Our Connect 4 series will hear from 4 specialists on topics covering Marketing, Finance, Social Media and PR. The second event in the series will hear from experts in the field of PR & News.

Starting at 4.30pm with registration and networking over refreshments attendees with then split into smaller groups and get the chance to hear from 4 experts who will teach us all there is to know about PR & News. Attendees will hear from all 4 specialists and questions are encouraged!!

Time - 4.30pm - 7.00pm

Location - The Bothy Experience, Glamis

Costs - £15.00 +VAT (members) £25.00 + VAT (non-members)

The 4 topics we will cover during the event are;

How to get your news seen

Feeling comfortable in front of the camera

What makes a great story

In-house PR

Our 4 experts

Graham Huband, Deputy Editor, The Courier

Graham joined DC Thomson as a trainee news reporter in 1997, working primarily on the Evening Telegraph and The Courier while also doing shift work for The Sunday Post and the dearly departed Sporting Post. Following a 12-week in-house training course, Graham was let loose to cover all aspects of life in and around Dundee – from courts to council, the NHS to neighbour disputes, Presbytery to the police. Along the way, he cultivated a strong local contacts book and authored many agenda-setting news stories with a local and national each.

His final assignment before moving to set up The Courier’s Business desk was a six-week stint at Edinburgh High Court covering the murder trial of Patrick Rae, the man who killed Dundee mum Mary McLaren on a night out.

The business desk was a change of brief but not a change of pace. Graham spent seven years building connections with the vibrant SME-led local business community. Business had never previously been given such focus by The Courier, but it proved to be a rich vein of stories. Graham’s coverage of the business life of Courier Country saw him receive multiple award nominations and, in 2013, the paper launched The Courier Business Awards as a major brand extension. The awards are now in their seventh year and are a fixture of the calendar.

In January this year, Graham was appointed as Deputy Editor of The Courier. In his new role, he oversees day-to-day operations at The Courier and acts as a brand ambassador for the title at events across the country.

Lynne Rankin, Reporter and Presenter, STV News

Lynne was born and brought up in Forfar where she continues to live today with her husband and two young boys. Her passion to become a journalist was first ignited while at Forfar Academy, she then went on to study Radio Broadcasting at Dundee College. After a spell working at the weekly newspaper Forfar Dispatch, she moved to Edinburgh for four years to study for an honours degree in Journalism.

While a student, Lynne worked for BBC Scotland and as a press officer on Strathclyde Police violent crime initiative. After graduating, Lynne returned home to work for DC Thomson as a reporter on both The Courier and Evening Telegraph. Four years later she landed her dream job as a reporter for STV where she has covered the Tayside and Fife area for 12 years.

Emma Davies, Senior Account Manager, Volpa

Emma Davies is an experienced PR practitioner, with 17 years’ experience working with PR consultancies in London, Wales and Scotland. Over the course of her career, she has worked on a number of high profile private and public sector clients including Freeserve ISP, Heineken UK, Vimto Soft Drinks, Carbon Trust Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland, General Teaching Council for Wales, Atisreal, Falkirk Council and the Scottish Government’s Determined to Succeed initiative. Emma is a graduate from Cardiff University, with a 2.1 BA (Hons) in Journalism, Film and Broadcast and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public and Media Relations. She won a CIPR Gold Award for work in the public sector in 2007. A trained videographer, she ran her own PR & communications business for three years before joining the PR team at Volpa in 2019.

Julianne Robertson, Communications Manager, Xplore Dundee

Julianne Robertson is the Communications Manager for Xplore Dundee, and a qualified journalist with considerable experience gained over 18 years working in the media and in the corporate world of National Express Group.

After graduating from the University of Dundee with a degree in English, Julianne trained as a radio journalist at Bell College in Hamilton and went straight into the newsrooms of Wave 102 and then Radio Tay, working her way up from reporter to Deputy News Editor. She’s also worked as a researcher/producer for a Radio Scotland current affairs programme and as a freelance journalist and copywriter.

Moving into the world of PR and Communications in 2012, Julianne has been with Xplore Dundee for six years, in a role which involves media relations, internal communications, liaising with community partners and stakeholder management.

THIS EVENT MAY QUALIFY YOU FOR 2 HOURS CPD TRAINING, A CERTIFICATE WILL BE PROVIDED BY DACC TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THE EVENT

Connect 4 Series, sponsored by Hillcrest Housing Association 

Woring with our Enterprise Partners, the Connect 4 series will bring a number of events to our members covering a variety of topics to help you and your business grow.

You can find out about Hillcrest Housing Association and the work they do within the region on their website.

Our thanks go to them for their continued support.