storyteller Joey Clift shares how he reframe big ideas for young audiences. From his work on children’s favorites like “Spirit Rangers,” “Paw Patrol,” “Cocomelon Lane” and “Molly of Denali,” Joey has a rare knack for taking complex themes and translating them into stories that spark curiosity, joy and understanding. In conversation with Chasity Anderson, he’ll share insights and practical tips on how to simplify and elevate your own storytelling for children — whether you’re crafting content, teaching or communicating ideas that matter to the next generation.

12 p.m. Boxed Lunch

Screening of POW!
Pow! is an animated short film about Jake, a young Native American kid scrambling to charge his dying video game console at a bustling Coastal Salish Intertribal Pow Wow, where he learns that loving video games and loving your culture aren’t mutually exclusive. Written and Directed by Joey Clift (Cowlitz), made by a largely Indigenous team and with an all-Native voice cast.

Photo office hours, Onyx Room West

1:15 p.m. Breakouts

  • How to Build Stories Where Everyone Belongs
    Moderated by Greg Mason
    Panelists Paige Witham, Joey Clift, Suki Dardarian
    Storytelling is how we connect; it’s how we see ourselves and each other in the work we do. But often, not everyone’s story gets told. This panel discussion will explore how we can create narratives where every member, employee and community voice feels represented and valued.
  • Framing Motion, Land & Sky
    Photojournalist Robin Conover, Onyx Room West
    From seals in motion to shifting light over land and sky, this session focuses on reading the current and timing your shot. Learn how to freeze or flow with movement, choose the right lens and focus, and use light, filters, and long exposures to create powerful visual narratives. You’ll learn to anticipate action and let the environment and motions drive the story.

2:15 p.m. In the Hot Seat with Michael Shepard
Panelists: Whidbey Telcom Co-CEO George Henny, SCTelcom Public Relations Director Shelly Hansel and Nebraska Rural Electric Association Editor Wayne Price
What happens when leadership questions get spicy? Join Pioneer CEO Michael Shepard as he puts panelists in the hot seat. Literally. While tackling hot wings, they’ll dig into what it really means to lead when you don’t have formal authority. Expect candid insights, real-world stories, and a few laughs as they explore how to “wing it” when influence matters more than titles.

Photo office hours, Onyx Room West

3 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. Personal Branding for Introverts
Branding Expert and Author Goldie Chan
Personal branding is the most important way to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Branding Expert Goldie Chan will go over how to build a memorable, relatable and unforgettable personal brand for the workplace and beyond. Get a free signed copy of her book, Personal Branding for Introverts, at the session.

4:15 p.m. Brainstorm, Bubbles & Brew
Last year you asked for an afternoon option so here you go! Grab a brew and join us for peer brainstorming. You’ll hear what stories are working, dive into shared challenges, brainstorm ways to strengthen campaigns and see what bubbles up to the surface.

6 p.m. Dinner and Game Night
Join us for slice of fun at Farrelli’s Pizza, across the street from the StoryConnect hotel. We’ve got the top floor all to ourselves for dinner, drinks and our favorite way to build connections: Game Night! A longstanding tradition, Game Night pits 10 teams of attendees against each other in six fast-paced and fun Minute-to-Win-It-style games. Compete for gift cards and glory, and build friendships that will continue to help you win down the line!

7:30 a.m. Brainstorm, Bubbles and Brew

9 a.m. Picture This
Robin Conover
See snapshots from the week from your peers and hear how to catch storytelling moments in film.

10 a.m. Campaign Deep Dive
Becky Mashburn
Dive into real-world examples of successful electric and broadband campaigns that broke through and connected with consumers. Explore how tangible elements help stories rise above the noise and create memorable, hands-on experiences to reach and resonate with your audience.

10:45 am. Break

11 a.m. Resurfacing: Turn Insights into Impact
Anne Harvey
Great ideas don’t move on their own. They need champions. Learn how to take ideas that resonated with you, shape them into compelling stories, and influence decision-makers at your utility. Leave with tools to ensure ideas you loved this week come home with you!

11:30 a.m. Conference Wrap, StoryConnect 2027 Location Reveal 

1 to 5 p.m. Optional Workshop: Generate AI Storytelling Strengths (Registration required)
Megan McKoy-Noe
Artificial intelligence is no longer a fad. Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft CoPilot and countless other AI-fueled tools are changing the landscape of utility communications. Staying ahead of the curve isn’t an advantage; It’s a requirement. Are you ready?

This workshop shows how to save time with generative AI. Discover the power of prompts, learn how to multiply existing content across other channels, then build an AI knowledge base for your utility to streamline routine tasks. Join your peers to learn what’s possible with AI, establish trust (and a healthy distrust) of results and work together to create smarter content.

What is StoryConnect?

StoryConnect, an annual gathering of marketing professionals, is designed to help communicators at rural broadband providers and electric utilities discover and refine their corporate storytelling skills. Sessions are focused on inspiring ideas among utility communicators. Expert speakers from outside the utility industries share insights that can be applied when attendees return to work. Learn more at www.StoryConnect.com.

Questions?