Internal Communications, Corporate Comms, Digital Workplace, Employee Experience, AI Conference

City tour of Vienna: Alleys, squares and courtyards

If you arrived already in Vienna, you are invited to join us for a city tour. Our city guide Martina Büchele is a highly experienced and professional tour guide based in Vienna. One of her specialities is the "Alleys, squares and courtyards" tour, which takes visitors on a journey through the hidden gems and lesser-known areas of Vienna. Before becoming a guide, Martina held key leadership positions in international companies, where she honed her skills in communication and marketing. With a background as Head of Communications, she will bring a unique perspective and expertise to this city tour. Martina is known for providing an engaging and informative experience for her tour participants.

Martina Büchele

Get-together: Dinner in Vienna

Did you arrive already in Vienna? You are warmly welcome to join us for a get-together with Internal Comms Managers from all over Europe. Besides of enjoying a delicious Austrian cuisine experience at Resturant Hofmeister, you will have the chance to win books and further great prizes! Address: Restaurant Hofmeister, Bräunerstraße 7

Good morning & Check-In

Marie Gonzalez, Advatera

Moderated roundtable discussions

Instead of a classic conference opening, we jump right into the discussion. Select your preferred topic and join one of the roundtables: First Experiences with AI Content Generation in Internal Comms & Create Innovative & Engaging Content; Effective Intranet & Drive User Interaction on Internal Comms Platforms Transforming Workplaces: Crafting an Employee Apps for Success; Train Management in Effective Communication Amplify Impact by Reusing Content Across Media Channels" Foster Equality and Diversity in Communications  

Aurélie Mädje, refurbed

Vera Kraxner, A1 Telekom Austria Group

Wolfgang Schöffel, Advatera

Marina Perez, Suntory Beverage & Food International

Klaus Kraigher, UNIQA Insurance Group AG

Marija Vasiliauskaite, Girteka Group

Dana Đikić, RHI Magnesita

The power of communications - conference opening thoughts

The landscape of work and communication is evolving faster than ever, and it's our shared passion and responsibility to stay ahead, to learn, and to lead. Indeed, that is the reason we have set up the Comms Forum, because communication is the driving force behind transformation in organizations.

Marie Gonzalez, Advatera

Volker Grünauer, Advatera

Keynote: Manage Performance like an Olympian

The journey to becoming the best, athlete or company, is not an easy one. There are obstacles to overcome and challenges to face. However, anything is possible if we have set clear goals to excel individually on and off the track and as part of a team. Through the narratives of Olympic athletes, we are driving our approach to performance management as one of the main vectors of our cultural change.

Sara Lupi, Beiersdorf

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace: how can you think you are doing the right thing when you are going against the grain?

Marina will talk about #diversity, #inclusion, #digital and #employerbranding and will give the tips related to DE&I that she used in her organisation, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, to avoid being in contradiction between what you show and who you really are as a company. "Let’s discuss Employer Branding and DE&I together!"

Marina Perez, Suntory Beverage & Food International

Employee App Demo

In this Stand-Up & Share session Dana will showcase their soon-to-be-launched Employee App. They will also do a live demo of the current version, specifically tailored for their management team.

Dana Đikić, RHI Magnesita

Break & networking

Crisis communications: the right decisions at the right time

The crisis usually comes unexpectedly and brings a tone of rumors. I will share my experience with you about the crisis and how it affected our employees and how internal communication helped to overcome it. I truly believe, learnings from this case study can help you to make the right decisions at the right time.

Viktorija Pirstele, Girteka

Building an internal communications function at TIP Group

A step-by-step approach on building a communications function from scratch. Having joined TIP Group in September 2021, Conor will recount his experience on setting up a robust internal communications framework and approach. TIP Group is a global organization with just over 3,000 FTEs of which half are frontline workers. Conor will share lots of best practices on channels, content, and general communications advice.

Conor Lynch, TIP Group

Lunch & Learn

Keynote: Future of work and AI

Unleashing the potential of AI for intranet editors and collaborators: Let’s take a journey to daily use cases for intranet editors and collaborators. Comparing the status quo versus how they could be solved in the future with AI.

Amelia Hernández Osorio

Panel Discussion: Bringing AI into comms

The power of AI in communications is rising and transform the way we work. What are the opportunities of AI for communication managers? What does this mean for our future job roles? We'll also examine how leveraging AI can give businesses a competitive advantage in the global economy, and the ethical challenges that arise when using AI in the workplace. To navigate these challenges, we'll discuss the importance of transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making. Ultimately, this keynote will provide insights into how organizations can thrive in the age of AI, by balancing innovation with education and ethics.

Thomas Lidy, Utopia Music

Tristan Miller, Research Studios Austria & Austrian Research Institute for AI

Michael Pucher, Austrian Research Institute for AI & Recognosco

Building Bridges: international internal communications

In an international company, internal communicators face challenges due to cultural differences, language barriers and geographic separation of teams spread around the world. It can be difficult to ensure that everyone is on the same page. A major challenge is providing accurate translations that convey the intended meaning. By addressing these challenges and adopting communication strategies that are sensitive to cultural differences, a company can ensure that employees are not only informed, but feel better connected to the organization.

Susanne Schuijt, Aon

Giving our employees a voice: How and Why we established the Corporate Influencer Program

To counteract the current challenges in the public health care system, we asked ourselves the question: How can we authentically and genuinely convey the appeal of medical professions and solidarity in our teams? Our answer: with the help of our Corporate Influencers since real people mean real messages. Since the start of the program in May, we inspired 22 active influencers and the number is growing!

Gwendolyn Kaiser, Vivantes – Netzwerk für Gesundheit

Break & networking

How EcoVadis ensures the adoption of its purpose and core values

Integrating company purpose and core values into internal communications to create meaningful corporate storytelling and align employees with the company mission and objectives. A look into the development and implementation of the purpose and core values of EcoVadis and how internal communications can ensure that they are adopted and lived by the whole team.

Ainsleigh Walker, EcoVadis

Digital Workplace Demo - Award winning Intranet by VELUX

In this insightful session, Christian will provide a brief demonstration of VELUX One – a powerful digital workplace solution that has garnered widespread recognition, including the Intranet Prize 2021 from IntraTeam. This award-winning platform sets a new standard for effective internal communication and collaboration. Join us to understand how VELUX has harnessed the power of digital technology to create a seamless and engaging user experience that drives productivity, fosters innovation, and strengthens organizational culture. Beside the intranet they also use Viva Engage (Yammer), Teams and infoscreens for their digital internal communications.

Christian Skjæran, VELUX

Townhall session

Summarizing the learnings of the conference.

Sara Lupi, Beiersdorf

Viktorija Pirstele, Girteka

Volker Grünauer, Advatera

Get-together with Viennese wine and food

Enjoy a bite and a sip while sharing your conference experience with the other attendees. Do not miss, you can win some prizes!