activevents

Welcome to the CIPR – start making use of your benefits!

We recently launched a new membership campaign in conjunction with CIPR’s 60^th anniversary celebrations and in the last couple of months we have had many new members on board – a warm welcome to all of our new additions.

The campaign centred on encouraging our existing CIPR members to be proud of their membership and share the extensive list of benefits they are enjoying with the industry:

-          Strong professional recognition

-          Excellent networking opportunities

-          Great career and business development support

-          Highly practical and informative training programmes

The list goes on…

http://www.cipr.co.uk/membership/index.htm

Join us?

The benefits of CIPR membership is evident. The current CIPR President, Elisabeth Lewis-Jones FCIPR, wrote a real-life blog entry on how the CIPR membership has helped her career advancement and business development. As they say, membership has its privileges. Find out for yourself at http://prvoice.typepad.com/pr_voice/2008/01/signing-on-the.html#more

Get started…

Clearly, one of the most practical and useful benefits is the privilege of having a discounted rate for all CIPR events and training programmes.

* Workshops

If you are new to the CIPR or, in particular, to the PR industry, the 2-day workshop on ‘Introduction to PR’ we organised this week and on 15/16 July will be a good start for you. This basic level workshop will introduce you to the role and scope of PR, giving you a good overview of the industry. www.cipr.co.uk/workshops

* Breakfast briefings

For those with less than 3 years of PR experience, you may like to grab the chance to book yourself onto the last few Freshly Squeezed briefings for the Spring/ Summer series. The good news is that the Autumn/Winter series is also up online and open for booking now. Find out more and book your places today at www.cipr.co.uk/fresh

* In-house training

Last but not least, we have a team of creative Training Development Officers at the CIPR who can customise any training programme to suit your needs. Email JankaS@cipr.co.uk to find out more.

See you!

Oh yes, don’t forget to make use of the opportunity to check out the CIPR’s exquisite building and its excellent facilities if you are here for any of these training events. I look forward to see you around!

For further information on training and development, please visit www.cipr.co.uk/training

Choo-Li Tan, Training Development Officer

CIPR 60th Anniversary Annual Conference and 5th World PR Conference & Festival

Hosted by the CIPR and in London for the first time on Monday 23 & Tuesday 24 June, at the InterContinental Hotel, Park Lane. This exciting and challenging two-day conference will bring together PR practitioners from across the globe to share best practice, exchange ideas and discuss common concerns.

Special discounts available – see what you can save:

- Discounts for CIPR and Global Alliance members
- Limited number of 50 discounted places for full-time students – £100 per day!
- Ticket savings of up to £450 for full-time Academics

The programme:

A mix of interactive workshops and main conference sessions delivered by 27 expert speakers, entitled ‘Best Practice in Public Relations’, this event will examine the issues tackled globally by PR practitioners today. 

Sessions covered include:

·         Communicating in London: The world's most diverse city – Luke Blair MCIPR, Director, London Communications Agency 

·         How do cities attract investment: The reputation issues that count – Michael Hayman FCIPR, Chief Executive, The Communication Group UK

·         Influencing attitudes to disability: Using PR to promote equality and social inclusion – Agnes Fletcher MCIPR, Specialist in Disability Communications

·         How Turin won and has benefited from the 2006 Olympics – Anna Martina, Communications Director, City of Turin 

·         Country reputation: The World Bank programme – Paul Mitchell, Manager, World Bank Development Communication Division, Washington DC 

For further information including speaker names, costs and the range of discounts on offer, please visit the CIPR website at www.cipr.co.uk/wprf08 

Fresh season…Fresh trainings…Fresh ideas!

This must be one of the busier weeks for CIPR’s popular Freshly Squeezed breakfast briefings series - we ran three sessions, namely ‘Celebrity brands’ (London), ‘Impressive press releases’ (Scotland) and ‘Loosen tight deadlines’ (London) all in one week!

With 24 sessions organised in London and 8 in Scotland this year, there is no doubt that the Freshly Squeezed programme is gaining popularity (and not just in London and Scotland). We are currently exploring the feasibility of organising this programme in other regions after we have received some indication of interests from our members. So before you know it, you may see a Freshly Squeezed session come to your region very soon.

The idea of having this series of breakfast briefing is to allow time-conscious PR practitioners to take an hour out in the morning to catch up on topical issues or for some, to take stock of what they are doing and should do. I chanced upon this interesting website,  http://if.psfk.com/if/if_by_discipline/public_relations/ that shares creative PR campaign examples and tips. This is particularly useful for those in the PR or communications industry, as they have to constantly come up with new angles, stories and campaigns that are newsworthy.

Summer is almost here and I am sure this is the best chance for you to get out of the office for some fresh air and training (and fresh ideas of course!). Who knows, you might benefit from the networking opportunity with delegates from various PR sectors and clinch a potential deal from there. Check out and book the up-coming sessions on reputation management, audience segmentation and green issues at www.cipr.co.uk/fresh

Why not also Inject a ‘boost’ of creative juice to your brain at the half-day highly practical ‘Creativity work-out’ Masterclass on 16 June. www.cipr.co.uk/masterclass 

If you still find it difficult to find time to get out of office, you can trust our resourceful Training Development team at the CIPR to tailor a training programme that will bring the fresh ideas you need, right to your doorstep. Email JankaS@cipr.co.uk to find out more.

For further information on training and development, please visit www.cipr.co.uk/training

Choo-Li Tan, Training Development Officer

Be a Master of ‘New Media’ technologies…

The third ‘sold-out’ session on ‘New Media for Old Hands – Have you been left behind?’ Masterclass, was held this Thursday and again, it was a resounding success and received extremely positive feedback from delegates who attended and benefited.

Amongst the group of ‘old hands’ who are keen to keep up with the younger generation and also learn about the latest technology is Masterclass delegate, Mark Clare, FCIPR FRSA, Managing Director of Clear CMS Ltd. Mark attended the first session of this new masterclass series and found it particularly enjoyable and useful to his work:

“Incidentally, this course was really very good, Neville is one of the best trainers I have had the pleasure to listen to and he really does seem to be totally on top of his subject – would really recommend to others“

With a current waiting list on hand, these popular sessions are certain to make a comeback in Autumn/Winter. So, keep a look out for the new date at www.cipr.co.uk/masterclass and you too, can become a master of the New Media technologies!

Increasingly, top management people have used their blogs as a media tool to reach out to their fellow-colleagues and business customers. Many CEOs of multinationals such as Jonathan Schwartz of Sun Microsystems (http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/), have earned a cult following and become media celebrities as a result of their blogs. The CIPR 'How to Blog’ Masterclass on 7 July would be a very good follow-up for those who had attended the previous New Media sessions and/or aspire to use blogging as a PR tool for their PR campaign.

A full day basic level ‘Introduction to Social Media’ workshop on 19 June is also available at the CIPR for ‘new hands’ who are relatively new to the industry and/or anyone who would like to gain a complete overview of the subject. www.cipr.co.uk/workshops

Above all, if you are looking for something that provides a snappy insight into the New Media topics but are hard-pressed for time, the Freshly Squeezed ‘New Media Communications’ breakfast briefing on 17 June in London and 28 October in Scotland, will be the ideal training for you. www.cipr.co.uk/fresh

For further information on training and development, please visit www.cipr.co.uk/training

Choo-Li Tan, Training Development Officer

Tips for perfecting your PR Strategy

Your PR strategy must be well planned and effectively implemented to ensure your organisations objectives are met. Gaining stakeholder buy-in, maintaining consistent messaging using a range of communication channels, and ongoing measurement and evaluation are just some of the essential ingredients for the ‘perfect’ PR strategy.

Below is a Public Relations Strategy, step-by-step approach - produced by Di Burton FCIPR, CIPR Approved Trainer.

• Look at the bigger picture
• What can PR do?
• Where do we need to be?
• What is the rational?
• Who do we need to talk to?
• What are our core messages?
• How do we get there – tactics?
• Getting the timing right
• Remember the budget parameters
• Measurement and evaluation 

Further information on this guide can be found in the members area of the CIPR website. If you are a CIPR member, log in at  www.cipr.co.uk/member_area/members.asp to read more.

If you’re working in corporate communications, public affairs or public relations, the CIPR one-day ‘Perfecting PR Strategy’ conference has been designed with you in mind.  Throughout this conference you will gain an insight into the experiences and knowledge of a range of speakers - all experts in their fields.

Topics covered include:

• Planning and implementing a PR strategy
• Find out how to create maximum impact on minimum budget
• Hear how to measure and evaluate your strategy
• Examine best practice in communicating change
• Look at the use and impact of new media channels

This conference will end with an hour-long ‘strategy clinic’. During this session you will hear from a panel of leading strategists, from a range of sectors, and hear their thoughts on what makes a successful PR strategy.  If you have any questions, put them to the panel for expert answers.

Further information and details on how to book can be found at www.cipr.co.uk/strategy or contact Eloise West by email at  EloiseW@cipr.co.uk or telephone 020 7766 3349.

Eloise West, conference organiser

Media debate sparks heated discussion

Last Monday we held our Fresh Thinking: Media conference here, which invited delegates to freshen up and find out more about the latest technologies and what’s what in the world of media.  Up-to-date info on blogging, podcasting, wikis, RSS and other media tools were explained throughout the day to keep ahead in the office!

Topics included How to set up your own blog from blogging expert Simon Collister of Green Communications, Practical podcasting with some great examples from Jude Habib on the effectiveness of sound communication.  Rob Brown spoke on Outside the traditional box, which the delegates found ‘extremely informative’ and enjoyed his examples and overview.

The highlight of the conference was the exciting panel discussion on Combining all media tools and techniques for that winning campaign.  Three very different points of view were put forward, which made for a great debate. 

Alex Brown, Communications Manager from Fast Track, kicked off by explaining his support for traditional media.  He spoke of how good old fashioned media like the press, still represents the truth better and has a loyalty and trust that new media does not and cannot have.

Next saw Katy Howell, Immediate Future’s Managing Director, put an impressive argument forward for ‘New Media’ or social media as she prefers to call it.  As she pointed out, whether you like it or not, this burgeoning area cannot be ignored as it is now everywhere. Positives for PR practitioners include the convenience and accessibility of online media, plus the many options available to monitor results / public trends.

Finally Howard Kosky, Managing Director at markettiers4DC put his point across for TV, Radio & Online, using his first hand experience.  He stresed that these mediums give us choice on which media we want to consume and when, for example how our choice of radio station reflects what type of person we are/our tastes.

Then the debate was opened up to the floor, with some interesting results.  Delegates put the panel team under the spotlight and quizzed them on issues such as, the necessity for blogging and its effectiveness.  Is the traditional press a generational thing that will die out?  Is Google genius or merely a popular brand which can actually be easily manipulated for searches?  All these questions and more invited much discussion and got everyone involved, and got the brains ticking!

If you would like to join us in the next heated debate and share your views, then come along to the second Fresh Thinking: Media conference on Monday 1 October. For more details visit: www.cipr.co.uk/mediaconference (there is a discount when you book on the Fresh Thinking: PR conference at the same time). 

Inside Information conference is a hit!

Yesterday we held our annual internal communications conference here at the CIPR for  professionals in the industry.  Delegates learnt ‘New skills and the confidence to use existing skills’ through the ‘inspirational words’ of the day.

Liam FitzPatrick FCIPR from Competent Communicators led the day and included an interactive networking game with delegates to kick start the morning!  Keynote speaker was Robert Johnson from COI Strategic Consultancy who spoke about Key Issues in managing internal PR.  Next saw John Drummond, bringing delegates first hand knowledge on Corporate responsibility from the inside out based on his experiences at Corporate Culture.

Westminster City Council’s Paul Middleton updated the group with What’s new in internal communications, which was followed by practical pointers on digital tools for internal communicators from Russell Goldsmith at markettiers4DC - a brand new topic introduced to the conference due to much demand! 

Paul Hewitt from Ogam Marketing discussed the important need for measuring and evaluating internal branding, which many delegates were able to identify with and picked up new skills.  After networking over a short break, Natasha Tobin from the Cabinet Office kept up this theme by presenting on Working the network – so important for us in PR! 

Rounding up the conference was Russell Grossman MCIPR, Head of Internal & Change Communications at HM Revenue & Customs, who presented a dynamic and very popular case study on change and impact in internal communications.  He touched on topics such as Identifying the need for change and overcoming them, and also gave out several Top tips to cope with change and impact.  These tips proved really valuable to the delegates, who called them ‘excellent’ and ‘inspirational’ - so come and hear them yourself at our next Internal Communications conference on 22 October 2007. 

For more information, visit www.cipr.co.uk/internalcomms

If you would like to experience one of our conferences for yourself, then please do come along to the next one - Fresh Thinking: Media on Monday 30 April.  This conference looks at current media topics like podcasting, blogging, wikis, RSS and more, via workshops, case studies and panel discussions.  If you have up to three years’ experience in PR and communications, and want to keep up-to-date with the latest media technology, tools and techniques then come along and Freshen up!  To find out more and to book online visit: www.cipr.co.uk/mediaconference

WOW! What a great start to the 2007 conference season!

The delegates to the Fresh Thinking:PR 1-day conference were eager, inquisitive and highly complementary, the speakers were experts in their fields and equally impressed with the attendees.

It got off to an exciting start with Cherry Chappell MCIPR explaining how 56% of business is created through developing relationships, i.e. “Enriching your life at every level”. Each of us has a potential to develop a network of 2,000 contacts via various friends and acquaintances! The speed networking was a great end to the session, as delegates familiarised themselves with each other and made their own contacts!

Your first PR campaign was presented by Louise Mackintosh from Mantra PR, who explained how everything you do focuses on the communications you are having with your client. Be honest with your client and make sure you are very clear on budget and evaluating properly! Julie-Ann Ryan MCIPR presented a session on the ‘perfect press release’ and started off by explaining that all journalists are not monsters – but, if not dealt with efficiently you can make them turn into one!! As a former journalist she was able to provide delegates with a helpful list of hints and tips.

Richard Parkinson ACIPR gave a fantastic and hugely popular presentation on getting your creative juices flowing even without a huge budget. He began his session by directly involving the audience, asking if anyone had any ‘creative’ dilemmas with outstanding results. His top tip was that no idea is a bad idea and creativity differentiates the truly successful companies from the rest.

Events Manager Johnnie Gates MCIPR from Coca Cola gave a jam packed presentation with lots of tips and tricks when organising a successful event. His own account of a highly successful ‘Soccormagic’ event, gave an amazing account of a football tournament with 100 celebrities! Unbelievable!

Tim Johnson MCIPR from Regester Larkin gave a hugely interesting a very insightful talk on coping with a crisis. His advice to all PR practitioners is to always be prepared because it might just happen to you!

If you missed it, this conference is being repeated on Monday 11 September. To book visit, www.cipr.co.uk/conferences

Move in to PR Careers Day

Move in to PR Careers Day will take place on Friday 27 November 2006 at the Chartered Accountants’ Hall in London.

Interested in pursuing a career in PR? If yes, then read on ….

The only day dedicated to PR will be jam packed with useful information and plenty of time to ask all those burning questions about PR.

Our industry experts will give you the opportunity to discover exactly what PR is; the difference between in-house and consultancy PR and what the qualities and skills are required to work for both sectors; top tips for creating the perfect CV and succeeding in interviews; and taking a look at the training and placement opportunities available to help you climb the PR careers ladder.

Our speakers include: PR blogger Stephen Davies from Edelman; CIPR Young Communicator 2006 finalist Enda Joyce from Media Strategy; and case studies from CIPR Student Rep winner Stephen Pembroke about getting his work placement through the CIPR and Ruth Allman from Reading Borough Council ‘moving into PR without a PR degree’.

We have many exhibitors joining us on the day eager to talk to our delegates about career and gradate opportunities, further education and advice about moving into PR. Bournemouth Media School, Pathfinders, Xchangeteam, Witan Jardine, Octopus Communications, Abchurch Communications, Witan Jardine, Penrose Limited, Edelman, Lansons Communications, Hollis, De Montfort University and Markettiers4DC will all be available on the day to discuss opportunities available.

Also joining us is Victoria King, Education and Student Liaison Officer at the CIPR. She will be available all day to talk about what the CIPR can do you for you and how we can help you make your move into PR. Victoria will also be available to talk about Student Membership and all the benefits and the wide range of services available to our members throughout your studies and beyond.

So come along and find out more by booking at www.cipr.co.uk/careersday

Is lobbying a legitimate activity?

This was the theme of the senior practitioners roundtable at the CIPR PR Centre at St James’s Square this morning.

CIPR President Elect and political consultant, Lionel Zetter FCIPR, introduced the topic and kick started discussions. Focusing on the professionalism of lobbying, he talked about how it is an industry that takes its ethical responsibilities seriously and how all CIPR member lobbyists sign up to our Code of Conduct.

Zetter also highlighted that, despite having a poor reputation and sometimes being linked to stories of corruption by the media, the majority of lobbyists act in an open and transparent manner; and play an invaluable role in the democratic process.

This stimulating opener was followed by a lively debate that looked at how lobbyists might strengthen their self-regulation and improve the system, allowing more equal access to opinion formers and decision-makers.

It was strongly agreed that the lobbying profession needs to be less defensive about what it does and to positively promote its achievements in improving legislation by helping organisations and Government to ‘talk’.

This is something that will be a key theme of Zetter's 2007 Presidency, which aims to raise the profile and self-belief of public affairs as part of the communications profession.

Other attendees included Simon Nayyar of Edelman, Jon French of the ABI and Doug Smith of Westminster Advisors.  CIPR Partners, Media Evaluation Research and PRWeek, were also in attendance.

For more information about CIPR public affairs events, please visit our website www.cipr.co.uk