Signature Events

Learn and connect at our premier gatherings

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The solutions and community you need are at the profession’s signature gatherings.

Join us at our signature events held in Washington D.C. and across the country throughout the year. These large, in-person gatherings are discounted for members and are the premier venues for sharing ideas and solutions with peers and learning the latest trends and strategies on everything from government relations and PAC management to grassroots and digital advocacy, and much more.

Public Affairs Institute
The Advocacy Conference
The National PAC Conference
Public Affairs Leadership Summit
Digital Media & Advocacy Summit
Government Relations & Policy Conference
Spring Executive Conference
STRIDE: A Social Impact Summit
D.C. Study Tour
Political Compliance Summit

Public Affairs Institute

January 5-8, 2026
Location TBD

The Council’s flagship leadership program for senior-level public affairs professionals. For more than 40 years, we’ve brought together world-class faculty and top public affairs practitioners to address emerging political, economic, social and technology issues.

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The Public Affairs Institute combines a rigorous curriculum with small, carefully selected classes to provide participants with unmatched opportunities to learn directly from premier faculty. Speakers are issue experts from leading universities, think tanks and the top levels of government.

The Institute’s three-year course of study ensures that graduates gain an in-depth understanding of the pivotal issues in public affairs today. You will be immersed in an exceptional educational and networking environment renowned for its innovation and excellence.

The Institute curriculum is developed for public affairs executives by public affairs executives. Topics are chosen based on input from previous graduates about the challenges that they and their organizations face.

This annual program is held in California in January.

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The Advocacy Conference

January 26-29, 2026
Wild Horse Pass, Phoenix, AZ.

The Advocacy Conference is the largest gathering of grassroots, communications, government relations and digital advocacy professionals in the country. The Public Affairs Council brings together practitioners, experts and consultants to discuss emerging trends, best practices and advanced strategies to move advocacy initiatives forward.

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Key to this conference are the strong community-building and networking opportunities where practitioners and consultants can gain new insights, discover and share ideas and make new connections. This conference is held annually in January/February.

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National PAC Conference

March 2-5, 2026
Grand Hyatt, Tampa, FL.

The National PAC Conference is the foremost event for public affairs professionals seeking unparalleled learning and countless new connections in the PAC industry. The PAC Conference is the most comprehensive program available for political action committee (PAC) professionals.

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It combines essential skills training with cutting-edge sessions on fundraising, political strategy, communications and compliance. The conference is the annual destination for PAC and political affairs professionals, as well as other professionals who have PAC-related responsibilities. This conference is held annually in February/March.

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Public Affairs Leadership Summit

Spring/Summer
Virtually or Washington, D.C.

The Public Affairs Leadership Summit will help you develop – or further develop – the skills to become a leading, in-demand public affairs strategist, opening doors for your function.

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Our program is about strategic thinking, planning, execution and assessment, and the relationship between public affairs strategies and tactics and your organization’s bottom-line goals. This event is an annual conference held virtually or in Washington, D.C., in spring/summer.

Digital Media & Advocacy Summit

June 17, 2025
The LINE, Washington, D.C.

The Digital Media & Advocacy Summit is the premier event for the digital advocacy, public affairs and grassroots communities.

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The Summit brings together digital experts and experienced practitioners from Fortune 500 companies, influential advocacy groups and leading associations for a full day of idea sharing, networking, tactical skill building and access to the latest content. This conference is held in Washington, D.C., in spring/summer.

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Government Relations & Policy Conference

September 8-10, 2025
Yours Truly, Washington, D.C.

The Public Affairs Council’s Government Relations & Policy Conference is the foremost event bringing together practitioners, experts and consultants to discuss fundamentals, emerging trends and advanced strategies in local, state and federal government relations.

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Key to this conference are community-building and networking opportunities where practitioners and consultants can establish new connections and gain insights from each other. This annual conference is held in Washington, D.C., in late summer/fall.

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Spring Executive Conference

April 23-24, 2025
Washington, D.C.

The Council’s Spring Executive Meeting is a must-attend event for senior executives from top companies, associations, other nonprofits and consultancies.

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This meeting features high-level presentations and discussions about politics, business strategy and emerging issues in the public affairs profession. The Spring Executive Meeting is held in April in Washington, D.C., and is open to the Council’s nearly 200 board members as well as other senior-level public affairs executives.

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STRIDE: A Social Impact Summit

Fall/Winter
Virtual

STRIDE is the Council’s newest professional development conference for public affairs professionals focused on social good and sustainability. This program is centered on two key drivers: advancing social impact and dismantling inequities.

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The Summit will inform, challenge, and build community with engaging experts, relevant and actionable content and exceptional networking opportunities. The program provides multiple avenues to network and build connections with leaders from across all sectors. This summit is held in the fall/winter in Washington, D.C.

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D.C. Study Tour

October 8 -10, 2025
Washington, D.C.

The D.C. Study Tour is a three-day program featuring interactive discussions and site visits designed to enhance participants’ understanding of public affairs from the Washington perspective.

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Attendees visit with decision makers from Capitol Hill and federal agencies; D.C. insiders in academia, journalism, foreign diplomacy and nonprofits; as well as “best in class” Council members, including consultants and trade associations. The Study Tour attracts attendees from all over the world and is held in the fall.

Political Compliance Summit

Spring & Fall
Virtually & Washington, D.C.

One of the country’s most distinguished political law experts provides a full-day review of top legal and compliance issues affecting lobbyists, PAC professionals and grassroots practitioners.

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Complying with state and federal lobbying and PAC regulations is key to building a trusted and successful public affairs program. To confidently lead your PAC and advocacy programs, you need a fundamental understanding of political involvement compliance. This signature training program will cover what you need to know to keep your programs compliant. This summit is held twice annually in the spring and fall in Washington, D.C., and virtually.

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Questions

Yeraldin Borray Castillo
Manager, Programs
202.787.5961 | [email protected]