ASEAN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION & REPUTATION FORUM 2026
BUILDING TRUST.
SHAPING REPUTATION.
CONNECTING ASEAN.
2–4 December 2026
Auditorium UMSU, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
TRUST IS THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE OF ASEAN
ASEAN is becoming increasingly connected through business, investment, technology, data, tourism and people. But greater connectivity also creates greater reputational risk.
APCR brings together government, business, academia, technology and communication leaders to explore how ASEAN can build, create value from, and protect trust in an increasingly connected world.
WHY APCR? WHY NOW?
A MORE CONNECTED ASEAN NEEDS A STRONGER TRUST ECOSYSTEM
ASEAN is entering a new era of connectivity.
Businesses operate across borders. Digital payments connect markets. Tourism connects cities. Data travels between countries. Artificial intelligence is transforming industries. Social media allows information to move across the region almost instantly.
This creates enormous opportunities. But it also creates new vulnerabilities.
- A deepfake involving a CEO or government leader can spread within hours.
- An online scam can cross national borders.
- A cybersecurity incident can quickly become a reputation crisis.
- False information about a company, city or tourism destination can influence customers, investors and visitors far beyond its country of origin.
The question is no longer simply how ASEAN becomes more connected. The question is:
CAN ASEAN REMAIN TRUSTED AS IT BECOMES MORE CONNECTED?
That is the conversation APCR wants to build.
THE NEW REPUTATION LANDSCAPE
THE RISKS HAVE CHANGED
The age of AI is changing the way trust is created—and destroyed.
- 01
DEEPFAKE & IMPERSONATION
AI-generated video, voice and content can imitate government leaders, CEOs and trusted institutions.
- 02
ONLINE SCAMS & DIGITAL FRAUD
Fraud increasingly operates across platforms, industries and national borders.
- 03
DISINFORMATION
False or manipulated information can influence public perception before institutions have time to respond.
- 04
CYBERSECURITY & DATA BREACHES
A technology incident can quickly become a customer-trust and corporate-reputation crisis.
- 05
CROSS-BORDER REPUTATION CRISIS
A problem originating in one country can affect customers, investors, tourists and stakeholders elsewhere.
- 06
AI & INSTITUTIONAL TRUST
As organisations increasingly use AI, questions of privacy, accountability, transparency and responsible AI become reputation issues.
FROM RISK TO OPPORTUNITY
MORE CONNECTIVITY
Business • Investment • Tourism • Digital Payments • Data • AI • Social Media
MORE OPPORTUNITY
Trade • Growth • Innovation • Collaboration • Investment • Mobility
MORE REPUTATION RISK
Deepfake • Scam • Cyberattack • Disinformation • Impersonation • Data Breach
TRUST BECOMES ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
PUBLIC TRUST × BUSINESS CONFIDENCE × INSTITUTIONAL REPUTATION
THIS IS WHY APCR EXISTS
NOT ANOTHER PR CONFERENCE.
APCR is a regional platform at the intersection of:
BUSINESS × GOVERNMENT × COMMUNICATION × KNOWLEDGE
We bring together people who normally sit in different rooms:
- Government Leaders, who manage public trust.
- Business Leaders, who depend on customer and investor confidence.
- Communication & Corporate Affairs Leaders, who manage reputation and stakeholder relationships.
- Technology & Data Leaders, who understand emerging digital risks.
- Academics & Researchers, who help transform experience into knowledge.
Because the trust challenges facing ASEAN cannot be solved by communication professionals alone. They require an ecosystem.
THREE REAL-WORLD QUESTIONS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TRUST IS CHALLENGED?
A CITY
Imagine an AI-generated video appearing to show a mayor announcing a policy that was never made.
Within hours it spreads through social media and messaging platforms.
Who verifies the information? Who responds? How quickly? How does the city protect public confidence?
A BUSINESS
Imagine a deepfake video or cloned executive voice being used to promote a fraudulent investment or transaction.
The problem is no longer only cybersecurity.
It becomes: Customer Protection × Corporate Communication × Crisis Management × Reputation.
A DESTINATION
Imagine misleading information about safety at a tourism destination spreading across several ASEAN markets immediately before a major holiday period.
The impact could move rapidly from social media to: Tourist Confidence → Bookings → Local Economy → Destination Reputation.
These are no longer hypothetical communication problems.
They are leadership, economic and reputation challenges.
THE APCR TRUST FRAMEWORK
BUILD TRUST.
CREATE VALUE.
PROTECT TRUST.
01 — BUILD TRUST
- Leadership
- Governance
- Public Communication
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Institutional Performance
02 — CREATE VALUE
- Business Confidence
- Investment
- Tourism
- Collaboration
- Economic Growth
03 — PROTECT TRUST
- AI Governance
- Cyber Resilience
- Crisis Communication
- Disinformation Response
- Reputation Management
BUILD → CREATE VALUE → PROTECT → REBUILD
THE THREE-DAY APCR JOURNEY
THREE DAYS. THREE QUESTIONS. ONE TRUST ECOSYSTEM.
DAY 1 — 2 DECEMBER 2026
HOW DO WE BUILD TRUST?
SUMATRA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION & REPUTATION FORUM
WHERE TRUST IS BUILT — SUMATRA
FROM SUMATRA TO ASEAN: Building Trusted Leadership, Strong Institutions and Regional Reputation
| TIME | AGENDA | FORMAT / SPEAKERS |
|---|---|---|
| 12.00–13.30 | Registration & Social Networking | TBC |
| 13.30–13.45 | Opening Ceremony Cultural Opening + Indonesia Raya + ASEAN visual opening. | TBC |
| 13.45–13.50 | Welcome to APCR | TBC |
| 13.50–14.00 | Academic Welcome | TBC |
| 14.00–14.20 | Opening Address | TBC |
| 14.20–15.00 | APCR SPECIAL POLICY DIALOGUE Trust Across Borders | TBC |
| 15.00–16.00 | SUMATRA – ASEAN Leadership Dialogue: LEADING WITH TRUST How Regional Leaders Manage Cities with Public Trust & Reputation | TBC |
| 16.00–16.20 | APCR Special Institutional Address: THE RULE OF LAW AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRUST Building Credible Institutions in an Era of Disruption | TBC |
| 16.20–17.20 | SUMATRA – ASEAN Regional Institution & BUMD Transformation Dialogue From Public Institution to Trusted Institution | TBC |
| 17.20–18.20 | SUMATRA – ASEAN Investment, Public Communication, and Destination Dialogue What Can Sumatra Bring to ASEAN? | TBC |
| 18.20–18.25 | Closing Forum + Photo Session | TBC |
| 18.25–18.40 | Afternoon Tea & Networking | TBC |
Speakers and institutional participation: TBC.
FROM SUMATRA TO ASEAN
WHY MEDAN? WHY SUMATRA?
APCR begins in Medan with a simple belief:
Strong ASEAN collaboration can grow from strong regions.
Sumatra sits strategically close to some of ASEAN's major economic centres and possesses significant assets in energy, agriculture, plantations, tourism, finance, logistics, culture and human capital.
APCR wants to create a bridge:
SUMATRA → INDONESIA → ASEAN
Not merely to promote Sumatra, but to connect its leaders, institutions, businesses, ideas and opportunities with the wider ASEAN ecosystem.
FROM SUMATRA TO ASEAN.
WHAT APCR SHOULD PRODUCE
FROM CONVERSATION TO KNOWLEDGE.
FROM CONNECTION TO COLLABORATION.
APCR is designed to move beyond conference conversations. The ecosystem will progressively develop:
- 01
APCR Research & Outlook
Research and insights on emerging trust and reputation issues.
- 02
ASEAN Trust & Reputation Framework
Exploring common approaches to understanding and measuring institutional trust.
- 03
ASEAN Trust Room
Focused conversations around emerging reputation and communication challenges.
- 04
Executive Education
Learning programmes for communication, corporate affairs and institutional leaders.
- 05
Academic–Industry Collaboration
Connecting research with real-world institutional challenges.
- 06
ASEAN Professional Network
Connecting leaders and professionals beyond the annual forum.
APCR 365
THREE DAYS BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
APCR 365 KEEPS THE CONVERSATION GOING.
APCR is not intended to end when the conference closes. The annual forum is the meeting point of a wider ecosystem involving:
- RESEARCH
- KNOWLEDGE
- COMMUNITY
- EXECUTIVE LEARNING
- BUSINESS NETWORK
- COLLABORATION
Throughout the year, APCR aims to connect leaders, ideas and institutions around one common agenda: BUILDING A MORE TRUSTED ASEAN.
WHO SHOULD BE IN THE ROOM?
GOVERNMENT
Governors • Mayors • Public Institutions • Policymakers • Government Communication Leaders
BUSINESS
CEOs • Directors • Corporate Affairs • Public Affairs • Sustainability • Business Strategy
COMMUNICATION
Corporate Communication • Public Relations • Reputation • Crisis Communication • Stakeholder Engagement
TECHNOLOGY
AI • Digital Platforms • Data • Cybersecurity • Digital Infrastructure
KNOWLEDGE
Universities • Researchers • Academics • Think Tanks
NEXT GENERATION
Future Communication Leaders • Young Professionals • Students
ABOUT THE INITIATOR
INITIATED BY PR INDONESIA
Established in 2015, PR INDONESIA is a communication and reputation ecosystem connecting corporations, government institutions, state-owned enterprises, universities, professional associations and communication leaders across Indonesia.
Through APCR, PR INDONESIA is expanding that ecosystem:
FROM NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ECOSYSTEM
TO ASEAN COMMUNICATION ECOSYSTEM.
ACADEMIC HOME
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS
ASEAN IS BECOMING MORE CONNECTED.
The next challenge is making sure it also becomes more trusted.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION.
ASEAN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION & REPUTATION FORUM (APCR) 2026
2–4 December 2026
Auditorium UMSU, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Building Trust. Shaping Reputation. Connecting ASEAN.