10.00–11.45
Plenary Hall, 5th floor

Programme Leader
Insiders

Session partners
The RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The RF Ministry of Economic Development

Main topics

• Strategic communications: a view from 2025. International expertise VS Russian trends
• New standards and new normality. Changing rules and culture of communications
• The future of communications as strategic industries
• Specifics of managing information flow across political and ideological barriers
• Supranational organisations and national governments: effective building of communication strategies
• Role of communications in shaping information sovereignty of Russia
• International (external) and internal Russian brands: found, implement and promote.
• Communications for effective interaction between business, science, socio-cultural area and society
• Future of communications as creative Industries
• Future of communications in time of digital transformation
• Changing media landscape and digital market in time of more rigorous control by the state and regulators.

Moderator
Andrey Lapshov, AKOS chairman, Insiders Group president

Speakers (* - invited/expected)

1. Aleksey Goreslavsky, Internet Development institute, general director
2. Maria Zakharova, Information and press department, director, the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs official representative / the RF deputy minister of foreign affairs
3. Larisa Zelkova, Nornickel, board member, senior vice president, personnel, social and PR policy
4. Tatyana Iliushnikova, the RF deputy minister of economic development*
5. Mr Vinay Kumar, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India
6.Vyacheslav Lashchevsky, Co-Chairman of the Coordinating Council of Communication Industries at the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AGT Communications Group
7. Sergey Skripnikov, Rusal PR director, AKOS consulting council chairman
8. Vladimir Tabak, “Dialog” general director*

12.00-13.30
Plenary Sessions Hall, 5th floor

Programme Leader
R.I.M.

Session partners
The RF Ministry of Economic Development
The RF Public Chamber creative industries coordination council
Creative Economy Development Center of the Strategic Initiatives agency
Russian PR Association (RASO)
Russian Communication Agencies Association

Main topics

• Communication industries as subjects of the law “developing creative industries in the Russian Federation”
• Road map to promote PR as a creative industry
• Register of creative industries’ subjects. Criteria for obtaining a creative industry status and being included into a combined register of subjects, interpretations, specifics, examples
• Regional standard for developing creative industries
• Model of potential state support measures for PR as a creative industry (in accordance with the FL 330 “Developing creative industries in the Russian Federation”), including models for creative industries’ centres and creative clusters, information systems to secure creative industries activities for PR purposes
• Industrial catalogue of PR creative cases
• International and Russian experience of promoting communications as creative industries
• Economic effect of communications as creative industries
• How can the professional community solve state tasks within the framework of communications as a creative industry
• Impact-content as a factor of positive influence on social change

Moderator
Igor Pisarsky, R.I.M. board of directors, chairman, “Silver archer award” board of trustees, chairman

Speakers (* - invited/expected)

1. Marina Abramova, President of ANO “Creative Economy”
2. Tatyana Karavaeva, Centre for strategic development, general director
3. Vladimir Kosteev, the RF President Administration, public projects reviewer
4. Elena Reshetova, Russian Association of communication agencies (ACAR), first vice president
5. Tatyana Smirnova, Director of the Public Relations Department of PJSC Norilsk Nickel
6. Gyuzal Khisyamutdinova, Deputy General Director and Head of the United Advertising Service of the Komsomolskaya Pravda Media Group *
7. Ekaterina Cherkes-zade, Centre for creative economy development, Agency for strategic initiatives to promote new projects (ASI), director*
8. Irina Chirkova, Deputy Director for Creative Industries Development, Agency for International Cooperation of the Chelyabinsk Region
9. Lada Yurchenko, Head of Creative Cluster, Novosibirsk Akadempark

12.00-13.30
Council Chamber, 1st floor

Main topics

• Value agenda of modern communicators (national, corporate and other values, common goals, common mission)
• Interaction of communicators under crisis conditions
• Memorandum on interaction between customers and performers at the market of communication industries
• AKOS Code of Ethics
• AKOS PR Navigator (verified register of agencies with indication of specialty and experience)
• Role of agencies in time of market personnel hunger

Moderator
Sergey Skripnikov, Rusal PR director, AKOS consulting council chairman

13.30-15.00
Plenary Hall, 5th floor

Programme Leader
Interium

Session partners
The RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Eurasian rating agency

Main topics

• Anti-crisis shaping of Russia and Russian business image in a changing world
• Transforming the PR international market to adapt to new trends and needs of the industry and clients
• Systemic interaction of Russian specialists with foreign communicators
• Strategic expertise and professional interaction with the near abroad, South-East Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Latin America and Africa
• Platforms and opportunities for exchanging experience and knowledge, technologies and personnel with international PR communities
• Mutual enrichment of ideas and innovative solutions to meet main international relations challenges
• Establishing long-term relations with relevant international associations
• Communications inside and outside BRICS, SCO, EAEU, CIS: have anything changed?
• PR in China today - future of communications in Russia tomorrow?

Moderator
Andrey Ermoshkin, Interium executive director, head of AKOS international relations committee.

Speakers (* - invited/expected)

1. Agee Robert, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, president, CEO*
2. Kirill Babaev, Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences, director, National coordination centre for international business cooperation (NCC), president*
3. Liqun Zhou, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, chairman*
4. Svetlana Malinina, CIS Executive Committee, head of press service*
5. Olga Pavlikova, Trend Fox, co-founder and CEO
6. Victoria Panova, National Research University “Higher School of Economics” vice rector, Centre ‘Expert council on the RF participation in BRICS, director*
7. Dmitry Polikanov, Federal Agency on CIS, compatriots living abroad, international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), deputy head
8. Jacob Pinneker, Director of the OKA Agency
9.Timur Shafir, Russian Union of Journalists, head of international department, secretary

13.30-15.00
Conference Room, 4th floor

Programme Leader
AGT

Session partners
Creative Economy Development Center of the Strategic Initiatives agency
Center for Strategic Research
National priorities

Description

A number of outside events and circumstances caused a global transformation in various fields: geopolitical, geo-economic, geo-cultural, etc. The new era is characterised by reshaping communications at all levels. System of communications, previously called regional, have undergone significant changes. How has the “centre–regions” configuration changed? Big business movement to the regions, functional redistribution of the State Council and other structures – how does it affect the new communication picture, branding of regions, tourism development and regional investment projects? What impact does it have on horizontal links between regions, bypassing Moscow, between regions and abroad, how does it influence new transport flows and other regional processes? What communication strategies and tactics help to bring previously little-known regional brands to the country forefront?

“Turn to the East” made it clear that the country eastern regions are logistically and culturally much closer to friendly Asian countries and their development potential, than the so-called centre, which centuries ago ceased to be the country geographical centre. Regions are no longer considered as periphery. Nobody is surprised by Moscow leaving top positions in social-economic ratings. A process of uneven development, competition and regional repositioning is underway.

Updated approaches to communication support of regional and urban development strategies, their effective interaction with transregional business, and formation of regional brands as a concentrated expression of regional strategies are in even greater demand.

This session is aimed at exchanging opinions on a new configuration of regional communications, successful practices, solutions, and even lifehacks to promote and support regional development.

Main topics

• Regional communication infrastructure (regional communication landscape)
• Decentralization of economic drivers, new roles of federal business in the regions
• Tools of "routing" and "motivation" for effective development of territories
• Supporting the attractiveness of priority macroregions (for residents, visitors and investments)
• Tourism – industry and effective promotion of the region
• The “new generation” of brands in the territories
• Event communications (regions in the media context)
• Creative economy – from "retaining" to "attracting" young people to the territory
• New institutions of regional development - a modern format of interaction with federal business

Moderator
Dmitry Smirkin, Director of the Tourism Public Relations Department.Russian Federation, member of the Advisory Board of AKOS, author of the TG channel #prmsk

Speakers (* - invited/expected)

1. Natalia Belyakova, Russian geographic society, expedition and tourism department director, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, communications laboratory in creative industries, head
2.Olga Vasilyeva, General Director of the analytical agency “Smyslografiya” (KG AGT)
3.Sofia Malyavina, ANO “National Priorities” general director*
4. Vadim Mamontov, RussiaDiscovery founder and CEO, Russian Union of Tourists, vice president
5. Afanasy Savvin, CEO of the Yakutia Development Corporation *

13.30-15.00
Council Chamber, 1st floor

Programme Leader
Comunica

Session Partner
Managers Association

Description

Why certain companies look lucrative for less money, while others can't attract employees even for the highest salary? Where do material benefits get substituted by reputational and cultural factors? Can reputation attract and retain employees in time of a staffing hunger? The labour market situation is aggravated by generation change and by big business current inability to deal with Zoomers. More than half of Russian companies plan to increase their staff, although their staff costs will grow. Dealing with staff hunger and fighting for the best resources is getting more urgent not only for HR, but for communicators, too. Leading industry experts will discuss the most relevant reputational criteria for businesses, aimed, first of all, at attracting and retaining the best employees.

Main topics

The session will present a two-part study: 1. A panel survey of potential employees related to employer reputation factor when applying for a job (Zoomers and older audience may be surveyed separately); 2. A survey of PR professionals related to reputation factor importance for employees (the factor assessment for potential applicants). We compare the two surveys’ results and underline discontinuity and inconsistency points.

The panel will discuss:

• Is company reputation in 2025 important to employ seekers?
• Reputational maturity and staff immaturity: will reputation help satisfy staffing hunger?
• Employer reputation rebooting: salary battle or coconut coffee?
• Zoomers vs. Olds: who to attract to factories and offices and what to say to them in communications?
• Working on your terms: how to retain an employee in 2025 and make reputation an important factor?
• Does the CEO and employees personal brand impact business or is it helpful only for their own careers?
• Employee ambassadors: PR illusion or a real reputational tool?
• Internal communications - how and what to say to be heard?
• HR brand neurofication: how neural networks and other technologies change approach to communicate with employees

Speakers (* - invited/expected)

1. Lilia Glazova, PR News general director
2. Olga Dementieva, Head of HR4PR Agency
3. Maria Kozhukhova, Head of Communications Channels at VTB Bank
4. Ekaterina Popova, Director of Corporate Communications, PROMOMED
5. Ekaterina Khvatova, PR Director of Leman Pro

15.00-17.30
Conference Room, 4th floor

Programme Leader
Ex Libris

Description

The session covers new technologies, data-driven communications, their digitisation and measurement, current approaches to studying, planning and implementing communication strategies. The session will be of interest to analysts, communication researchers, strategic planning and management communicators and brand managers.

Main topics

• Metrics for studying effectiveness of PR-communications
• Presenting and discussing AKOS study “Assessing effectiveness of PR and communications: methods, approaches, trends”
• Analytics to shape communication strategy. Case study
• Analytics to assess effectiveness of implemented strategy. Case study
• Analytics on results of a campaign. Case study
• Communication ethics: new or old? International standards and practices. Efficiency vs. ethics? AKOS Code of Ethics

Moderator
Victoria Prilepskaya, Ex Libris, development director, AKOS working group on digitisation of communications, head

Speakers (* - invited/expected)
1. Yulia Deeva, Polyus, PR head
2. Darya Kertsenbaum, Strategy Partners, marketing and communications director
3. Nina Oreshkina, CIAN PR director
4. Anna Shchepilova, Metro Russia, PR director

15.00-17.30
Council Chamber, 1st floor

Description

Reputation in Russia today is built in a hybrid information environment where traditional media retain influence, but Telegram has become a full-fledged and very significant media platform. Its immediacy and anonymity make it the most important channel for reputation management. The main challenge for businesses and public figures is the ability to work effectively with a multi-channel communication system, to adapt quickly to the changing situation and respond quickly to crises.

Main topics

• How have approaches to reputation building changed in the last five years?
• Has business reputation become more fragile today?
• How to assess reputational risks in case of a crisis situation?
• What are the peculiarities of crisis response in the Telegram era?
• How does the media respond to competitive challenges from Telegram?
• Should Telegram channels be subject to the same standards of responsibility as traditional media?
• How will the model of information consumption change in the next 5-10 years and what new challenges will media and communicators face?

Moderator
Anna Starkova, Director of Special Projects, Wildberries & Russ
Kirill Tokarev, Editor-in-Chief, RBC TV

Speakers (* - invited/expected)
1. Roman Bedretdinov, editor-in-chief, sostav.ru
2. Maxim Iksanov, CEO of News Media Holding *
3. Anzhelika Kiryan, Deputy General Director of Komsomolskaya Pravda Media Group *
4. Vladimir Krasnov and Alexey Stolyarov (Vovan and Lexus) *
5. Petr Lidov-Petrovsky, media manager, communications specialist *
6. Georgy Lobushkin, TG-channel Lobushkin *
7. Yaroslav Meshalkin, TG-channel Yar about PR
8. Ruslan Novikov, General Director of AIF Publishing House
9. Andrey Tsyper, Executive Director for Media, Rambler&Co *

17.30-19.00
Council Chamber, 1st floor

Programme Leader
PR Inc.

Session Partner
Sustainable Development Strategies and Practices Project Office

Main topics

• The place of ESG communications in the national information agenda. Where are we?
• Relevance of the global sustainable development agenda for Russian communicators
• Reputation of socially and environmentally responsible brand: modern tools (expert environment, journalists, digital, resources, stakeholders, etc.).
• Anti-crisis solutions in ESG-communications
• Ratings, reports, dialogues with stakeholders. Current practice and risks of information disclosure
• Do the media write about ESG-responsibility today and what exactly do they write?
• ESG communicator: specialisation, competences or press release topics?

Moderator
Olga Dashevskaya, Senior Partner at PR Inc., Head of the Advisory Council Group at AKOS

Speakers (* - invited/agreed)

1. Irina Bakhtina, Director of Sustainable Development, En+ *
2. Elena Dubovitskaya, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development, SKOLKOVO School of Management
3. Svetlana Gerasimova, Head of the Sustainable Development Strategies and Practices Project Office, Head of the CSR and Sustainable Development School #SDstrateg, Chairperson of the Expert Council of the Sustainable Development Week
4. Vladimir Kuznetsov, Head of the UN Information Centre in the Russian Federation
5. Alexander Briskin, Director of ESG practice of Mikhailov & Partners
6. Anastasia Mishanina, Head of Communications and Investor Relations, Severstal *
7. Vyacheslav Fetisov, UN Goodwill Ambassador, National Goodwill Ambassador of UNEP, Goodwill Ambassador of the World Tourism Organization, member of the UN Alliance of Civilisations High Council, member of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration Supervisory Board, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation (VOOP) *
8. Andrey Sharonov, General Director of the National Alliance for Social and Environmental Responsibility, corporate management and sustainable development*

17.30-19.00
P.A.Stolypin Hall, 1st floor

Programme Leader
TWIGA PR

Session Partner
HSE

Description

AI, like many cutting-edge technologies before it, was at the peak of inflated expectations in ‘24. However, according to an annual study from Gartner, users around the world have lowered expectations of generative AI. Our communications market hasn't been spared either. In recent years, the information field around AI has managed to undergo a transformation from severe overheating to restrained optimism. Many people have played with infoprovocations and moved on to more substantive discussions about ethics, labelling, legislation and regulation. Along with this came the realisation that AI is not a magic pill for all ills, but a tool that is only effective in the right hands. Is the technology ready to become an indispensable assistant for communicators today? What is AI for communicators - optimisation of routine or ‘strategic thinking’ on a subscription basis? Examples of real-life process optimisation. We will discuss all this and much more together with communication experts at our session.

Main topics

• Results of the joint research of AKOS and HSE
• Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the work of communication professionals. Where does optimisation start?
• AI in internal and corporate communications
• Industry competences in the use of AI-based technologies
• Optimising labour costs and increasing efficiency or originality of solutions, creativity, effects
• Map of AI services recommended for the work of communications professionals
• The latest professional technologies for communicators: what tools communicators use and what tasks they solve with them
• Cases

Moderator
Evgeny Temperamentov, Managing Director of TWIGA PR, Head of AKOS Working Group on AI in Communications

Speakers (* - invited/agreed)

1. Yelizaveta Golikova, Senior Vice President of VTB *
2. Alexander Krainov, Director of Artificial Intelligence Technology Development, Yandex *
3. Alexander Leonov, Head of Strategic Communications, T-Bank

17.30-19.00
Plenary Hall, 5th floor

Programme Leader
PR News

Over the years AKOS has accumulated a unique baggage of competences and experience. The Association has united on its platform recognised maestros and young but bright communicators. The authority of AKOS is undeniable. We are sure that the time has come to share our expertise and finally discuss what is the mark of quality in PR. Just as any star is a huge concentration of complex chemical elements, a successful PR case combines high competences of the team, thorough preparation and analyses, correct strategic decisions and spectacular creativity. The winners of the main communication awards are the best, but what unites and distinguishes these cases? Why does an individual project win gold in one award and get stuck on the shortlist in another? Which of the winners will forever remain in PR history? A stellar panel of AKOS experts will analyse and rate the winning cases of partnership awards. On 21 May at the AKOS International Forum ‘Strategic Communications’ we will find out which projects will become Michelin stars of communication.