Why CIPR Inside are changing the conversation about Internal Comms

Are you tired of having the same conversations about Internal Comms? Today I have news of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) upcoming conference for IC pros.

The CIPR Inside annual conference is back with a bang and time is running out to secure your ticket at the early bird rate. It is focusing on Changing The Conversation around Internal Communication and I’m looking forward to speaking at the event to share how to do that.

Update: The early bird rate has expired, but you can save 10% off ticket prices using my discount code: Allthingsic10.

I’m looking forward to speaking @ciprinside #ChangingTheConvo conference on 8 October in Birmingham, UK. If you’re thinking of coming, do use my discount code to save 10% off ticket/s. Code is Allthingsic10 https://t.co/TirTv9xwZd pic.twitter.com/1mpR7igY2V

— Rachel Miller, All Things IC (@AllthingsIC) July 4, 2019

The conference is happening on 8 October 2019 in Birmingham, UK, and I’d love to see you there.

Internal Comms Practitioner Noel Armstong @noeltarmstrong is a volunteer with CIPR Inside and is here to give All Things IC’s readers the lowdown on what we can expect.

I’ll hand you over…

Why CIPR Inside are changing the conversation about Internal Comms

Our conference is finally returning on 8 October 2019 and it promises to be one of the best in this year’s internal communication calendar. If you’re not sure whether it’s worth your time and money, keep reading.

Here are four very good reasons to book your ticket:

1) We’re changing the conversation

If you’ve attended a number of internal communication conferences, you’ve probably seen the same topics and discussions. There’s a speaker covering change, another discussing digital, and one presenting on measurement – probably at great length! There’s nothing wrong with these topics. They are among the biggest challenges facing internal communication, but there’s a lot more to talk about, including the topics that affect how we approach our profession. These include ethics and continuous professional development.

We’ll still be talking about issues like measurement and change, but we’ll frame the conversation in a different way. We won’t fixate on problems – we’ll be talking about the very real opportunity to gain the respect that finally earns us a seat at the top table. We’ll show you how you can measure your internal communications and evaluate success, using tools and techniques we’ve researched (building on our recent measurement report) and outlined in case studies by people who have been there and done it successfully.

2) Our stellar speakers

We’ve put together a programme with some of the very best internal communication thought-leaders. They include:

• Chuck Gose, founder and host of the popular IC podcast ICology and Strategic Advisor for SocialChorus. Those who have followed Chuck for a number of years will be aware of his brilliant podcast, ICology. A fantastic resource which encourages communicators to start the conversation on how they can do more and be more.
• Rachel Miller. Rachel is Director of All Things IC and advises Internal Communicators via training, consultancy and her popular blog, which has recently just celebrated its tenth birthday. Her clients include ARM, BBC, LEGO, NHS, Transport for London, and British Red Cross. She’s a highly experienced and multiple award-winning practitioner who has trained hundreds of communicators via her Masterclasses.
• Katie Macaulay, AB’s Managing Director, has worked in almost every industry sector in both corporate and agency roles. Katie is also the author of ‘From Cascade to Conversation’ and the host of the popular IC podcast, ‘The Internal Comms Podcast.’
• Keith Lewis is a media, PR, social media, employee communications professional. He is currently in his second spell at Zurich having been in the media relations team there from 2006-12, before spending two years as Head of Communications at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. He re-joined Zurich in May 2017 and assumed responsibility for social media and social business.
• Jenni Field. A previous CIPR Inside Chair, Jenni is the Director of Redefining Communications and co-founder of The IC Crowd. Having joined the CIPR in 2013, she was awarded Fellowship in 2017 before becoming a Chartered PR Practitioner in 2018. Jenni is the President-Elect of CIPR.

These speakers (and others) have their fingers on the pulse of internal comms and they know where the industry is heading and what you need to do to future-proof your career.

They’ll be telling you why we need to change the conversation, how we can change, and what we need to do to change.

Their insights will be invaluable!

3) A new format

Are you tired of attending conferences that just consist of speakers and panel sessions, with very little opportunities for you to participate? We are too.

That’s why we’re building a programme with plenty of networking opportunities (not just in the breaks) and a chance for you to participate in the learning. Our speakers will be sticking around for the whole day, so you’ll get the chance to meet them and ask the questions you’ve been itching to ask.

The programme includes a ‘Mastermind Session’, where you’ll get the chance explore some of the pressing communication issues you’re facing at work, with peers on your table. This gives you the opportunity to solve some very real problems.

We’ll also have drop-in surgeries where you can ask experts about a range of issues including how to get chartered, how to find your next role, ethics, and mental health.

(I love Masterminds, I use them regularly in my training courses, including my Comms Director Masterminds. New to the idea? I blogged about them in 2018: What is a Mastermind? – Rachel).

4) A superb venue

We know that many people want to see more events outside London. So we’ve listened and we’re taking this year’s conference to Birmingham – a city with superb connections to other major towns and cities around the country.

If you’re tired of attending conferences in soul-destroying hotels with no natural light, then you’ll love this year’s venue – Birmingham Town Hall. It’s a beautiful Grade I listed building with a 180-year history. It’s ideal for a creative event which requires maximum energy from its participants. It’s also conveniently located right in the heart of the city centre, within walking distance of the main public transport hubs.

Rumour has it that Chuck Gose only accepted the invitation to fly over to the UK when he found out the conference was being held in Birmingham – the spiritual home of his boyhood heroes, Duran Duran. Don’t be surprised if you see Chuck in animated debate with fellow Duran Duran fans, Katie Macaulay and committee member, Martin Flegg.

So, if you want to prepare yourself for the future and pick up valuable tips on some of the key challenges in your internal communication role, then join us on 8 October.  Book your ticket/s today.

We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham!

Post author: Noel Armstrong.

Thanks very much Noel. I like the fact there are multiple price points for this conference. I also love the Pay It Forward option…

You can find CIPR Inside online via their website and on Twitter @CIPRInside.

If you can’t attend the conference, do check out #ICBookClub. They’re currently reading Liam and Sue’s book I featured the other day.

I’m starting chapter 2 of ‘Successful Employee Communications’ by @LiamFitz and @suedewhurst. It’s the next @ciprinside #ICBookClub read, to be discussed on 6 August. Only 10 more chapters to go… pic.twitter.com/KBauCckAt4

— Noel Armstrong (@noeltarmstrong) June 26, 2019

First published on the All Things IC blog 27 June 2019.