The Communications Council is pleased to announce the speaker line-up, and their session topics, for the 2018 IPA Strategic Planning Course to be held over three intensive days this September 2-4.
Left to right: Martin Weigel, head of planning, W+K, Amsterdam; David Halter, managing director, CHE Proximity; Melina Hamilton, strategy director – experiences, AnalogFolk; Angela Morris, chief strategy officer, J. Walter Thompson; Ben Cooper, founder / managing director, Tricky Jigsaw; Howard Parry-Husbands, CEO, Pollinate; Mike Daniels, founder, The Behavioural Architects; Tom Donald, head of strategy, Re Brand Consultancy; Kate Smither, chief strategy integration officer, Publicis Communications Groupe Australia; Maurice Riley, senior vice president, head of strategy and analytics, DigitasLBi; Gareth Kay, co-founder, Chapter.
Kicking off the first guest lecture on day one is DigitasLBi senior vice president and head of strategy and analytics Maurice Riley, who will dissect what it means to be an expert generalist and why polymaths will replace us all.
As a multi-faceted digital strategist, Riley has worked with major brands such as BMW, Volvo, W Hotels, Ritz Carlton, Sony, MTV, and Procter & Gamble to build brand stories and experiences that are meeting consumers’ needs.
Joining him for this exclusive session are IBM iX associate partner and creative director Kim Bartkowski and FutureBrand executive director of strategy James Quinlan.
Also on day one, international guest Martin Weigel from W+K Amsterdam will present his ‘case for chaos’. While AnalogFolk’s strategy director – experiences Melina Hamilton will guide delegates on the new customer engagement approach in CX, UX and channel.
On day two, managing director CHE Proximity’s managing director David Halter will share his insights on hybrid planning, where data meets brand. While head of strategy, Tom Donald from Re Brand Consultancy will surprise delegates with his session ‘Shoot to Thrill, Plan to Kill – The AC/DC school of strategy’.
Also joining the line-up on day two is Pollinate CEO Howard Parry-Husbands with this session on ‘A new Australia: Connecting to the modern Aussie”
The IPA three-day residential course aims to define the new era of strategy and showcase the knowledge and skills that planners need to think in an agile, flexible and influential way.
The course, which is recommended for strategic planners, account managers and brand managers with at least five years experience, will be chaired by chief strategy officer Angela Morris (J. Walter Thompson) and Chief Strategy Integration Officer Kate Smither (Publicis Communications Groupe Australia).
The industry leaders have joined forces to shape this year’s course agenda: Planning in a Post Specialist Era.
Commenting on the changing role of the planner, Morris said: “There is so much knowledge out there that it’s easy and comfortable to stick to your knitting and focus on one area. But that isn’t helpful to our clients who increasingly have less budget for multiple different specialists and look to their strategist to be able to leverage multiple disciplines and knowledge areas.”
Adding: “Today more than ever though we need constant learning on a diverse agenda to enable the perspective necessary to provide our clients with wise counsel and brilliant strategies.”
Over three days, delegates will participate in small group sessions with industry leaders, along with one-to-one guidance from the course chairs. The residential format provides the opportunity to step away from the agency environment for intensive training, networking and group discussion with industry peers.
“Our hope is that this course makes attendees think in a whole new way. It should fill their minds with new ways to change their day jobs. To not just think differently but to be different and to create the future of planning in agencies,” Smither said.
