Programme

The 3-day conference is a high-level forum designed for senior practitioners to address the critical issues facing the profession

24 October, 2022 (ET)

ENTREPRENEURS' FORUM

13:20 - 13:30
Welcome & Introduction
13:30 - 14:15
Beyond the Barometer – a new look at Trust
thenetworkone
14:15 - 14:45
New Opportunities in the Asian Market

Despite challenging market conditions and ongoing geopolitical turmoil, the public relations business is flourishing Asia, financially and creatively. We explore how public relations agencies around the world can build strong relationships in Asia, whether working with fellow independents, participating in international networks, or acquiring Asian firms. Three experts from different parts of the region explain what has worked for them.

IN.FOM
14:45 - 15:15
Maximizing The Success of “Non-Traditional” Hires

There was a time when PR agencies recruited either from journalism or from within the PR industry, but as the profession has diversified, firms need a broader range of talent: content creators, digital specialists, paid media people, data and analytics experts and more. Many agency leaders report mixed success when bringing in these “non-traditional” hires. So how do you maximize the chances of success, from identifying people who fit your culture to on-boarding and giving them the support they need to flourish.

Global Strategy Group
15:15 - 15:40
Networking Break
15:40 - 16:40
The State of M&A in a Post-Pandemic World

During the early stages of the pandemic, mergers and acquisitions activity ground to a virtual and unexpected halt. There was just too much uncertainty and pricing was impossible. Then, in almost the blink of an eye, M&A turned on a dime, resulting in 18 months of unprecedented deal volume which is amongst the highest ever recorded. This panel — comprised of some of the most experienced M&A leaders in the industry — will focus on topics such as:

  • What will the next 18 months bring in the world of M&A?
  • As a seller, is now the right time to enter the market?
  • How will higher interest rates impact deal volume, multiples, and buyer’s acquisition strategies?
  • What steps should a seller be taking now to best prepare for an exit?
Davis+Gilbert
16:40 - 17:25
Future-Proofing Your PR Agency

What do the next 3-5 years hold for your agency? Is a global recession on the horizon? Will growth prospects continue? Will you be impacted by geopolitical developments? Do you have the staffing, service mix and business model you need to succeed? How are you adapting your business NOW to take steps to prepare for whatever the future may hold?

PROI Worldwide represents 85 agencies in more than 60 countries, with a combined headcount of more than 7,500 people and revenue of more than US$1 billion. The non-profit organization helps these leading entrepreneurial agencies share best practices, leverage resources, and efficiently serve their clients around the world.

In the PRovoke Global Summit panel, we will share highlights of proprietary research of PROI agency leaders and their plans for the next 3-5 years. A panel of independent agency leaders will react to the data and share their own plans and experiences.

PROI
17:25 - 17:30
Closing Remarks
18:30 - 20:30
Welcome Cocktail Reception

25 October, 2022 (ET)

PROVOKEGLOBAL SUMMIT, DAY ONE

08:50 - 09:00
Welcome & Introduction
09:00 - 10:00
How to Be a World Where There’s Media Equity. And Why We Must Make It Happen Now

We’ll explore the reality that might exist today if media equity had been baked into the system from the start.

What would the world look like today if there had been media equity all along?  Would our history be history?

Baratunde Thurston, TV host, creator of the "How To Citizen" podcast, and author of “How To Be Black” along with Bonin Bough, co-founder of Group Black and author of “Txt Me: Your Phone Has Changed Your Life. Let's Talk about It” will wrestle with that and other questions as they address the urgent need for action and investment in a media world that reflects and projects the real world. Gail Heimann, CEO of Weber Shandwick will moderate. 

Thurston and Bough will share their personal stories and uncensored opinions as we assess the state of media equity today and lay out a plan for meaningful change.

Weber Shandwick
10:00 - 10:50
Lessons From the Bully Pit with Jen Psaki Keynote
Jen Psaki has been confirmed as a headline speaker at PRovoke Media’s Global PR Summit, where the former White House press secretary will break down the lessons she has learned from her groundbreaking career at the forefront of political communication.

Psaki, who recently joined MSNBC after serving as President Biden’s first press secretary during 2021 and 2022, will be interviewed on stage by Bully Pulpit Interactive senior counsel Robert Gibbs, another former White House press secretary, who occupied the role during the first Obama administration.

The duo will feature onstage on 25 October at PRovokeGlobal, which returns in person to the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC from 24-26 October. 

Psaki oversaw more than 200 press briefings at the White House, serving as the public face of a Biden administration that sought to restore normalcy following the turbulent events of President Trump’s reign, which culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Psaki previously served as White House communications director from 2015 to 2017 (she was described by the New York Times as “the unflappable and genial point-person” for the Obama campaign) and also brought experience as a spokesperson for the Department of State and in various press and communications roles in the Obama White House. 
BPI
10:50 - 11:15
Networking Break
11:15 - 12:00
Lessons From the Healthcare Frontlines

Lessons for communicators from the healthcare frontlines – The last three years have launched health – and healthcare companies and brands – into the spotlight. This has created valuable opportunities for healthcare organizations to enhance reputation and engage in new ways, as their brands intersect with our daily lives more than ever. What can be learned from the biggest health brands in the business as they’ve navigated this new terrain? Experts will discuss what’s worked, what hasn’t and why - and what all communicators can learn.  

GCI Health
12:00 - 12:30
Making Radical Values Part of the Playbook
In the face of desperate needs ranging from climate change to racial justice to gender rights to access to medical care and gun control, companies are being drawn to what was once the primary domain of policymakers. As government has become entangled in partisan politics, companies are evaluated by metrics beyond the balance sheet, and values and social impact have become C-Suite priorities. Four leaders – championing industry and society – will share strategies for why “radical” must now be the go-to playbook.
Finn Partners
12:30 - 13:00
Radical Curiosity with Seth Goldenberg & James Wright

The events of the past few years—from a global pandemic to polarizing politics to protests over systemic social injustice and inequity—are shaping and reshaping how we live, work, and interact with each other—and with brands. Two experts will how these shifts are playing out and how brands can ensure their communications & marketing strategy stays fit-for-purpose in an era of radical change.

Trends to Be Explored

  • Mental health and well-being in a post-COVID culture where we continue to see high levels of stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, and alienation among consumers – and employees.  
  • In a world increasingly blurred and blended--e.g., home and workplace, male and female, IRL and virtual, news and entertainment, paid and earned, etc.—is a countertrend emerging to re-establish boundaries?
  • Rigid gender roles giving way to mix-and-match fluidity, but nothing about our identity, family dynamic, career progression or lifestyle is fixed or can be assumed, affording more freedom but also contributing to the unsettledness so many feel.  
  • How the Me Generation is morphing from one of self-centeredness to one of self-empowerment prioritizing personal experiences, growth, and branding, born out of the realization that life satisfaction comes from self-empowerment and control.  
  • The rise of the ‘exurbs’—areas with lower housing density and a slower lifestyle that enable one to achieve the seclusion and respite they seek but are accessible to major urban hubs for remote workers to commute to the office or to a client location as needed.  
Red Havas
13:00 - 13:45
Networking Lunch
13:45 - 14:15
In conversation with Starbucks' AJ Jones II
Omnicom PR Group
14:15 - 14:45
A Conversation about Patagonia’s New Ownership Model and its Journey to be a Responsible Company
Please join Corley Kenna, head of policy & comms for Patagonia, to discuss Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s recent decision to make the planet the company’s only shareholder. She will also share a “behind the scenes” look into the work that went into creating the communications plan leading up to the launch of the news.
Porter Novelli
14:45 - 15:30
Using AI and Ideas to Transform Global Healthcare
As the global healthcare landscape continues to evolve rapidly in a post-pandemic world, marketers must navigate the rapidly changing views of their audiences. Artificial intelligence (AI) has presented both opportunities and challenges in that quest to evolve our communications strategies to keep up with the times. Over the last several years, modern healthcare marketing has become more complex than ever – with companies more effectively targeting audiences, scaling campaigns around the globe, and using new channels such as TikTok to achieve business objectives. During this panel, we’ll discuss the role that AI is playing in healthcare marketing and omnichannel approaches to reaching the right audiences. 
Real Chemistry
15:30 - 15:50
Networking Break
15:50 - 16:20
Whose Truth? Unraveling Historical Narratives & Honoring the Black Experience for Authentic Storytelling

For many, Black history education often begins with the story of slavery. But that perspective ignores what came before, essentially starting from the middle of the tale, ignoring the prologue to suit the author’s version. Black cultures had their own stories of triumph, creativity, resilience, and excellence long before others took the microphone to deliver a story about them. Deconstructing and reconstructing historic and popular narratives and centering the voices and experiences of people of African descent makes way for a more authentic and true story telling for the future. Zeno Group EVP of DE+I Andréa Richardson moderates a discussion with Perri Irmer, President and CEO of the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center and Alexa Harrison from B Lab on the importance of context in communicating with Black audiences and how we need to hold ourselves accountable to pass the mic and connect with authentic Black experiences.

Zeno Group
16:20 - 17:05
Building Better Workplaces for a Better World: AnnaMaria DeSalva in Conversation with Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

In this time of global upheaval, leaders are seeking to create enduring and tangible corporate cultures. They are integrating stakeholder interests to innovate and build trust. They are addressing challenges to long-held assumptions about how we live and work. And they are learning what it means to truly lead inclusively.  Communicators are playing a principal role in navigating this new era.  The endeavor to create long-term, sustainable value has never demanded more from corporate communication than it does today. 

Join AnnaMaria DeSalva, Global Chairman and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies for an inspired conversation with Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and author of The Wall Street Journal best seller RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, on the imperative for business and communication leaders to reset during times of transformation.  Johnny and AnnaMaria will provide an inside look at how leaders have consolidated learnings of the last two years, the emergent principles for today’s successful enterprise, and the imperative for communication to unlock the next era of invention, growth, and social impact.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies
17:05 - 17:30
Communication Lessons from the London Bridge Operation
The death of Queen Elizabeth II led to an extraordinary global reaction which culminated in a worldwide television audience watching the funeral. The 10 days of official mourning saw the proclamation of a new King, Royal visits all round the country, the arrival of around 150 international government delegations in London and thosuands of media representatives and scenes of a nation in mourning from the 10 mile Queue for the Lying in State to  thousands lining the route in London and Windsor. This was both a family funeral and a historic moment in the 21st century. The communication operation to ensure that the late Queen was honoured and a new King introduced to the nation and was led by the Royal Household and supported by the UK Government and a coalition of other agencies. Alex Aiken was responsible for the government elements of 'London Bridge', the name for the funeral operation and will speak about the lessons he learned helping lead the communication work. He'll cover the improtance of planning and testing plans, the creation of a 300-strong communication team, the operational work to help journalists, the role of the the 'News Co-ordination Centre', the use of data to support decsion making, the funeral branding, internal communication, countering disinformation and the impact on the nation.  
17:30 - 17:35
Closing Remarks

26 October, 2022 (ET)

PROVOKEGLOBAL SUMMIT, DAY TWO

08:30 - 08:40
Welcome & Introduction
08:40 - 09:40
BCW In Conversation with Frank Bruni Keynote

Brian Ellner, EVP, Growth & Marketing, BCW and U.S. Public Affairs Lead, WPP, sits down with best-selling author, Duke University professor and New York Times contributing opinion writer Frank Bruni for a rousing discussion on how today’s political and societal movements affect how corporations interact with their internal and external stakeholders. The session will touch on issues including:

  • The risks of corporations taking a stand.
  • How brands can navigate a divided country.
  • How Americans' relationships with corporations have changed in a politically charged era.
BCW
09:40 - 10:25
How to Create Trauma-Informed Workplaces and Work
Interest in trauma is at an all-time high with a record number of online searches, book publications and new programs launched daily. Ketchum’s panel will focus on the growing impact of trauma on our industry – as a workforce and in our work. As professionals we face unique, new challenges in our always-on, high-stakes roles on the frontlines of social justice issues, public health outbreaks, major financial announcements and more. Ketchum made a commitment to become trauma-informed and address it head on, as well as develop practical guidance and resources. This panel will demonstrate how building trauma-informed teams, programs and tools will help at this time of growing need and change, ultimately delivering better work for clients. 
Ketchum
10:25 - 10:45
Networking Break
10:45 - 11:30
Do you Metaverse?
The metaverse isn’t just for gamers anymore. As more brands and consumers explore the real-world applications, brands are navigating the cultural divide and potential pitfalls between the two worlds and those engaging in them. And as global turmoil and an uncertain economy set in and put marketing budgets in jeopardy, we’ll explore how brands are building programs for today that shape an ecosystem of opportunity for the future.
FleishmanHillard
11:30 - 12:00
Talk Nerdy to Me: Hot Takes on Comms Tech, Ethics and Deep Fakes
PRophet
12:00 - 12:30
Midterms 2022: Communications For A Divided Government
With the midterm elections just days away, organizations are facing more than just the normal need to welcome new lawmakers and stakeholders to Washington in the year ahead. Now there is increased pressure to revisit company investments, policies and external communications to ensure that they are resonant with a wider audience in what will likely be a divided government town. Plus, it is likely that Republican lawmakers will be taking aim at "woke" organizations as they focus on fiscal responsibility and the looming recession. How can organizations prepare? With an op-ed on this out this week, join Ron Bonjean, Co-founding Partner at ROKK Solutions, and Steve Rochlin, CEO and Founder of Impact ROI as they talk about safeguarding and extending reputation in the Washington of 2023. 
ROKK Solutions
12:30 - 13:20
Networking Lunch
13:20 - 14:20
Why CEO Voice Has Always Mattered and Still Does Keynote

CEO voice on social issues has always been part of the ambassadorial duties of business leaders in their concern for social harmony and functioning legitimate markets. What is new is the rise of opportunistic critics of social impact concerns. Despite the weaponization of ESG by grandstanding politicians out to manufacture wedge issues in society, companies are finding themselves compelled to selectively weigh in on political and social issues directly. As Michael Dell recently stated, “If corporations cannot speak out on voting access and ballot security, what can they address?” Dell does not tackle every cause but tracks several social issues tracks: 1) the impact on brand and reputation (alignment with core values and past positions); 2) the external impact on key constituencies and the positions of peers; 3) the ramifications for public policy makers and 4) the ESG sentiment of employees. Companies must make their own calls on taking stances on national and local social issues. But whatever a firm decides regarding social issues, CEOs and boards need to answer key questions based on objective facts, not ideologically-based fantasy, or political fear.

Edelman
14:20 - 15:05
Goodbye Time and Results, Hello Value and Impact: The New Path to Maximize PR
Public relations and communications skills have never been more important for business and organizational success. However, the functions don’t get the respect they deserve because the industry hasn’t evolved beyond tactical ways of measuring impact. The two dominant methods for “valuing” PR have been time (how most agencies charge for their services) and results (how clients and agencies show their work product to stakeholders). It’s high time for the industry to get serious about defining, measuring and communicating value and impact in both tangible and intangible terms (revenue growth, profitability, market share, brand reputation, audience engagement, employee retention, etc.). We have plenty of tools and techniques – now we need to change the conversation and step up with the right leadership and investment. 
Big Valley Marketing
15:05 - 15:25
Networking Break
15:25 - 15:55
Catching the wave: How to turn live data into live action
Having access to real time data is one thing - taking real time action is another. Join this panel discussion with Paul Quigley, CEO of predictive analytics firm NewsWhip, AbdelHalim AbdAllah, Strategic Communications Consultant, formerly COVID-19 Crisis Communications Officer with the World Health Organization, Aubrey Quinn, former COO of the Clyde Group and David Sánchez Carmona, Director, Predictive Crisis Analytics at APCO Worldwide. These innovators and early adopters of real-time and predictive data will reveal how best to gather real time insight - and how to inspire actions in their wider organizations in response to fast moving trends, reputation crises and even global pandemics. They will discuss how comms professionals need to move beyond using impressions and reach metrics to measure campaign performance and instead use live information and data for in the moment decision making. The panel will detail how you can use velocity and predictive analytics to see which narratives and stories are picking up steam and lastly why brands need to be worried about misinformation.
NewsWhip
15:55 - 16:25
Geopolitical Disruption and its Impact of Food Security
The consequences of mass hunger, rising food prices and human misery has accelerated as the implications of the Ukrainian war unfold. Much of the immediate attention has appropriately been devoted to mobilizing food urgently and for countries who were vulnerable to food shortages even before the war. WFP, IRC, UNHCR, and a myriad of NGOs within Ukraine, receiving countries, and globally have moved swiftly to address refugee food needs. But the situation in Ukraine has infiltrated economies around the world as the tipping point for a food, fuel, fertilizer, and finance crisis. These trends have a major impact domestically on inflation and economic growth, and it is necessary to look at the compounding impact of high fuel and energy prices, as agriculture and food production are very high users of energy, especially crude oil and natural gas. Worse, the global instability compounds ongoing threats to global food security, creating the perfect storm for a high food price driven, global hunger catastrophe.
APCO Worldwide
16:25 - 16:30
Closing Remarks

26 October, 2022 (ET)

GLOBAL SABRE AWARDS

19:00 - 20:00
SABRE Awards Cocktail Reception
20:00 - 22:00
Global SABRE Awards

Platinum Sponsors

Edelman
BCW
Omnicom PR Group
Weber Shandwick

Gold Sponsors

Finn Partners
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Ketchum
FleishmanHillard
Real Chemistry
Big Valley Marketing
GCI Health

Silver Sponsors

Red Havas
ROKK Solutions
Zeno Group
PRophet
NewsWhip
BPI
Adfactors
APCO Worldwide
Porter Novelli

Partner Sponsors

PROI
IN.FOM
thenetworkone
Global Strategy Group
Davis+Gilbert
SPRG
MSL
Kivvit
Muck Rack
First Partners
Golin

Supporting Organisations

ICCO
IPR
AMEC

Official SABRE Showcase Partner

WARC