The CommTech Academy
Communication meets technology: The CommTech Academy teaches all the necessary skills for the digital transformation of corporate communication.
The Academy, in cooperation with Media Workshop, specifically targets managers, communicators, PR practitioners and agency employees. The aim of the individual formats is direct applicability in practice and networked, state-of-the-art CommTech knowledge.
- Leading industry representatives and opinion leaders
- Compact preparation
- Targeted communication of best practices, insights and first-hand learning
Start now into the future of corporate communications and save a lot of time, resources and budget!
Start your CommTech Journey now
Christof Schmid
Christof Schmid (pictured left) managed communications for national and international companies for over 20 years. He was responsible for Twitter’s communications in Germany and worked closely with story brands such as Disney and Cirque du Soleil. As a speaker, consultant and author, he helps companies, entrepreneurs and managers to communicate in a modern way. Christof also heads the technology section of the CommTech working group and is co-author of the book “Success Factor CommTech”
Thomas Mickeleit (pictured right) is the founder of the consulting boutique KommunikationNeuDenken! which supports communications departments on their digitalization path, e.g. with the introduction of newsrooms. Previously, he was a member of the management team at Microsoft Germany for almost 15 years, where he was responsible for communications. Other positions included Volkswagen, IBM and Grundig. In 2021, he founded AG CommTech as an exchange platform for digital-savvy communicators. He is the editor of the standard work “Success Factor CommTech”.
Our seminars
Use of powerful communication tools
July 25, 2025
10:00 – 14:00
Christian Albrecht
Communication Nuremberg Airport
In the digital world, the use of communication tools is becoming increasingly important for the communication departments of companies and organizations. With the help of artificial intelligence, these tools can help to make work processes more efficient and improve communication. In this training course, speaker Christian Albrecht will show you which digital tools are available and how you can use them optimally to benefit from the advantages of AI in the field of communication.
Finally prove the success of communication and optimize operational communication work
May 06, 2025
September 03, 2025
December 02, 2025
10:00 – 16:00
Jörg Forthmann
Managing Director IMWF
Media analysis has evolved considerably in recent months. You will learn how you can quickly introduce the new media analysis tools into your company and bring yourself up to date.
Performance Communications - What communication can learn from marketing and management.
May 08, 2025
June 05, 2025
09:00 – 17:00
Jens Christmann
Christmann Performance Communications
Performance Communications offers a new and data-based approach to strategically aligning and operationally optimizing corporate communications. This makes it more results-oriented and dynamic – which creates a higher and internally clearly verifiable value contribution (return on investment) for the company. The seminar provides a practical demonstration of how communication measures can be translated into business cases and synergies created. AI-supported performance marketing methods are used for operational implementation, which significantly increase impact and efficiency – typically with two to three-digit improvements in results. Using concrete examples and practical exercises, participants develop a performance plan that can be put directly into practice.ed prompts and explore the most important tips & tricks for dealing with generative AI.
Strategically manage and evaluate communication - demonstrate added value
May 13, 2025
09:00 – 13:00
Dr. Reimer Stobbe
Freelance lecturer/author/consultant Strategic communication controlling
Strategic communication controlling is a management function. On the basis of the fundamentals of corporate management, controlling, it is possible to demonstrate the added value of communication. To do this, it is important to know the strategic role of communication in the company and to measure and control the performance contribution accordingly. The background to this is stakeholder management. Through the correct application of suitable management tools, the performance level of communication can be linked in stages with reputation management. This puts all the control levers in the hands of the communicator. It is advantageous to have previously attended the seminar “Managing the success of communication”. The seminar “Analytics Engineering in Communication” offers in-depth knowledge of analytics and data. The three seminars, Strategy, Success Management and Analytics, together provide the necessary knowledge for an expert in communication controlling.
Managing the success of communication
May 22, 2025
09:00 – 13:00
Dr. Reimer Stobbe
Freelance lecturer/author/consultant Strategic communication controlling
Proving the success and impact of corporate communications is a challenge that requires expertise. The prerequisite is timely planning with goals and measuring where it makes sense – with suitable metrics. In the digital world, this includes integrating, organizing and harnessing a great deal of data. All of this requires a sustainable and methodically consistent approach. The DPRG/ICV impact level model serves as a common standard for this. It answers the question of success step by step. It is also advantageous to attend the seminar “Strategically managing and evaluating communication – demonstrating added value”. The seminar “Analytics Engineering in Communication” offers an in-depth look at analytics and data. The three seminars, Strategy, Performance Management and Analytics, together provide the necessary knowledge of an expert in communication controlling.
Analytics engineering in communication
May 19, 2025
09:00 – 13:00
Patrik Götz
Senior Consultant for Digital Analytics & BI at netzeffekt GmbH
Setting up a data hub for communication measurement is a challenging task that requires strategic thinking and technical expertise. This requires a structured approach: from defining relevant metrics and dimensions to linking them in databases and providing the data in dashboards. The aim is to make data efficiently usable and enable well-founded decisions. Another focus is on getting stakeholders to use these data products in a targeted manner – a challenge that requires communication and change management. It is also advantageous to attend the seminars “Managing and evaluating communication strategically – demonstrating added value” and “Managing the success of communication”. The three seminars, Strategy, Performance Management and Analytics, together provide the necessary knowledge of an expert in communication controlling.
Image generation with AI in corporate communications
Dates on request.
10:00 – 12:00 a.m.
Christof Schmid
Hi Story Consulting
Generative AI has become an integral part of communication work. The right AI tools will speed up your content workflow enormously. In this workshop, you will learn how to successfully generate images and illustrations with AI tools in corporate communications.
How can a stakeholder journey be set up in a meaningful way?
Dates on request.
10:00 – 13:00
Klaus Treichel
Communications consulting
The stakeholder journey describes how the complex relationship between a company and its stakeholders can develop – if communication measures in the digital space are planned skillfully. The aim must be to increasingly activate the stakeholder over time as part of communication campaigns. Initially, the aim is to make the stakeholder aware of a position or a product. But the journey continues and after “attention”, the stages of “interest”, “impact” and “connection” follow.
AR, VR and mixed reality in corporate communications
Dates on request.
10:00 – 12:00 a.m.
Christof Schmid
Hi Story Consulting
With the introduction of Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality glasses, the topic of AR, VR and metaverse has picked up speed again. Apple’s market entry shows that this is more than just a trend. Spatial computing and mixed reality are the technologies of the future and will massively change the way we communicate.
Prompting for beginners
In-house appointments on request.
Christina Rettig
Head of Strategic Marketing & Communications at SCHOTT AG
The sheer power of language models such as ChatGPT promises great potential for use in communication departments. But many communication managers wonder how to approach it and why the results often fall short of their expectations. So what to do? Together, we will take a look at guided prompts and explore the most important tips and tricks for dealing with generative AI.
Digital Newsroom
Dates on request.
Thomas Mickeleit
Head of AG CommTech and founder of KommunikationNeuDenken
The newsroom continues to be the preferred organizational model forcommunications departments. And rightly so, because the explosion of communication channels and content requires a process that can play out content across content to owned, earned and paid media across all functions. Over a third of all communication departments in Germany have already have already introduced such a model. With the grAccording to the CommTech Index Report, this figure is as high as 56% for large companies. But 8% say they have failed to introduce the newsroom model and have abandoned it. With the right approach, failure can be avoided and communication can be made more efficient and successful. successfully.
Our speakers and lecturers
Leading industry representatives and opinion leaders guarantee a compact presentation and targeted communication of best practices, insights and first-hand learning.
Thomas Mickeleit
Rethinking communication!
Founder
- As Head of Communications at Microsoft Germany, has extensive practical experience in the digitalization of communications, especially in the development and operation of a digital newsroom
- Has many years of experience as an honorary professor and lecturer in communication science courses.
- Knows the challenges of communications departments from many years of consulting experience.
Klaus Treichel
Communication consulting
Founder
- Co-author of the chapter “CommTech: Increasing the impact of communication with the stakeholder journey” in the specialist book “Success factor CommTech”
- Has many years of management experience in corporate communications at international companies and has implemented newsroom concepts
- He covers a broad spectrum, from traditional press relations and digital communication to crisis communication and support for transformation and change processes.
Jorg Forthmann
IMWF
Managing Director
- Jörg Forthmann (born 1968) is Managing Director of the IMWF Institute for Management and Economic Research and co-founder of AG CommTech, where he is jointly responsible for the impact measurement cluster.
- In this role, he has worked intensively over the last two years on the further development of media analysis tools – including the use of AI.
Christof Schmid
Hi Story Consulting
Founder & Speaker / Head of CommTech Academy
- Planned and implemented the digitalization of communications as Head of Communications at Twitter Germany
- Knows the challenges of communications departments from his many years of speaking and consulting experience for national and international companies
- Co-author of “Success Factor CommTech” (SpringerGabler, 2023)
Christian Albrecht
Communication Nuremberg Airport
Management
- As Head of Communications at a medium-sized airport, he has relevant practical experience in (online) communications and is responsible for the technical and content-related further development of the digital platforms.
- Is a lecturer for online communication, online marketing and business administration in Germany and China.
- The focus is on digital and communication – using artificial intelligence tools on a daily basis.
Christina Rettig
Head of Strategic Marketing & Communications at SCHOTT AG
- Has worked in strategic communications for technology companies for 25 years.
- As Head of Strategic Marketing & Communications at SCHOTT AG, she is currently tasked with forming the strategic framework for the company’s integrated marketing and communications department. This also includes the question of what role artificial intelligence will play in the future.
- Prior to this, the business administration graduate and journalist worked in consulting for ten years.
- As a PhD student at the University of Antwerp, she is researching the technology acceptance of AI and cyber-physical systems in the pharmaceutical industry.
- She is involved in the steering committee of the CommTech working group on the topic of organization.
Dr. Reimer Stobbe
Freelance lecturer/author/consultant Strategic communication controlling
- Worked in corporate communications at Munich Re from 1999 to November 2024 and was responsible for impact measurement and analytics since 2004.
- The historian, who holds a doctorate, has played a key role in the development of standard methods in the field in Germany as the long-standing head of the communications controlling working group of the International Controller Association.
- For several years, he was a lecturer in communications management at the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.
- He is currently co-head of the impact measurement cluster in the CommTech working group.
- My expertise: experience in over 20 years of practical application of impact and success measurement in corporate communications and marketing – with everything that goes with it: including analytics, IT and data protection.
- Realization of a best case in a leading global insurance company.
- Impact measurement across all communication functions globally according to a uniform standard. Interactive dashboards with real-time data. Instrumental in the development and communication of standard communication controlling methods.
- Numerous publications. Many years of experience as a lecturer.
Patrik Goetz
netzeffekt GmbH
Senior Consultant for Digital Analytics & BI
- Is Senior Consultant for Digital Analytics & BI at netzeffekt GmbH and has more than six years of experience in analytics engineering.
- He has extensive expertise in data analysis and works closely with companies to develop data-driven strategies that meet the demands of the digital age.
- His core competencies include strategic consulting on measuring communication effectiveness, developing and implementing data products, and creating training programs that teach professionals how to use analytical software solutions.
- Before joining netzeffekt, Patrik gained valuable experience in marketing analysis at a leading electronics e-commerce company.
- As a speaker, he shares his knowledge and practical experience to help others understand and make the most of the dynamics and potential of data in corporate communications.
Jens Christmann
Founder
Christmann Perfomance Communications
- Expert in omnichannel marketing, communication and change management and advises companies on the digital transformation of their communication.
- As the developer of the Performance Communications Method, he enables data-based, strategic and results-oriented communication with customers, employees and other stakeholders, which leads to significant increases in results.
- Thanks to his international management experience in the USA, Germany and Switzerland, he brings a versatile and practice-oriented perspective to his work.
The CommTech Academy offers more
Webinars and virtual learning platform
Lectures and in-house workshops
Consulting / Sparring
Hackathons
CommTech quality knowledge
Our speakers are among the leading industry representatives and opinion leaders in the field of CommTech.
1
compact:
Clear preparation
2
specific:
Learnings from real implementers
3
practice-oriented:
Best practices and insights with practical relevance
Don't miss the boat now and continue to have problems like these:
- Too little knowledge
- Too much resource in daily business
- No time for strategy
- cumbersome processes
- No analysis and evaluation
- No reputation management
- No internal recognition for communication work
Materials of the CommTech Academy Summer School 2024
The first CommTech Academy Summer School at Audi in Ingolstadt offered a series of inspiring presentations and workshops on the digitalization of the communications industry. We are happy to make individual presentations by our speakers available here. Whether you attended in person or were unable to attend – the materials offer an insight into the topics of the Summer School 2024.
Recognizing the trends of tomorrow –
CommTech and data for success
Andree Blumhoff and Oliver Heyden
Learning from marketing Using the stakeholder journey
for effective communication in dialog
Julian Pinnig and Antonia Benz
From KPI soup to target setting Our
journey towards a data-driven organization
Lynette Jackson
