Impact Hub Houston
The Ion
4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
Houston, TX, US, 77002
How local relationships build a stronger brand and practical ideas for making community engagement party of your communications strategy.
Strong brands are built through more than messages. They are shaped by the relationships people experience with an organization where they live, work, and gather.
At the September Social Media Breakfast Houston, Juan Alanis, Senior Manager of Community Relations at Walmart, will share how Walmart supports local stores as they build relationships within their communities.
Juan works across Dallas, Houston, and Louisiana, helping stores connect with schools, nonprofits, government groups, neighborhood organizations, and other local partners.
Walmart provides training, resources, programs, and brand guidance while giving store teams room to make decisions based on local needs. That balance offers useful lessons for organizations of many sizes.
This session will look at how community engagement can support brand trust, visibility, participation, and stronger local relationships.
For marketers, communicators, nonprofit leaders, consultants, and small business owners, the challenge is familiar. A brand needs consistency, but successful local relationships depend on people who understand the community around them.
Juan will share what Walmart has learned from supporting this work across hundreds of stores and how attendees can adapt those principles to their own organizations.
What You Will Learn:
- How to make community engagement part of an ongoing brand and communications strategy
- Ways to give local teams useful guidance while preserving their ability to respond to local needs
- How to evaluate partnerships based on community fit
- Ways organizations can use existing resources and local relationships to increase participation and visibility
- How communications and local social channels can extend work already happening in the community
REGISTRATION
Space is limited. Please reserve your spot in advance so we can plan for breakfast and seating.
SPEAKER
Juan Alanis, Senior Manager, Walmart Community Relations
Juan Alanis is a Senior Manager of Community Relations at Walmart, supporting communities across Dallas, Houston and Louisiana. In his role, he works at the intersection of community engagement, communications and business strategy, building partnerships and programs that strengthen Walmart’s connection with the communities it serves. Juan is particularly focused on using local insights and storytelling to help teams work smarter, communicate more effectively, and create meaningful community impact.
DETAILS
📅 Date & Time: Friday, August 14, 2026, 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM (9:00 AM online)
📍 Location: The Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
🚗 Parking: Red Lot– Enter 4203 Fannin Street for direct access. Complimentary up to 3 hours. Ion District Parking Garage– Enter 4111 Fannin Street. Complimentary up to 2 hours.
🥐 Breakfast: Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast and coffee.
LIVESTREAM LINKS
To be added.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
A special thank you to our sponsors: Walmart, Impact HUB Houston, The Ion, Zoetica Media, Mighty Strategic Consulting, and SmartSocialMastery.
SMBHOU NEEDS YOU
The Social Media Breakfast of Houston connects a community of over 1,600 PR, Marketing, and Small Business professionals who meet monthly to learn, connect, and collaborate. We’re looking for breakfast sponsors to help fuel the conversation for just $100 per month. Want to be an exclusive sponsor in your category? 📧 [email protected]
