Pre-Conference Activities
Pre-Conference Panels, Field Trips, and Day of Service
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Pre-Conference Panels will take place at the Hilton Bayfront, while Field Trips and Day of Service will offer opportunities to explore local gems and give back to the community on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Field Trips
Day of Service
Pre-Con Panels
Check back in late summer as more opportunities are announced!
Please note, advance registration will be required for Field Trips and Day of Service activities.
We are extremely grateful to the ComNet26 Planning and Host Committee for organizing these sessions.
Field Trips
Every host city is shaped by the places in it — the museums, the cultural institutions, the organizations, and sometimes the companies that move the whole global economy. Field Trips get you out of the ballroom and into a few of them.
On Wednesday, September 30, small groups head out across San Diego for two to three hours — a museum, a cultural landmark, a communications organization, a corner of the city worth seeing. Six to twelve people per trip. A local host who knows the place guides the way.
Here's the real reason we do it. You don't get to know someone in a room of 1,000 people. You get to know them walking through a gallery, riding the trolley, grabbing a coffee between stops. Field Trips are how colleagues turn into friends before the conference even opens. It's the same idea that runs through everything we do — Day of Service, LOCALs, all of it.
Spots are limited and fill fast. Advance registration is required. Deadline: September 4, 2026.
We're grateful to the ComNet26 Planning and Host Committee for building these — they're the ones who make it happen.
Behind the Scenes with KPBS Public Media
Wednesday, September 30, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Heather Milne Barger, Chief Marketing Officer, KPBS
KPBS is San Diego’s public media station and one of the most successful in the nation. Located on San Diego State University’s campus, you will get to see what makes this NPR and PBS station - and public media in general - so special. Won’t you be our neighbor?
Join a behind-the-scenes station tour of KPBS, San Diego’s public media station.
Talk with a KPBS News reporter and social media team about what makes a good news pitch, how stories are selected, how to tell your story on social media, press conference tips, changes in newsroom storytelling, and managing social engagement.
Put the above tips into practice with hands-on activities, live in front of a studio audience (you!)
Art, Culture and Community: Exploring San Diego's Historic Barrio Logan Neighborhood
Wednesday, September 30, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Katie Janowiak, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Impact, Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties
Tess Karesky, Communications Coordinator, Prebys Foundation
A walking tour of Barrio Logan, one of California's designated cultural districts and a vibrant neighborhood rooted in Chicano culture, creativity, social justice, and community.
Discover how art can serve as civic infrastructure by preserving history, strengthening identity, and helping communities shape their future.
Explore Chicano Park's iconic murals and learn about their history and significance.
Take part in a mini workshop at the studio of Sew Loka, a local textile artist and Chicana fashion designer whose work celebrates culture, upcycling, and waste reduction.
Wrap up with food, drinks, and conversation at a local community hub where people come together to connect, share their art and celebrate.
Day of Service
The Communications Network runs on three values: community, learning, and leadership. Our annual Day of Service is where we put all three of our values to work — and do some good and have some fun along the way…
It started in 2017... We arrived in Miami Beach for ComNet17 a week after Hurricane Irma tore through South Florida. The community hosting us was in crisis. So we rolled up our sleeves and helped put Zoo Miami back together after the storm. It felt right.
It's been a ComNet tradition ever since.
Every year, attendees have raised their hands to help local organizations in the cities that host us — San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver. This year, San Diego.
Here's what you get out of giving: you do some real good, you meet colleagues who become friends by the time you head home, and you get to know the place that's hosting us just a little bit better.
Come as you are. No experience required — just a willingness to pitch in.
Read more about our Day of Service activities below. We'll add more as they're confirmed.
Feeding San Diego
Wednesday, September 30, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Background: Feeding San Diego is a non-profit organization on a mission to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals by maximizing food rescue. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego rescues surplus food from local and national food donors before it goes to waste and gets it to people facing hunger in San Diego County.
What You’ll Do: Meet at the distribution center for a hands-on food sorting shift to support efforts to redistribute rescued food. You might find yourself gleaning fresh plums, assembling food boxes, or packing pantry essentials for families in need.
