Tuesday, March 31, 2020
11 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern Time
Attend this conference online: from your office, with your team or in your slippers at home.
COVID-19 has changed business communications and your job if not forever then for a very long time. It moves at an astounding speed—and you must now do the same to protect employees, the public and your brand reputation.
This hands-on conference arms you with the tools, templates and know-how you need to bring your crisis communications playbook up to speed quickly in the new era of pandemic PR. Join top crisis experts from ScottsMiracle-Gro, Discover, the Institute for Crisis Management and more to learn how to harness today’s technology to respond when rapid actions and decisions are a must.
From leadership and risk mitigation principles to new internal and external communications strategies, this conference gives you the insights you need to counter the “first viral virus” in the social media era.
What you'll learn:
- How to crisis-proof your organization and career against COVID-19 (and beyond)
- How to build trust with employees, the press and the public in times of fear
- The anatomy of any crisis—including the coronavirus outbreak—and the actions you need to take each step of the way
- Templates for successful crisis plans you can use to create or revamp your own
- How to earn a seat at the table and guide your execs past communications pitfalls
- Messaging guidance to correct misinformation online—from news sites to forums
- Social media strategies to monitor and adjust your COVID-19 response in real time
- Best ways to handle any potential “what if” questions before they happen
- How to create a plan to restore your reputation after this crisis is over
- What’s next: How to spot the next big threats to your brand and greatest asset (your employees!)
All attendees will receive the on-demand recording of this conference, all the presentations and the “3 three things you (probably) don’t know about crisis communications” downloadable report.
This one-day virtual conference will prepare you for tomorrow and beyond.
Top reasons to attend this virtual conference
- More than 12 hours of training at one low price without the cost of travel
- Access to the on-demand conference for 12 months to share with your team
- Access to presentations and other resources from speakers, including worksheets and reports
- Opportunity to ask speakers questions in real time
- Networking with fellow attendees via private LinkedIn group
- “Burn After Reading” document with conference takeaways and notes from selected sessions
- Some proceeds from every registration go toward the CPD Covid-19 Response Fund
- Personalized Certificate of Completion
Gather your team and join to learn new methods to counter coronavirus fears and communicate with clarity, confidence and compassion in today’s “viral,” high-risk landscape.
Your execs need your counsel now more than ever. Join to hear how to step into the breach with confidence, based on firsthand experience and findings from a new Peppercomm/IPR study showcasing the increased value execs place communications in their COVID-19 response:
- How to stay cool in the hot seat as Covid-19 escalates—and amid future crises
- How to work cross-functionally with legal and other partners
- How to define your role during a crisis, determine who is on your team and who’s in charge
- New Peppercomm/IPR study results: How companies are handling the pandemic, what information sources are most trusted now—and how other communicators are responding
- Steps you can take now to deliver the guidance your execs expect in crisis
Lives are at stake and so is your brand. How to balance your responsibility to multiple stakeholders with consistent, clear communication during the outbreak? Join to discover how to plan for workforce and supply chain interruptions while managing safety, reputation and finances—in that order. You’ll learn:
- Transparency and authenticity during crisis and why it matters
- Omnichannel communication: How to reach—and speak to—the press, public and investors
- How to avoid negative brand impressions and damaging your reputation with vestige marketing, advertising and messaging (you know, everything you were working on before COVID-19)
- How to monitor the impact of the outbreak on your brand through key metrics—and adjust
- Recovery communications first steps—steps to start taking now to restore your reputation after the COVID-19 crisis passes
- What’s next: Smart ways to approach the continuing information chaos
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is having a massive impact on businesses around the globe as companies struggle to keep their operations running productively despite troubling uncertainties. In this session, we'll discuss four key questions to assess communication during a crisis:
- What do employees expect from leadership? Key messages to share now—from travel updates and prevention measures, to updated workforce protocols and more
- How can I empower employees to help me combat the crisis with clarity?
- Which platforms are best for updating employees? Intranet, chat, email newsletters, town halls
- How can I ensure deliverability, drive action and track acknowledgement of COVID-19 updates?
A crisis plan should be like a well-packed suitcase. You want to ensure you’re ready for anything thrown your way—and you don’t want it sitting on a shelf gathering dust because it’s impractical. Join us for the essential components of any coronavirus-era crisis plan. You’ll learn:
- Where pre-COVID-19 and other public health crisis plans went wrong: examples and mistakes to avoid
- Your crisis plan TOC: from utilizing a risk assessment to clearly defining roles and responsibilities
- How to create—or update—your coronavirus-ready crisis plan in easy steps
- Mistakes to avoid: Important lessons from when a crisis plan went off the rails
Scenario planning is a cornerstone of risk and issues management. It has never been more important than in the era of rapid pandemics. Join to hear how to stress test your crisis plan with scenarios, war-gaming and desktop exercises. You’ll learn:
- Tips to conduct vulnerability assessments and scenario planning
- How to confidently lead tabletop exercises and crisis drills
- How to ensure your crisis plan includes a crucial element that most plans lack — and how to incorporate it into a crisis simulation
- The “What If” checklist for coronavirus: Questions you don’t want to ask (but must)
Social media buzz is a blessing and bane in the midst of a crisis like COVID-19. The World Health Organization has labeled the coronavirus the first “infodemic” due to the rapid spread of false and misleading information. Join to hear how social media contributes to the “viral” nature of misinformation, fear and manipulation surrounding the outbreak—and how you can use it to get ahead of the problem instead of contributing to it. You’ll learn:
- How to monitor brand conversations and identify issues on social media
- How—and when—to respond to issues like COVID-19 via social media
- How to bypass a negative news cycle by being proactive with social media outreach
- How to quickly shoot and share updates to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok
Join for a deep dive into fresh findings from Edelman’s Trust Barometer Special Report on COVID-19 and hear how clear, compassionate and frequent communication can rebuild trust in a world that now demands more from organizations.
You’ll learn:
- New findings, new roles: What the data says about employer communications, media relations and spokespeople during the coronavirus pandemic
- Disparities driving distrust: Factors that detract from trust in business, government, media and NGOs as the crisis worsens
- The “new calculus” of building trust: What the public now expects from employers when it comes to embracing competence, ethical behavior and transparency amid the crisis
- Insights for delivering clear, compassionate communications amid recovery and beyond
We’ll share the 13 top tactics and strategies from the virtual conference as you prepare to implement these ideas for your organization.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Join us if you work in:
- Internal communications
- Public relations
- HR communications
- Corporate communications
- Employee engagement
- Diversity and inclusion
- Employer branding
- Corporate culture
- Intranets
- Corporate social responsibility
- Executive communications
Thank you to our current sponsors
Join us as an event sponsor and meet your target audience, showcase your products, present thought leadership, generate leads and boost your brand.
Here are a few examples of opportunities we offer:
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- Speaking sessions on our main agenda
- Lightning talks on our main agenda
- Pre-conference workshop sessions
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- One-on-one meetings
- Marketing collateral and on-site branding
- Ragan and PR Daily Awards sponsorship
For more information on opportunities available at this specific event, reach out to sponsorship@ragan.com.
Ragan events are educational, inspirational and fun!
Our sponsors are an important part of the success of each event.
CService@Ragan.com or by calling 800-878-5331.
Please visit our FAQ
Cancellation Policy: Fees are non-refundable. Substitutions will be accepted up to 7 days prior to the event for another virtual event of equal value.
