Wednesday 24 November 2021 |  Thursday 25 November 2021

08:40 Registration and refreshments

09:10 Chair’s opening remarks

Rachel Miller , Founder, All Things IC

09:20 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 

09:45 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

10:30 Demonstrating the true value of internal communications – how to be seen as an active enabler and an integral part of the business

Case study

• 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

11:00 Networking break

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

Case study

• 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

Adrian Ma , Founder and Managing Director, Fan Club PR

Keith Coles , Head of Communications, Brunel University London

Vanessa Unwin , Global Head of Internal Communications, Hitachi Rail

Lottie Bazley , Advanced Communications Consultant, Staffbase

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, Belonging Space

14:20 Coffee break

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

Case Study

• 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 End of conference

Wednesday 24 November 2021 |  Thursday 25 November 2021