Public Document Pack Public Relations Sub-Committee Date: THURSDAY, 7 JUNE 201 2 Time: 12.00noon Venue: COMMITTEE ROOMS, WES T WING, G UILDHALL Members: Mark Boleat (Chairman) Stuart Fraser (Deputy Chairman) Deputy Douglas Barrow Deputy Michael Cassidy Roger Chadwick Deputy Sir Michael Snyder James Tumbridge Enquiries: Angela Roach tel.no.: 020 7332 3685 [email protected] Lunch will be served for Members in the Guildhall Club at 1pm Chris Duffield Town Clerk and Chief Executive AGENDA 1. APOLOGIES 2. DECLARATIONS BY MEMB ERS OF PERSONAL OR P REJUDICIAL INTERESTS IN RESPECT OF ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THIS MEETING 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE To note the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference as follows:- To consider and report to the Grand Committee on all matters relating to the Corporation’s Public Relations/Public Affairs activities including any related plans, policies or strategies . 4. MINUTES To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 23 February 2012 (copy attached). For Decision (Pages 1 - 6) 5. COMMUNICATIONS STRAT EGY 2012 - 2015: UPDATE Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached). For Decision (Pages 7 - 26) 6. ADDITIONAL EVENTS AN D TOPICAL ISSUES PAP ERS Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached). For Decision (Pages 27 - 32) 7. QUESTIONS ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE WORK OF THE SUB - COMMITTEE 8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT THE CH AIRMAN CONSIDERS URG ENT 2 Agenda Item 4 PUBLIC RELATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE 23 February 2012 Minutes of the meeting of the PUBLIC RELATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE held at Guildhall, EC2 on THURSDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2012 at 12.00noon. Members Present Stuart Fraser, Chairman Mark Boleat, Deputy Chairman Roger Chadwick Jeremy Mayhew Sir Michael Snyder James Tumbridge In Attendance Edward Lord George Bridges Quiller Consultants John Eisenhammer Quiller Consultants Alasdair Murray Quiller Consultants Officers: Chris Duffield - Town Clerk Simon Murrells - Assistant Town Clerk Angela Roach - Town Clerk’s Office Tony Halmos - Director of Public Relations Sophie Galasinski - Public Relations Office Adam Maddock - Public Relations Office Harry Huskisson - Public Relations Office Mark Boleat was in the Chair for Items 1, 2 and 3. 1. APOLOGIES An apology for absence was received from Deputy Michael Cassidy. 2. DECLARATIONS BY MEMBERS OF ANY PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS IN RESPECT OF ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA There were no declarations. 3. CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION PARTY CONFERENCE ACTIVITY The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations reviewing the City Corporation’s activities at the Party Conferences held in the Autumn. d:\moderngov\data\agendaitemdocs\4\0\1\ai00005104\$ywxmnana.dPage ocx1 Members indicated that they were broadly content with the City Corporation’s activities and proceeded to go through possible options for change and questions associated with each activity in turn:- Member and Officer Attendance The Sub-Committee discussed the merits of issuing passes allowing attendees to go inside the security zone and agreed that it was important that those attending should use the opportunity to network and therefore needed to be inside the zone. Where someone was attending only for a dinner then they did not need a pass to be inside the zone. It also confirmed that it was content with the arrangements for Member and officer attendance. Reference was made to the guest list and, whilst it was accepted that this was in a constant state of flux, it was agreed that Members attending the conference should have sight of the initial list in case they have any additional suggestions. Timing of Events The Director accepted that there were some minor issues with the day on which to hold activities and undertook to keep the issue of timing under review. Fringe Meetings During discussion the following comments and points were made:- • Meetings should be held within the secure area, if this was found to be cost effective and feasible. Otherwise, they could continue to be held outside the secure area, provided the venue was still suitable and convenient for the conference; • It was noted that the Financial Times would no longer act as the City Corporation’s partner at these meetings and it was suggested that, in addition to considering the use of a think tank as a possible partner, the Director should also investigate partnering with another media organisation; • In terms of the content of these meetings, Members felt that they should continue to focus on the area of financial and professional services, but that officers should also look for opportunities for focusing on urban regeneration; • A Quiller Consultant referred to the fact that, at the Conservative conference at least, a free newspaper was distributed to all conference attendees and suggested that consideration should be given to advertising the City Corporation’s activities in the newspaper as it was inexpensive and widely distributed. Members supported the suggestion d:\moderngov\data\agendaitemdocs\4\0\1\ai00005104\$ywxmnana.dPage 2ocx and agreed that additional methods, including advertising in the conference programme, should be used to publicise activities also; Dinners Reference was made to the format of the Dinners e.g. whether they should consist of a roundtable discussion. Members agreed that each Dinner should be treated on a case by case basis as each Party had its own preference. The format of the Dinner should therefore be settled by the Director in consultation with the Chairman. General Comments Members acknowledged that there was a tendency to want to “teach” attendees at meetings and Dinners and they agreed that this should be avoided; A Member advised that it was important for attendees to visit as many exhibitions as possible and to network with other attendees at all times; It was accepted that there would be cost implications as result of some of the new activities suggested and the Director of Public Relations undertook to look at this and report back. RESOLVED: That:- 1. In terms of content, the City Corporation’s fringe meetings continue to focus on the area of financial and professional services, but that the Director of Public Relations should also look for opportunities for focusing on urban regeneration; 2. meetings should be held within the secure area if it was cost effective and feasible otherwise they should continue to be held outside the secure area of the conferences; 3. consideration be given to advertising the City Corporation’s activities in any free newspapers circulated at the conferences and other methods such as the conference programme in order to publicise those activities; 4. the format of the conference Dinners be treated on a case by case basis as each Party had its own preference and the arrangements be settled by the Director of Public Relations in consultation with the Chairman; 5. the Director of Public Relations be requested to:- • Circulate the initial list of people to be invited to attend the City Corporation’s meetings and Dinners to Members attending the conferences in case they have any suggestions; • Keep the issue of the timing of activities under review; d:\moderngov\data\agendaitemdocs\4\0\1\ai00005104\$ywxmnana.dPage ocx3 • Give consideration to seeking a media organisation to act as the City Corporation’s partner, in addition to think tanks; and • Report back on the cost implications of the changes suggested. 4. COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY 2012 - 2015 The Sub-Committee considered the Communications Strategy for 2012 - 2015. The Director of Public Relations and the representatives from Quiller Consultants were heard in support of the Strategy and Members were advised that the Strategy now included plans to ensure that there was more transparency and a more positive attitude towards the use of social media. The Deputy Chairman stated that it was important to explore how the City Corporation contributes to and can be seen to contribute to London. The Town Clerk suggested that one way would be to highlight the City Bridge Trust ensuring that it was clearly seen to be part of the City Corporation generally. Members supported this and it was suggested that other areas of the City Corporation’s work such as the Barbican Centre and Guildhall School should also be more closely aligned. The Deputy Chairman referred to a presentation given by the manager of the City Information Centre at a recent meeting of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee which had been very informative. It was suggested that consideration should be given to the merits of this type of communication. Reference was made to the need to promote the usefulness of the City Corporation and to ensure that politicians and their advisors were, for example, aware of the good regeneration work undertaken by the organisation. A new promotional campaign should be undertaken to do this and it was suggested that the post-Olympic legacy would be good in terms of promoting that area of work. A Member highlighted the difficulties associated with communicating with the general public and questioned whether CityAM was the right medium particularly since the Standard was now a free newspaper and circulated more widely. The Sub-Committee supported his sentiments and agreed that this should be looked into. RESOLVED: That:- 1. the Communications Strategy for 2012-2015 be recommended to the Policy and Resources Committee for approval; 2. the Town Clerk be requested to instigate measures to ensure that the work of the City Bridge Trust as well as the work undertaken in other d:\moderngov\data\agendaitemdocs\4\0\1\ai00005104\$ywxmnana.dPage 4ocx areas such as the Barbican Centre and Guildhall were more closely aligned with the City Corporation; and 3. the Director of Public Relations be requested to:- i) investigate use of the Standard free newspaper to promote the City Corporation’s activities; ii) develop a new campaign aimed at promoting the usefulness of the City Corporation and the contribution it makes to London.