Influence. Proof. Impact.

The 2026 ICCO Global Summit recognises that public relations now sits at the centre of some of society’s most urgent challenges. As the information environment becomes more fragmented, politicised and technologically mediated, the industry’s role is no longer limited to messaging or reputation defence. It is about shaping society itself: strengthening the connective tissue between organisations and their stakeholders across paid, earned, shared and owned channels. The 2026 ICCO Global Summit challenges the global PR community to confront its responsibility, exercise judgment, and translate intent into action — not just for clients, but for the wider systems of trust in which they operate.

Dates

11 - 13 November, 2026

Venue

nHow Milano, Italy

Summit Thrusts

The Summit will be organised around the same ten strategic areas developed
through the Change Agenda, now viewed through the lens of execution and impact:

Creativity & Culture – Relevance, differentiation and cultural intelligence in a fragmented world

Measurement & Evaluation – Proving impact, not outputs, in business and societal terms

AI in PR: Craft & Models – Human judgment, machine mediation and new operating models

Technology, Disinformation & Trust – Defending credibility in an accelerated information environment

Geopolitics & Crisis – Corporate diplomacy, legitimacy and leadership in permanent volatility and conflict.

Influence & Media – Authority and trust in a decentralised, zero-click ecosystem

Talent & NextGen – Skills, structures and sustainability for the future workforce

Climate & ESG – Communication, courage and credibility amid backlash and fatigue

Health, Humanity & Leadership – Burnout, empathy and duty of care in a perma-crisis profession

DEI & Gender – Accountability, inclusion and long-term industry resilience

Speakers

ICCO GLOBAL SUMMIT 2026

Programme Schedule

11 – 13 November 2026 · Influence. Proof. Impact.

11: 00 AM to 04:00 PM

ICCO Board Meeting

6:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Welcome Reception and Drinks for ICCO Global Summit delegates

8:15 – 8:45 AM

Arrival & Registration

HOSTICCO / UNA Team

9:00 – 9:15 AM

Introduction / Welcome Address

HOSTICCO / UNA Representatives

9:15 – 9:45 AM

1. Influence begins with Imagination

SPEAKERChris Foster, CEO - Omnicom Public Relations Group

MODERATORArun Sudhaman, Non-Executive Chair, ICCO

Geopolitics

9:45 – 10:30 AM

2. Operating in the Fault Lines

SPEAKERCharlotte West - Vice President, Global Corporate Communications Lenovo
SPEAKERSarah Scholefield - Chief Executive Officer, Grayling
SPEAKER Abdul Waheed Patel - CEO, ETHICORE Group

MODERATORArun Sudhaman, Non-Executive Chair, ICCO

Geopolitics

10:30 – 11:15 AM

3. The Fragmented World: How politics, polarisation and media fragmentation are rewriting the rules of influence

SPEAKERMarshall Manson- Global Practice Lead, FleishmanHillard
SPEAKERToby Doman-Corporate Affairs & Strategic Communications Leader, PPF Group
SPEAKERFiorella Passoni, CEO & Board Member at Edelman Italy

MODERATORNeha Mehrotra, Vice President, ICCO

Influence & Media

11:15 – 11:45 AM

Networking Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:25 PM

4. Defending Credibility in an Accelerated Information Environment

SPEAKER Patrice Schneider, Media Development Investment Fund Chief Strategy Officer
SPEAKER Maxime Couture - Associate Director/ Managing Partner, Catapult Communications
SPEAKER Tommaso Canetta - Vice. Director - Pagella Politica / Facta news

MODERATOR Massimo Moriconi, President - ICCO

Health, humanity & leadership

12:25 – 12:55 PM

5. Real Harm: Communicating Health in the Misinformation Era

SPEAKERStephanie Marchesi - President, We. Global Health & President, EMEA, We. Communications

Technology, disinformation & trust

12:55 – 1:50 PM

Lunch

1:50 – 2:20 PM

6. The Formula to Win

SPEAKERMatt Neale - Global Chief Executive Officer, Golin Ketchum

AI in PR

2:20 – 3:00 PM

7. Beyond the Pilot: Making AI Work in Communications

SPEAKERStayko Tzenov - CEO, FatRobot
SPEAKERMatt Collette - Chief Executive Officer, Sequencr
SPEAKERElif Guvencer - Founder and Strategic Advisor at The Two Clocks

AI in PR

3:00 – 3:30 PM

Networking Coffee Break

3:30 – 4:00 PM

8. Driven to Build, Guided by Values

SPEAKERSPeter Finn, CEO, FINN PARTNERS

Health, humanity & leadership

4:00 – 4:40 PM

9. Signals from Europe

SPEAKERSTaru Nikulainen (Finland) — Managing Director & Lead Consultant, Brunnen Communications.
SPEAKERSJürgen H. Gangoly (Austria) — CEO / Partner, Team Farner; Managing Director, The Skills Group.
MODERATORAlexander Dourachev, European President, ICCO

5:00 PM

Close of Day 1 Sessions

7:30 – 9:55 PM

ICCO Global Awards and Gala Dinner

Venue - Magna Pars L'hotel À Parfum

8:30 – 8:45 AM

Arrival in Hall & Registration

8:45 – 9:00 AM

Introduction

SPEAKERNeha Mehrotra, Vice President, ICCO

09:00 - 9:30AM

10. Built by Machines, Believed by Humans: Communicating in an AI-Native Society

SPEAKERAlessandro Brunori, Vice President - Brand Experience, G42

AI in PR

9:30 – 10:15 AM

11. Cultural Fluency in the Machine Era

SPEAKERMargaret Key - Chief Executive Officer, Allison Worldwide
SPEAKERMichelle Hutton - Global Chief Client & Growth Officer, Burson
SPEAKERJamal Alawed - Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Gambit Communications

MODERATORJulian Boulding, Founder & President, thenetworkone

Creativity & Culture

10:15 – 11:00 AM

12. Trust and Policy in a Contested World

SPEAKERBrad Staples - Chief Executive Officer, APCO Worldwide
SPEAKERConall McDevitt - President, Penta
SPEAKERMary Njoki - Founder & Chief Executive Officer, GlassHouse PR

Geopolitics/Crisis

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Networking Coffee Break

11:30 AM – 11:45 PM

SPEAKERFiorenzo Tagliabue - CEO, SEC Newgate

Geopolitics/ESG

11:45 – 12:15 PM

13. From Pressure to Proof

SPEAKERMazen Nahawi - Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, CARMA
SPEAKERLynette Jackson - Chief Communications Officer, The Adecco Group
SPEAKERDavid Nelson- Director, Anacta

Measurement & Evaluation

12:15 – 12:45 PM

14. Global Women in PR: The 2026 Annual Index

SPEAKERMiranda Mitchell - Founder, Papercity
SPEAKERNeha Mehrotra - Vice President, ICCO and MD, Avian WE – India
SPEAKERLouise Jacobson - Managing Partner, Brazen MENA and Chair of the GWPR International Board
PRESENTERSue Hardwick- Co-Founder, GWPR

DEI & Gender

12:45 – 1:45 PM

Lunch

1:45 - 2:15 PM

15. Building Firms for What Comes Next

SPEAKERMohamed Al Ayed - Chief Executive Officer

SPEAKERMadan Bahal - CEO, Adfactors PR

SPEAKERMelanie Faithfull - CEO & Chair Team Farner
Health, humanity & leadership

2:15 – 2:45 PM

16. Career, Craft and Compromise: A New Generation's Expectations

SPEAKERJamie McLaughlin - Founder, Monday Talent
SPEAKERElvira Andersson - Advisor, Geelmuyden Kiese; Co-founder, ICCO NextGen Sweden

MODERATORVineet Handa, Founder and CEO, Kaizzen

2:45 – 3:00 PM

17. From Brief to Reality: The NextGen PR World Cup

SPEAKERSHanna Vult von Steyern - Project Manager & PR Advisor, Wenderfalck;
SPEAKERSVera Perlmann - Copywriter, Wenderfalck

3:00 – 3:30 PM

18. Towards More Equitable Climate Storytelling

SPEAKERSSuzy Giles - Managing Director, Giles Global
SPEAKERSVaishali Mishra - Director, Asia Communications & Global Special Projects

MODERATORGirish Balachandran - Group CEO at The PRactice Group, Founder ON PURPOSE

Climate & ESG

3:30 - 3:45 PM

19. NextGen Voices in PR

SPEAKERSNextGen Representatives

MODERATORNitin Mantri, President, APAC, WE Communications

Creativity & Culture

3:45 - 4:15 PM

20. Special Guest Session

SPEAKERTO BE ANNOUNCED

4:15 – 4:30 PM

Closing Remarks

SPEAKERICCO Representatives

4:30 – 5:00 PM

High Tea

5:00 PM

End of Summit

Super Early Bird Fee Individual- Member

(March 15 - June 30) does not include Global Awards and Gala Dinner

€700

Super Early Bird Fee Individual- Member

(March 15 - June 30) includes Global Awards and Gala Dinner

€800

Super Early Bird Fee Individual- Non-member

(March 15 - June 30) includes Global Awards and Gala Dinner

€900

Regular Fee - Member

(Sep 1 - Oct 31) includes Global Awards and Gala Dinner - Members

€1100

Regular Fee - Non Member

(Sep 1 - Oct 31) includes Global Awards and Gala Dinner - Non members

€1200

Premium Fee - Member

(Nov 1 - Nov 10) does not include Global Awards and Gala Dinner - Members

€1300

Premium Fee - Non Member

(Nov 1 - Nov 10) does not include Global Awards and Gala Dinner - Non - Members

€1400

Global Awards and Gala Dinner- Member
(Sep & Oct)

€250

Global Awards and Gala Dinner - Non member
(Sep & Oct)

€300

Visa Invitation Letter – Speaker/Delegate

Please fill in the required details and send the completed letter to joulyn.kenny@iccoglobal.com. This is for delegates/speakers attending the ICCO Global Summit 2026 only.

Download Visa Invitation Letter