Wednesday 24 November 2021 |  Thursday 25 November 2021

08:20 Registration and refreshments

08:40 Welcome from PRWeek

John Harrington, Editor, PRWeek UK

08:50 Chair’s opening remarks

Rachel Miller, Founder, All Things IC

09:00 The secret recipe for building a best-in-class hybrid working culture

Presentation

• Raising awareness about the cultural challenges that firms face in the context of hybrid working
• The latest behavioural science and neuroscience insights to build a best-in-class hybrid working culture
• What cultural safeguards firms can implement to maintain trust and engagement in a hybrid work context – the impact on internal communications

Dr. Alexandra Dobra-Kiel, Banking & Capital Markets Insight Lead, Deloitte UK 

09:25 The role of internal communicators in embedding new ways of working post pandemic

Panel discussion

• Avoiding the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all approach to future work design – debating pros and cons of various models – return to office, work from home, as well as blended models
• The rise of a hybrid workplace - defining what hybrid means for your organisation and helping business stakeholders to create and communicate a successful hybrid working model
• Rethinking all the ways in which employees interact with the workplace as well as how leaders work and communicate with their employees to get work done

Pippa Rees, Head of Internal Communication UK&I, Experian

Hannah Wilkinson, Head of Strategic Communications and Internal Engagement, British Red Cross
Corinne Mills, Director of People and Organisational Development, Alzheimer’s Society

10:10 Demonstrating the true value of internal communications – how to be seen as an active enabler and an integral part of the business

Case study presentation

• Top tips to leading through influence and ensuring effective stakeholder engagement 
• How do we build and maintain a culture of sharing, learning, agility and authenticity
• Ways to support collaborative working and creating a sense of belonging and meaningful connections in a virtual team working environment 

Jennifer Riley Harrison, Internal Comms and Employee Engagement Manager, Hackney Council

10:35 Networking break

11:30 Using channels to facilitate meaningful connections and drive innovation in a blended working model

Case study presentation

• Democratisation of internal communications – exploring channels which empower staff and encourage two-way communication
• Lessons learned from lockdowns – what can we incorporate into long-term internal communication plans
• Optimising channels and campaign content to help your staff to build better relationships with their colleagues

Vanessa Unwin, Global Head of Internal Communications, Hitachi Rail 

11:45 Winning communication channels to connect remote workers and boost their engagement

Panel discussion

• Debating which channels and tools promote an open and honest communication 
• Empowering team leaders and helping them to be more accessible and visible
• Moving from colleagues to ambassadors – how do you enable conversation with your audience and improve their channel experience?
• How to keep staff connected in an age of working from home and social distancing

Keith Coles, Head of Communications, Brunel University London

Vanessa Unwin, Global Head of Internal Communications, Hitachi Rail
Julian Hunt, Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability GB, Norway & Sweden,  Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

12:30 Networking Lunch

13:30 Reframing belonging for our time

Afternoon workshop

• Defining belonging – what does it mean and why is it so important now?
• The role of internal communication team in fostering belonging in the workplace – from getting leadership support to creating communication that provides clarity
• How do you provide the same communication and experience to every employee, regardless of their location?

Isabel Collins, Founder, One Belonging

14:20 Coffee break

14:50 The true value of internal communications in communicating and fostering diversity and inclusion

Case Study Presentation

• Strategic partnering – how to win trust, respect and confidence of the CEO and the board
• Internal communications role in designing for diversity and inclusion
• Facilitating two-way engagement with frontline staff and leadership to drive diversity, inclusion and shape decision making

Caroline Chivers, Strategic Business Partner to the CEO, Marie Curie
Paul Knox, Deputy Head of IC, Marie Curie

15:15 Supporting leaders to deliver effective and efficient internal communications in unprecedented times

Closing Keynote

• The growing role of internal communications department in helping leaders to build supportive cultures
• Top tips to working with different audiences and stakeholders to add value
• The importance of internal communications in company’s ESG strategy

Naomi Jones, Communications and Marketing Director, Suez

15:45 Chair’s closing remarks

16:00 Networking drinks

Wednesday 24 November 2021 |  Thursday 25 November 2021