Program

 

3 November, 2025 (CST)

PROVOKE GLOBAL SUMMIT DAY 1

09:50 - 10:00
Welcome & Introduction
10:00 - 11:00
The State of the Industry: Perspectives from Global Agencies
11:00 - 12:00
The Power of Local in a World That Has Gone From “We” to “Me” Keynote
With endless talk about mass audiences, this session shifts the focus to the power of local to drive trust. Insights from the Edelman Trust Barometer show that while global trust in institutions is waning, people continue to turn to those around them - looking to teachers, my ceo and my neighbors as trusted sources over traditional institutional leaders. At the same time, consumers are looking to brands for a promise of personal hope, safety and connection—from changing the world to changing my world. We'll explore with two leaders of iconic Chicago institutions, how they build trust through local relevance and authenticity, connecting with people where they live, work, and belong.
Edelman
12:00 - 12:20
The GenAI Upside in Communications: Systematically Capturing Value
12:20 - 13:10
Lunch Break
13:10 - 14:10
From Analog to Agentic: The New Architecture of Crisis Management Keynote
When crisis strikes, communications teams race against algorithmic speed with analog tools. Today's crises are more complex than ever – shaped by cultural narratives that evolve in real-time across fragmented media landscapes, demanding responses that balance speed with cultural intelligence. New technology gives us the potential for a fundamentally different approach, with integrated workflows that can monitor threats, assess risk, and generate tailored response materials in real time. Through interactive audience participation, attendees will watch a crisis scenario unfold and see firsthand how new methods can transform crisis response from reactive scrambling into strategic orchestration at unprecedented speed and scale.
Weber Shandwick
14:10 - 14:55
Why Purpose Matters: Fueling Business With Meaning
Purpose has evolved from a corporate buzzword into a powerful business driver. During this conversation, we will discuss how weaving mission into the fabric of a company fuels innovation, strengthens customer trust, and unlocks new growth opportunities. We will also explore how aligning values with strategy isn’t just good for the world but will define what's next in business. 
The Sway Effect
14:55 - 15:15
Networking Coffee Break
15:15 - 16:00
The Evolution of Crisis
The intersection of new disruptive technologies, heightened cultural friction, and confluent transformative forces have led to a demanding and difficult media environment for communicators. Where truth is hijacked, misinformation is amplified, and audiences are either confused or enraged, communicators must adapt their crisis strategies for an algorithmic age. This panel will address these new realities and provide actionable frameworks to protect your messaging and reputation from manipulation across digital and mainstream media.
FINN Partners
16:00 - 16:20
The Next Mindset: From Human Imagination to AI Interpretation

The rise of generative AI has reshaped how brands are discovered, understood, and evaluated. In this session, Mike Houston, Partner and U.S. CEO of Lambert by LLYC, explores how marketers can navigate this new landscape—where algorithms, not audiences, increasingly define brand perception. He introduces “Machine Marketing,” a framework for training AI to understand and represent brands accurately, bridging human creativity and machine interpretation. Attendees will learn how to optimize brand visibility for large language models (LLMs), manage “answer engines,” and design content ecosystems that ensure AI says what you intend it to.

LLYC
16:20 - 16:40
Beyond the Box Score: Navigating High-Volume Comms for an Iconic Global Sports Brand
Join Bradley Akubuiro, partner at Bully Pulpit International and Patrick Sandusky, VP of Communications for the Chicago Bulls, for a strategic discussion on managing one of the NBA's (and Chicago’s) most recognizable and active brands. This session explores the sheer volume and velocity of modern sports communications. The core focus will be on the strategies required to maintain brand integrity and focus amidst daily media demands.
Bully Pulpit International
16:40 - 16:45
2025 Global Summit Closing

3 November, 2025 (CST)

GLOBAL SABRE AWARDS

19:00 - 20:00
Global SABRE Awards Drinks Reception
20:00 - 22:15
Global SABRE Awards Ceremony

4 November, 2025 (CST)

PROVOKE/INSPIRE

08:40 - 09:40
Innovating with Purpose

The 2025 PRovoke Global Summit will introduce 'PRovoke/INspire', where a selection of our Global SABRE Awards winners will give short presentations on their winning campaigns on the morning of Tuesday, November 4.

PRovoke/Inspire will include 11 Global SABRE Award winner presentations running concurrently in separate breakout rooms from 8:40 - 9:40am

'Innovating with Purpose' will feature presentations from the following Global SABRE Award winning campaigns:

8:40 - 8:55 'Piece of Me' with Jacqueline Bosselaar

8:55 - 9:10 'Grasping at straws to save the environment' with Michael Adams and Philip McGowan

9:10 - 9:25 'Alzheimer's Intelligence' with Justin Eure and Paige Robinson


See all Global SABRE winners here. Rankings will be unveiled during the Global SABRE Awards ceremony on the evening of Monday, November 3.

08:40 - 09:40
Causes and Creativity
The 2025 PRovoke Global Summit will introduce 'PRovoke/INspire', where a selection of our Global SABRE Awards winners will give short presentations on their winning campaigns on the morning of Tuesday, November 4.

PRovoke/Inspire will include 11 Global SABRE Award winner presentations running concurrently in separate breakout rooms from 8:40 - 9:40am

'Causes and Creativity' will feature presentations from the following Global SABRE Award winning campaigns:

8:40 - 8:55 'Feeding in Gaza' with Linda Roth and Nedra Pickler

8:55 - 9:10 'Killed Here' with Jess Odonohoe, Lucy Baker, and Nikki Collins

9:10 - 9:25 'Sport Chek 'She Runs' with Nina Kalos
 
9:25 - 9:40 'Saving Free Media' in Poland with Jan Mróz and Sebastian Hejnowski




See all Global SABRE winners here. Rankings will be unveiled during the Global SABRE Awards ceremony on the evening of Monday, November 3.
 
08:40 - 09:40
Culture, Community and Consumers

The 2025 PRovoke Global Summit will introduce 'PRovoke/INspire', where a selection of our Global SABRE Awards winners will give short presentations on their winning campaigns on the morning of Tuesday, November 4.

PRovoke/Inspire will include 11 Global SABRE Award winner presentations running concurrently in separate breakout rooms from 8:40 - 9:40am

'Culture, Community and Consumers' will feature presentations from the following Global SABRE Award winning campaigns:

8:40 - 8:55 'Love Your Lunch Day' with Julie Poirier and Terri McBay

8:55 - 9:10 'Grubhub Special Delivery' with Christopher Krautler and Shauna Brueggen

9:10 - 9:25 'TurboTax Undone' with Ammie Matte and Josh Budd

9:25 - 9:40 'The last Coal-Fired power station' with Lindsey Firth and Pauline Lawson


See all Global SABRE winners here. Rankings will be unveiled during the Global SABRE Awards ceremony on the evening of Monday, November 3.

 

 

4 November, 2025 (CST)

PROVOKE GLOBAL SUMMIT DAY 2

09:50 - 09:55
Welcome & Introduction
09:55 - 10:55
Unlocking Enterprise Value: The Power of Corporate Brand Keynote
While product brands capture consumer attention, a powerful corporate brand is the unsung hero of long-term value creation. Join Kristine Boyden, CEO, Americas, Burson, as she moderates a crucial conversation with Amanda Glasgow, Chief Communications Officer of Logitech, Jano Cabrera, Chief Communications Officer of General Mills, and Melissa Brotz, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and External Affairs at Abbott. This panel will illuminate the distinct yet interconnected roles of product brand and corporate brand, emphasizing the critical importance of building the "brand of the enterprise." With insights from both corporate and consumer-facing perspectives, our panelists will discuss how CCOs can effectively communicate this value to a multi-stakeholder audience (from investors to employees) and mitigate risks by proactively shaping reputation. Learn why a holistic approach to brand thinking is fundamental to success. 
Burson
10:55 - 11:15
The AI Advantage: 7 Moves Every PR Pro Should Make Before the End of the Year

AI isn’t coming for your job; it’s coming for your workflow. In this fast-paced session, Real Chemistry’s analytics leader will share seven practical, field-tested ways communications pros can start using AI today to work smarter, move faster, and future-proof their impact.

Forget the generic “use ChatGPT for meeting notes” advice. This session digs into the real, emerging edge of PR and marketing in the AI era- from optimizing brand content for machine audiences to building lightweight agents that surface insights before the next crisis hits. You’ll leave with actionable ideas you can apply immediately, plus a new understanding of how relationships, with both people and machines, will define the future of communications.

Real Chemistry
11:15 - 11:30
Networking Coffee Break
11:30 - 11:50
AI Is the New Gatekeeper — and Communicators Are the New Architects of Trust

The next gatekeeper isn’t human. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now curate what the world sees, believes, and buys. Never before has one technology both hosted information and decided what gets seen.  If you’re not visible to AI, you may not exist.

In this provocative talk, Omnicom PR Group’s Erin Lanuti challenges communicators to step into a new role — Narrative Engineers for the AI era. Discover how earned media teaches machines who to trust, how visibility inside AI search is reshaping reputation strategy, and the tangible steps brands must take to stay discoverable.
Because tomorrow’s leaders won’t just chase attention — they’ll design for trust.

11:50 - 12:35
In Conversation with the 2025 Young Changemaker Award Winners
We. Communications
12:35 - 13:25
Lunch Break
13:25 - 14:25
Win the Age of Rage: Perfect Your Fairness Playbook Keynote
Outrage is everywhere and trust in companies is at an all-time low. Simply "doing good" isn't enough to win people over anymore. Today, consumers and stakeholders are demanding something deeper: fairness they can actually feel. Join us for a crucial conversation that will unveil exclusive findings from new research, Beyond Rage: Why Fairness Is Your Only Way Forward. We don't just measure how angry people are. We dig into why they're so angry, and what that means for your business. We'll help you understand the mood of the moment and discuss concrete steps to make communications move from good to fair, what to change on your roadmap first and how to align leaders and teams to act with confidence when volatility is the new normal. Hear from leaders navigating these challenges and learn why fairness can be one critical advantage and how to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's advantage.
FleishmanHillard
14:25 - 15:10
The Evolving Role of Communications for Global Brands
In a world where brand reputations can change in an instant, the effective management of a global corporate communications team and its ability to integrate seamlessly into the business are attributes that are more critical than ever. Steve Restivo will discuss how United Airlines has evolved its communications function since the pandemic and emerged as a strategic force driving business goals, orchestrating news-making moments and shaping culture. This fireside will leave you thinking about what’s next for your team. When the ground is constantly shifting beneath you, is your communications function driving your business forward, or is it merely keeping up appearances while the world – and your customers' expectations – fly right by?
Ketchum
15:10 - 15:25
Networking Coffee Break
15:25 - 16:10
How do we build trust in science after COVID
Nearly five years after COVID completely transformed the way people around the world think about their health, it’s become an uphill battle to break through the noise. The pandemic of mis- and disinformation is impacting our industry’s ability to connect with stakeholders around scientific advancements and empower them with accurate health information. And it’s creating a global public health cost that is much more than financial. In this session, leaders from across the health and wellness continuum will explore innovative strategies to rebuild consumer confidence, adapt to evolving expectations, and foster authentic connections in a continuously evolving landscape. Join us to discover actionable insights to navigate this new era.
Real Chemistry
16:10 - 16:55
Reputation, Risk and Resilience: It’s Time to Rethink Crisis and Reimagine Risk

As organisations of all kinds grapple with a world of flux and uncertainty, the 2025 Summit will close with a rallying cry for us to fundamentally rethink crisis and reimagine risk – centred on critical human infrastructure.

Internationally-renowned crisis communications expert, Rod Cartwright, will explore in depth today's complex, fast-moving risk environment and examine how we can best respond. Rod will lead us through the key findings - and practical recommendations - of the 2025 edition of his landmark, award-winning 'Reputation, Risk and Resilience’ report.

And together with a seasoned expert panel, he will examine how - with the right mindset, systematic preparation and concerted action - genuine crisis preparedness can become a source of huge, tangible and material value, rather than an annoying insurance policy.

16:55 - 17:00
2025 Global Summit Closing

Platinum Sponsors

Burson
Edelman
Weber Shandwick
FleishmanHillard
Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher,
Real Chemistry

Gold Sponsors

FINN Partners
The Sway Effect
Ketchum

Young Changemakers Sponsor

We. Communications

#MSLearning Track Sponsor

MSL

Silver Sponsors

Sandpiper
LLYC
Bully Pulpit International
Adfactors

Partner Sponsors

Golin
Davis+Gilbert
Ventla
Ruder Finn
M Booth

Official SABRE Showcase Partner

WARC