What we did this summer - Fine Point Communications

Just as you may have done at your school, the team at Fine Point Communications devoted our summer months to a major project. Now we are proud to unveil the result — something new for the profession: the Fine Point Off-Site.

This day-long conference, happening in Seattle just before NAIS Thrive 2026, is specifically for communications directors at independent schools.

Designing it this way means the Off-Site can provide professional development that addresses a director’s vast responsibilities:

Creative and captivating storytelling, especially on deadline
Top-notch organizational skills
Technical know-how
A cool head during campus crises
An ever-evolving list of new competencies

Often at conferences, the skill-building offered to communicators is broad and foundational. For a director, the payoff is too scant to justify the expense and time.

It’s no surprise, then, that directors consistently say they aren’t prepared to handle everything their communities and leaders expect — even as demands on their offices continue to grow.

There has never been more need for a high-level conference like the Off-Site.

The gathering we’ve needed

Such an event also fits easily within Fine Point’s mission of meeting the unique communications needs of independent schools.

To ensure the Off-Site’s relevance and practicality, we talked with directors about the issues most on their minds. With that information, we set out to enlist the best people to address these topics.

From a dream list of speakers, we hoped half would say yes. Instead, each one came quickly on board, beginning with our keynote speaker, Eli Saslow, who is widely acknowledged as one of America’s best feature writers.

School communications leaders will also present about their expertise:

Producing videos that are technically strong and tell authentic stories
Communicating about school crises
Building artificial intelligence into your team’s workflow
Advancing one’s career toward more senior roles

We’ve designed the Off-Site to offer not just great programming but also something equally valuable: meaningful professional connections.

Given the isolation that a director often faces, the chance to discuss solutions, share resources and build relationships with peers can be restorative. Our gathering has plenty of opportunities for these kinds of exchanges.

The Fine Point Off-Site is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25. Registrations are open now, and seats are limited. We hope to see you there!

Putting the service in full-service

As mentioned, the Off-Site extends our company’s commitment to providing schools with reliable, full-service communications support. This has led us over the past year to create other novel solutions:

Through Hotline, a school gains immediate access to crisis communications expertise when reputation-threatening situations emerge. This retainer service is a cost-effective way to put an experienced crisis comms team on call for addressing any kind of situation.
Communications on Retainer covers a different but equally common challenge: the inefficiency of project-based freelance work. This service connects a school with our versatile team of communicators in an ongoing work relationship — covering both planned and unplanned projects.

Some schools need comprehensive, ongoing support. Others may want the assurance of expert help on call. And at every school, professional development that encourages skill growth is essential to thriving as a communications director.

In every case, the key is lining up the resources that will help before they become urgently needed.

If Fine Point can help your school fulfill its communications goals this year, send us an email or schedule a call. We’d welcome the conversation.

What’s new at Fine Point Communications

Speaking of services, one of our most popular over many years has been magazine production. This spring, our team contributed to several issues that have gone to press:
- Fine Point wrote several stories for Columbus School for Girls’ summer issue of Forte et Gratum. We also provided proofreading and managed the production calendar to meet a tight deadline. The final result is a beauty!
- And we produced several stories for the spring issue of The Rivers School’s Riparian and the spring issue of Mes Amis Magazine, published by Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.
Thank you to these schools for allowing us to tell their stories!
This month, our principal, Scott Butterworth, participated in LeadTeam Partners’ inaugural Summit for independent school consultants. This fun and informative gathering announced itself as something valuable for our entire industry. LeadTeam’s principal, Chris Pryor, should be very proud of the Summit’s success!
As classes resume across the country, conferences are coming:
- On Sept. 16, Scott will join the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools’ Advancement Exchange to lead an online discussion about crisis communications.
- That same week, he will be in Austin to attend the Enrollment Management Association’s annual conference.