CommsCon 2026: Day 2 - Arts & Culture Nonprofits

Northwest Arkansas’ creative community is invited to CommsCon 2026! Artists, creatives, creative entrepreneurs, and arts and culture nonprofit organizations are invited to the Fayetteville Public Library on September 21 and 22 for two days of free-to-you access to communications professionals and communications skill development.

Day 2 is all about arts and culture nonprofits! Full Schedule Below:

• 10:00 - 10:30 am — Registration and Check-in
  
  
• 10:30 - 11:30 am — Articulating your WHY 

Every post, every email, and every newsletter can make it easier for folks to know who you are and what you’re all about. Keep your mission at the core of your communication strategy to expand your audience and strengthen your peer network. Facilitator: Jesse Lane - Branches Mission Lab & Goodmaker U

• 11:45 am - 12:45 pm — Messaging Frameworks

A brave conversation about "authentic voice" from organization leaders who have navigated all-too familiar changes and PR challenges in the last few years.  Moderator: Amber Perrodin - CACHE Artist and Community Manager at the Medium

• 12:45 pm - 1:30 pm — Lunch provided!
  
  
• 1:30 - 2:30 pm —Panel Discussion on AI Use

AI in Communication: Nonprofits are asking a lot of questions: Should we have an AI policy? How can AI increase our efficiency and further our mission? What’s the environmental and social impact? This session will be an open and vulnerable conversation between panelists from several perspectives to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of this new technology. Panel Moderator: Orson Weems - Music Education Initiative   

• 2:45 - 3:45 pm — Grant Writing - Write it Once

Grant applications can be daunting but you don’t have to start from scratch each time. Get a jump start on grant applications with a workshop that gives you time to write answers to the most common questions.Facilitator: Hannah Lastra - Melanie Palmer Consulting

• 4:00 - 5:00 pm — Tools for Telling Your Story

Every team member has a story. Every team member represents the organization. Messaging framework and guidance to help every single team member and board member communicate your organization’s purpose clearly and consistently. Facilitators: Holland Hayden - Amazeum, Krystle Goodwin - Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA

• 5:00 - 6:00 pm — Social Hour: Meet the Press

You’ve spent all day talking about communications. Meet local media members and introduce your org! We’ll keep the snacks and drinks flowing!

• Ongoing 1:1 Consulting Opportunities

Have a new professional headshot taken, meet with a consultant for free one-on-one support to evaluate your social media strategy, discuss tips for press releases, tackle crisis communication strategies, look at the public story your 990 tells, get grant-writing support, get to know representatives from CACHE and FPL.

_________________________________

CommsCon is hosted in partnership with the Fayetteville Public Library