An Event for Emerging Leaders in the Higher Ed Industry
November 8, 2026 | Greater Denver, CO
The Next Leader Experience at the 2026 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education provides emerging, rising or aspiring senior leaders with the tools, insights and mentorship needed to step into larger roles at their organizations.
You don’t have to wait until you have the title to start leading like one! Modeled after executive programs, you’ll learn from CMOs, VPs of Marketing, University Presidents and experts to confidently prepare and practice for what’s next.
Why Attend
Build Leadership Skills
Move from tactical execution to big-picture thinking and vision-setting.
Learn the Language
Refine your communication structure and financial fluency to navigate buy-in for your ideas.
Define Your Path Forward
Return to your institution with the confidence and promotion-ready skills to start closing the gap.
Registration
AMA Member: $399
Non-Member: $499
Registration for the Symposium is Required
Register for the 2026 Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and add on the Next Leader Experience during registration.
Already registered for the Symposium? Add on the Next Leader Experience here.
Please note: the Next Leader Experience and Senior Leader Experience run concurrently, so you may only participate in one.
What You’ll Gain
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers facing similar challenges and interests, fostering new professional relationships, collaborations and the exchange of best practices.
- Personal and Professional Growth: Enhance your skills and knowledge, help develop a sense of certainty to contribute at a higher level, and foster mentorship opportunities with senior leaders.
- Strategic Advantage: Position yourself and your institution ahead of the curve by strengthening the alignment between leadership vision and execution.
Agenda
Sunday, November 8
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Next Leader Experience Luncheon
Meet your Next Leader Experience cohort over lunch before the afternoon programming begins. This dedicated networking opportunity is designed to foster meaningful connections with peers from institutions across the country and begin building a professional network that extends well beyond Symposium.
12:30 – 5:00 PM
Leadership Development Sessions | Lead Yourself. Lead Others. Lead the Future.
The afternoon is organized around two essential dimensions of leadership: Leading the Team and Leading the Organization.
Leading the Team
Develop the skills needed to effectively lead people by exploring topics including leadership communication, team development, and addressing organizational literacy gaps that impact collaboration and performance.
Interactive Leadership Roundtables
Choose the conversations most relevant to your career goals during a series of facilitated roundtable discussions.
Topics include:
- Governance and working with institutional leadership
- Cabinet dynamics and executive decision-making
- How universities make money: understanding higher education finances
- The higher education vendor and agency landscape
- Athletics and institutional partnerships
- Organizational structures and navigating the org chart
- Crisis communications and leadership during challenging moments
These small-group discussions provide practical insights and candid conversations with experienced leaders who have navigated these issues firsthand.
Leading the Organization
Effective leaders make thoughtful decisions – even under pressure. Carrie Phillips and Melissa Richards will lead an interactive workshop focused on strategic decision-making.
Every day, leaders make thousands of decisions, but the most significant ones often become the most difficult. Competing priorities, diverse stakeholder perspectives, and organizational complexity can slow progress and create uncertainty. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn a practical framework for making clear, defensible decisions using stakeholder assessments and decision matrices.
Through guided case studies and real-world scenarios, attendees will practice applying the framework and leave with tools they can immediately use within their own institutions.
Talent Trends: Insights from Recruiters
The landscape for marketing and communications talent is evolving rapidly. Recruiters from across the industry will share insights on how shifts across higher education, agencies, consumer brands, and adjacent industries are creating new opportunities — and new challenges — for attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional talent.
This interactive conversation will explore what organizations are looking for in emerging leaders, how career paths are changing, the skills that set candidates apart, and how professionals can position themselves for future opportunities. Participants will gain valuable perspective on the evolving talent market and practical guidance for navigating their own leadership journeys.
5:00 – 6:00 PM
Next Leader Experience Reception
Wrap up the day by continuing conversations with fellow participants, speakers, and invited senior leaders during an exclusive networking reception before joining the official AMA Symposium Welcome Reception.