NRECA will welcome electric cooperative communications, marketing and member services professionals to the Connect Conference in San Diego, California, in May for three days of learning, networking and inspiration.

“Connect offers co-op communicators and other member-facing professionals time and space to exchange ideas and learn from one another and industry experts,” said Kristen Wheeler, NRECA’s manager of event education & programming.

“In this rich environment, Connect provides attendees the opportunity to build lasting, valuable professional relationships and acquire resources to help them better serve their members.”

This year, about 700 co-op employees are expected to attend the May 5-7 event, which will feature four preconference workshops and 32 breakout sessions.

The May 5 workshops will equip attendees on how to polish soundbites, market a co-op’s broadband business, improve overall communication skills and pursue strategies for digital engagement.

Breakout sessions on May 6 and 7 will cover front-of-mind issues like how to communicate rising costs, practical uses of AI, strengthening relationships for crisis readiness and how co-ops and communities can partner to meet data center demands.

The May 6 agenda also includes the debut of 30-minute late-afternoon breakouts on 10 hot topics, including strategic magazine marketing, enhancing content with relatable stories or humor, and service excellence.

“We know energy can fade toward the end of the day, so these quick hits are a way for Connect’s multiskilled co-op staffers to learn, engage and enjoy this annual event,” said Wheeler.

Speaker highlights

Andrew Sykes, founder and CEO of sales training company Habits at Work, will open the conference’s first general session on May 5. Sykes is a lecturer of entrepreneurship at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and created the Behavioral Research and Applied Technology Laboratory to help people develop habits that support high performance, trust-building and organizational growth.

The May 6 general session will feature a discussion between Touchstone Energy® Cooperative Executive Director Jana Adams and Tia Graham, founder of Arrive at Happy, on how to create positive member engagement through the science of happiness. Graham is a TEDx speaker and author of “Be a Happy Leader,” which includes her eight-step methodology for boosting business productivity and growth through a culture of happiness.

Freddie Ravel, a Grammy-nominated keyboardist who has worked with artists from Earth Wind and Fire, Carlos Santana and Prince to JLo and Lady Gaga, closes the final general session on May 7. Ravel is the creator of Life in TuneTM, a “music-applied-to-behavior” system, and has coached Fortune 500 companies. He will blend storytelling and music to hit the high notes of collaboration for success.

Additional conference details

This year’s venue, Town and Country Resort, is new to Connect and offers “tons of outdoor space which we’re excited to use for more purposeful networking opportunities,” Wheeler said.

The Connections Room returns to Connect this year and offers attendees a space to meet up between sessions, take a breather on an array of lounge furniture and even play a few games or puzzles. Open daily from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m., the room will host Connect sponsors and vendors for added networking.

The conference wraps up May 7 with an evening reception sponsored by Touchstone Energy at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Visit cooperative.com to learn more about the agenda and register for the Connect Conference. Hotel rooms must be reserved by April 2 to secure special rates through NRECA.