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EuroPCom, the
European Public Communication Conference, is the largest annual meeting point for experts in the field of public communication and jointly organised by the EU institutions in Brussels.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, EuroPCom will look different this year:
- On 29 June 2020, EuroPCom was for the first time organised virtually and consisted of a series of three webinars – see below for more details on the programme and on the right side for the handouts and recordings.
- On 7 and 8 December 2020, EuroPCom will continue as a physical event, a virtual one or a mix of both. The 11th edition of the conference will gather around 1000 communication experts from local, regional, national and European authorities and associations, as well as academia, private communication agencies and NGOs. A variety of formats will provide learning and training opportunities and plenty of possibilities for exchange of views and best practices.
The call for proposals is now closed. Many thanks for your inputs and suggestions! We are now working on the preliminary programme for the December event and will soon come back to you!
Stay tuned and follow us on social media! All updates on the preparation of the conference will be published on this website and announced on Twitter #EuroPCom and in our LinkedIn group.
Programme - 29 June
1. Stories from regions and cities: staying positive (09:00-10:00)
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, amongst other things, the urgent need for Europeans at all level to stay connected and to cooperate. Networking, sharing information and spreading good news about what works are key to respond positively to this crisis. Panellists shared positive stories from the ground, highlighting successful communication projects that helped EU citizens to keep connected and positive.
Moderator: María Andrés, Head of the European Parliament Office for Spain
Speakers:
- Massimo Gaudina, Head of European Commission Representation in Milan, Italy
- Andrea Horvat-Kramaric, Head of Section Communication and Spokesperson - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
- Ana Ferreira, Head of Cabinet of the Mayor of Braga, Portugal
- Kati Vähäsarja, Manager of Civic services unit, Wellbeing promotion department in Kuopio, Finland
2. Disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic (10:15-11:15)This session tackled the challenges of addressing fake news and disinformation arising in times of COVID-19. Panellists shared some of the best approaches to help you fight disinformation in your own community, whether you represent a public institution, a local/regional authority, a company or an NGO.
Moderator: Janis Sarts, Director of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence Riga, Latvia
Speakers:
- Delphine Colard, Head of the European Parliament Spokesperson's unit, Directorate-General for Communication
- Raimonda Miglinaite, Information and Communication Officer - European External Action Service (EEAS)
3. Communication post COVID-19: what is the 'next normal'? (11:30-12:30)The COVID-19 crisis is an unprecedented challenge for public communicators as nobody can yet predict how long it will last and how much it will affect the economy and public life. Local and regional governments have to make tough decisions and communicate them in a way that resonates with citizens. This webinar looked at the "next normal" in terms of crisis governance communication, and explored ways to communicate necessary measures in an effective manner. This webinar was part of the CoR Digital Masterclasses.
Moderator: Lene Naesager, Director for Strategy and Corporate Communication, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Speakers:
- Stijn Pieters, Co-founder and managing partner of PM • Risk Crisis Change
- Dr. Hugo Marynissen, Senior partner at PM • Risk Crisis Change