MPRC Annual Conference and Meeting
Friday, October 30, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Portland Sheraton Sable Oaks, South Portland ME
Schedule
| 9:00 | Registration and Networking, Light Continental Breakfast |
| 10:00 | MPRC President’s Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| 10:15 | General Session: Grace Under Pressure: Navigating Difficult Conversations Linda Varrell, APR – President/CEO – Broadreach Public Relations |
| 11:00 | Session A: From Campfires to Content Calendars: How Girl Scouts of Maine Keeps a 100-Year-Old Brand Relevant in Modern Maine Laura Genese, Senior VP of Marketing and Communications, Girl Scouts of Maine |
| Session B: Local Voices, Real Results: The New Playbook for Influencer Marketing Greg Glynn, APR – Founder & CEO of Pliable Marketing Crystal Brown, Board Member/Chair of Aroma Joe’s Coffee |
|
| 12:00 | Lunch & Networking (45 minutes) |
| 12:45 | MPRC Annual Meeting & Awards (15 minutes) |
| 1:00 | Panel A: Rebuilding Trust While Implementing Transformative Change Julie Rabinowitz, Communications Director at General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works David Hench, Communications Principal at General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works Jake Harriman, Manager of Facilities Strategic Capital, General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works David Plumb, Senior Mediator at Consensus Building Institute |
| Panel B: When Things Shift: What We Wish We Knew Earlier Paula Stanton, Vice President of Client Services at Broadreach Public Relations Ted Varipatis, Director of Communications and Media Relations at Serra Public Affairs |
|
| 2:00 | Session A: Prepared for Anything: A Practical Media Training Workshop for Communications Professionals T.J. Winick, Founder and President of Essex Strategies |
| Session B: Stop Counting What You Did. Start Measuring What Changed Katie Paine, CEO and Founder, Paine Publishing |
|
| 3:00 | MPRC Closing Remarks & Raffle |
2026 Maine Public Relations Council Annual Conference & Meeting
Grounded in Tradition, Rooted in Maine
The 2026 MPRC Annual Conference and Meeting will explore the communications principles that endure, and the skills professionals need to succeed in a changing environment. Through a mix of Maine-based case studies, interactive workshops, and expert-led presentations, attendees will gain practical insight into building trust, measuring impact, managing stakeholder relationships, navigating difficult conversations, and keeping organizations relevant in an increasingly crowded media landscape.
Sessions will examine topics ranging from modern brand stewardship and community engagement to media training, communications measurement, influencer marketing, and reputation management. Attendees will hear firsthand how organizations have rebuilt trust during periods of significant change, how communications leaders have responded when plans did not go as expected, and how professionals can maintain credibility, composure, and strong client relationships under pressure.
Geared for public relations, communications, marketing, and public affairs professionals, as well as students preparing to enter the field, the conference offers actionable ideas, honest conversations, and opportunities to connect with colleagues from across Maine. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, learn from peers, or expand your professional network, you’ll leave with practical takeaways you can apply immediately.
Session Details:
10:15 – General Session
Grace Under Pressure: Navigating Difficult Conversations
Presented by Linda Varrell, APR – President/CEO – Broadreach Public Relations
In communications, difficult moments define relationships far more than easy wins. How we respond when expectations collide, budgets shift, boundaries blur, trust frays, or tensions rise can make or break relationships, team morale, and reputational capital. In a profession increasingly shaped by speed, stress, public scrutiny, and transactional communication, the ability to navigate difficult conversations with clarity and professionalism has become a critical leadership skill.
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in public relations and crisis communications, Linda Varrell, APR, will guide attendees through conversations and situations many professionals encounter, but few openly discuss. Through real-world scenarios and facilitated discussions, participants will explore practical approaches for managing conflict, setting boundaries, protecting trust, and making sound decisions under pressure. In this session, grace means staying composed and clear while communicating directly, thinking strategically, responding with empathy, and keeping boundaries firm.
11:00 – Session A
From Campfires to Content Calendars: How Girl Scouts of Maine Keeps a 100-Year-Old Brand Relevant in Modern Maine
Presented by Laura Genese, Senior VP of Marketing and Communications, Girl Scouts of Maine
Girl Scouts has been a cornerstone of American girlhood and the Maine landscape for over a century; but staying relevant in a fast-changing media landscape, with shrinking attention spans and growing competition for family’s time, requires more than tradition. It takes bold strategy, authentic storytelling, and a willingness to innovate.
In this session, the SVP of Marketing and Communications for Girl Scouts of Maine shares how one of Maine’s most beloved nonprofits has evolved its communications and marketing approach, staying true to its roots while embracing modern tools, local storytelling, and community-centered campaigns. From leveraging the power of hyper-local narratives across Maine to transforming the annual Girl Scout Cookie program into an innovative community initiative, this session offers real, replicable strategies for communications professionals working with mission-driven organizations.
11:00 – Session B
Local Voices, Real Results: The New Playbook for Influencer Marketing
Presented by Greg Glynn, APR – Founder & CEO of Pliable Marketing, and Crystal Brown, Board Member/Chair of Aroma Joe’s Coffee
Influencer marketing has evolved far beyond celebrity endorsements and viral social media posts. Today, brands of all sizes are finding success by partnering with trusted local voices, including athletes, creators, and community influencers who have highly engaged audiences and authentic connections with their followers.
In this session, Greg Glynn, founder and CEO of Pliable Marketing, and Crystal Brown, Board Member/Chair of Aroma Joe’s Coffee, will share how brands can build effective influencer partnerships that align with business goals and resonate with target audiences. Drawing on real-world examples from Aroma Joe’s and Pliable’s work with athletes and influencers across the country, including more than 15 in Maine, attendees will learn how to identify the right partners, structure successful collaborations, navigate name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities, and measure results. Participants will leave with practical strategies for incorporating influencer marketing into their communications and marketing plans, regardless of budget or organization size.
1:00 – Panel A
Rebuilding Trust While Implementing Transformative Change
Panel Presentation with: Julie Rabinowitz, Communications Director at General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works; David Hench, Communications Principal at General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works; Jake Harriman, Manager of Facilities Strategic Capital, General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works; and David Plumb, Senior Mediator at Consensus Building Institute.
General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works found itself at a crossroads when it proposed a six-story parking garage and office building adjacent to its shipyard in Bath, Maine. After years of limited community engagement, the company faced significant neighborhood pushback during the early stages of the city approval process, placing the project at risk. With the support of the Consensus Building Institute, BIW launched a renewed and rigorous community relations effort that helped rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and move the project forward.
Attendees will learn practical approaches for engaging stakeholders, working with local leaders and influencers, and rebuilding trust during periods of significant change. The session will highlight lessons learned from BIW’s experience and the role thoughtful communications and community engagement can play in building consensus and advancing complex projects.
1:00 – Panel B
When Things Shift: What We Wish We Knew Earlier
Presented by: Paula Stanton, Vice President of Client Services at Broadreach Public Relations, and Ted Varipatis, Director of Communications and Media Relations at Serra Public Affairs
Not every communications project goes according to plan. Some of the most valuable lessons in public relations come from the moments that tested judgment, exposed blind spots, or forced course corrections. In a tight-knit state like Maine, word travels fast, reputations are more vulnerable to small-town talk, and communications challenges can carry amplified consequences. In this candid conversation, two of Maine’s senior communications leaders, Paula Stanton, Vice President of Client Services at Broadreach Public Relations, and Ted Varipatis, Director of Communications & Media Relations at Serra Public Affairs, share real-world stories from the field: the missteps, warning signs, difficult decisions, and recovery strategies that shaped them as professionals.
From shifting public narratives and expanding client expectations to unexpected budget changes and campaign pivots, attendees will gain practical insight into how professionals navigate challenging moments when the pressure is high and the answers are not always obvious. Through an honest, story-driven discussion, participants will learn how to recognize early warning signs, recover from missteps, rebuild trust, navigate difficult conversations, and make sound decisions when timelines, expectations, and realities collide.
2:00 – Session A
Prepared for Anything: A Practical Media Training Workshop for Communications Professionals
Presented by: T.J. Winick, Founder and President of Essex Strategies
In today’s fragmented media environment, where shrinking newsrooms, instant online publication, and reduced editorial oversight have fundamentally changed the rules, communications professionals need sharper tools than ever to protect their organizations and deliver their messages effectively. Led by T.J. Winick of Essex Strategies, a former ABC News correspondent, this hands-on workshop draws on real-world media training methodology to walk participants through the full arc of a media interaction, from understanding what makes a story newsworthy and how reporters think, to crafting simple, durable key messages and delivering them with confidence.
Using real interview examples and practical exercises, attendees will learn the five factors that drive newsworthiness, the A.B.C. framework for structuring responses, and message delivery techniques such as Bridges, Flags, and Hooks for staying on message under pressure. The session will also cover platform-specific best practices for print, online, radio, podcast, and television interviews, along with the essential do’s and don’ts of any media interaction.
2:00 – Session B
Stop Counting What You Did. Start Measuring What Changed
Presented by Katie Paine, CEO and Founder, Paine Publishing
Most communications professionals are still reporting activity when leadership wants outcomes. We count clips, posts, impressions, events, and emails, but those numbers rarely answer the question that matters most: What changed because of our work? In this practical, fast-paced session, communications measurement pioneer Katie Paine will challenge attendees to stop measuring outputs and start measuring outcomes. Drawing on decades of experience helping organizations connect communications to business and organizational goals, Katie will share a simple framework for identifying the changes your communications efforts are designed to create and selecting metrics that reflect real impact.
Attendees will learn how to move beyond activity metrics, identify meaningful outcomes, and demonstrate the value of communications in terms leaders understand. Whether you’re reporting on media relations, marketing, public affairs, or internal communications, you’ll leave with practical tools to measure what matters, build more meaningful reports, and prove the impact of your work.