European Communications Convention

The focus of this year’s European Communications Convention (ECC) was on the theme of ‘lies’, thereby addressing developments in recent months such as the Brexit referendum and the US election. Speakers from the UK, this year’s partner country for the communications congress, examined the communications landscape surrounding the Brexit decision from various perspectives, as well as its implications for international public relations. Other leading international speakers also addressed this topic and reported on experiences in their own countries. 

Presentations and discussions on dwindling anchors of trust, the click-driven society and rising cybercrime

Serra Görpe, a professor at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, gave a general presentation on the psychology of lying and how a lie, often referred to as an ‘alternative truth’, can influence the masses. However, the key message in one of the panel discussions, moderated by Jean-Pierre Beaudoin, Managing Director of Burson Marsteller i&e, was that trust, as an intangible asset, is even more valuable today than it was just a few years ago. This is because, in today’s world, we find fewer anchors of trust, for example due to the dwindling credibility of the mainstream media, and therefore the public is quicker to lose trust in institutions. Speaker Michael T. Schröder, President of the global communications network IPREX, also noted that through our intensive use of social media and ‘Like’ buttons, we have transformed into a ‘click society’ that, like swarm intelligence, directs attention towards certain topics. This new form of agenda-setting and susceptibility to fake news is a development whose consequences are difficult to predict. The rise in cybercrime, its implications for public relations, and the professional handling of communication strategies were also discussed by experts such as Gabi Dreo Rodosec, a professor at the Bundeswehr University, and John Adams, a cybercrime expert from Chicago. Other key topics included communication in the context of the refugee crisis, social media optimisation, and communication using moving images.

Congress participants discussed, networked and tested their skills in crisis situations

At the two-day congress in the Orangery at Nymphenburg Palace, participants did not merely discuss, seek solutions to current communication challenges and network: PR managers from companies, organisations and agencies were also able to test themselves in a simulated crisis scenario. The major topic here was autonomous driving. Using the example of a vehicle model launched with faults in the USA, the PR and communications experts ran through the necessary communication and exit strategies in a role-play.

Conference organised for the third time by the German Public Relations Society (DPRG)

The Communications Congress has now taken place for the third time in the last four years. The European Communications Convention is organised by a team of experienced PR and event experts, including board members of the DPRG Bavaria regional group, to which our owner Brigitte Kaltwasser also belongs. The next congress will take place in Munich again in 2018.