Level Up Internal Comms To Cement Strategic Impact, Engage Employees, Inspire Collaboration & Power Productivity:
Deliver Measurable Impact & Engaged, Connected Workforces With Results-Driven, Strategic Internal Comms
Supercharge IC With Strategic AI, Tech & Digital • Successfully Reach The Remote & Hard-To-Reach • Optimise Channels, Content & Creative Comms • Tackle Limited IC Budgets • What Is The Debate? Office Vs. Homeworking • Measurement & ROI – Prove Impact & Cement The Strategic Role • Innovative Employee Engagement & Experiences • Engage Leaders & Stakeholders • ED&I – Making IC More Inclusive & Protecting Company Cultures
08.30 Registration, Informal Networking & GIC Welcome
09.00 Morning Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Kevin Johnson, Transformation Communications Lead, Corporate Affairs, AWE
Hayley James, Head of Communications & Campaigns / Board Director, National Childbirth Trust / CIPR
OPTIMISE CHANNELS & CONTENT
09.10 Consistently Refresh & Revitalise Your Internal Comms Campaigns To Continue Piquing Employee Interest & Cutting Through The Noise To Deliver Essential Messages & Build Successful & Collaborative Inter-Team Relationships
- Cut back to cut through! Streamline your IC channel mix to more effectively manage your content and chosen platforms to mitigate information fatigue and ensure sky-high engagement
- Content is still king! Keep your IC messaging fresh with a content calendar which aligns with business needs but allows room for spontaneity and colleague-generated content
- Cater to regularity demands at both ends of the scale to avoid overcommunicating, hit the sweet spot and ensure all staff are effectively communicated with rather than disengaged by your IC
- Examine agile digital practices which revolutionise your internal comms strategies by creating an interactive journey which resonates with your employee’s needs
Nicola Hamilton, Former Head of Strategic Communications, National Grid ESO
STRATEGIC TECH, AI & DIGITAL – WHAT CAN AI DO FOR YOU?
09.30 Maximise Strategic & Cost-Effective Tech, AI & Digital With Proven Results To Level Up The Quality & Speed Of Your IC Strategies & Supercharge The Capabilities Of Your Team
- Bionic IC: embracing AI safely… how can you best use AI tools to power your team’s productivity without compromising on quality and losing that essential personal touch in comms?
- AI doesn’t have to be futuristic or break the bank! Redefine the role AI and new digital plays in internal comms by leveraging new tech which improves business efficiencies cost-effectively
- You can’t stop it, but you can harness it… as AI continues to develop and alter internal communication job descriptions, how can you upskill and support your team to help them best navigate and embrace new techniques and stay ahead of the digital curve?
Karin Bosch, Internal Communications: Allies, Diversity & Inclusion Wellbeing Lead, Sky
James Makepeace, Transformation Executive, Bristol Future Programmes, Rolls-Royce plc
10.00 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner
10.30 Morning Refreshment Break With Informal Networking
REACHING THE REMOTE & HARD-TO-REACH
11.00 Ensure Your IC & Engagement Strategies Filter Through Your Entire Workforce So You Can Keep Mobile, Tech-Free, International Or Remote Employees In The Loop, Increase Engagement & Productivity Levels
- How can you identify the right channels to deliver the right comms to the right people at the right time when some employees’ only channel is in-person and verbal comms?
- Uncover best-practice engagement strategies which keeps your whole organisation connected, even though not all employees sit at a desk, have a work phone, or even consistent access to the internet
- How can IC go a step further and not only communicate effectively with remote and hard-to-reach staff, but also create and build a shared community which can transform employee experiences?
ENGAGING LEADERS & STAKEHOLDERS
11.20 Engage & Equip Your Senior Leaders To Inspire, Drive Corporate Culture From The Top & Build Momentum Behind Change To Continue To Secure The Importance Of IC
- How can you keep leaders engaged across multiple touchpoints and ensure they continue to see the value of your comms to grant IC a seat at your organisation’s top table?
- Senior leadership visibility: equip your executive team with digital fluency skills to produce leadership comms that cut across all levels and communicates top level strategy to remote workers
- More than just copywriting! Show and prove to company stakeholders the power of comms teams to continue a holistic conversation which promotes IC and encourages future buy-in
TACKLING LIMITED IC BUDGETS
11.40 Utilise Increasingly Dwindling Resources To Excel In Managing Business Continuity & Meeting Your Employees’ Needs With Internal Comms Which Exceeds Expectations Despite Limited Budgets
- With IC teams reducing in size but expected to do more than ever, how can you do more with less to remain innovative and continue driving staff engagement?
- How can IC professionals overcome under resourcing and limited budgets to put forward a business case for new systems to stay ahead of the curve and maintain high staff morale levels?
- Uncover best practice tips and tricks to utilise systems you already have in place and collaborate with IT to supercharge your team’s ability to be as creative as possible without significant cost implications
Elaine Vaile, Head of Communications & Marketing, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust & Charity
OFFICE VS. HOMEWORKING – HYBRID & FLEXIBLE WORKFORCES
12.00 The Workplace Has Changed, So How Does IC Need To Respond? Strike The Right Balance Between The Needs Of The Business & The Employee Without Compromising On Ultimate Engagement, Productivity & Collaboration
- It’s time to debate… office vs. homeworking: what are the pros and cons? How important is it to stay connected? Has anyone managed to successfully strike the right balance? Will your policy ever meet all employees needs moving forward?
- Three types of employees, one desktop: how can you bridge the divide between office, hybrid and front-line workers to create a company environment which includes all?
- What purpose does coming into the office serve going forwards, and how can IC professionals promote the importance of face-to-face interaction across the business to protect the future of physical office spaces?
- Keeping the team spirit through Teams! How can internal comms professionals create inspiring campaigns for a workforce who are in the office less?
- Hybrid, downsizing, completely remote… how can IC deal with changing work habits and what relationships do internal comms professionals need to nurture to continue protecting all employee needs?
12.30 Lunch & Informal Networking For Speakers, Delegates & Partners
13.00 Informal Breakout Discussions
13.30 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Kevin Johnson, Transformation Communications Lead, Corporate Affairs, AWE
Hayley James, Head of Communications & Campaigns / Board Director, National Childbirth Trust / CIPR
CREATIVE COMMS
13.40 Let Your Creativity Soar By Producing Imaginative, Unique & Attention-Grabbing Internal Comms Strategies Which Inspire & Inform In Equal Measure
- Examine brand new approaches to produce innovative internal comms without breaking the bank with fun, creative and eye-catching comms strategies
- How can you continue innovating your production techniques of solid audio, visual and written content to stretch across all touchpoints and produce consistent internal impact?
- Explore and examine the different wants and desires of all age groups and demographics to create bespoke IC which engages all generations and encourages cross-collaboration for a healthier and more collaborative environment
13.40 Perspective One
Richard Hurst, Communications Business Partner, Platform Housing Limited
14.00 Perspective Two
Stephen Donaldson, Senior Internal Comms Manager, BT
MEASUREMENT & ROI: PROVING IMPACT
14.20 Maximise Internal Comms’ Impact & Influence With The Latest Measurement Tools, Metrics & Techniques Which Demonstrably Prove Bottom-Line Value & Results
- Examine essential measurement tools and tips to assess performance, change approaches and feedback results into future IC strategies
- How reliable are surveys and polls at determining staff engagement and are there better ways of ascertaining employee engagement levels today?
- Context is everything! Educate leaders on the statistics and metrics used to ensure that you are on the same page and can align with company goals to drive maximum impact
- Utilise your data and translate insights into action by transforming employee feedback metrics into tangible strategy improvements for long-term success
Caroline Elgood, Internal Communications Manager, Direct Line Group
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & EXPERIENCES: HIGH-IMPACT & INNOVATIVE
14.40 Generate Supercharged Employee Engagement & Experiences Which Promote & Nurture Winning Team Relationships & Collaboration By Debating & Discussing Best-In-Class Insights, Learnings & Proven Strategies
- How can you cut through the noise to reach employees with increasingly limited time and attention spans to ensure your key messages are seen, understood and, most importantly, retained?
- Encourage and incentivise employees with the right tools, technologies and agency to establish independence at all levels to ultimately boost retention, productivity and engagement
- How can comms professionals align employee engagement with organisational strategic goals to elevate IC to a point where it can engage and encourage stakeholders to place it higher on their priority lists?
Andy Wrigley, Former Head Of Communications – Data & Analytics, HSBC
Elaine Vaile, Head of Communications & Marketing, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust & Charity
Gerrard Hartland, Deputy Head of Internal Communications, NHS Blood & Transplant
Sarah Sysum, Copy & Content Manager, CSG Creative Studio (Comms & Learning), Sky Comms & Learning (Customer Service Group)
Matthew Knowles, Former Head of Employee Communications, Thames Water
PROTECTING COMPANY CULTURES
15.10 The Changing Face Of IC: Business-Critical Change Management Which Tackles The ‘New’ World Of Work, Retains Company Culture & Promotes Synchronicity Across The Business
- How can you promote deeper engagement on your intranet beyond people having a cursory glance during their coffee break to ensure crucial comms aren’t lost in the noise?
- What role can internal comms play within the staff retention piece in an increasingly candidate-led market to create a culture where employees want to remain long-term?
- With comms teams under-resourced with not enough capacity to fulfil all of their plans for audience engagement, how can you ensure cutting budgets doesn’t mean compromising on your company culture?
- Explore best practices for merging and incorporating companies to ensure all employees feel included and integral in the new organisational structure without values being lost
15.30 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner – Want To Speak? Contact us: partner@theinternalconference.com
16.00 Afternoon Refreshment Break With Informal Networking
ED&I – MAKING IC MORE INCLUSIVE
16.30 Embed ED&I Into The Heart Of Your IC Strategies To Ensure Your Comms Consistently Celebrates The Diversity Of Your Organisation & Fosters A Welcoming Environment For All
- How can IC do better by showcasing diverse leadership teams, cementing ED&I values across the organisation and promising to equip employees with the skillsets they need in order to power and advance their careers in IC?
- Foster an organisational culture which promotes authenticity and openness to ensure all employees feel supported, valued, and can bring their whole selves to work
- With several generations in the workforce, how do you navigate different viewpoints and educate on ED&I to build a universally inclusive company culture?
Karin Bosch, Internal Communications: Allies, Diversity & Inclusion Wellbeing Lead, Sky
THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF IC – NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO LOSE MOMENTUM!
16.50 What Will Internal Comms Look Like In Five Years? Demonstrate The Continued Importance Of IC To C-Suite & Embrace Continuous Change To Re-Centre Your Role & The Priority To Continue Delivering Exceptional ROI
- How can you add value to the role of internal comms and elevate it to a strategic priority within your organisation that sits on the same level as external comms?
- Audience knowledge, bias checking, editing… where will AI allow you to strategically redefine your work focus so that you can get ahead of the curve and prioritise your time effectively to continue securing internal buy-in?
- In today’s workplace structure, how much should internal comms, external comms, marketing and HR functions work together to create a seamless and integrated strategy?
REAL-WORLD LESSONS LEARNED
17.10 Ask, Share, Learn & Reflect On Real-World Learnings With Fellow Internal Comms Professionals To Encourage & Inform New & Innovative Ideas Which Nurture Groundbreaking Future Strategies
- Explore tangible, real-life examples of IC innovation implementation strategies in the real world to inspire future strategies and power actionable business changes
- You aren’t alone on a desert island! Benchmark success by hearing from fellow internal comms experts about campaigns and strategies which haven’t worked to set the tone and generate brand new and fresh innovations for the future
- Exclusive insights! Examine strategic work and implementations of IC techniques which deliver maximum impact and celebrate collaboration and inter-connectivity amongst employees today
Alice Oliver, Head of Internal Communications, University of Derby
Lee Irving, Head of Employee Communications & Engagement, Thames Water
Sanjay Mistry, Internal Communications Lead, Wellcome Trust
David Manning, Former Senior Manager Internal Comms, Currys
17.40 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks & Official Close of Conference