Purpose-Led, AI-Smart & Reputation-Resilient Corporate Communications Challenges Updates For 2026 & Beyond
A One-Day, Industry-Led Conference & Networking Exhibition, Central Manchester, 3rd June 2026
AI & The Future Of Communications • Crisis Comms In A 24/7 World • Rebuilding Trust Through Authentic Communication • Reputation In The Misinformation Era • The Evolving Comms Landscape • Purpose-Led Brand Storytelling • Proving Comms Impact
• ESG & Responsible Comms • Activating Employee Voices • Embedding Diversity & Authentic Representation • Communicating Through Uncertainty
08.30 Registration, Informal Networking & GIC Opening Remarks
OPENING REMARKS
09.00 Morning Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe, Head Of Engagement, Cabinet Office
Carey Pearson, Head Of Brand & Integrated Marketing, Wayfair Europe
AI & THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATIONS
NEW & UPDATED FOR 2026
DOUBLE PERSPECTIVE
09.10 Harness AI To Strengthen Trust, Sharpen Strategy & Elevate The Communications Function In A High-Scrutiny, Low-Trust Era
- Navigate a landscape where audiences question everything they see by adapting messaging, verification processes and content standards to maintain credibility as AI-driven misinformation accelerates
- Identify the AI tools that genuinely add value to comms, from horizon scanning to audience insight to automated Q&A assistants, and embed them without losing the human voice, intuition and judgment that make communications work
- Prepare for a world where AI becomes a stakeholder in its own right – with search disruption, declining website traffic and algorithmic information shaping brand narratives – so you can take control of your organisation’s digital ‘source of truth’
- Understand how AI will reshape skills, structures and entry-level pathways across communications teams, and develop capability plans that protect critical expertise while boosting productivity and efficiency
09.10 Perspective 1
Florian Vernay, Head Of Global Communications, Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Home Care, Unilever
09.30 Perspective 2
Megan Johnson, Head Of Brand, PR & Advocacy, EDF Energy
CRISIS COMMS IN A 24/7 WORLD
NEW & UPDATED FOR 2026
PANEL Q&A
09.50 Lead With Clarity, Control & Credibility When Issues Escalate In Real Time
- Strengthen your organisation’s readiness by mapping high-risk scenarios, pressure-testing response plans and defining clear decision rights to prevent confusion when the worst hits
- Draw practical lessons from real, publicly scrutinised crises to uncover what worked, what failed, and how seasoned comms leaders rebuilt trust, controlled narratives and stabilised reputations
- Respond at the speed of the news cycle by building rapid-reaction systems, cross-team coordination channels and approval workflows that keep messages aligned even under intense time pressure
- Manage the long tail of a crisis – from misinformation spirals to social media escalation – with smart monitoring, message recalibration and proactive stakeholder engagement that accelerates recovery
James Barge, Senior Director Corporate Affairs, PR & Community Relations, Asda
Tamara Pickett, Group Communications & External Relations Director, Virgin
Laura Tickle, Associate Director, Engagement & Regional Growth (NW), AECOM
Robbie Sommerville, Managing Director & Global Head, Corporate Communications, Standard Chartered
Alex Saker, Head Of Consumer PR & Content, Experian UK&I
Emma Hope, Head Of Communications, British Cycling
Paul Street, Communications & Engagement Director, Network Rail
AUTHENTICITY & TRUST
10.20 Build Genuine Connection & Long-Term Confidence Through Openness, Consistency & Real Dialogue
- Shift from surface-level messaging to richer, transparent communication that satisfies increasingly informed audiences who expect full context, not curated soundbites
- Reinforce credibility during challenging moments by embedding openness, accountability and steady leadership voice across every stage of the communications process
- Understand what’s fuelling today’s trust divide between the public and large organisations to shape communication that feels honest, human and worthy of belief
- Demonstrate real organisational integrity by backing sustainability and purpose-led claims with proof points, clear explanations and consistent internal alignment
Steve O’Neil, Head Of Public Affairs, UCL
