Aline Muylaert

Good communication is key to making your EU project a success. At CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, we know how challenging it can be for projects to stand out, reach diverse audiences, and communicate results effectively. I am especially proud of my team’s dedication and service-minded approach - always working to make our beneficiaries’ achievements more visible and impactful. Our new Communication Toolkit for project beneficiaries is a reflection of that commitment. It provides practical guidance to help you: 🔷Plan, carry out and evaluate communication activities 🔷Apply the ten golden rules for EU visibility and branding 🔷Share project results more effectively and memorably 🔷Navigate communication challenges - from messaging to disinformation The toolkit builds on real project examples and offers hands-on advice to help beneficiaries strengthen their outreach and showcase the achievements of EU-funded projects. A heartfelt thank you to all my CINEA colleagues for developing this valuable resource - and to the many projects who shared their inspiring communication successes. Find the toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/envrFrfY

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ICYMI❗️The European Commission has launched a call for evidence and a public consultation, inviting all interested stakeholders to contribute to the future #EuropeanInnovationAct. 🇪🇺A key deliverable of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, the European Innovation Act will facilitate bringing innovative ideas to market across all sectors. 📈It will aim to address challenges in commercialising research results, strengthen collaboration between the industry and the academia, and improve access of innovative companies to markets, finance, talent and infrastructures. It will also create a more innovation-friendly regulatory, policy and investment environment across the EU, to give European innovators the tools they need to grow and scale within the EU and compete globally. 👨🏽‍💻The consultation addresses individuals and companies, industry representatives, representatives of SMEs, representatives of the startup community, members of academia and research institutions, representatives of the financial sector, public bodies, including public buyers, representatives of research and technology infrastructure, and other stakeholders. ⏳The call for evidence together with the public consultation are open for contributions until 3 October 2025 so have your say! 👉🏼More info: https://lnkd.in/etni9eBn

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Yesterday, I hosted a webinar on organising policy events in Brussels. Here are the 15 key takeaways from the session. 🌟 1. Start with the 'Why' Why are you organising this event? Could a phone call to an MEP achieve the same outcome with less effort and expense? Always consider the simplest option before committing to a full-scale event. 🌟 2. Understand Your Client's Agenda "Client" might mean your boss, funder, or external partner. Their priorities are not always aligned with the event's broader purpose. Some insist on MEPs attending even when their presence adds little to the outcome. 🌟 3. The EP Calendar Rules Brussels Start with the European Parliament calendar. Brussels orbits around it. Avoid clashes with plenary weeks or major EU summits. 🌟 4. Allow Six Weeks Minimum I once pulled off an EP event in 10 days, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Give yourself 6 weeks at the very least. 12 weeks is even better for quality delivery. 🌟 5. Format Follows Function Your format should reflect your goal. Don't organise a 150-person panel if a small, strategic roundtable would be more effective. 🌟 6. Make It Human-Centred Keep speeches short and presentations clear. If attendees leave drained and disengaged, your event has failed, regardless of the content. 🌟 7. Professional, Not Party Policy events don't have to be boring, but they shouldn't feel like a rave. Aim for a familiar structure with one or two fresh elements to surprise your audience. 🌟 8. Think Like a Human Consider the basics: air quality, room temperature, and catering. Schedule matters too. No one engages with content if they're cold, tired or hungry. 🌟 9. Wednesday Is the Sweet Spot Choose your date based on the European Parliament calendar. Committee week Wednesdays are ideal. Avoid Strasbourg weeks at all costs. 🌟 10. Location, Location, Location Keep it within walking distance of the European Parliament. In two decades, I've organised just one event outside the Bubble. 🌟 11. Secure Speakers Early Speakers can elevate or undermine your event. They are more likely to accept if the topic is relevant, the panel is high-quality and the setup looks professional. If you're getting refusals, revisit those elements. 🌟 12. Build (and Know) Your Audience Define your audience and build a large enough mailing list. Open rates determine registration numbers, and attendance will always be lower than you expect. 🌟 13. Timing Is Everything Send "save the dates" two months in advance. Invitations should go out six weeks before, with a reminder three weeks ahead of the event. 🌟 14. Mobilise Your Network Your mailing list is your most powerful tool. Beyond that, use LinkedIn, relevant newsletters, and trusted ambassadors — attendees who help promote the event organically. 🌟 15. Nail the Basics Don't forget the practical details: catering, audio, visuals, presentations, photography. Make a checklist and stick to it. If it can go wrong, it probably will.

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Some elderly — and other less digitally-savvy citizens — are excluded from parts of public life when parking apps replace physical parking meters, because municipalities see them as too expensive. I was a guest on Dutch public radio this morning to talk about the issue. Time and time again, when it comes to digitalization we hear the same arguments: “This is just the direction things are heading in, people simply have to adapt. We can give them training.” But if we want to achieve responsible digital transitions, we need to do it in a different way. We have to look at the full spectrum of users: provide really good and attractive digital services to those who can and want to use them, provide support and training to those who want to learn, but also provide good (non-digital) alternatives to those who cannot. Too many decision makers and system designers take their own lives and their own digital capabilities as a reference when making decisions like this. Instead, digital transitions should be carried out carefully, including the full breadth of users — from digitally very savvy to digitally not so savvy. https://lnkd.in/dD-fjPWU

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