Best Practice Seminar on 11 September 2012 Lobbying and Advocacy – How to gain the Trust of your Stakeholders! How do companies and associations present their interests in politics and society nowadays? How do you create long-term dialogue with your stakeholders, e.g. neighbourhood residents, decisionmakers, politicians in communities and on all political levels, non-profit organisations, and the media? The true meaning of lobbying is more than just trying to influence legislative and executive authorities. It also requires intense contact with the various interest groups which can have an impact on your business and decisions made about your business. Reaching them requires an extensive PR strategy, as well as personal appeal. Lobbying is similar to a sales process. The decisionmakers among the stakeholders must be treated as important customers. They must be introduced to your company, inspired by your products, and brought on board for your business. All of our speakers in this field without exception are experts who are willing to share their knowledge with you. They have a background in politics, the plastics and chemistry sectors, as well as affiliated businesses and associations. After participating in our seminar, you will be in a position to  assess the effectiveness of your own actions towards your stakeholders;  identify the stakeholders’ importance for your business;  devise a systematic approach for servicing your stakeholders; and  network with other lobby groups. During the seminar there will be enough time for questions, discussions, and dialogue among all participants. About the Organiser: The AGPU (Working Group PVC and Environment) is one of Germany’s top 100 lobby organisations, and its successful work has been described as exemplary by specialists. It has been a trustworthy dialogue partner for stakeholders in the PVC industry for over 20 years now, and its managing director, Werner Preusker, has been invited to speak on this topic at numerous conferences in Europe and the USA. Conference venue and hotel: Faculty club and the Begijnhof Hotel in Leuwen, Belgium For more information please contact Maike Breypohl, PVCplus, [email protected], +49 176 668 121 87 Date: 11 September 2012 Duration: Full-day event from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., incl. get-together dinner the evening before on 10 September starting at 7 p.m. Organiser: PVCplus Kommunikations GmbH on behalf of the AGPU Participants: Managing directors, marketing managers, communication managers, and specialists from PR departments Participants: Max. 50 Participation costs without hotel accommodation: 750 € (+ VAT) for participants from AGPU member companies 995 € (+ VAT) for interested parties outside the AGPU 25% (+ VAT) discount for each 2nd participant from the same company DAY 1 7 p.m. Get-together 7:30 p.m. Dinner with keynote of Ernst Schwanhold, former Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia and Area Leader within the BASF in the field of environment and energy DAY 2 9 a.m. Reception with coffee and tea 9:15 a.m. – 10 a.m. How to combine lobby efforts on the national and EU levels. Mr Theihs also has experience in Berlin and Brussels. He provides an overview of the principles of European legislation and talks about the coordination of activities in speaking with national and European bodies. 11 a.m. 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m.–2 p.m. 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. 5 p.m. How does the AGPU specifically organise its lobbying? Mr Preusker demonstrates important elements of successful lobbying campaigns. Which aspects should be noted and what is wise and sensible. Networking and communication in the member states and Brussels. Norbert Theihs, German Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI) Successful Lobbying on national and EU level 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Werner Preusker, Managing Director of the Working Group PVC and Environment (AGPU) Lobbying means acting on many different fronts Break Philip Law, British Plastics Federation (BPF) Real life example: Lobbying starts at the factory gate How to improve the value of your business by lobbying the political system, media and stakeholders. Lunch Andreas Buhr, Keynote speaker and Sales trainer, Owner of the Go! Academy Lobbying is like a sales process: Stakeholders are like customers Which sales strategies and tactics can we apply to the stakeholder dialogue? A renowned sales trainer draws parallels. N.N. from neighbouring industry Learning from others Sometimes it’s worth looking outside the box. How do businesses from other sectors approach stakeholder dialogue? End of event Deadline for registration: 9 August 2012 For more information please contact Maike Breypohl, PVCplus, [email protected], +49 176 668 121 87