Kappa’s marketing team finds recognition and connection at Fraternity Communications Association Conference
Each year, the Fraternity Communications Association (FCA) hosts an annual conference where marketing professionals and vendor partners working in the fraternity and sorority communications space gather to network, learn about industry trends, share ideas, and celebrate exceptional marketing work completed during the past year.
The 2026 conference was held in May in Louisville, Kentucky. Katie Mills Giorgio, Drake, Associate Editor of The Key/Content Manager, and Sophie Williams, Marketing Specialist, represented Kappa Kappa Gamma. The conference provided an incredible opportunity to connect with peers, learn from industry leaders, and bring back fresh ideas to strengthen how Kappa works to engage, educate, and inspire our members.
One of the highlights of the week was celebrating Kappa Kappa Gamma’s success at the FCA Awards! Out of more than 780 submissions across dozens of marketing and magazine categories, Kappa Kappa Gamma was honored to receive the following recognition from its peers and industry professionals:
First place: Marketing & Communications Educational Resources for the Leadership Academy Field Guide
Second place: Critics’ Choice Award for Magazine Cover Design for the spring 2025 issue of The Key
Second place: Magazine Feature Writing (Short) for “Nature + Nurture” in the fall 2025 issue of The Key (story starts on Page 5!)
Third place: Fred F. Yoder Award for Magazine Excellence recognizing the 2025 issues of The Key
These awards are a testament to the creativity, dedication, and collaboration of the entire Kappa team. The first place award for the Leadership Academy Field Guide is especially exciting as this effort is a true collaboration between Kappa’s marketing and education teams, the Kappa Foundation, and our creative partners: Holly McCraig, Georgia Southern, and Rhyme & Reason Design. Now that’s teamwork!
The remainer of the FCA conference featured several impactful education sessions and opportunities, including:
- A keynote by Casey Cook Ramage, marketing director for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. She shared how iconic organizations like the Kentucky Derby remain relevant across generations. Her insights on storytelling, audience engagement, brand partnership, and building emotional connections reinforced the importance of honoring tradition while continually evolving.
- A discussion regarding parents as sorority influencers and the significant role parents play in the membership journey. The session challenged communicators to think more intentionally about engaging and educating parents as key stakeholders and advocates.
- A review of direct mail and how it can offer organizations a fresh perspective on how personalized, tangible communications are cutting through the digital noise and creating meaningful engagement.
- A workshop on creating compelling, engaging magazine covers that provided practical strategies for visual storytelling, reminding us that great design is often the first invitation for readers to engage with our content.
- An exploration of the resurgence in popularity of print magazines, looking at their ongoing value and how organizations can continue delivering meaningful content while adapting to changing reader habits.
- An insightful and practical look at leading with intention in an AI-enabled organization. This session challenged attendees to think beyond simply using AI tools and instead focus on building intentional strategies, processes, and cultures that support innovation responsibly.
This year, the conference was also once again held in conjunction with the Fraternity Executives Association (FEA) Annual Meeting, creating opportunities to learn from and connect with leaders across all aspects of the fraternity and sorority profession. Being in the same space as so many executives, communicators, creatives, and strategic thinkers led to engaging conversations, valuable networking opportunities, and fresh perspectives on the future of our organizations.
The marketing team at Kappa is grateful for the opportunities for connection and celebration made possible through FCA and looks forward to the 2027 conference.
