12:30: Registration and lunch

13:15: Opening remarks CIPR East Anglia Co-Chairs Amanda Bunn and Adam Tuckwell

13:20: A few words from CIPR President-Elect 2016 Jason MacKenzie, MD of Liquid

13:45: ‘There’s no such thing as digital PR’ Eddie May, MD of The Playbook

14:15: Breakout session 1.0 Six discussion streams to choose from on the day – see below

15:00: Networking break

15:15: ‘Communicating from the inside out’ Steven Murgatroyd, Engage Consultant at WM Reply

15:45: ‘Are you sitting comfortably? The art of effective storytelling’ Kayla Dunne and Pete Waters

16:15: Breakout session 2.0 Six discussion streams to choose from on the day – see below

17:00: GiveBack CIPR East Anglia Charity Co-ordinator

17:10: Closing remarks and networking drinks

Breakout sessions

Experts led discussions about specific areas of PR and Communications, giving you the chance to exchange ideas with peers. Discussion streams included:

Crisis prevention and management
“Keeping things on track: Managing in a challenging media environment”
Paul Mylrea, Director of Communications at the University of Cambridge

How do you manage in a challenging, high profile environment where the news agenda is non-stop and round the clock, social media provides the means to immediately amplify any problems? How do you manage a team effectively in a crisis? How do you show you’re doing the right thing in difficult circumstances and develop the relationships, ideas and initiatives to gain a better reputation with media, stakeholders and the wider community?

Agency / department management
“PR leadership 101”
Louise Ahuja, Director and Equity Partner at Lansons

Whether you’re managing an agency, growing a business or working to make your PR department indispensable; Louise will discuss why senior leaders in PR need to be forever entrepreneurial, always one step ahead and not afraid of rejection.

Social media
“The blueprints to Digital Marketing”
Edwina Mullins, Partner and Trainer at SocialB

Digital Marketing can be a minefield because it is constantly changing. You know your organisation should be doing a better job of integrating your website and other tools like social media into your communications and business strategy, but how can you really use it effectively within the industry you work in? Edwina will share with you the key areas of success and how you can use digital channels to increase your competitive edge.

Planning, measurement and evaluation
“Proof Points – the value of PR”
Sandra Macleod, Founder of the Association of Measurement and Evaluation Companies and CEO of Mindful Reputation

Hear from the co-founder of amec, Expert Witness on Reputation and serial CIPR Awards judge, Sandra Macleod, about alternatives to AVEs and practical examples for your use moving forward. Whether you are embarking on this for the first time, or are a seasoned hand and seeking guidance as to how to demonstrate clearly (and cost effectively!) the impact of your efforts, Sandra will address not just why it’s important to research and measure your efforts, but will give tips and guidelines about the steps that are useful to consider.

Internal communications
“Managing change and working with senior leadership”
 Jo Twiselton, Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group, and Chris Johnson, Global Internal Communications Consultant

Join Jo and Chris to discuss two key areas of internal communications: Helping organisations and project teams thrive through change and working with senior leadership teams to help employees understand and engage with the organisation’s strategy. Between them, Jo and Chris bring experience of leading internal communications within Nokia, easyJet, Heathrow Airport, Interserve, Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, Debenhams, Sainsbury, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Cadbury, AstraZeneca and EDF Energy.

Media relations
“Navigating the ever-changing landscape of external communications”
Steve Shepperson-Smith, Senior Media Relations Manager at Vodafone Group Plc 

Steve will lead discussions around some of the key challenges and questions facing PRs  dealing with the media, such as:

  • Ethics – what is there to learn from Sweatygate and the DWP fake case studies cases?
  • Pitching – what are the best ways to achieve cut through in an era when journalists are deluged by emails?
  • Media – are changes to journalism affecting your approach to media relations?
  • Digital – should every press release now be accompanied by multimedia assets?
  • Strategy – how do you best combine media relations with other communication channels (i.e.the PESO model)?