Masterclasses

Masterclass 1: Fail Better! The world’s worst marketers and what we can learn from them

Facilitator: Stephen Brown, Professor of marketing research at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland.

Stephen Brown champions those who challenged conventional marketing wisdom, who felt worst practice is often best practice and who should have failed but triumphed spectacularly by doing things “wrong”.  By identifying some of the “worst” marketers of all time he shows that, although their marketing methods are contrary to received wisdom, they’re brilliantly successful all the same. Failure, it seems, is one of the keys to commercial success, arguably the key.

The first 100 delegates to book this masterclass will receive a free copy of Stephen Brown's book “Fail Better!” with the complements of The Chartered Institute of Marketing. Additional copies will be available to purchase at preferential rates.

Masterclass 2: Looking over the horizon – the future UK economic outlook

Facilitator: Graeme Leach, Chief Economist and Director of Policy at the Institute of Directors.

What will the UK economy look like in 2009-10? What are the lessons we can learn from previous economic downturns? A detailed analysis of what business needs to understand about the latest downturn in the economic cycle.

• What are the keys to business leadership in a downturn?
• Do you need people with experience of leading in a downturn?
• How to manage for tomorrow and stop worrying about today.

Masterclass 3: A Leadership Model for turbulent times.

Facilitator: Penny de Valk, CEO Institute of Leadership and Management.

• leading from behind
• no one is an expert
• finding new answers
• building resilience
• no heroes need apply

Penny will discuss why in turbulent times a different leadership model is required. She will explore why we need to change our traditional leadership style and will challenge some of the myths around leadership. Outlining the economic and social context we find ourselves in she will outline alternative models of leadership and discuss how these skills can be developed.

Masterclass 4: Leading in uncertain times

The business world we live in is experiencing a shift in the degree and rate of change, producing complex and strong emotions. These emotions can be both generative and creative but also problematic and dysfunctional. This calls for a form of leadership that engages emotionally with the needs of individuals and groups.

The session will discuss the importance of delivering emotionally engaged leadership and highlight the real obstacles that exist to selecting leaders of this kind.  The session will conclude with practical guidance on how to overcome these obstacles and produce an organisation that responds to uncertain and changing circumstances.