This week is National Conversation Week – a timely reminder that at the heart of every meaningful story, every powerful message, and every headline that sticks is one thing: real connection. As we look to The Meetings Show, where thousands of professionals come together to connect, inspire and challenge the status quo, I’ve been reflecting on how PR is evolving in the hotel & venue industry and how critical conversation is when it comes to driving growth.
For me, in PR, conversations are currency. It’s no longer enough to push messages out and broadcast your news. The real value lies in what comes back – the feedback loops, the audience insights, the dialogue that drives relevance and connection.
We’re seeing a shift across the board:
- From public relations to profitable relationships
- From coverage counts to community engagement
- From campaigns to conversations
PR sparks a reaction. It gets people talking – and that talk travels and creates an exchange. But in an age of short attention spans and media saturation, the PR that cuts through is the PR that connects. Genuinely, empathetically, and with purpose.
That’s where National Conversation Week feels particularly poignant. We have a responsibility to create space for honest dialogue – between brands and audiences, companies and customers, employers and teams.
And it’s also why The Meetings Show is so important. Beyond the scheduled talks and keynote sessions, it’s the unscripted moments – the introductions, the debates, the sparked ideas – that show how face-to-face connection fuels the future of our industry. It’s where the industry can step outside their inboxes and into real dialogue.
This week, let’s celebrate the power of PR to create conversations that matter. Because when we focus less on talking at people and more on listening to them, we don’t just earn attention – we earn trust.
Which conversations are inspiring you right now? If you’re heading to The Meetings Show, let’s have one! You’ll find me and the team in the media lounge.
