The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media welcomes some of the nation’s top communications executives and leading researchers to campus this week for the inaugural IMC Connect!: A Roundtable Experience.

The conference is set for Thursday and Friday (March 31-April 1). Sessions will be in the Overby Center auditorium and at The Inn at Ole Miss.

“The purpose of this event is to foster connections and collaborations among multiple stakeholders, including integrated marketing communications practitioners, academic researchers, faculty members and students,” said Amanda Bradshaw, co-chair of IMC Connect! and an assistant professor of integrated marketing communications.

Speakers and panelists for the event include:

• Chris Chiames, chief communications officer, Carnival Cruise Line
• Stephen Holmes, vice president of corporate communications and external affairs, Home Depot
• Reade Tidwell, director of corporate communications, Chick-fil-A
• Jenny D. Robertson, senior vice president for integrated marketing and communications, FedEx Services
• Renee Malone, president and founding partner, KQ Communications
• Timothy Coombs, professor in the Department of Communication, Texas A&M University
• Rebecca Britt, associate professor in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama
• Candice Edrington, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina
• Debbie Treise, professor in the Department of Advertising, University of Florida, and executive director of the American Academy of Advertising

Throughout this roundtable experience, students, faculty and staff will have opportunities to network and participate in working sessions, including a discussion of the school’s IMC curriculum and how to best prepare students for entering the job market.

To aid in these efforts, the UM Public Relations Student Society of America chapter will host a Q&A Job Prep Panel: The Connection Between Research and Practice on Thursday.

The following day, invited guests will gather at The Inn at Ole Miss for four panel sessions, which will include insights and knowledge on crisis communication, social media and big data analytics, advertising and building your brand, and the role of advocacy and social justice in public relations.

IMC Connect! 2022 is open to Ole Miss journalism and integrated marketing communication students and faculty. Students and faculty can register using the official UM GivePulse platform. Pre-registration is required, and participants must enter their UM login credentials to register.

Click here to learn more about the IMC Connect! 2022 agenda, or contact event co-chairs Amanda Bradshaw at asbrads1@olemiss.edu or Robert Magee at rgmagee@olemiss.edu.