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Charting the Course at the PRSA Western District Conference

Posted by admincarolyn on Feb. 25, 2026  /  Blog, Thought Leadership  /  Subscribe 0

On February 2-4, 2026, the PRSA Western District reconvened in Newport Beach, California, for the annual Western District Conference. Comprised of 11 chapters across five western states, this year’s conference, “Charting the Course: Waves of Change, Currents of Opportunity,” focused on leading PR functions, navigating risk and reputation, innovation in PR with AI, and adapting to a shifting media landscape.

With around 200 attendees, the conference felt approachable and energizing, especially for a first-time attendee like myself. With three sessions running concurrently per time slot, it was easy to “divide and conquer” with a colleague and walk away with meaningful, actionable learnings.

One of the most insightful sessions was the “Shark Tank: Pitch to the Press” breakout, featuring panelists Jennifer Cunningham, Editor in Chief of Newsweek; Peter J. Brennan, Editor in Chief of Orange County Business Journal; and Akira Olivia Kumamoto, Social Media Content Creator, The Associated Press. During the session, attendees had the opportunity to pitch a story to the media panel and receive real-time feedback. 

A few key takeaways include:

• Get to the point. Media receive dozens, if not hundreds, of pitches and press releases each day. What makes yours different? Lead with a clear hook and utilize that inverted pyramid to share the most compelling information in the first few sentences.

• Focus on the audience, not the organization. Clients and executives may be focused on seeing coverage that suits their own messaging, but journalists will write about what interests their audience. Reframe your pitch through an audience-first lens to increase its relevance and impact.

• Metrics, metrics, metrics. Beautiful language sounds great, but nothing replaces hard facts. Leading with concrete data points, outcomes and results make a story more credible and more likely to be covered.

• Let them tell the story. As PR professionals, we pride ourselves on being strong storytellers, but it is ultimately the journalist’s job to tell the story, not ours. There’s a fine line between crafting a strong pitch and writing the whole story for them. Offering a compelling hook and supporting information gives the journalist the flexibility to shape the story in a way that best serves their audience.

• Consume their content. It sounds obvious, but the panelists agreed they can immediately tell if a PR pro is not familiar with their work, especially when reaching out for the first time. Do your homework on the outlet’s coverage areas and audience, as well as the individual journalist’s beat, to ensure your pitch truly hits home.

 Also of note, the Best in the West Awards showcased a selection of top entries from chapter-level award winners. Chapters submit entries to represent their “Best of Show,” “Program of the Year,” or “Judge’s Award.” These are then judged by the Western District Executive Board and representatives from PRSA National’s Board of Directors using Silver Anvil criteria. This ceremony not only highlighted the impactful work done by public relations professionals throughout the West, but also underscored the value and importance of participating in our own local PRSA Las Vegas Valley Pinnacle Awards.

 Next year’s dates and location have not yet been announced, but interested professionals can visit the PRSA Western District website for updates.

• Attend the conference. Let’s showcase the level of excellence our local practitioners bring to promoting the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World by having more Las Vegas PRSA members in attendance.

• Submit a session idea during the call for presentations. Leading a session is a great way to present your agency, organization, or leadership team as thought leaders in the public relations field. If you have a session idea, start conceptualizing it now and keep an eye out for a Call for Presentations from the Western District Chair (for reference, the call for presentations for this year’s conference opened roughly 5 months ahead of the event.) There is no cost to submit a session idea.

• Participate in PRSA Las Vegas’s Annual Pinnacle Awards. The Best in the West Awards draw from the top submissions at the chapter-level awards program – meaning, the only way to contend is to participate!

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