Information Operations and Influence Activity (IOIA) Symposium

The Information Operations and Influence Activity (IOIA) Symposium is an annual event which takes place at the Shrivenham campus of the Defence Academy. The Symposium is unclassified and provides a platform for a number of speakers from the information operations community in the UK and a beyond. The Symposium hosts around 150 delegates and returned for its 3rd year in March 2010 with the theme of "Influence in Insurgency".

The Symposium is organised and run to complement and enhance the Defence Academy's postgraduate course in Information Operations. Both elements are run by Darren Lawrence, who has noted the utility of the Syposium not just to share ideas, but as a place where contacts can be made within the international information operations community, below is a list of speakers and their topics from the previous three events. They include a number of military personnel from the Information Operations side of the UK MOD, notably from the Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, as well as an increasing number of representatives of private companies.

IOIA Symposium 2008

• Air Commodore Graham Wright CBE, Director Targeting and Information Operations, UK MOD
• Dr Paul Robinson and Dr Eric Larson, RAND USA, A Letter from America
• Philip Jones, DSTL, Hype or Hope? Development of Analytical Methods to Support Influence and Information Operations activities
• George Brander, Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations, Human Factors in Information Operations
• Major James Yin, Singapore Armed Forces, Information Operations from an Asian Perspective: A Comparative Study
• Dr Marc Widdowson, Vega Group, Force and Legitimacy: A Theory of Influencing and the Example of Fallujah
• Dr Jim Storr, Information Operations in Northern Ireland
• Dr Paul Baines, Cranfield School of Management, Evaluating the Effect of the Fear Appeal in Advertising: Implications for Information Operations
• Peter Cooper, CRAM International, Voice of the Consumer: The Potential Contribution of Marketing Research to Information Operations and Intelligence
• Professor George Stein, Air War College USA, Two-world Warfare
• David Bailey, Information Operations Consultant, From Oksigen to the Future
• Neil Verrall, DSTL, The appliance of Science: Applying Operational Analysis and Human Systems to Info Ops and PsyOps on Op TELIC
• Matthew Sleap, EDS Defence, Keeping the Information Straegy in the Front Line
• Robert Wilson-Town, DSTL, Social Influece Networks
• Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, DSTL, Training for Influence: How can one represent the Congnitive and the Behavioural in Collective Training Exercises?
• Dr Anna Maria Brundenell, DCMT Cranfield University, Influencing Leadership Behaviour: Is the Observation of Change Sufficient?

IOIA Syposium 2009

• Air Commodore Robert Judson, Head of Targeting and Information Operations, UK MOD, Military Influence - Emerging UK Approach
• Chris Holtom and Hamish Macdonald,Mars Omega, Lesssons from Commercial Influence Operations in the Niger Delta
• Dr Ron Schliefer, Ariel University Centre, Israel, From Osly to Cast Lead - 15 years of Palestinian PSYOP
• Dr Greg Simons, Crismart, Public Diplomacy and Propaganda in Post-Cold War Conflict: The Case of the Georgian Conflict
• Colonel Duncan Barley, Land Warfare Centre and Major Chris Morgan, PJHQ, UK Land Force in Helmand
• Major Allan Best, Canadian MOD, Afghanistan: A Canadian Perspective
• Ms Rikke Haugegaard, Understanding Culture, Denmark, Female Power in Afghanistan - Local Women's contribution to the Fight against the Taliban
• Tim Foxley, SIPRI, Taliban Information Operations - Where is it going, What can be done?
• Richard Howard, EDS Defence, Targeting and Information Operations Concept Demonstrator 09 - A Novel Apporach to the Limitations of Information Operations
• Dr Christopher Paul, RAND USA, Lessons from Madison Avenue for Strategic Communications and Influence
• Commander Michael Herrera and Steven Iatrou, Naval Postgraduate School, USA, Pre Persuasion Techniques
• Dan Healy, CEO Real Opinions, The use of Commerical Marketing Practices in Military Info Ops
• Claire Spencer, i to i research, The Elephant and Einstein: Intel Inside - the Challenges for Research

IOIA Syposium 2010

• Lieutenant General Andrew Graham CBE, Director General UK Defence Academy
• Air Commodore Robert Judson, Head of Directorate of Targetting and Information Operations, UK MOD, The Future of Military Influence
• Darren Lawrence, Defence Academy at Cranfield University, The Science of Hearts and Minds: Professionalising Approaches to Military Influence and Non-Lethal Targeting
• Brigadier Iain Harrison OBE, Chief Joint Fires and Influence, AQ ARRC, Operationalising Influence
• Colonel Duncan Berley, LWC Influence Group, UK MOD, Winning Friend and Influencing People
• Roger Miles, Kings College London, Communicating Under Uncertainly: Risk-cognition and Public Trust
• Jeremy Greaves, EADS Ltd, Thoughts on Commercial Marketing Practices in a Military Influence Setting
• Jaime Watt, Navigator Limited, Shaping Opinion during Crisis and Conflict - Strategic Communications Campaigns
• Matt Warshaw, D3 Systems, The Role of Research in Assisting the Military to Engage Civilians in Conflict Environments