9:30
| Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration
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10:00-11:30
| Morning breakout sessionsChoose one session to attend. Small group discussions to follow each session.
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| Crisis communications in HE
Chris Tucker, Course Leader for CIPR Crisis Communication Diploma, PR Academy
Dr Fiona Lethbridge, Senior Press Officer, Science Media Centre Tahmina Choudhery, VP Professional & Social Sciences, Middlesex University Students’ Union
As communications professionals, your job is to promote but also to defend. What happens when something goes wrong? What happens when you get it wrong? How do you reassure your communities that everything is under control or get the right messages across both internally and externally? This session will tackle crisis and risk in communications but also address how to support communication staff with dealing with fallout and mass responses. We will also hear reflections on how universities communicated responses to the Black Lives Matter campaign, and what lessons can be learnt from this.
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| Ensuring expectation equals reality
Dan Ramsay, Director of the GREAT Campaign, Department for International Trade
Jo Nuckley, Head of Outreach and Insight, Office of the Independent Adjudicator
Paul Humphreys, Founder and CEO, StudentCrowd
Chair: Michael Thompson, Deputy Director of Communications and External Relations, Universities UK
How well are UK universities managing expectations of prospective students and the reality of current students? In recent years several universities have been criticised for their use of statistics in promotion and advertising. How can marketing professionals highlight their university’s strengths, while not misleading? In this era of blended learning, student experience has changed. This session will explore what universities need to be aware of to ensure their university promotions reflect the student experience. |
| Developing effective university brand communicationsCollette Lux, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, University College London Mark Garratt, Interim Director of Marketing, Recruitment & International, Swansea University Penny Eccles, Strategic HE Marketing Consultant (former Director of Marketing at Nottingham Trent University) Alex Causton-Ronaldson, Head of Education, pslondon Robert Pepper, Strategy Partner, pslondon Kendra Rogers, Head of Insight & Strategy, pslondon
Universities in the UK are marketing themselves harder than ever before. More effort and more money is being invested to attract students. At the same time, many universities appear to have few points of difference in their advertising. In this session our panel of university brand leaders will discuss: 1) What are the challenges facing universities in the 2021 and 2022 recruitment cycles? 2) How these problems can be solved by robust, insight led brand communications 3) What 16-19 year olds think of current university brand communications 4) How university marketers can make the shift and mitigate any strategic risk associated |
11:30-14:30
| Break from sessions and virtual conference café
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14:30-16:30
| Afternoon plenaries
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14:30
| Welcome opening remarks from chair
Gabriel Milland, Partner, Public First
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14:40
| In conversation with... Kamal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed, Editorial Director, BBC News
In this session, we welcome Kamal Ahmed to discuss the BBC’s strategy for shaping editorial content to ensure that it accurately reflects its audience and how it is changing and embracing new technologies. We will also hear how they work effectively with news media and content providers to promote good news stories.
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15:00
| Communicating value to local and wider communities
Lizzie Ellen, Communications Manager, King’s College, London
Victoria Pearson, Head of Corporate Communications, University of Reading
While attention has been on the impact of covid-19 and the move of university teaching and services online, the question of the value of higher education has not gone away. This session will look at case studies from two Universities who have gained public attention for their initiatives that aimed to contribute and add value to our wider society. They will discuss what impact they had and the response they received.
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15:30
| Recruiting and engaging in tough times
Jim Tudor, Founder, Future Index
Polly Cziok, Strategic Director, Engagement, Culture, and Organisational Development, Hackney Council
Jonathan Goode, Head of Alumni Relations, Bournemouth University
Cutting through the noise and standing out in a recovering global market is tough. Why should prospective students choose you? Why should current students stick with you? This session will share highlight strategies to engage concerned audiences and how to stand out as a trustworthy brand.
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16:05
| The future of league tables
Alastair McCall, Editor, The Sunday Times Good University Guide
As UK universities take a hit in the global higher education rankings, we take a look at the behaviour in the market that led to these results. This session will hear from league table providers about how sustainable their methodologies are and how they contribute to a University’s reputation.
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16:25
| Closing remarks
Gabriel Milland, Partner, Public First
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