Sharjah: Crisis management and the power of social media influencers will be among many topics discussed during the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), which opens on Sunday at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The 10th edition, which ends on Monday, will be held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
The 10th edition of the two-day forum is bringing together 79 communication experts from around the world to evaluate the historical experience of government communication, discuss innovative crisis management mechanisms and determine the future of public communication.
Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) under the slogan ‘Historic lessons, Future ambitions’, IGCF 2021 will feature heads of states, ministers and influencers coming together to deliver keynote speeches and participate in interactive sessions.
Who is coming?
They include the Guest of Honour of this edition, His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal, Founder and Trustee of King Faisal Foundation and Chairman of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League; and Dr Nayef Falah Al Hajraf, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Other notable speakers are Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of Estonia; Philip Hammond, British politician and former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Elizabeth Linder, founder of Facebook’s Politics and Government division and founder of The Conversational Century; Syrian actor Abed Fahed; Lebanese TV personality Malek Maktabi; and Egyptian YouTube sensation Ahmed El Ghandour.
There will 31 sessions, including seven panel discussions, five inspirational talks, seven training workshops, and 12 interactive programmes.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of SGMB, said: “The world has witnessed rapid transformations in many sectors that have impacted the public and challenged governments. We are hopeful that the forum outcomes and recommendations will ensure the future-readiness of government communication teams to meet the challenges resulting from such unpredictable conditions.”
