Communicating the LHC … the view from CERN James Gillies, 29 November 2005

CERN’s communication landscape CERN’s Communication landscape Communication group Education group IT communications team Four Experiments 20 member states 85 nationalities Six observer states 500 institutions EPOGInterAction ILC

Singing in harmony

The CERN Communication group

The CERN Education group

IT communications team

LHC communications three year plan Goal: to gain maximum benefit in terms of public image for CERN and particle physics through the unique communications opportunity presented by the start-up of the LHC in 2007, and first results coming in some months later. Audiences: the general public; the physics community; S&T decision makers; industry; the CERN community; schools. Messages: research and discovery; technology; training; collaboration.

Coordination, raising awareness, media monitoring, preparation of communications tools, last chance to see… Coordination, raising awareness, media monitoring, preparation of communications tools, last chance to see… Open day, Start-up, inauguration Open day, Start-up, inauguration First results First results LHC communications three year plan

Key dates Spring InterActions meeting at CERN, member states communications officers invitedSpring InterActions meeting at CERN, member states communications officers invited Autumn Last chance to see; media briefingsAutumn Last chance to see; media briefings Spring Open DaySpring Open Day Summer Start-upSummer Start-up Autumn InaugurationAutumn Inauguration TBD - coordinated announcement of first results(?)TBD - coordinated announcement of first results(?)

Addressing the fear factor

Angels and Demons People are (mostly) rational Web site visits up by a factor of 10 Most visitors motivated by curiosity