Taking off Against the Wind: Conference Thought Leadership Planning Advice for 2026

Henry Ford once said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”  How apt that sounds as this turbulent year comes to an end and we begin planning 2026 communication strategy. It is both exciting and a bit intimidating to be preparing conference strategy for the new year when topics, news cycles schedules, and everything in between seem to shift weekly. That said, here are a few conference trends we’ve seen and our advice on how to navigate the choppy waters of event participation and executive thought leadership.

Flexible Planning/Plan Flexibility: To confirm the speakers they want, conferences must invite them months in advance. The challenge, especially in our rapidly changing world, is that topics must be confirmed closer to the event to keep them relevant.  In order to ensure that the conference agenda is still timely, conference organizers are booking speakers based on their background/experience and then finalizing the topic and format of the session a few months (sometimes weeks) before the conference. This requires trust on the conference’s end – that the speaker will hold the event on their calendar – but also on the side of the executive – will they ultimately be comfortable with the topic/format of session?

• Speaker Strategies Advice: Only accept an opportunity with the caveat that the other speakers are of similar stature and that the session stays within the range of topics you initially provided. Sessions that allow your speakers to shine AND the audience to learn are the most impactful.

AI Topic Shift: Conferences realize that AI is not a short-lived trend and have embedded the topic throughout their events. Unlike a few years ago when speakers were asking about AI trends, the conversation has now shifted to implementation. Session topics are focused on how and why AI is being utilized.

• Speaker Strategies Advice: Consider which of your thought leaders has actually utilized or implemented an AI strategy within their group or role.  Even if you don’t think the story is appealing, it may be helpful to someone who is considering a similar tactic. How can you articulate the reasons for this change and lessons they’ve learned in the process? Remember that the results are not as interesting as the story (though metrics can help explain the reason a project was initiated in the first place.)

On & off the record: In the current political environment, executives have become guarded about what they say in a public forum. Ironically, it is this challenge that makes executives eager to learn how their peers are navigating the current climate. To satisfy both needs, conferences are establishing on the record sessions that are open to all attendees and sometimes press, and they are also creating closed-doored roundtable discussions that are off the record and only open to a small number of executives. This allows companies to achieve the visibility they are seeking while having candid discussions with peers.

• Speaker Strategies Advice: When you confirm a CXO speaker for a speaking opportunity, ask whether the conference is hosting any of these private or off-the-record sessions as well. It may be worth offering the option to your thought leaders. Even if they have been hesitant to participate in this type of session previously, there seems to be an increased appetite for these discussions in the current environment.

If you would like additional advice or help in defining your conference plans in 2026, please let us know.