PRCA MENA has announced the agenda for its Annual Conference 2026, set to take place on September 17 under the theme ‘Reset the Mindset’, bringing together senior communications professionals, policymakers, journalists, creators and emerging industry talent from across the region.Positioned as the region’s largest one-day communications symposium, the conference will examine the structural changes reshaping public relations, media, influence and agency business models amid rapid technological and cultural shifts.This year’s programme has been organised around four thematic pillars, Reset Power, Reset Value, Reset Imagination and Reset Future, with discussions expected to focus on the evolving dynamics of trust, influence, artificial intelligence, media fragmentation and agency economics.The agenda reflects growing industry debate around whether traditional communications frameworks still hold relevance in an era increasingly shaped by algorithms, creator-led ecosystems and audience distrust.Sessions throughout the day will explore how the Middle East is taking greater ownership of its global narrative, the changing balance between visibility and credibility, and the pressures facing agencies as clients demand measurable commercial impact alongside reputation management.Artificial intelligence is also expected to emerge as a central theme across multiple conversations, particularly around its influence on creativity, audience engagement and the future role of human storytelling.The conference will additionally host the launch of the PRCA MENA Mental Health Report 2026, highlighting wellbeing challenges across the communications industry. A dedicated NextGen segment will also examine shifting career expectations among younger professionals and the widening disconnect between emerging talent and traditional workplace structures.Conrad Egbert, Head of PRCA MENA, said the conference theme reflects the industry’s need to reassess long-standing assumptions about communications and influence.“Much of the industry still operates on assumptions that no longer reflect reality. How people consume information continues to change. The way influence works has changed. Trust is earned differently today and attention has become the new battlefield,” he said.Egbert added that the conference is designed to challenge outdated thinking within the sector.“Reset the Mindset is about questioning what still works, what doesn’t anymore and whether the industry is willing to confront uncomfortable truths about where it’s headed,” he said.PRCA MENA confirmed that registrations for the conference are now open. The event will conclude with the annual PRCA MENA Networking Soirée, bringing together communications leaders and industry stakeholders from across the region.