SMi reports: A senior expert from the IOM - UN Migration will be presenting at the Social Media in the Defence and Military Sector conference this November

The agenda for the 9th annual Social Media in the Defence and Military Sector conference, taking place on the 20th and 21st November 2019 in London, has been carefully curated with the very best speakers to give delegates the greatest knowledge and expertise on how to improve social media strategies and give the very best tools for the platforms.

These strategies will encompass: Recruitment, Cyber Security, Branding, Special Forces Operations, Frontline Operations, and much more.

New for this year's event is an exclusive briefing from IOM - UN Migration. IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

SMi Group are pleased to have caught up with Dr Luca Lamorte, Social Media Officer, Media and Communications Division, IOM - UN Migration to discuss current developments, priorities and the upcoming event.

Snapshot of Dr Lamorte's interview:

Q1) Tell us about you - what is your role in the defence / military social media environment and what perspective do you bring to the conference?

A: "Migration is a charged political subject, and it is certainly linked to defense and military. I can share my experience as a social media manager and highlight some of our challenges vis-à-vis right-wing voters and their engagement on our platform. They are very well organized and have specific opinions about migrants (mostly negative)."

Q2) What lessons can military and commercial organisations learn from the IOM?

A: "There are several lessons in my opinion: a) Always. Always. Engage. B) do not ignore negative comments C) The price you pay when you ignore negative comments can be much higher than you anticipate."

Q3) As a key player in Social Media utilisation, what are the challenges you face personally and what do you see as challenges for the industry in general?

A: "There are many challenges. Most IOs do not invest nearly enough in social media, especially in social media listening and monitoring. Most IOs do not create engaging content and do not know how to navigate the influencers marketing field, which is today valued at 8 billion US dollars."

At the conference, Dr Lamorte will be presenting on ‘IOM's Approach to Social Media Operations', which will cover:
• Developing a social media strategy to meet the operational requirements of IOM
• Reacting to live/changing scenarios
• Differentiating material for specific audiences

The event brochure and the full interview can be found on the event website at www.militarysocialmedia.com/roboticstomorrow

Delegates will have the chance to attend two half-day pre-conference workshops:

Workshop A - Audience Engagement through Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), hosted by Pat O'Connor, Managing Director, VRAI

Workshop B - Digital Transformation in Government Communications, hosted by Steven Mehringer, Digital Transformation, SME

For more information on the workshops and to register, places can be booked online at www.militarysocialmedia.com/roboticstomorrow

Register before the 28th June to take advantage of the £300 early bird discount.

Social Media in the Defence and Military Sector
Conference: 20th-21st November 2019
Workshops: 19th November 2019
London, UK

For details on tailored sponsorship and branding packages, please contact Sadia Malick on +44 (0) 207 827 6748 or email smalick@smi-online.co.uk

For enquiries on delegate and special rates for military and government representatives contact James Hitchen on +44 (0)207 827 6054 or email jhitchen@smi-online.co.uk

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About SMi Group:
Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the world's most forward-thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found at http://www.smi-online.co.uk