Please check the programme regularly as it will continue to evolve. Subject to change

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

9.45am Welcome, Laura Sutherland FCIPR Chart.PR MPRCA, Founder of PRFest and Director of Aura PR

10am DRIVEN by Purpose – Rax Lakhani, Kuldeep Mehmi and Laura Sutherland

Kuldeep will discuss his journey as a former Taylor Bennett Foundation student and Rax will discuss how PRCA’s Diversity and Inclusion Group is progressing the conversation with its members. The panel will then launch the new DRIVEN framework, which will become a manifesto created at PRFest, for the wider PR and communication industry to later adopt. This will be a collaborative session for discussion and working to help brands be more conscious, responsible and responsive.

11.45am Waging ethics battles for positive outcomes – Mary Beth West MPRCA, Senior Strategist

Ethical considerations should underpin every decision, strategy and tactic of public relations – particularly when organisational executives’ own ethical mistakes spur self-inflicted crises that PR professionals are then expected to solve. Speaking up when ethical compliance is lacking can be one of the most crucial jobs a proactive public relations strategist delivers . . . but the process can be fraught with challenges, risks and stress.

Sharing her own travails as an outspoken ethics advocate in the U.S.-based PR industry, Mary Beth West will lead an interactive discussion with attendees about the Do’s and Don’ts of calling out lies and unethical behaviour that threaten not only organisational reputations but also professional careers . . . and how to wage ethics battles from a position of strength, with positive outcomes.

1.30pm Three is the magic number – How to manage your time more effectively so you can be successful in life – Sarah Lloyd, mindful coach

In this day and age it is all too easy to get carried away with answering emails, working late into the night and sat fixated on our phone all in the name of being a success. After being sucked into the 9-5 corporate treadmill, it is all What if I could tell you that you have a choice in how you manage your time? That success could be measured differently? The best advice I ever received was to be successful we must split our time into 3 – 1 third for your business; 1 third for your family and 1 third for you.  This discussion opens up new thinking around taking back your power, working with businesses you are passionate about without compromising personal life.

2.45pm Mastering your Mindset, Performing Better and Achieving More – Gayle Mann, Director, Entrepreneurial Spark

The only constant in your world as a PR professional is change. In the 21^st Century embracing and being excited by change is becoming an essential core skill. This means as individuals we have to deeply understand how we react and respond to change events and how it effects our performance on a daily basis, both in and out of a work environment. During this table discussion we will focussing on: 

• • the positive and negative effects that change has on your daily mindset
  • how to master your mindset to get yourself unstuck and overcome challenges
  • how becoming a true master of your mindset can help you perform better and achieve more

4pm How can PR and the creative industries influence organisations and their sustainability plans? Will Saunders, Designer and Creative Consultant, Good Will Studios

We’ll be discussing our roles, responsibilities and opportunities as PR professionals & creative marketers to respond to the climate emergency, and how we can live and work in a more environmentally sustainable way.

5pm Closing remarks, Laura Sutherland