Message from the IPRA President: Gold in Qatar October 2016
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7 years, 6 months ago
The time of the IPRA Golden World Award Gala in Doha (Qatar) is rapidly drawing near. The Gala is one of IPRA’s highlights of the year. It is the singular occasion during which IPRA celebrates some of the best public relations work done by PR practitioners across the globe in a great variety of assignments, campaigns and programmes.
The state of the art of PR…
In a previous message to you I have mentioned the judging of the Golden World Awards entries. For all of the judges, this process is a unique opportunity to gauge state of the art PR and, of course, to determine which of the hundreds of entries are selected to be awarded a GWA. Now that the Gala on 5 November in Doha is imminent, I am reminded once more of the quality of work that will be on display there and rightfully celebrated. This in itself is a compelling reason for IPRA members to come to Doha and join in the awarding ceremony. But moreover, IPRA is a truly global association of PR professionals and while digital and social media allow us to be in easy touch with each other, there is nothing that beats the occasional personal professional contact. And this is, I think, the most compelling reason to consider. Even if you are not a GWA winner, there still is the opportunity to submerge yourself in a global setting of professional dialogue, exchange of experiences and celebration great PR work.
… And the changing world of PR
Besides the important aspect of awarding great quality work, the GWA also functions as a gauge to see where our profession is heading. The winners of the GWA categories are by themselves a valid indication of changes in our profession. There use of social media in programmes and campaigns may in itself be nothing new. How could it be otherwise? But the clever use of a ubiquitous social media is another matter. Measuring the effectiveness of campaigns seems to be a similar case of business as usual. Yet, the building of a PR campaign with measurement as an ongoing tracking tool, allowing for adjustments as the campaigns unfolds, that is yet another matter. All of this is to be witnessed at the IPRA GWA Gala. With the added bonus of being able to speak directly to the professionals who are responsible for these award winning programs and campaigns.
The Gulf Region
I would like to mention one more sound reason for you to join IPRA on 5 November in Doha. This is a great occasion to meet with professionals from a region in the world that has seen massive changes: the Arabian Gulf. Many of us are, through work and geographical location, focussed on what goes on around us. We may forget that elsewhere the PR profession is just as vibrant and faces similar challenges to be of relevance and a positive force. IPRA’s Gulf members will be in Doha eager to share their insights and experiences with you. Reaching out may yet be one of the most rewarding professional things to do for you this year. I hope to welcome you in Doha. All the information about the Gala is on the IPRA website: www.ipra.org
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