Organised by:International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)

Our theme - Power to the People - is inspired by the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta - the foundation of the freedom for the individual - which still resonates across the centuries.

And that power to give a voice to all – from employees to customers to community – is important to us as communicators. Join the conversation about the two most challenging aspects of communication today: people’s opportunity to be heard (encouraging ideas, innovation, etc.) and best practice to create practical action. Join us to learn, share and shape ideas, best practice and ways to contribute to your business and organizational success.

To register visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eurocomm-2015-power-to-the-people-tickets-14477443423

Twitter: #EuroComm

Welcome to London! Those of you arriving here today are warmly invited to a networking get-together hosted by IABC’s UK Chapter at Bedales Wine Bar from 5–7pm. Located in the historic London Bridge area, Bedales is close to the Shard, an 87-storey skyscraper, currently the tallest building in the European Union, and nearby restaurants for those who want to move on afterwards…

Registration & Breakfast Please pick up your badge in main Reception on arrival, and head up to the Upper Street Gallery for breakfast. A cloakroom will be available to leave coats and bags

Conference Welcome

Leadership communications:Bjorn Edlund (Royal Dutch Shell, Sandoz AG and ABB Ltd.) We often hear that you can’t lead if you can’t communicate. And that is true. But it is also true that you can’t communicate with impact unless you can lead. Bjorn asks: what is communications leadership? What are the traits of a successful communications leader? How do leaders need to behave to galvanize their teams as well as their C-suite colleagues? Bjorn will share experiences from nearly 20 years as chief communications officer in three multinational corporations, working for 11 CEOs, through external and self-created crises and deep corporate transformations.

Bjorn Edlund founded Edlund Consulting, a network of expert corporate relations and social responsibility consultancies specializing in analysis of stakeholder, government and community opinion. He became a business communicator in 1989 after a 12-year career as a news agency reporter, bureau chief and regional news editor with UPI and Reuters in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. He is a visiting fellow at Henley Business School, a trustee of the Institute of Human Rights and Business, and a former trustee of IPR. Follow Björn on Twitter: @mentoredlund

The power of the employee voiceA conversation chaired by Klavs Valskov, managing partner at Agenda Strategies and IABC EMENA Vice Chair. Klavs’ experience includes consultancy and head of communications for international companies like Maersk Line, Nordea Bank and L’Oreal. He is co-author of “Internal Communication: a manual for practitioners.”

Cascade to Conversation: Katie Macaulay, Managing Director, AB CommunicationsAlthough communication has changed radically in recent years, Katie believes we have only scratched the surface of what can be achieved when individuals inside organizations communicate with each other effectively. Drawing on research from her recent book, “From Cascade to Conversation”, Katie will focus on the shift from broadcasting messages to developing a genuine and productive dialogue.

08:15 amReception &

Upper Street Gallery

09:00 amMain Lecture Theatre

09:20 amMain Lecture Theatre

09:50 amMain Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Katie Macaulay has over 20 years’ experience in employee communication, both agency and corporate roles across industry sectors and author of ‘From Cascade to Conversation - Unlocking the Collective Wisdom of Your Workforce’, published in September 2014. http://www.abcomm.co.uk

Listening can change a whole organization: Ulrike Felber, Senior Communications Manager, HSBCToo many people have their fingers permanently on the “talk” button. There are two parts of communication: talking and listening. HSBC’s answer is HSBC Exchange. Ulrike will share their new format team meetings, which moved managers from speaking to listening. This idea has changed how people at HSBC talk to each other, and provides senior management with great insights and innovative ideas.

Ulrike Felber joined HSBC in January 2014 from Zurich Insurance Group based in Switzerland. She is leading the roll-out of HSBC Exchange, a tool which is changing the way employees communicate with each other to re-build trust and create a speak-up culture within the Group.

BREAK

Breakout Session. Choose from these two channels:

Power of physics in employee engagement: Chuck Gose, STRATACACHEWe are not seeing the hoped for improvements promised employee engagement studies, which matters when you consider the potential impact engagement can have on the bottom line. The physics of employee engagement is a scientific way to look at how you are (or aren’t) engaging your workforce. Could this explain a new approach to improving employee engagement across companies? Join Chuck to find out more.

Chuck Gose, STRATACACHE, is their expert on corporate communication and says he is a self-proclaimed Skyline Chili connoisseur and Duran Duran fan who has 15 years’ experience in marketing, corporate communication, employee communication and sales. .Prior to getting into technology, he held internal communications leadership roles (Rolls-Royce and General Motors), wrote executive speeches and worked in non-profit marketing.

How much power do employees in your organization have? Charlie Irvine, Questions of DifferenceA project for a global client shifted market share shift from 31% to 53% over three years. Key to the success of the project was the belief that the greatest wisdom and insight an organization has comes from its own people emphasises. Charlie will explain how an employee taskforce created, innovated, challenged and argued with ‘the way things are done around here’, inspiring local leadership to have confidence in their new plan thus creating new behaviours. Charlie will provide simple tips to determine success.

10:50 amUpper Street Gallery

11:15 am

Channel AMain Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Charlie Irvine is the founder and managing director of Questions of Difference, a consultancy that helps organizations achieve exceptional results by finding and applying practical solutions to complex business and people challenges. His approach has been significantly shaped by the 30,000 people he has worked with across 24 countries. He has helped senior leaders and organizations to deliver results and have fun in the process.

Improved customer experience through communications: Claudia Vaccarone, Eutelsat SAThe digital revolution has empowered consumer and clients to move beyond traditional branding and PR documents to inform themselves about business and purchasing decisions. Until recently, brand self-expression has been disconnected from user experience. In this talk, Claudia invites you to discover how proactive and user-experience driven communications strategies can only benefit truly customer centric businesses, by allowing the brand to be lived fully and authentically. In order to achieve that, professional communicators need to understand the business’s dynamics and the client needs, and dare to align to the sales cycle to personalize the experience.

Claudia Vaccarone is market research & customer experience director, Eutelsat SA. She is a marketing and communications professional with 20 years of experience in international B2B environments. She has worked in the USA, Italy and France, and is currently in charge of global market research & customer experience at Paris-based leading satellite operator Eutelsat SA. She is also the company’s project leader for the universal exhibition Expo Milano 2015 sponsorship.

Engaging in conversations that matter: Ian Andersen, European Commission “Man with PowerPoint” or speaking at a room full of people who would rather be anywhere else is so last century. Yet in most organizations this is still considered an acceptable form of communication. Or perhaps, information. Learn how the European Commission’s 1200 participatory leadership practitioners are helping to transform internal and external consultation and communication in the EU-institutions. On the way, silos and fiefdoms are breaking down and knowledge starts to flow more freely between departments and with citizens.

Ian Andersen is external communications adviser to the European Commission’s Interpretation department. He is networked with communicators across the European Commission and engaged in rolling out participatory methods for internal and external audiences in the Commission and other EU-bodies. Ian also runs a highly successful, award-winning social media strategy to ensure the training of the next generation of interpreters for the European institutions.

The power of global communication A conversation chaired by Anisha Jjhina, director, internal communications, Mars, Global Petcare, based in Belgium. Anisha has an MA in international communication, with a particular interest in India.

CHANNEL BLower Street Theatre

12:10 pmMain Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Transforming intercultural failure into global competence: Dr. Barbara Gibson, Cultural ResolutionWhether it’s something relatively innocuous, like extending a hand in greeting rather than bowing, or a foreign market business strategy, Dr Barbara Gibson points out that things don’t always go as expected when people and organizations cross cultural boundaries. But can those failures be mined to help individuals and organizations develop intercultural competency? Dr Gibson’s research into intercultural competencies of global CEOs discovered distinct patterns in failed intercultural interactions, and revealed a framework to help improve your own and your organization’s global competence.

Dr. Barbara Gibson is a consultant, researcher and lecturer focused on intercultural communication and global business. With more than 25 years’ experience as a business communication professional, she has worked with companies worldwide, and is a past international Chair of IABC.

The cross-culturally competent leader: communicating to engage across cultures: Dr. Domna Lazidou, Omilia HirstIn a globalised economy, where uncertainty and complexity remain constant challenges, the ability of leaders to engage effectively with employees across cultural and geographic boundaries has never been more critical. Research suggests that leaders need to balance authentic communication with cultural intelligence and sensitivity. Omilia Hirst’s Dr Domna Lazidou will discuss an international case study research project, which explores how successful global leaders do this in practice and how we as communication professionals can support them more effectively.

Dr. Domna Lazidou is a UK-based consultant and academic who teaches, researches and advises on issues of culture, communication and engagement in multinational companies. For further information see www.omiliahirst.com

Lunch - with networking in the Upper Gallery and sponsor area

The future role of the communicator? This session will (eventually!) turn the power over to you. We want conference delegates to debate the future of the profession and the role of communication professionals within the business/organisation. We start with a presentation from Saskia Jones, Internal Communications Manager at Oxfam, before breaking into groups to discuss our views on where the profession is moving.

Transforming into a trusted adviser: Saskia Jones, Head of Internal Communications OxfamMoving from communication channel provider to a trusted adviser to the CEO and top team is the aspiration of many communicators. This is a challenging aim: how do you develop this relationship and earn your place among the decision-makers? Here Saskia shares how she became a trusted adviser in a global charity with over 5000 staff, 22,000 volunteers in over 50 countries and developed a Future Shapers programme.

01:15 pmUpper Street Gallery

02:15pm Main Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Saskia Jones, Oxfam’s internal communication manager, was awarded Internal Communicator of the Year by the Institute of Internal Communication. She is a strategic communication professional with wide ranging experience, including Cancer Research UK, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

QuestionsNeil Griffiths, ABC will kick off the group discussion by posing some challenging questions: how brave are you as a communicator? do you have a clear professional direction? Will the communicator role grow –or dwindle away? He will share some challenges and thoughts based on the research and current thinking around the topic before asking you to go together in small groups to debate and develop your own thinking.

Neil Griffiths, ABC is group internal communications manager at Environmental Resources Management, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy. He is Past Chair of IABC EMENA and has held leadership positions on several IABC global committees. Together with co-author Deborah Hinton, Neil published two studies on the current and future state of the communication profession (“Where are we now? Where should we be?”; ‘”We have met the enemy and he is us’”). Follow Neil on Twitter: @negriff

Group discussions & reporting

Networking Reception Conference delegates can unwind after day one of the conference with drinks and canapés. We will be welcomed to London by the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners and there will be more learning opportunities as you talk to our gurus on topics from social media to measurement to engagement.

You will no doubt be entertained by London College of Communication student work, sketch noting and other great surprises!

IABC Dine AroundAn IABC tradition! Sign up for dinner with a group of conference delegates at a restaurant you may not otherwise find. Each group is accompanied by an IABC UK Chapter member. This is a great way to discover London’s culinary delights, network with your fellow delegates and relax in style!

02:45pm Main Lecture Theatre

03:00pm Canteen

05:00 pm Upper Street Gallery

06:30pm

Twitter: #EuroComm

Coffee & croissants

Review and the day ahead

Foundation of Liberty: Sir Robert Worcester, KBE, founder of MORIOne of the world’s most famous documents, Magna Carta is widely regarded as a potent symbol of the freedom of the individual. 2015 is the 800th anniversary of its sealing at Runnymede and, at that iconic place on June 15, Queen Elizabeth will be invited to sign a reaffirmation of its principles as part of the yearlong celebrations. Sir Robert explains why, as an American, on his first visit to England he went to gaze in awe at a copy of Magna Carta. He will look at the Charter’s genesis and its enduring importance and influence through subsequent centuries across the globe as part of his own inspiration to listen to the voices of the people.

Sir Robert Milton Worcester, KBE, DL, founder of MORI is a well-known figure in British public opinion research and political circles. A native of Kansas, Sir Robert joined the research field with Opinion Research International in Princeton and came to the UK in 1969 with three great research passions: corporate image, financial and employee. He says: “I felt that that employee surveys had potential to do good in the workplace – it was an opportunity for employees to come up with ideas and suggestions and to tell the boss what they really thought – sometimes for the first time.” Sir Robert is a well-known pollster, pioneer of employee research and now chair of Magna Carta 800th Anniversary. Follow Sir Robert on Twitter:@RobertWorcester

RapidoEzri Carlebach, communications consultant & IABC EMENA Board Member, will be leading one of his now famous Rapido sessions, where conference delegates take to stage for short and punchy presentations on our Power to the People theme. The results will be sure to entertain!

Powering your communicationsTwo sessions sponsored by Newsweaver, helping thousands of organizations to transform how they communicate with innovative and powerful platforms for your employees, customers or prospects.

Bringing values alive: Andrew O'Shaughnessy, CEO NewsweaverBringing values alive in an organization can be a challenge. Andrew will explain how the Newsweaver values were created by employees, as opposed to being implemented top down. These values, truly owned by employees, are now a part of how they work as a company and the question ‘how does this fit with our values’ is on the question they ask before undertaking any new initiative.

08:30am Upper Street Gallery

08:55 am Main Lecture Theatre

09:00amMain Lecture Theatre

09:30amMain Lecture Theatre

10:10amMain Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Andrew O’Shaughnessy is CEO of Newsweaver. He has pioneered innovation and development in the IT sector since 1996 when he established the company in the spare room of his home. Today his organization provides smart technology for communicators, operating in over 95 countries worldwide providing software solutions to over four hundred blue chip and FTSE 100 companies.

Meeting the challenge of a diverse workforce: Victoria Stephenson, McCain FoodsAs the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products, McCain Foods has a communication challenge. The UK operations have a diverse workforce of nearly 2,000 - covering not only desk-based employees and factory floor workers, but also spanning multiple sites with teams of remote employees who are either on the road or in the potato fields. Finding effective channels to communicate and engage with all is a challenge for the team. Here, Victoria shares her experience of taking her printed newsletter online, utilizing mobile devices, personalized newsletters and QR codes to reach their workforce, whilst measuring the impact of their efforts.

Victoria Stephenson is corporate communications manager at McCain Foods in the UK, overseeing the management of both internal and external corporate communications for the group. Victoria and her team are accountable for creating and implementing communication strategies to drive both employee and stakeholder engagement in the UK. An accredited CIPR practitioner and member of the IoIC, Victoria has held communication roles across the FMCG, financial services and hospitality industries.

Breakout Session. Choose from these two channels:

The Power of Participation: Mike Klein, senior editor, VimpelComMike will discuss the importance of how to influence in the effective use of internal communication, including a recent exercise his company conducted to identify key social influencers and ongoing efforts appropriately to engage influencers in change and communication activities. He will discuss his editorial role and how he prioritizes giving influencers sufficient content and context as opposed to emphasizing broader but shallower awareness.

Mike Klein is the senior editor at VimpelCom, a mobile network operator competing with the likes of Vodafone, TeliaSonera and MTS in its European, Asian and African markets, and is the author of “From Lincoln to LinkedIn, the 55 Minute Guide to Social Communication.” He blogs at www.changingtheterms.com

New Ways to Deliver Value: Priyanka Rajkumar, Fifth BusinessThis is a talk about the people side of change: how to engage employees as the organisation transforms, and in the process creating an agile workforce that not only is resilient in the face of constant change, but one that thrives on proactively looking for new ways to deliver value and profitability to the business.

11:00 am

Channel CMain Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Priyanka Rajkumar is a versatile, commercially-focused consultant who leads strategic change and engagement programs. She works with leadership teams in blue-chip organizations to develop communications strategies, and follows through by influencing stakeholders, mentoring team members and hands-on delivery. She is a big advocate of creating an enterprise environment that promotes employees agility so that staff can proactively lead business change; supporting line managers to be better communicators and ultimately promoting a resilient workforce that embraces a strong adaptable culture.

The growing power of mobile apps: Jean-Paul Chapon, Societe GeneraleA computer programme designed to run on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices, mobile apps provide another valuable tool for business communicators to reach both internal and external audiences. Analysis of the quality of mobile apps for banking revealed a lack of more advanced, user-friendly features and content. However among the top-ranked banks for effective apps is Société Générale and in this session Jean-Paul will share his experience of introducing mobile apps for employees as part of a programme to develop and digitise communications both internally and externally.

Jean-Paul Chapon is director of the Digital Communications & e-Reputation at Société Générale, in charge of e-Reputation, social media and web strategy. He also leads deployment its internal social network and intranets. Previously he worked for different companies in the telecommunications sector, responsible for the reorganization of internal online tools, designed to take advantage of all Web 2.0 resources. He is also the author of “Paris est sa Banlieue”, a popular blog on the complex relationship between city and suburbs.

The power of video: Phil Weiss, ZNPhil will explore the impact of digital on election campaigns looking at the 2014 European elections, and show us how with the use of one video as part of an integrated strategy, a leading candidate was able to lead the agenda about a specific issue. His team worked on creating and promoting this video as part of the campaign for Junker.

Author of ‘Hyperthinking’, Phil Weiss is an entrepreneur and strategic thinker who has been working with leading corporations for the past two decades. He speaks for corporate and business audiences around the world on range of topic related to disruption, innovation and technology.

Coffee break

The power of social mediaA conversation chaired by Marc Wright, chairman of the simplygroup and Past Chair of IABC EMENA. Marc has been following worldwide trends in Web 2.0 and setting the pace of social media in the UK. He is founder and publisher of www.simply-communicate.com, the website used by 18,000 communicators each month.

Channel DLower Street Theatre

11:45amMain Lecture Theatre

12:00pm Main Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Re-Defining Today's (Social) Communicator: Neville HobsonThe one constant in the contemporary business landscape is continuous change, an evolution of shifting sands where traditional behaviours and structures can seem barely recognizable when anyone can be a communicator. The professional communicator’s role is also evolving in the midst of such change - in the workplace, in stakeholder behaviours, and in the tools and channels of communication - that must start with listening, not talking.

Neville Hobson is an entrepreneurial business communicator with a curiosity for tech and how people use it. Over the past decade, he has analyzed and discussed trends, behaviours and practices in digital and social communication to help individuals and organizations understand what they mean for people and business. He is co-host of the weekly business podcast “For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report,” first published in 2005. Follow Neville on Twitter @jangles Citizens, social media and the law: David BanksThe advent of social media platforms and cheap accessible technology puts the power of publication in everyone’s hands. The top-down model of media has been shattered. David will point out this has led to many conflicts within the law, and citizens, untrained in the myriad laws that apply to publishers, find themselves threatened with libel, contempt of court, copyright and privacy to name a few. Do we need a wide-ranging review of the law to take account of the shifting media landscape?

David Banks is a journalist and media law consultant of 27 years’ experience who began work on a typewriter and who is now at home on the web. He writes online for The Guardian, NewStatesman, The Daily Mirror and the Independent and provides training in media law to a range of organizations and individuals. http://davidbanksmedialaw.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @DBanksy

Lunch

Recharge your mind, body and phoneThroughout the two days come and chill out with Igloo in the hospitality room in the Upper Gallery where you can charge your phone, check your email and grab a snack between sessions, compliments of Igloo – an intranet you’ll actually like.

Essential steps for finding a successful intranet: Kimberly Thomson, John Lewis & Karen Hobart, ContexxtIn 2014, The John Lewis Partnership undertook the task of looking for a new intranet to improve employee communication and engagement. Karen will share her methodology for establishing a project plan, and tips for vendor evaluation, while Kimberly will discuss the key drivers for seeking a new solution, their defining milestones, and the success John Lewis has had to date.

Kimberly Thomson, communications-coordinator at John Lewis manages the social intranet and coordinates effective and consistent communication across the distribution division. Karen Hobart, consultant with Contexxt, has 15 years’ experience in new product development, business analysis and strategy within both start-up and multi-national corporate environments. She manages the discovery, envisioning and scoping phases for delivery of digital solutions.

01:00pm Upper Street Gallery

02:00pm Main Lecture Theatre

Twitter: #EuroComm

Insights and ReflectionsHave you ever left a conference thinking ‘well that was all great, but I can’t apply any of that once I am back at work!’? Not at EuroComm…

Building on the notes you have taken throughout the conference, we will end our time together in groups that will pool ideas and develop practical action plans to bring back to their organizations.

Conference summary and close

When:Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 6:00 PM - Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 4:30 PM (GMT)London, United Kingdom

Where:London College of CommunicationUniversity of the Arts London, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6SB London, United KingdomClick here for directionshttp://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/about-lcc/find-us/

Tickets:IABC members: 320 GBPNon-members: 480 GBPPartner organisations: 320 GBPJoin IABC and Go To EuroComm: 575 GBP

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eurocomm-2015-power-to-the-people-tickets-14477443423

Conference Chair:Michael Nord: mnordnl@gmail.com, Twitter: mnordnl, T: +31 6 28775857

For questions, please contact:Helen Jacobi: helen@theampeople.co.uk, T: +44 7812 995049

02:40 pmCanteen

04:00 pm Canteen

Twitter: #EuroComm

Local hotel suggestions:

Whilst we do not have a negotiated hotel room block, the hotels listed below all are within a reasonable distance of the conference venue, either on foot or by public transport, and suit a variety of styles and budgets. Please book your accommodation directly with the hotel of your choice.

Premier Inn, London Waterloo/Westminster Bridge 81 York Road, London SE1 7NJFrom £81/night room only (20 minute walk)

Premier Inn, Southwark/Tate Modern15a Great Suffolk Street, Southwark, London SE1 0FLFrom £81/night room only (20 minute walk)

H10 London Waterloo 284-302 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8RQFrom £155/night bed & breakfast (10 minute walk)

Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo157 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8XAFrom £109/night bed and breakfast (12 minute walk)

Hilton London Tower Bridge5 More London Place, Tooley Street, London SE1 2BY From £119/night room only (30 minute walk)

Crowne Plaza, London – The City19 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6DBFrom £112/night room only (30 minute walk)

CitizenM Bankside20 Lavington Street, London SE1 0NZFrom £109/night room only (20 minute walk)

For alternative suggestions you may wish to try:www.laterooms.comwww.hotels.comwww.booking.com

Gold Sponsor: Newsweaver https://www.newsweaver.com

Media Sponsor: Gower Publishing https://gowerpublishing.wordpress.com

Diamond Sponsor: Igloo http://www.igloosoftware.com

Programme subjectable to change at organiser’s discretion.