Pictures from the event can now be seen on our Conference Gallery.

Thank you all for joining us for the event, we look forward to seeing you next time!

See the test results here.

Bring your skills – and your concerns- to our conference in Milan to see what your peers have to say.

Our Crisis Communication Competence Test will highlight some of the areas you should think about, and highlight some plans you should make now, so that, if a crisis hits your organisation, you are positioned in the best place possible to move forward with speed and clarity.

It’s never too soon to prepare for a crisis!

Dr. Arne Westermann is Professor of Com­mu­ni­ca­tion Management in the Corporate Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Department of Quadriga University Berlin. He is also a com­mu­ni­ca­tion consultant at his w.komm consulting firm and an active member of the scientific advisory board of the Düsseldorf District Digital Multimedia Agency. Previously, Westermann was active as a local journalist and then for several years as a consultant and project team leader at the Düsseldorf office of komm.passion. Through his various consultancy positions, he has advised clients from the public and private sectors with a focus on corporate com­mu­ni­ca­tions, online com­mu­ni­ca­tions, change and crisis com­mu­ni­ca­tion and com­mu­ni­ca­tion evaluation.

The Crisis Communication Conference Challenge is a great way to meet other crisis communications and to engage on relevant conference topics which are highlighted in our conference modules:

- “Before the Crisis”

- “During the Crisis”

- “After the Crisis”

A few weeks before meeting in Milan, participants will be presented with a crisis scenario, which they will consider in context with the rest of the conference during roundtable discussions during at the end of each module. At the end, group discussion leaders will have the opportunity to join our speaker panel to discuss some of the most important themes in crisis communications today- a great opportunity to network, have fun and learn from seasoned professionals, from your colleagues and from yourself.

If you would like to participate in the Conference Challenge, please mark your request on the registration form, or send a note to our Conference Coordinator.

Read the article online here.

Regsiter today to hear Mr. Arngrimsson’s account in Milan.

Register online today to join us in Milan for this riveting presentation.

Through the Fire

Crises as experienced by companies have grown on an unprecedented scale – they are global, comprehensive and more intense than ever before. Woe to those who are not adequately prepared or fail to get the crisis under control quickly. A crisis that continues may even put the very existence of the company in danger. Andrew Gowers reports on two cases in which he was responsible for the crisis communication: the financial crisis at Lehman Brothers and the BP oil spill of 2010.

Edward Muscat Azzopardi

The conference will end with a roundtable discussion – led by the our conference moderator Prof. Dr. Arne Westermann – on crisis communications. The discussion will feature some of our speakers as well as the discussion leaders of  the Conference Challenge. Focussing on the theme of Before, During, and After, the Crisis, panel participants will discuss all aspects of crisis communication, from different perspectives and  industries. This discussion is a great way to engage with some of our expert speakers, sum up the conference and underline the key points raised throughout the two days in Milan.

Yannis Freris

To volunteer to participate in the discussion, please contact our Project Coordinator Kiera Senst.

Vincenzo Galimi

Success Through Community Engagement: How The Bank of Valletta Survived

The financial crisis of 2008 marked the beginning of a difficult time for all businesses, but banks across the world were hit especially hard. In this best case session, Edward Muscat Azzopardi will explain how the Bank of Valletta incorporated a strategy of community engagement to maintain trust with its clients, and remain afloat through one of the roughest storms in business history.

After the Storm: Reputation Restoration during Financial Crisis

Some Italian financial firms reacted to the international financial market storms with two communication goals: assert asset management’s role and tackle market crisis’ effects. By introducing three key steps for managing crises, Vincenzo Galimi will guide participants in an interactive workshop to explain the secrets of the most important aspect of crisis communications: rebuilding reputations. In this session you will discover what to focus on first, where to direct your initial resources, and what aspects can be left for later.

Coming soon!

Litigation PR: A Discussion on Best Practice

This session will cover litigation PR through crisis communications, including a general history of the field, its objectives, and the perspectives of key players. The session will also include best case examples and a question and answer session.

A Crisis or a Second Chance? The Icelandic Ash Cloud as an Opportunity

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland in April 2010, which closed down air space across Europe, was a great threat to both Icelandair and Icelandic tourism. As Icelandair‘s home airport is just 100km from the volcano, there was no way to foresee how things would develop for airline operations. People were nervous about going to Iceland; some thought that the whole land was covered with ash and that Iceland was in a state of emergency. This was a huge challenge for Iceland, because tourism is such an important part of its economy. Gudjon Arngrimsson will explain how Icelandair teamed up with the Icelandic government and the rest of the tourism industry to spread the truth about Iceland, and share the results they achieved.

Your Move: Tools for an Effective First Response

Everyone remembers a first impression. In times of trouble, it is important to calculate exactly how your inital reaction will impress public opinion. Yannis Freris will talk about some of the ways that you can most effecively engage in crisis situations through your first response.

When to inform the media and the public about a complex issue that you might not be able to control short term?

What if major facts or the origin of the issue are not known to you at this stage?

Who to put forward as the company’s spokesperson and how to assess the risks related to your decision?

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During this highly interactive session participants will delve into real cases from the oil and gas industry and analyze main aspects of crisis communications and reputation management.  Apart from receiving practical insights and recent first-hand learnings, you will assess several options for communicating in a crisis and draw from international best practices. A special focus will be on dealing with social media in a crisis situation.

Web 2.0 and Internal Crisis Management

A team is only as strong as their weakest player. Crises can be incredibly detrimental to employee motivation and morale, and the consequences for organisations already in crisis can be dire. What are the most effective strategies for engaging with employees during times of crisis? Frederick Tautz explains how to engage your team during your organisation’s most difficult times. This workshop will feature multiple types of employee engagement, including Web 2.0 and more.

Coming soon!

Out of Left Field – How a Chicken Breast & The Vatican Helped Define eBay’s Communication Strategies

Often, crises arise when you least expect them. For eBay, a company breaking new ground in online business, the death of Pope John Paul II was an unexpected source of crisis. Andrea Polo explains how a call from the Vatican was just the intervention that eBay needed to be prepared for future international crises.

Frederik Tautz is a Director Digital Strategist at Ketchum Pleon, and has helped companies and organisations conquer digital territories for over 15 years. His areas of expertise include crisis communication for various industries, especially pharmaceuticals and FMCG. Tautz studied sociology and health economics in Dusseldorf, Oestrich-Winkel, and Boston, and has taught at various private and public universities. Mr Tautz is also the author of a book on e-Health.

Crisis Preparation – Measurement & Tracking

In the fast-paced world of online communications, being prepared for the unexpected is critical for maintaining your reputation in the eyes of your audience and stakeholders. Margaret O’Donnell of the British Red Cross will examine how two parallel events helped her organisation redefine the importance of preparation, and what strategies they are using to stay on top of the pulse.

Edward Muscat Azzopardi is the current Head of Marketing and PR for the Bank of Valletta inMalta. He has worked as a Brand Manager for Nestlé, and also as Group Marketing Manager for Allied Newspapers Ltd. Muscat Azzopardi studied Pharmacy Studies at L-Università ta‘Malta,before receiving his MBA from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce deGrenoble.

Polo began his career in communications at Gruppo Editoriale Giunti in Florence, before moving in 1999 to direct the marketing of Giunti Multimedia in Milan. In 2000, he was the first employee at eBay Italy where, from the beginning, he was responsible for communications and marketing in different categories. He created the charity and events section on the site of and, by the end of 2003, he directed the whole area of external relations. In his actual role, he leads the communication of Assicurazione.it, the leading Italian insurance and financial services price comparison and the leading online Italian real estate network Immobiliare.it. He has won several communication awards, including the European Excellence Award in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the Mediastars 2008 as the best Italian Creative Director.

Margaret O’Donnell serves as Digital Media Manager for British Red Cross. O’Donnell started her career working for Psion before moving into the public sector where she worked at Goldsmith’s College in London. She then spent a year in Singapore working for a subsidiary of Seiko before returning to the UK and rejoining Psion. Margaret made her leap into the non-profit sector just before the dot.com bubble burst, and spent 10 years with the RNIB latterly as their Web Manager. In her current role, O’Donnell aims to maximise their use of digital media to reach a wider range of audiences, especially hard to reach target groups.

Andrew Gowers served as Head of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, for Lehman Brothers from 2006 to 2008 until the firm itself closed. From then until 2009, Mr. Gowers worked as Head of External Relations for London Business School, before moving on to serve as Head of Group Media for BP until 2010.

Vincenzo Galimi serves as the Director of Communication for Assogestioni Group. Prior to assuming this position, Galimi held communications positions in Eptafund Sgr (now Eurizon Capital), Banka Popolare di Lodi, and Credit Suisse. Galami has over 15 years of communications experience. He received a Master’s Degree from the University of Durham, a Laurea in Economia from Universita delgi Studi di Ferenzi, and has also studied at Harvard  Business School.

Yannis Freris leads the Corporate Communication & Sustainable Development Department of GEFYRA S.A. (Concessionaire of the Rion – Antirion “Harilaos Trikoupis” Bridge), from the beginning of the epopee of this European mega-structure till its present operation period. He acts as a Spokesperson, corporate communication, CSR strategist and a writer on these topics, specialized in corporate citizenship. His team has won more than 15 communication & CSR awards and distinctions on the national and the European level since 2008. He is the Head of EACD’s CSR working group and a regional coordinator of the association forGreece. He is a member of the Organizing Committee of the annual “Communication on Top” international congress at Davos (Switzerland). On the national scale, Yannis is the Vice-President of the Corporate Affairs Sector of the Hellenic Management Association (EEDE), a board-member of the Corporate Responsibility Institute (CRI) as well as of the Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas”, General Coordinator of “SOLIDARITY PYLONS” platform of NGO’s & social action civic associations and the Head of Communications of the Greek Interoperable Toll Service (GRITS).

Videos of Mr. Freris:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrKeh–pKLc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_q6k-HICFI

Rosa D‘Antona founded D‘Antona & Partners in March of 2003. Before assuming the position as President of the Group, she worked for four years as President of Edelman Europe, overseeing 12 offices in nine countries accross the regions. Ms D‘Antona also worked for 10 years at MS&L (then Mavellia PR) as Partner and Manager for B2B and industrial clients such as Solvay, Dow Chemical, Nabisco, Philips, Bulgari, Mattel, and Swatch.

Patrick Kammerer has 20 years of experience in politics and business as an expert in corporate and consumer communications, Public Affairs as well as crisis and issues management. He started as a speechwriter and communications advisor at the headquarters of the Christian Democrats in Germany to then lead their department of interior policy. As Director of International Industry Policy at Reemtsma and later on as the company’s Director of Brand PR he was responsible for driving global communications initiatives. He served as Director of Corporate Communication of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Nike based in the Netherlands after leading communications for Nike in Germany. In 2004, Kammerer joined Shell where he was Director of Corporate Communications and Economic Policy for Germany, Austria and Switzerland before taking on a global assignment in London as Head of Communications for the company’s Retail business. Since 2011, he is responsible for communications across all Shell businesses in the Europe hub. Patrick Kammerer also chairs the Crisis Communications Working Group of the German Public Relations Association.

Gudjon Arngrimsson has been Vice President Corporate Communication of Icelandair since 2005. He joined the airline in 2000 as Manager of Public Relations, and his background is in print and TV journalism in Iceland, as well as in advertising and PR. Between 1999 and 2000 he was the Icelandic Government’s Millennium Commission Programme Director. Arngrimsson has also written several historical books.