BrightSide 2026 has a strong ICology presence
BrightSide, Workshop's annual conference for internal communicators, is back on September 23 in Omaha, Nebraska. Four ICology members are on the speaker lineup this year, covering culture, values, employer branding, and employee listening.
One of the things that makes this community worth being part of is the range of perspectives practitioners bring to the table. BrightSide is a good example of that. Here's what each of us is bringing.
Regine Nelson is tackling one of the most persistent gaps in the profession: the space between stated culture and the conversations that actually shape it. Her session, "The Culture Conversation Gap: How Internal Communications Shapes (or Sabotages) What Culture Actually Is," gives practitioners a framework for mapping the conversations that matter, identifying who should lead them, and building a communication roadmap that connects to business outcomes.
Gabriel Galdamez is going straight at the core values question that most organizations avoid: are yours alive in the day-to-day, or just decorating the lobby? "Worth It? Let's Work It: How IC Can Craft Authentic Organizational Values" is a hands-on session with a practical framework and real case study for auditing and refreshing values — and making the case that this work belongs to internal communicators.
Lynn Zimmerman is making the argument that employer branding starts from the inside. "Inside-Out Employer Branding: How Internal Communications Builds Culture That Attracts and Retains Talent" covers how to create consistent messaging across the full employee lifecycle, how to activate internal thought leaders, and how AI can support deeper audience research for talent positioning.
And I’m talking about what pointing out birds reveals about how employees communicate at work… really. "Giving The Bird At Work: What Employees Are Really Telling You" looks at the small, daily signals employees send about broken processes, growth opportunities, and personal struggles, and why most leaders miss them entirely. The session draws on relationship science and employee engagement research to show what happens when those micro-moments go unanswered.
BrightSide kicks off the evening of September 22, with the main conference day on September 23. Registration is open now.
General admission is $699 through May 12, then goes up to $799. Workshop customers can register for $599 through May 12, then $699. ICology members get an additional $50 off with the code ICology50.
Register before May 12 to lock in the lower rate.