Australia will host its first internationally recognised P World Crisis Communications Boot Camp, which has been presented across Europe and the USA more than 40 times.
In June, Colleen Harris, former press secretary to King Charles III will appear in Australia for the first time to share insights from working at the centre of some of the most closely watched moments in the modern history of the British Monarchy.
The boot camp also features Dustin Sternbeck, former director of communications for the Washington Metropolitan Police, who oversaw the police communications response to Washington’s January 6 Capitol attack.
The program, featuring speakers with first-hand experience managing high pressure situations across government, global organisations and media, arrives at a time when reputational risk is becoming more complex and more constant.
Artificial intelligence, misinformation, political polarisation and rising public expectations are reshaping how crises emerge and how quickly they escalate.
The boot camp will bring together senior communications and corporate affairs professionals for two days focused on how organisations prepare for and respond to crises in today’s environment.
It draws on real case studies connected to 10 Downing Street, the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, Dubai Airport, LinkedIn, Edelman and Energy Australia.
Kosta Petrov, managing director of P World, said the role of communicators has fundamentally shifted.
“Crisis is no longer something that happens occasionally. It is something organisations are expected to be ready for at any moment,” he said.
The second day is a full day workshop led by Peter Heneghan, former director of digital communications at 10 Downing Street.
The workshop is designed to help participants build an AI enhanced crisis plan tailored to their organisation. By the end of the day, participants leave with a working framework they can use.
Australian public relations strategist Lyall Mercer said he was excited that Australia was finally hosting a P World boot camp.
“I travelled to Malta at considerable expense in 2018 to attend this boot camp because there was nothing like this available locally, but now Australian communicators and corporate leaders can learn from the best.” said Mercer
The boot camp is limited to 80 participants to ensure a focused and interactive environment with direct access to speakers, and is built around practical application.
