CERN openlab
Communication
> 06/12/2013
ICE-DIP students and supervisors F2F meeting
Mélissa Gaillard
CERN openlab Communications Officer
CERN Communication Context in
Figures

Visits Service: 85,000 visitors in 2012 (compared to 75,000 in 2011, 58,000
in 2010, 40,000 in 2009 and 25,000 in 2008) and still many more requests

Permanent exhibition (‘Universe of Particles’ in the Globe for Science and
Innovation): around 62,000 visitors in 2012 (+20% compared to 2011 with
52,000 visitors)

Total of 169 protocol visits in 2012 (282 VIP visits with Head of States,
Ministers, etc. in 2010 + 2011)

Teachers Programme: 1045 in 2012 (1112 in 2011, 984 in 2010, 830
participants in 2009): limit of present capacity...

Journalists visiting CERN and interviewing CERN physicists all year-long
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
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The history of CERN openlab
III
II
I
IV
2012/2013/2014
2009
2006
2003
Set-up
2001
CERN openlab 10th birthday celebration on 3 May 2011
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
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CERN openlab Sponsors
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
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5
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Major Actions

Mechanisms to:
• Measure the impact of all communications
• Report sponsor specific results
• Request CERN official approval related to the use of CERN and CERN openlab
members’ quotes in sponsor press releases and documents

Permanent liaison with sponsors on communications matters

Registration and creation of dissemination material

Background actions such as:
•
•
•
•
•
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Quotes repository
Web news (management and technical related news)
Press coverage database
Journalists database
Mailing lists creation and development
Website updates and formatting modifications
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
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CERN openlab Annual Report and
Brochure
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CERN Annual Report and KT Report
CERN openlab launched its fourth phase in May to run from 2012 to 2014.
This phase addresses topics critical to the continued growth of the CERN
scientific programme, such as cloud computing, business analytics, the next
generation of hardware, and security for myriads of network devices. The
openlab partner companies – HP, Intel, Oracle and Siemens – were joined by
Huawei as a contributor for a year. CERN openlab has established itself as a
reference thanks to the excellent relationship and on-going commitment of all
of the partners and contributors during the past 11 years.
Computing chapter
of the CERN annual
report 2012
 Copies given to
Science ministries
and Head of States of
all CERN member
states
http://ktfiles.web.cern.ch/ktfiles/Knowledge-Transfer-2012.pdf
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Website: News, Techical Documents, Press
Coverage, Events, Videos, etc.
www.cern.ch/openlab
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CERN openlab Related Press
Clippings
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Specific coverage follow-up since July 2008
More than 150 articles published during the third phase of CERN openlab (number of
articles is strongly correlated to the publication of press preleases)
Phase IV articles are being recorded on the new website (previous phases’ ones are on
the former website)
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Process for:
> Requests from CERN openlab Sponsors:
 Case Studies, ppt Slides for Conferences, Videos,
etc., sent by suppliers/CERN openlab partners for
CERN official approval
> Requests from Journalists:
 Interviews, visits
> Requests from Artists:
 Visits (video work, photography work)
> Internal Requests:
 Articles for the CERN Bulletin, the CERN Courier,
etc.
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
About the Internal Requests
> They generally concern the CERN Bulletin or
the CERN Courier articles.
> Two possibilities:
 Either the CERN IT Department proposes the topics

to the CERN Bulletin or Courier
Or these outlets hear about a topic that would be of
interest for the CERNois and decide to propose to
the IT Department to prepare an article but in such
case this is important to send the article to your
supervisor and to me for approval before
publication
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
Approval Process
 Check with your supervisor first
 Send the request to me, I will follow-up
with:
• CERN openlab management,
• Head of Department,
• Press Office,
• Legal Service
• and Purchasing.
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External Interviews: Key Principles
> Media training sessions are regularly organised at CERN.
> Check the outlet target audience, articles already published by the journalist to
understand the level of detail he/she is generally interested in.
> When the interview is to be done on-site, we need to inform the press office so that
they keep tracks of the visit. If a data centre visit is part of the programme, a request
must be sent to computer.visits@cern.ch.
> Journalists generally agree to send in advance the questions or key topics to be
covered during the interview.
> Since the topics covered are generally highly technical, it is not negatively perceived
that we propose to send the draft article in advance to make sure all technical facts
are accurate as long as we clearly explain that we never step into the editorial
process.
> Always possible to request that an article already published is modified but should
be done exceptionally only.
> Products/services’ endorsement must be avoided.
> Having someone from the Press Office or a communication officer on the call or
present during the interview can be helpful.
Mélissa Gaillard - CERN openlab
Questions
?