Internal Comms Hub and SCM member exclusive events
Rub shoulders with your fellow members with the Hub and SCM's exclusive member breakfast or lunch briefings. You'll hear presentations from leading communication experts on the hottest topics in your industry and get "real-life" lessons learned from your fellow Hub members.
You'll come away with a whole new set of contacts in the communication industry, as well as practical tools and tips to start putting into practice straight away.
So what are you waiting for? Register today.
***Remember: these events are exclusively for Hub and SCM members***
To attend, join the Hub today.
Upcoming events:
- UK/Europe
- North America
- Asia - Pacific
Coming Soon:
Member-exclusive breakfast briefing
Date: Tuesday, September 9th,
Time: 8.30am-11.30am
Venue: TBC, Central London, UK
Price: Free for members of the Hub or subscribers to Strategic Communication Management (SCM). Register now.
Non-members must join to attend. Email us if you would like to be contacted about joining.
Speakers:
Kieron Shaw, internal communication specialist and researcher, speaking on Understanding the power of peer-to-peer communication in the workplace.
Kieron Shaw
Kieron is an independent researcher and specialist in internal communication. He has spent most of the last decade studying the best internal communication and employee engagement practices at major organisations around the world.
During this time, he has also consulted directly with clients including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Toyota, and Unilever, conducting internal employee research and helping to improve the impact of their communication and social media resources.
Today's internal communication professional wants to make a demonstrable contribution to business results. But are the tactics we're using really working? Do people trust our corporate channels? Are we genuinely shaping attitudes and opinions?
When it comes to change communication, all our efforts go into managing the corporate channels and coaching leaders – ie top-down communication. Yet Edelman's 2008 Trust Barometer research suggests that the source people really trust to give an authentic perspective about an organisation is "someone like me".
How can we tap into the power of peer-to-peer communication or at least be aware of it's impact on employee opinions and behaviour?
Melcrum's latest research on viral communication in the workplace investigates how messages and behaviours spread through informal networks inside the organisation.
At the event, you'll receive an overview of the latest research findings on:
- Who do people trust inside the organisation?
- How do messages and behaviours spread through networks?
- What are the implications for internal communicators?
- How can we tap into the power of peer influencing?
Stuart McDonald, Internal Communication Manager, BAA, speaking on Using informal networks when staff mistrust is high.
Stuart McDonald
Having originally studied journalism, Stuart has now worked in employee communications for 11 years. The first nine were spent in financial services, and he has worked in business unit comms, channels, internal brand, measurement & analysis and global/corporate office.
Stuart joined BAA in the summer of 2005, with two years communicating at Gatwick Airport before joining the corporate team. "I thought I'd experienced everything that communications has to offer in my time prior to BAA, but the last two years have been the most eventful in the company's history. From a communications perspective it has been a very challenging but exciting time".
In a unionized environment during controversial cutbacks, internal communication often has to step back from lofty "strategic" objectives and simply make sure that the basic information is available to everyone.
Hear why internal communicators at BAA have become advocates of understanding the nature of social networks and key influencers in real, down-to-earth terms – talking to people and listening to their needs.
Stuart McDonald will talk about why and how an informal approach is now at the heart of BAA's internal communication strategies, and the role it played during a potentially explosive change programme in 2007.
Nigel Edwards, Head of internal communication at Pfizer, speaking on Using employee-generated video to change behaviour at Pfizer.
Nigel Edwards
Nigel is responsible for internal communication at Pfizer's UK Business operations. Edwards re-joined Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, in October 2006 following its announcement of a global Transformation Initiative.
An experienced strategic communicator with a global perspective he has a proven track-record in developing communication strategy in support of organizational change, employee engagement and branding
Prior to re-joining Pfizer, Edwards spent almost two years in a global role at F Hoffman-La Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland. He was at Pfizer’s European R&D headquarters based in Sandwich, Kent from 1999-2005. During this period he established a Communication function, supported the transition following two major acquisitions. Earlier in his career, he was at UK-headquartered Racal Electronics Plc.
When Pfizer underwent a global “transformation” program to create a leaner and more competitive company, it meant significant change for 70% of the sales staff working in the field or from home. In a bid to move beyond traditional and top-down methods, viral communication techniques were deployed in the form of employee-generated videos.
Nigel Edwards will talk about the “peer influence” philosophy behind the viral campaign, and the impact it had on changing behaviour and engaging employees in a more human and authentic way.
To attend this event, you must be a member of the Internal Comms Hub or a subscriber to Strategic Communication Management. For further information about joining, please email join@melcrum.com with the subject ‘Member Event’.
Previous events:
March 2008 - Creating communications harmony when singing solo, planning, partnering and scrambling your way up the communication career ladder and techniques for communicating effectively with employees during an 8-week strike
At our most recent breakfast briefing at Hilton Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Beth Miller, Communications Manager at Unilever Foodsolutions Americas presented alongside Ann Adams, Communication consultant and former VP of internal communication and marketing, Motorola Inc. and Lisa Hartenberger, Director, Communications and Reputation and Kyle Rose, Manager, Communications and Reputation, both of Navistar... Find out more about their presentations.
"It was very informative, I'd be interested in attending more."
Courtney Kiel, Hudson
February 2008 - Making leaders more authentic, how communicators can moblize management and the use of storytelling in communication
At our breakfast briefing in February at The Brewery, London, resident Hub expert Bill Quirke, MD of Synopsis communication consultancy presented alongside Mike Love, Communications Director at BT and Tony Quinlan, Chief Storyteller at Narrate... Find out more about their presentations.
"Useful, informative & inspiring set of presentations which I will definitely be reflecting upon & taking back with me to the work place."
Claire Michelotti, Communications Officer, Serco Group
"Really well organised. Enjoyed it a lot & found it somewhat refreshing to hear different perspectives."
David Henderson, Measurement, Planning and Performance Manager, BP
"Very good, useful context, very thought-provoking, and a good chance to meet other communicators."
Melissa Kell, International Comms Manager, Deloitte
"Great speakers, lots of useful material, good talking points. Venue excellent."
Paul Prentice, International Comms Advisor, RNID
April 2007 - How to get senior executives to understand and support internal communicators
At our breakfast briefing last April at Savoy Place, London, resident Hub expert Bill Quirke, MD of Synopsis communication consultancy presented alongside Hub members including Nicole Dempster, Head of Internal Communications for newspaper organization, the Guardian News and Media and Andrea Cudworth and Jo Alexander, communicators from global energy and petrochemical group, Shell...
"Extremely valuable event – the best I have been to so far - well done (short, impactful, useful)"
Ginny Smith, AstraZeneca
"A great opportunity to not just learn or update skills and knowledge but to discuss and share with other comms professionals. I look forward to the next one!"
Melitta Campbell, Lloyds TSB
"A very valuable event and format. A welcome new addition to my membership fee."
Mark Godson, ABN AMRO
"Very enjoyable and informative"
Emma Matthews, HSBC
Can't find an event suitable? You can also network globally with your communication peers by joining the Communicator's Network today. It's completely free and allows you to post comments and reviews, join groups and forums and meet thousands of communicators around the world. So what are you waiting for?