Specialised PR skills

The media’s attention is in great demand in Brussels and across Europe. To get positive media coverage you will need to become more creative in the kind of news you generate for your organisation, office or region and how you pitch it to the media in Brussels.

Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills. You will hear from real journalists what they consider news and how they work.

This one-week master-class is designed for senior PR practitioners to learn the latest thinking and advanced techniques from some of PR’s leading experts. Topics include international PR, representing PR at board level, crisis and issues management, top-level media relations, stakeholder engagement, public affairs, communicating corporate responsibility, and senior PR strategy. Training consists of advanced briefings from Pinnacle’s senior trainers and guest lecturers from the PR industry and international media. There is an emphasis on knowledge sharing facilitated group dialogue and case learning.

This course enables PR professionals to rise to the challenge of creating and managing increasingly complex and sensitive PR strategies and campaigns, working alongside senior management. Topics include incorporating PR strategy effectively within overall organisational strategies, working with other services and securing support, assimilating research about stakeholders and operating environments, and campaigning in multiple countries. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, best practice examples, role plays and workshops to build practical skills. As a senior course, group discussion and sharing of experience is encouraged throughout.

This course teaches communications professionals how to anticipate, plan, train and prepare well in advance of any negative event in order to contain and reverse negative publicity by reacting effectively to a breaking news crisis that threatens their organisation’s reputation. Topics include understanding the origin and dynamics of crises, risk assessment, crisis planning, preparing spokespeople, and communication channels; working with the media during a crisis, internal communications in a crisis, deployment of crisis communications resources, and recovering from a crisis. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced crisis PR professionals, case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

This course delivers insight into the latest ideas and practices in the fields of social responsibility and sustainability, and in particular the role of good communications, dialogue and cooperation in this important and sensitive field. Topics include corporate citizenship, corporate community involvement, “triple bottom line” thinking (financial, environmental and social responsibility), international standards and recommendations. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced CSR professionals, case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

This course comprises the core principles of internal communications theory and the latest best practice in applying internal communications tools. It specifically considers effective internal communications during crises and change management programmes. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies, role plays and hands-on workshops to build practical skills.

This course encompasses everything that modern PR professionals need to know to operate effectively in the digital age. Topics include understanding the new communications landscape of “Web 2.0”, what opportunities and dangers it brings for PR, understanding all the key new technologies from blogs and RSS to communities and forums; identifying who to monitor; understanding how to engage with bloggers and other social media; online PR resources and campaigns. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

Course starts at 09:30

Planning and managing successful press conferences requires a specific set of skills, as well as a highly organised approach. This training covers all areas that a press conference organiser needs to consider, from invitations, liaison, materials, room layout, facilities and budget through to key message development, spokesperson selection and briefing -- and managing the event itself.

This one-day course is designed for PR professionals needing to coordinate communications across a number of countries for a European organisation or a European campaign. Topics include the PR and media landscapes around Europe, European stakeholder mapping, message management and media relations, coordinating activities across borders, and the practicalities of hiring and working with multiple PR agencies. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies of successful PR campaigns, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

This course teaches communications professionals how to plan a PR campaign and create effective PR strategies with defined and achievable objectives, and then how to translate these strategies into specific and practical PR plans. Topics include strategy best practice models; the campaign planning process; defining objectives, audiences stakeholders and tactics; campaign execution, monitoring and evaluation. Training consists of incisive briefings from senior PR professionals who have created successful PR strategies for multinationals, governments and NGOs; along with case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

This course covers the essentials of exerting direct influence on decision-makers to shape the policy environment. Topics include creating a successful PA strategy; PA tools and tactics; campaigning and coalition building; which decision makers and influencers to target, and how and when to reach them. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies, role plays and hands-on workshops to build practical skills.

This practical course covers the special skills and insights that official spokespeople need to represent their organisation effectively, or refine their spokesperson abilities. Topics include effectively angling a news agenda, responding to enquiries, handling bad news, managing relationships, presentation and speaking skills at media events, facilitating press conferences, and managing a press pack. Training consists of incisive briefings from experienced PR professionals, case studies, role plays and workshops to build practical skills.

Course starts at 09:30

Brussels has a special media landscape which every communication officer needs to understand thoroughly. This half-day course generates precious insight into the workings of the biggest press corps in the world. Topics include an overview and breakdown of the corps, changes and challenges in the media landscape, an insider’s view of the key players, and tips and tricks on how to influence them. Training consists of a thorough briefing by an experienced Brussels journalist with plenty of case studies, practical examples, workshops, and opportunities for questions and discussion.

Course starts at 09:30