#BRUSSELSFORUM21
15 - 17 June 2021
Online
Sustainability, inclusion, and responsibility are key forces driving innovative approaches in business and politics. Join the Brussels Forum to connect with your peers and hear high-level presentations and discussions about strategy, trends, and how emerging issues are shaping public affairs — today and tomorrow.
Featured Topics
Sustainability, inclusion and responsibility have been rising to the top of the agenda in Europe, the US and global. Public expectations for companies to “speak up” and “do the right thing” on societal issues are accompanied by mounting regulatory pressure from national and international governments. Both trends are making businesses increasingly accountable on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, and placing a premium on a company’s ability to anticipate risks and build a solid reputation at home and abroad.
How can public affairs and communication leaders help their organisations adapt and emerge victorious from an increasingly demanding and fast-paced environment?
Building on the success of previous summits, the Public Affairs Council will bring together senior-level government officials, corporate leaders, public affairs executives and engaging speakers to discuss strategies for addressing such challenges as:
- The role of business and politics in promoting global governance
- The strategic role of public affairs in creating long-term value
- Can companies deliver on sustainability and corporate citizenship expectations?
- Communicating (for) change in Europe and beyond
- Diversity and inclusion in European and global public affairs
This event features a final tactical workshop that will bring together key insights and help participants translate good ideas into a successful public affairs strategy.
Sponsors
With special thanks to our premium sponsor:
Quorum is public affairs software that helps you work smarter and move faster. Thousands of public affairs professionals use Quorum for their work in the European Union, Congress, all 50 state legislatures, and major global markets. Founded in 2014, Quorum is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with an international office in Brussels. Learn why Quorum is best in class at www.quorumeu.com.
With special thanks to our champion sponsors:
State and Federal Communications, Inc. has one mission – to ensure you and your organization can comply fully with the myriad and growing government compliance laws and regulations regarding lobbying, campaign finance, and procurement lobbying.
Ulobby, is an SaaS-platform for public affairs and stakeholder management, which facilitates political intelligence collection through AI-generated insights. Our clients benefit from a complete overview of their stakeholder engagement to more effectively visualise and measure the economic impact of their public affairs efforts.
Agenda
Please note that recordings of most discussions will be available to registrants after the event for a period of 7 days.
Sessions will take place in the afternoons for European audiences and in the mornings for U.S. participants.
All stated times are CEST (Brussels).
This agenda is indicative and subject to change.
13:30 – 14:00 Arrival, orientation and networking
14:00 – 14:50 Fireside chat
The Role of Business and Politics in Promoting Global Governance
- How businesses, together with international institutions and global fora, can promote sustainability and global governance.
- How can countries and businesses together address global challenges?
14:50 – 15:00 Networking break
15:00 – 16:00 Panel discussion
Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship – Can companies deliver?
- How can companies address rising expectations from society to “do the right thing” on ESGs?
- The rise of CEO and employee activism.
- Challenges and opportunities of corporate citizenship.
- From shareholder capitalism to multi-stakeholder capitalism.
16:00 – 16:15 Networking break
16:15 – 17:15 Panel discussion
The Strategic Role of Public Affairs in Creating Long-term Value
- The role of public affairs in encouraging internal change and promoting long-term value and sustainable business practices.
- A new mindset in engaging with internal and external stakeholders.
17:15 Adjourn and networking
13:30 – 14:00 Arrival, orientation and networking
14:00 – 14:50 Keynote interview
Communicating Europe in Turbulent Times — Highs, Lows, and Looking Ahead
- How has the European Union communicated around hot topics in the past year (health crisis, the Green Agenda, sustainability)?
- How can institutions and governments better engage with citizens in uncertain and difficult times?
14:50 – 15:00 Networking break
15:00 – 16:00 Panel discussion
Communicating (for) Change — Strategies, Campaigns and Tools for Impact
- Presentation of campaigns, tactics and tools that have been used in the past year around the topic of green, sustainability, health
16:00 – 16:15 Networking break
16:15 – 17:15 Panel discussion
Diversity and Inclusion in Public Affairs — Insights from Europe and Beyond
- Case studies from European and global companies featuring good practices in promoting diversity and inclusion.
- Internal communication challenges and opportunities for global companies.
- Examples and tips for managing international teams.
- The future of work.
17:15 Adjourn & networking
13:30 – 14:00 Arrival, orientation and networking
14:00 – 15:00 Virtual workshop
Bringing it all Together: Planning for Public Affairs part I — Stakeholders, Issues and Messaging
- This session combines the content of previous workshops on strategy with practical applications of the concepts of sustainability, corporate governance and corporate citizenship when it comes to stakeholders identification, issues mapping and messaging.
15:00 – 15:15 Networking break
15:15 – 16:15 Virtual workshop
Bringing it all Together: Planning for Public Affairs part II – Tools, Communicating and Measuring Impact
- This session combines the content of previous workshops on strategy to include practical applications of the concepts of sustainability, corporate governance and corporate citizenship when it comes to choosing advocacy tools, communicating/engaging with your audience and measuring impact.
16:15 Adjourn & networking
Confirmed Speakers
Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen
Director-General of the Directorate-General for Communication
European Commission
Andrea Chiarello
Director, Head of EU Government Affairs
Pfizer
Andrew Hobbs
Partner | EMEIA Public Policy Leader
Ernst & Young
Lene Naesager
Director Corporate Communication & Strategy
European Commission
Fleming Voetmann
Vice President, Group Communications, Marketing & Sustainability
FLSmidth
Stéphanie Finck
VP Government Affairs EMEA
Salesforce
Ingrid Reumert
VP, External Relations & Sustainability
Velux
Peter Boris Schmitt
Corporate Director and Head of EU Office Public Affairs & Governmental Relations
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Noor Yafai
Executive Director Public Affairs & Sustainability
Cefic
Christina Koulias
Senior Manager, Global Governance
United Nations Global Compact
Gui Athia
Professor of Stakeholder Capitalism at VUB – Brussels Diplomatic Academy, Organizer of the Stakeholder Capitalism Forum, and Founder of Gui Athia & Partners.
Julian Ha
Partner
Heidrick & Struggles international, inc.
Troy Scully
Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, EMEA
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Jenny Kim
VP of Operations & General Counsel
Philanthropy Roundtable
Anders Kopp Jensen
Co-founder & CEO
Ulobby
Alex Wirth
CEO & Cofounder
Quorum
Julie Kjestrup
Head of EU Affairs and Interim Head of Group Public Affairs and Sustainability
Danfoss
Tom Brookes
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
European Climate Foundation
Erica Harris
Public Affairs Associate
Public Affairs Council
András Baneth
Senior Advisor, European Office
Public Affairs Council
João Sousa
Managing Director, European Office
Public Affairs Council
Register
If you wish to register to view the recordings of this event, please contact us at [email protected].