Thursday 5 December 2019 |  Friday 6 December 2019

08:20 Registration and refreshments

8:50 Chair's opening remarks

Sarah Kemp, Head of Communications, Page Group

09:00 Rebuilding one of the most established brands in the UK from the inside out

Case study presentation and Q&A

• The cooperation of internal and external communications to rebuild a brand from scratch
• Integrating internal and external  communications at the heart of brand strategy to create coherent and aligned messaging

Helen Willetts, Director of Internal Communications, BT
Tom Engel, Director of External Communications, BT

09:30 The future of internal communications: What will success look like in 5 years?

Panel discussion and Q&A

• The future of work and what this means for how we communicate and engage
• How will we measure and demonstrate success?
• What do we need to be doing now to prepare for future success?

Phil Askham, Global Head of Employee Communications, HSBC
Jo Bleasdale, Director of Internal Communications, GVC
Abby Guthkelch, Global Communications Solutions Lead, Workplace by Facebook

10:10 Driving energy and excitement for change

Case study presentation and Q&A

• Can you really make change exciting? Using creativity for more engaging change communications
• How a merger between Sovereign Housing Association and Spectrum Housing in 2016 put people at the heart of change
• Creating a change programme with energy, inclusivity and, dare we say, fun

Rhiannon Stroud, Head of Strategy, Synergy Creative
Olly Whitman, Creative Director, Synergy Creative

10:30 Morning refreshments and networking

Breakout Sessions

11:00 Managing distractions or creating them? Using workplace channels more effectively Is an overload of communication messages and channels making us less productive? Understanding the value that your channels deliver and how to optimise this Focusing messages and channels to create a more efficient workplace Jane Tebbey, Head of Internal Communications, National Physical Laboratory

11:00 The art of storytelling: Engaging and empowering your workforce via your narrative Case study presentation and Q&A Telling a story about your organisation and its culture and involving your workforce Creating employee ambassadors by empowering colleagues to share your organisation’s story Creating a strong memorable narrative about your organisation and where it’s going John Townsend, Head of Internal Communications, Unicef UK

11:40: Swap or stay

Breakout Sessions
11:50 Cross culture communications: Engaging a global workforce How organisations are adapting their internal communications for different audiences The importance of culture, country and customs within internal communications How to create a consistent message while taking into account a diverse workforce Sanjoy Mukherjee-Richardson, Head of Internal Communications and Engagement, BBC News	11:50 How to help your line managers be better communicators Does it feel like Internal Comms gets “stuck” in your company? Learn how to help managers support organisations by using their individual strengths Leave with the tools and know-how so you can return to your workplace with ideas to try Rachel Miller, Director, All Things IC

12:30 Networking lunch

13:30 Be part of something: Turning companies into connected communities

• 81% of young people say they'd choose an employer that values open communication over one that offers perks like free food and gym membership, but 87% of employees worldwide say they are disengaged at work. There's a disconnect, and it means work isn't working.
• Discussing the importance of creating connected communities at work
• Tips on how to navigate and communicate organisational change
• The reasons companies should obsess about their culture and how to achieve this

Cyrus Akrami, Head of EMEA Marketing, Workplace by Facebook

13:50 Breakthrough moments: How I got through to my senior leadership team to drive the IC agenda

In this quickfire session, hear multiple direct accounts from internal communications professionals on how they finally got through to their senior leaders in order to prove the value of IC.

• Leave with first-hand tips on how to communicate the value of internal communications 
• Becoming more visible to your senior leadership to encourage investment
• Creating and maintaining a relationship with senior leaders

Max Puller, Employee and Change Communications Director, Sodexo
Stuart Williamson, Director of Communications, Nationwide Building Society
Ellen Hudson, Executive Communications Senior Specialist, SAP

Breakout Sessions

14:20 Leading through change: An eight-step process you can use tomorrow A repeatable method of driving change and influence, centered on strategic communications and real-world examples that you can take back to the workplace Hands-on practice with exercises based on key steps of the process Learn how to deal with your own change-related stress while managing a change communications program Gary Ross, Principal, thoughtLEADERS LLC

14:20 The power of position: Where does internal communications belong? Case study presentation and Q&A Understanding how the remit, reputation and impact of an internal communications team is shaped by the org chart Breaking up with your boss and making the case for change Managing through change and repositioning the team Susannah LLewellyn-Jones, Head of Strategic Internal Communications, Linklaters LLP

15:00 Afternoon refreshments and networking

Breakout Sessions

15:30 Communicating through global change at Hitachi Rail Case study presentation and Q&A Hear first hand accounts of best practice in communicating through times of change across three global regions Communicating difficult or sensitive subjects to a concerned workforce about rationalising teams Enabling the leadership team to provide a strong reassuring voice in the midst of uncertainty Vanessa Unwin, Global Head of Internal Communications, Hitachi

15:30 Building the case for measurement Case study presentation and Q&A The journey of establishing better and more effective ways of measurement Quantifying IC impact to encourage greater investment Establishing the importance of IC as a key business function through proving it’s ROI Joe McMann, Senior Communications Manager, 02

16:10 Using behavioural science to communicate strategically

In this session by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Behavioural Science team, see how understanding what influences our behaviour can bring communications closer to policy, set better objectives and achieve better outcomes.

• See how using a behavioural lens allows you to better link your communications with organisational objectives;
• Understand how you can use the COM-B model to identify the best role for communicators and develop robust communications objectives

Carla Groom, Head of Behavioural Science, Department for Work and Pensions
Nathan King, Behavioural Science Advisor, Department for Work and Pensions

16:40 Chair's closing remarks

Sarah Kemp, Head of Communications, Page Group

16:50 End of day one and networking drinks

Thursday 5 December 2019 |  Friday 6 December 2019