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This October 21–22, 2025, BlueSky Education invites you to London for the BlueSky Media Connect conference – an insightful two-day event dedicated to forging stronger, smarter connections between business schools, higher education professionals and the world’s most influential media.
Who Should Attend
BlueSky Media Connect is tailored for communications, PR, media relations, marketing, and branding professionals working within business schools, universities, and other higher education institutions, as well as those representing corporate firms in the education sector. If your role involves shaping institutional narratives, pitching to the media, or building brand visibility in the education space, this conference is designed specifically for you.
What to Expect
This conference is about real talk with the media. You’ll get:
- Candid panels with editors and journalists from the world’s most trusted news brands: Bloomberg, FT, The Economist, Forbes, Reuters, TIME, The Guardian, Business Insider, The Times, and more.
- Unfiltered insights into what makes a story stick, how editorial decisions are made, and the kind of pitches that get noticed (and the ones that don’t).
- Immediate networking after each panel - connect directly with media decision-makers in a relaxed, professional setting.
We’ve also co-ordinated the event to coincide with the Financial Times Business Education Drinks Reception on October 21*.
Workshops & Strategy Sessions
Benefit from interactive workshops led by BlueSky’s expert consultants, who bring years of experience in education PR and media relations. These sessions will provide you with practical, hands-on insights and strategies tailored to your needs—helping you refine your approach to media outreach, storytelling, and navigating today’s global media landscape.
Evening Networking
Kick off the event with a Drinks Reception on the evening of Monday October 20th, giving you the chance to mingle with fellow attendees and journalists in a relaxed, informal setting before the conference begins.
Then, wrap up the conference with our fabulous BlueSky Media Connect Conference Dinner on October 22nd—an exclusive gathering where conversations with peers continues in a more informal and intimate environment.
Meet Your Hosts: Matt Symonds & BlueSky Education
Few know the intersection of business education and global media better than Matt Symonds. A former journalist for the BBC, The Economist, Forbes, and Bloomberg, Matt is also the S in QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the co-founder of CentreCourt with Poets & Quants, and an expert in crafting meaningful dialogue between media and higher education.
With over 15 years of experience organising high-profile media conferences in London, Paris, and beyond, Matt brings unparalleled insight into what makes stories resonate and how communications professionals can earn their place in the global news cycle.
BlueSky Education, the team behind BlueSky Media Connect, is an established leader in education public relations. With an excellent track record spanning over 15 years, we have worked with top business schools, universities, and education-focused organisations to elevate their media profiles across key international markets. Known for expertise in strategic PR, media outreach, crisis communications and content creation, BlueSky Education is at the forefront of shaping how higher education institutions engage with the media, ensuring that stories reach the right audience and have lasting impact.
Venues & Provisional Schedule
Monday 20 October — Drinks Reception
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (UK time)
Location:
The Happenstance, Paternoster Square
10 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7DX
🔗 The Happenstance – Drake & Morgan
Tuesday 21 October — Conference Day 1
Time: 8:45 AM – 4:30 PM (UK time)
Location:
Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars
19 New Bridge St, London EC4V 6DB
🔗 Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars
8:45am Registration, Tea/Coffee & Pastries
9:15am Welcome
9:30 - 10:45am Media Panel 1 – Management, Careers and the Future of Work
- Associate Editor at the Financial Times
- Appointments Editor and Careers & Employment Reporter at The Times
- Success Editor at Fortune
- Freelance Management & Careers Journalist and Contributor to BBC, Telegraph, I, Business Insider and more
- Management Reporter at the Times of India
10:45- 11am Coffee Break
11 – 11:45am Fireside Chat with the Financial Times
- Andrew Jack - Global Education Editor at the Financial Times
- Leo Cremonezi - Rankings Editor at the Financial Times
11:45 – 12:15pm AI in comms & marketing – BlueSky Education
12:15 – 1:15pm Lunch
1:15 - 2:30pm Media Panel 2 – Entrepreneurship & Start-ups
- Editor at Sifted
- Senior Editor at Business Insider
- Assistant Business Editor at The Times
- Senior Editor at Forbes
- Senior VC Reporter at PitchBook
2:30 - 2:45pm Coffee Break
2:45 - 4pm Media Panel 3 – AI & Technology
- Senior Correspondent at Business Insider
- Senior Editor at TIME Magazine
- AI Editor at Fortune
- Tech Reporter at POLITICO Europe
- Technology Reporter at the Observer
4 – 4:15pm Closing Remarks
Schedules are subject to change.
Wednesday 22 October — Conference Day 2
Time: 8:45 AM – 11:00 PM (UK time)
Location:
Chicago Booth School of Business – London Campus
One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL
🔗 Chicago Booth London Campus
8:45am Welcome, Tea/Coffee & Pastries
9:00 - 10:15am Media Panel 4 - Global Business & Economy
- Newsletter Editor at Financial Times
- Business Reporter at Euronews and Energy & Sustainability Contributor at Forbes
- Chief Correspondent at China Daily
- International Business & Economics Reporter at BBC News
- Deputy Business Editor at the New York Times
10.15 - 10:45am Creating a LinkedIn strategy for faculty
10:45 – 11 am Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:15pm Media Panel 5 – Opinion & Features Editors
- Opinions and Features Editor at CityAM
- Editor-in-Chief at Reuters Events Sustainable Business
- Features Editor at Bloomberg
- Deputy First-Person Opinion Editor at the Metro
12:15 - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15 – 2:00pm Fireside Chat with GMAC & BusinessBecause
2:00 - 3:15pm Media Panel 6 – Finance
- Assistant Money Editor at The Times
- Online Editor at the Financial News (Dow Jones)
- News Editor at FT Adviser
- Senior Reporter at The Banker
- City Editor at CityAM
3:15 – 3:30 pm Coffee Break
3:30 - 4:45pm Media Panel 7 – Sustainability
- Business and Environment Writer at Reuters (also freelancer)
- Sustainability Contributor at Forbes and host of the podcast ‘Shaken Not Burned’
- Sustainability Reporter at the Wall Street Journal
- Deputy Editor at the Financial Times’ Sustainable Views
- Environment Correspondent at the Times
4:45 - 5pm Closing Remarks
7pm Conference Gala Dinner – The LookOut, 8 Bishopsgate
Schedules are subject to change.
Wednesday 22 October — Dinner & Drinks Reception
Time: 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (UK time)
Location:
The LookOut at 8 Bishopsgate
8 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
🔗 The LookOut at 8 Bishopsgate
Recommended Hotels
Through our partnerships with Hyatt and Chicago Booth, we can provide a list of nearby hotels, including discounted rates. These are available upon request. Discount codes will be shared once your conference invoice is paid in full.
Media Outlets in Attendance
- Financial Times
- Fortune
- The New York Times
- Bloomberg
- BBC News
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Times
- Reuters
- Politico Europe
- Business Insider
- Forbes
- Euronews
- China Daily
- Times of India
- FastCompany
- BBC Worklife
- TIME Magazine
- Sifted
- The Observer
- City A.M.
- The Metro
- FT Adviser
- FT Sustainable Views
- Financial News (Dow Jones)
- The Banker
- PitchBook
Terms & Conditions
Registration Deadline: To guarantee your inclusion in the conference materials, registration must be completed no later than 15 days before the event.
What's Included: Fees cover access to all sessions, scheduled meals, refreshments, and the conference drinks and dinner. Travel and accommodation are not included.
Accommodation: Preferential hotel rates will be available nearby. Delegates are responsible for making and managing their own bookings - please book early to secure availability.
Cancellation Policy:- Substitutions are allowed with written notice up to 15 days prior to the event.
- For cancellations, written confirmation must be received no later than 30 days before the conference start date to qualify for a refund (minus an admin fee of £90 / €105 / $125).
- No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after this period.
- In the unlikely event of cancellation by BlueSky Education, registered delegates may transfer to another BlueSky event or request a full refund. BlueSky Education is not responsible for any travel, hotel, or other costs incurred.
All registrations are subject to availability and acceptance at the organiser’s discretion.
This is your chance to sit down with the people shaping the stories that shape the world.
We look forward to seeing you at the BlueSky Media Connect London Conference 2025.
*Note: The FT Business Education Drinks Reception is hosted independently by the Financial Times. Sign-ups for this event must be co-ordinated with the Financial Times directly, and a ticket for this conference does not ensure attendance at the FT Business Education Drinks Reception.