"Communicating seamlessly in the digital age”

Customs administrations do not only have a duty to inform their stakeholders about Customs procedures and legislation, but with their increasing role and importance along the global supply chain, they also need to communicate effectively to a global community through well-defined messages addressed to targeted audiences.

With this in mind, and following requests from Members, the WCO is organizing this strategic event to provide a platform for Customs and its stakeholders (private sector, academia, etc.) to share best practices, learn new communication strategies and approaches, and discuss the use of new technologies to boost communication activities, while, at the same time, contributing to the upcoming WCO Handbook on Customs Communication Strategies.

In line with the WCO's theme for 2019, the theme of the conference “Communicating seamlessly in the digital age” will provide participants with the opportunity to probe the smart use of technological solutions and innovations, and better understand how they are reshaping the Customs communication landscape.

During the conference, Customs communication professionals will share best practices relating to communication strategies, story-telling techniques and also the use of technologies to enlarge their audience base, while the private sector will present their views on ways to improve Customs-to-business cooperation and communication, including through technological solutions.

Communication experts from the media, international organizations and other institutions will also be invited to share their experience on how Customs can adapt its narrative to the demand of readers and attract the attention of opinion and other thought leaders.

Delegates will participate in discussions on communication governance, branding and reputation, media and stakeholder relations, communication strategies and tools, risk communication, internal communication, and the latest communication trends.

Participants will explore how Artificial Intelligence is already being used by Customs to communicate more effectively, namely through the use of chatbots, i-apps, voice and text analytics and customer management through machine learning, among others.

Simultaneous interpretation into English, French and Spanish will be provided during the conference.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the WCO Communication and event team: communicationconf@wcoomd.org.