Some of the top players in the media space gathered at UCD Smurfit on Saturday May 21st last. This was the last in the series of events that are part of the Personal & Professional Development programme for our MBA students.
The morning was broken into two sessions:
Session 1: Value of Media Relations to drive an Organisation’s Reputation.
Joe Carmody, Director at Edelman presented a lecture based on The Edelman Global Trust Barometer: The State of Trust in corporations, media, NGO’S and Government, finishing with quite an intensive and lengthy Q&A.
Session 2: Why Media Relations is critical to your business. This second session saw a panel discussion followed by a Q&A between the panel guests and audience. The event was held in the magnificent Laurence Crowley Boardroom. The panel were:
Jim Glennon, Chairman (Edelman) – Former Fianna Fáil TD, Senator, former Irish rugby international as well as a long-established media analyst on the game in both broadcast and print media.
Tommy MacDonnell, Director (Ogilvy & Mather), one of Ireland’s leading communications companies. A regular contributor to the national media on issues relating to brands and reputation. Previously with Saatchi & Saatchi International working in a number of global markets.
Ann O’Dea, Director & Editor in Chief (Business & Leadership) – Founder-director of Whitespace Publishing Group whose publications include businessandleadership.com, responsible for the group’s executive magazines and strategy in new media. Was responsible for the development of siliconrepublic.com back in 2002, today Ireland’s leading technology website.
The Chair, Jim Glennon, led topics on strategic alignment of a company’s profit targets and its purpose to the new expectations of business leaders to the new rules of PR in today’s technology-driven world and personal branding.
Breaks throughout gave the attendees and panel a chance to mingle and network.
Full time MBA student, Rob Downes, spoke highly of the event, saying “it was a wonderful opportunity to hear such highly regarded experts discuss topical and relevant issues during these times.”
– Text: Megan Molloy FT 2011 & Michael McDonnell, MBA Programme Manager
– Photos – Nargiza Kalmamatova