Professional Development Programme

– 18 Nov, 2010

LAST PLACES AVAILABLE – ENROL NOW FOR £250

The Professional Development Programme is a new, intensive 16-week schedule of professional activities for those with 1-3 years experience at the heart of the MIPAA Business Academy strategy for 2011.

This innovative membership development initiative enables:
- Talented individuals to gain fast-track training in motor industry PR
- Managers to enrol team members in a cost-effective, robust and valid programme of development

With a maximum of 12 participants it includes three key aspects:

  1. Attendance at four Essential PR Business Academy workshops and participation in two Action Learning days
  2. An interactive online Handbook providing exclusive access to expert resources and enabling progress and outcomes to be measured and incorporated in appraisals.
  3. Enrolment into the 12 week MIPAA Accelerate mentoring programme – co-ordinated by former chairman and ex-Ford communications head, Tom Malcolm

The cost for the initial intake of this unique endeavour is £300 per participant to include:

  • Attendance at four MIPAA Business Academy workshops (normal charge £50 per workshop)
  • Participation in two action learning days involving visits, professional networking and practical skills development
  • Enrolment into the MIPAA Accelerate mentoring programme – with personal and group mentoring support
  • Access to the PDP online handbook, providing expert resources, individual development exercises, progress reports, etc
  • Feedback on performance and progress to a participant’s “sponsoring” member (if required)
  • A post-PDP “graduation” involving presentation of a personal project to MIPAA executive committee, mentors and sponsors

Additional costs not included in the programme include travel, refreshments outside the main events, other incidental costs incurred by participants (eg stationery etc)


Book online via this Easylink

Professional Development Programme Content:

MIPAA Business Academy workshops (open to other MIPAA members, but with additional pre- and post-workshop activities):

1. Professional Motor Industry PR [13 December 2010, BEN Lynwood, Surrey]

  • Introduction to the motor industry (scope, practices, media and other influencers, industry bodies, challenges and responsibilities)
  • PR planning (objectives, evaluation, campaign development, launches and other PR activities)
  • Budgeting and management reporting
  • Professionalism (personal presentational skills, image and etiquette, networking and relationship building)

2. Media Relations [12 January 2011, BEN Town Thorns, Warwickshire]

  • Working with the motoring media (contact databases, “pitching”, understanding requirements, interpersonal skills)
  • Writing for motoring media (press releases, feature articles, online, technical language)
  • Organising media events (launches, conferences, exclusive initiatives)
  • Targeting non-motoring media (creativity, building contacts, multimedia including radio and online)

3. Marketing & PR [2 February 2011, BEN Lynwood, Surrey]

  • Understanding marketing objectives (market research, brand, segmentation, pricing, product development, retail/B2B)
  • Working with marketing specialists (advertising agencies, media planning, online marketing, direct marketing, promotions)
  • Consumer PR (creative process, from idea to campaign, pitfalls and opportunities)
  • Consumer relations (responding to complaints via the media, building brand advocacy, working with consumer media)

4. PR Management [9 March 2011, BEN Town Thorns, Warwickshire]

  • Corporate responsibility (codes of conduct, legal and other issues, environmental developments, community programmes)
  • Personal management (organising meetings, workload management, working with suppliers and clients)
  • Negotiating skills (problem solving, achieving consensus, budgeting control)
  • Advanced writing (speeches and presentations, management briefs/Q&As, project proposals, evaluation reports)

MIPAA Action Learning Days:

1. London-based (date to be confirmed in January 2011)

  • Visit to national media, lunch with senior PR practitioner, hands-on media broadcast experience, project with major consultancy

2. Region-based (date to be confirmed in February 2011)

  • Visit to motoring venue, lunch with motor industry executive, hands-on motoring magazine experience, in-house team project

MIPAA Accelerate Programme

  • Individual mentor assigned for 12 week period including email, phone and f2f contact (exclusive to PDP participants at this time)
  • Online group mentors (each for 4 week period) engaging though online media (webinars, email, etc)

Online Handbook

  • Interactive online expert resources and progress management tools