Thanks to the community of 24 speakers and 900 delegates. We’re now seeking speakers and sponsors for September.

More than 900 people have attended at least one WaddsCon event in the past six months, to hear from 24 speakers on a diverse range of topics.

WaddsCon started in February, during the second lockdown, as a way for practitioners to explore contemporary areas of marketing and public relations practice.

100 to 200 practitioners have come together between 1-2pm on the last Friday of each month to hear from four speakers.

The format is simple. Each speaker presents for five minutes on an area of expertise or provocation, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Conversations are typically upbeat and lively.

Paul Clarke opened the July event with a discussion of the value of images in public relations, followed by Shayoni Lynn on behavioural science, Naomi Jones on ESG in practices, and Nigel Sarbutts on freelancing.

Other sessions have explored industry such as ethnic and socio-economic diversity, and professionalism. We’ve also discussed business topics including leadership, purpose; and areas of practice including behavioural science, communication accessibility, creativity, search marketing, and measurement.

Speakers have ranged from students to communications directors, from creative leaders to agency heads, and from tool vendors to industry association leaders. My thanks to them all.

WaddsCon is recognised by both the CIPR and the PRCA as a continuous professional development activity. Each session provides insight and the start point for further learning.

You can re-watch the last five sessions on YouTube. Unfortunately, I didn’t record the first session.

There’s no charge to attend but we ask for a voluntary donation to The Bay Foodbank in Newcastle. Each month I top that up to £500. We’ve raised £2,500 to date.

WaddsCon will back 1-2pm on 24 September. In the meantime, we’re looking for speakers and sponsors for the remainder of the year.

If you’re interested in speaking at a future event, please complete this form. If you’re interested in supporting the community via sponsorship, please check out the media pack and give me a shout.