At the end of March, Sieglinde Martin, Head of the Department of Communication, and Leyla Tavernaro-Haidarian, International Course Manager, Academic Expert, and Lecturer, attended the edcom conference in Lisbon.
Under bright sunshine, the Portuguese capital once again served as the setting for an intensive exchange between representatives from universities and the communications industry across Europe. edcom—the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education—promotes collaboration between academia and the professional world and is part of the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA).
A particular highlight of the conference was the final round of the Ad Venture competition. The winning team from Thomas More University in Belgium impressed the judges with a campaign for Heinz Ketchup and demonstrated the creative and strategic potential of the next generation.
In addition, edcom members discussed current collaborative projects, including Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs), the edcom podcast series, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the communications industry and higher education.
One key finding was that artificial intelligence will not replace (advertising) professionals—rather, the professionals who will succeed are those who can use AI effectively. For higher education, this means preparing students specifically for these demands. In particular, there is a need for skills that AI cannot replace: interpersonal communication and collaboration, strategic and long-term thinking, brand building, and leadership skills.
The first day of the conference concluded with an awards dinner hosted by the EACA. The second day centered on a panel discussion about the transformation of agency-client relationships in the age of AI. It became clear that the focus is shifting from traditional pitch processes toward trust-based partnerships. In the future, the emphasis will be on building rapport and mutual understanding in order to jointly develop the best possible solutions for clients.
Participation in the edcom conference once again underlines the importance of international networking for the further development of communication education at FHWien der WKW.