2025 Communications, HR & Legal Workshop

This session will explore the controversial practice of using demographic data—such as age, income level, and residential area—to categorize users for tailored toll pricing. While this approach can offer benefits by adjusting tolls to meet individual needs and usage patterns, it raises significant privacy concerns and potential discrimination issues. Participants will discuss the legal implications and challenges associated with demographic segmentation in toll pricing strategies, weighing the pros and cons of this method. Key topics will include the complexities of implementation, ongoing administrative costs, and effective communication strategies for demographic-based variable tolling. The session will also address essential questions regarding the need for legislation to ensure equitable discounts, the variety of toll pricing strategies currently in use, available programs, and how these offerings will be communicated to the public.

This session will tackle the pressing challenges employers, particularly HR professionals, face in filling positions within their organizations, amidst a backdrop of 8 million unfilled jobs in the U.S., especially in skills-based trades like construction. With 40% of construction workers poised to retire in the next decade, the situation is poised to worsen. Presentations will explore how inclusive hiring practices can help address these issues by broadening talent pools beyond traditional degree requirements and mitigating bias in recruitment. Key topics will include collaborations with K-12 and vocational schools, emphasizing non-degree qualifications, and ensuring equitable access to opportunities for diverse, underrepresented groups. Additionally, aligning educational systems with workforce demands will be discussed as a strategy for attracting and retaining talent in industries facing critical shortages. Participants are encouraged to share their most creative ideas to foster a dynamic discussion!

Data serves as a vital tool for credibility and rationale, but without the right context, numbers can easily become mere figures on a page or screen. This session emphasizes the importance of storytelling in data presentation, highlighting that providing appropriate context is essential to avoid misinterpretation and bias. Presentations will cover best practices for effectively conveying data through compelling narratives, discuss challenges faced in the industry, and stress the significance of recognizing the diverse voices within our driving public. Attendees will gain insights on how to enhance their data storytelling skills to ensure clear and impactful communication.

This session will serve as a collaborative forum aimed at enhancing preparedness in response to recent record-breaking natural disasters, including the catastrophic fires in California and Hawaii, flooding in North Carolina, and Hurricane Idalia, which collectively caused over $73.8 billion in damage. Presentations will share insights into disaster preparedness and business continuity addressing critical issues in Legal (Risk mitigation strategies, insurance coverage gaps, evolving regulatory requirements), HR (Emergency workforce protocols, remote work challenges, employee safety and support), and Communications (Multi-stakeholder crisis management, public information systems, response coordination). Attendees are encouraged to share their real-world experiences and explore practical approaches to strengthening organizational resilience.

This session will focus on the pressing risks linked to the rapid development and integration of AI in our daily lives and work processes. As AI technologies like ChatGPT become more prevalent in areas such as customer service, report writing, and data processing, concerns regarding adversarial attacks, privacy risks, and workforce disruptions have intensified. Presenters will explore how organizations are managing these challenges and what strategies are in place to ensure the ethical use of AI, maintain transparency, and implement robust security measures. The session will address best practices for optimizing AI while effectively safeguarding against its inherent risks, fostering a discussion on balancing innovation with responsibility.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cyber threats continue to pose significant risks to organizations and their customers. This session will explore some of the most prevalent forms of cyber-attacks—Phishing, Smishing, Vishing, and Card Testing—and examine the critical role of Legal, HR, and Communications teams in responding effectively. Attendees will engage in an interactive tabletop exercise designed to simulate real-world attack scenarios. Experts will guide discussions on best practices, legal considerations, and communication strategies, providing actionable insights to enhance organizational readiness and response.

This interactive session will explore strategies to help employees cope with stress and enhance their well-being in the wake of ongoing pandemic challenges, changes in work/family dynamics, and societal disruptions. Effective actions to prevent mental health risks, protect and promote mental health at work, and support employees with mental health conditions will be discussed. To cultivate a high-performing and highly engaged workforce culture in this new environment, organizations must revise their approach to building a culture of innovation and inclusion by addressing stress and mental health issues prevalent in today's workplaces. Attendees are invited to share their programs and experiences that tackle critical issues such as recognizing mental health concerns, tailoring wellness and benefit strategies, creating a wellness culture, fostering work/life balance, preventing stigma, celebrating mental health successes, learning from setbacks, and developing supportive policies and procedures.