Schedule

Racism and its intersections with other oppressive structures influence every institution in the United States. Persuasive, equitable communications are key to advancing justice, and align with the University of Minnesota’s land grant missions of research, teaching, and public outreach. In this session, presenters will focus on best practices and challenges related to antiracist communications in the context of 2025, including strategy, language, messaging, and managing burnout.

In this session, we’ll explore the challenges disabled individuals face when accessing information and how we, as designers, can break down those barriers. You’ll learn simple yet impactful ways to integrate accessibility into your work, making sure your designs are usable by everyone. Once we’ve covered the fundamentals, we’ll dive into Adobe InDesign to learn how to create accessible PDFs that work seamlessly with assistive technology and ensure all your documents are ADA-compliant.

Presented by Presidential Sponsor Printing Services.

As communicators, we are stewards of the University of Minnesota's messages, and we share a responsibility to communicate with our various audiences through a lens of sensitivity and inclusivity. Our presentation—covering best practices when communicating about disability; gender and sexual identity; health and medical conditions; race, ethnicity, and social origin; and socioeconomic status—will provide practical tips on how to incorporate inclusive language into your own communications, starting tomorrow.

This breakout session explores the power of video storytelling and how it outperforms other messaging by capturing attention, evoking emotion, and building strong audience connections. Learn how video can simplify complex messages, build emotional connections, and enhance brand trust—whether you're sharing research, promoting programs, or connecting with students and stakeholders. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to repurpose content, align video quality with brand identity, and fully harness the potential of video in university marketing and communications.

This session is sponsored by Spoke612 Productions.

Join the University of Minnesota’s Event Circle steering committee for a presentation on event planning in the academic setting. This breakout session will provide a general overview of the various steps involved in UMN event planning, including the collaborations and partnerships with internal departments and campus venues and vendors. You’ll leave this session with a better understanding of how you can play a supportive role in event success at the University of Minnesota.

Spoiler alert: if you’re not thinking about neurodiverse audiences, you’re leaving serious connection (and conversion) on the table. This session pulls back the curtain on the missed opportunities hiding in your messaging and design. Get ready to rethink your approach with bold, actionable strategies to make your marketing truly click with every brain in the room.

This session is sponsored by WorkingSmarts Inc.

In this session, we’ll empower editors to communicate openly and honestly with academic content creators to ensure they follow web best practices. We’ll cover how to create and implement style standards that uphold your web content strategy and how to share them clearly and consistently with content creators. We’ll also discuss how consistency improves usability and accessibility for all users.

This presentation highlights the essential components of successful partnerships, emphasizing clear goals, mutual trust, and effective use of templates for consistency. It underscores the importance of regular communication through check-ins, updates, and feedback sessions to address challenges and celebrate milestones. Attendees will leave with practical tools to enhance their collaborations, ensuring more fruitful and enduring partnerships.