The Public Relations Student Society of America at California State Fullerton will host PR Next 2026, the PRSSA Western District Conference, March 6-8 on campus. The three-day conference will welcome students, faculty and industry professionals from across the western United States for a weekend focused on ethics, artificial intelligence and the future of communications.
The conference opens March 6 with agency office tours across Orange County, followed by registration and an evening opening reception.
On March 7, attendees will participate in a full day of programming, beginning with the PRSSA Leadership Summit featuring Alicia Caracciolo. The opening keynote, “Mind the Gap,” will be delivered by Fred Cook, director of the USC Center for Public Relations and chairman emeritus of Golin.
Breakout sessions will cover such topics as: navigating careers in an AI-powered job market with David Peña; multicultural marketing strategy with Suzie Bao and Ingrid Otero-Smart; public relations in the gaming industry with Nick Jones-Liang; storytelling in the age of AI with Tim O’Day; entertainment PR with Brittany Rodgers; and inclusive leadership with Kristelle Siarza Moon.
Afternoon sessions include “Behind the Run: Managing PR During the World Series” with Jon Weisman of the Los Angeles Dodgers; personal branding with Matt Prince, founder of The Path Project; and tourism communications strategy with Melissa Yunk of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.
The conference concludes March 8 with the closing keynote, “Fast, Smart, Credible: The PR Toolkit for What’s Next,” presented by Amanda Coffee.
PR Next 2026 highlights CSUF’s commitment to experiential learning and professional development, giving students access to national-caliber programming, agency tours and direct networking opportunities with industry leaders.
The conference is open to all students and recent alumni up to three years post-graduation looking to break into the communications industry. Attendees do not need to be CSUF students. PRSSA members and students from multiple universities and chapters across the western district will be in attendance. Ticket rates are $60 for PRSSA members and $75 for nonmembers.
For ticket information and conference updates, follow @csufprssa and @prnext2026 on social media or visit the Cal State Fullerton PRSSA website.