PRSA Announces Keynote Speakers for 2010 International Conference

Join thousands of your colleagues Oct. 16–19 for the PRSA 2010 International Conference: Powering PRogress in Washington, D.C., the epicenter of thought leadership. This year’s Conference features keynote presentations from some of the most influential and respected thought leaders in the areas of social technology emergence, online research, crisis communication and public affairs, including:

Bettina Luescher, chief spokesperson, United Nations World Food Programme, who will discuss:

• How critical effective communication is, not only when representing your organization, but also when working to spur the world into action during times of crisis.
• How the United Nations handles communications during disasters.
• The spotlight placed on the crucial role of public relations and communications practitioners this year as catastrophic events unfolded throughout the world.
  
  Bill Tancer, the world’s pre-eminent expert on online behavior and author of “Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters — Unexpected Insights for Business and Life,” who will:
• Share how he mines the databases of his company, Experian Hitwise, for information on more than 10 million Internet users to determine what people are really doing online and how they use Internet-based services.
• Offer a unique perspective on human behavior.
• Provide practical insights that can be used in business and life.

Charlene Li, author of “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead,” co-author of “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies,” and founder of Altimeter Group, who will:

• Lay out a new approach today’s leaders must adopt to maintain a competitive advantage.
• Discuss how to leverage and measure the impact of social technologies use on your organization.
• Define the characteristics, skills and behaviors of today’s open and engaging leaders, as well as best practices for creating a coherent and effective social media strategy.

Shaping the Debate: Public Affairs Strategies and the Health Care Reform Bill public affairs panel, featuring Paul Anderson, vice president of Communication Strategies and Public Outreach at AARP; Eric Lundberg, grassroots director at WellPoint; Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association; and Douglas Pinkhamm, APR, president of the Public Affairs Council, which will relate discussions to public policy stemming from the health care debate, specifically addressing:

• How social media tools were leveraged.
• When issue advertising was most effective.
• How grassroots campaigns were managed.

Now is the time to sharpen your skills, increase your knowledge and leverage the power of communications. Save $200 when you register by the saver rate deadline of August 27. Additionally, the first 750 Package 1 registrants will receive a free copy of Li’s new book, “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead,” which you will receive during Conference check-in.

The APR Requirement for National Leadership: The Debate Continues

In case you missed it, a group of passionate PR professionals has begun to circulate a petition to change PRSA's National Bylaws, removing the APR requirement for Board service. The APR hurdle for PRSA leadership has been a hot issue for many years and regardless of the outcome, I suspect that it will continue to be in the years to come.

Although the District has not yet taken an official position on the matter, as District Chair, I would like to present some of the sides of the argument and open it up for comments and feedback from our members in the District.

Todd Cooley, APR, is the past chair of the District and makes the following case in favor of removing the APR requirement for Board Service.

I think the APR is a useful tool and attaining it is a worthwhile experience. Having said that, I believe the high water mark for it (i.e., the percentage of PRSA members who had it) was in the 1970s.

In other words, I do not believe this will ever really become a true standard for our profession. There are too many high powered people -- CEOs of major international agencies, senior corporate practitioners at Fortune 500 companies, etc. -- who have shown that it is not a necessary qualification for reaching the highest levels of our field. I think we run the risk of making PRSA a ghetto for those people who have it, while much of the rest of the profession moves on. If so, this will seriously reduce the influence of PRSA.

I am more interested in encouraging people from the major firms and large corporations to get involved and contribute to the organization. They help us with contacts, sponsorship dollars, resources and prestige. I also think being the CEO of a $10 million agency with 75 employees is more impressive than having an APR. This was a point Daryl McCullough was trying to make at the Assembly meeting in San Diego. Unsuccessfully, as it turns out.

Personally, I found that going through the process of obtaining my APR to be very useful. Actually having it has done very little to advance my career.

I don't get too involved in debating this issue, especially among my friends in the relatively small world known as "PRSA leadership." But I think it's a disservice to the organization when the lack of an APR keeps top people from getting actively involved in our organization.

Here's a case on the other side of the debate. This is my personal opinion and does not reflect the sentiment of the District as a whole (which I will represent as directed by our Board at the National Assembly this fall).

I agree that there are a number of high-level professionals and talented leaders that should be leading this organization, but can't because of the APR requirement. That situation saddens me.

However, I wish that all of the energy that's put into removing the requirement would be invested in making the accreditation program better and more meaningful. The APR process was a very meaningful one for me and, as a PR professional working in a company filled with certified and accredited engineers, my accreditation has lent credibility to my counsel and my work in general.

There have been points in my career that I advanced in the hiring process because an employer understood the value of the APR and gave accredited candidates a leg up because of it.

In addition, I take issue with having leaders at the top level of an organization that promotes the APR as "The Professional Standard," but don't believe in it enough to become accredited themselves. I worry that changing the requirement will further dilute the value of the APR that I worked so hard to attain and continue to work to promote.

In the end, I don't think the APR requirement is what's holding great leaders from taking the helm at PRSA. It's the APR program that needs to be addressed. And therefore, my personal leanings are toward maintaining the requirement and addressing the deficiencies of the accreditation process.

So, where do you stand on the issue? Feel free to weigh in and share your thoughts.

PRSA National Offers Chapters up to $600 in Speaker Stipends Annually

Did you know that your PRSA chapter has access to $600 in speaker stipends to provide national level speakers to its members each year?

Each chapter is entitled to a $300 stipend to cover travel and/or speaker costs to bring in a member of the Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) for a chapter program (a great resource for Ethics month programming in September).

In addition, chapters can receive $300 to cover costs for a speaker from PRSA's Speakers Bureau.

The rules and stipend request process are posted in the Chapter Leadership Toolkit or check with Candice Bellittera (candice.bellittera@prsa.org) at PRSA National for details and questions.

Mark your calendars for Western District 2011

Yes, we know that we just wrapped on the 2010 conference and we're still typing up a few loose ends, but in PR you can never plan enough or too early.

That's why the Las Vegas Valley Chapter has already begun plans for next year's conference....

PR Renaissance: A Revival of Intellectual and Artistic Public Relations

April 27-29, 2011

Beyond today's economic changes, the cutlure, strategy, and tactics of public relations are changing right before our eyes. The days of the "specialist" are quickly waning and yet we all need to be on the cutting edge of everything.

And we also need to stay true to the classics and core principles that make public relations what it's all about: relationships multidirectional communications, solid tactical skills, ethical and legal considerations and more.

Join us for a veritable PR Renaissance with renewed interest. Classic learning and values will define the next era of public relations thinking.

Sponsorship opportunities are already available. For companies signing on early, there are additional opportunities to increase your reach. Learn more by contacting Lori Bachand, APR or Lauren Henss.

If you're interested in presenting at next year's conference, please contact Diane Gibes or Nancy Syzdek, APR.

So...How did we do?

The PRSA Western District Conference Survey is collecting responses. Although we sent a link to all of the email addresses we had on file, a few bounced back. So, we're posting it here, just in case we missed you. Please let us know what you think and how we can improve things for next year.

PRSA Western District Quick Start Presentations

Here are the presentations from last week's Quick Start Leadership Program. (When you click the link, you will be taken to FileSavr where you can safely download the files.)

Thanks to our speakers for sharing their wisdom and experiences.

A Community You Can Count On: The PRSA National Membership Story with Candice Bellittera



Chapter Strategic Planning with Jane Dvorak, APR and Lisa Cutter


Keeping your Chapter in the Black: Financial Management Strategies and Ideas by Nancy Syzdek, APR and Denis Wolcott, APR


Leadership Lab with Bob Frause, APR, PRSA Fellow



A survey will be going out to Quick Start attendees soon. Please let us know what worked and what we can improve upon for next year in Las Vegas.

Presentations from PRSA's Western District Conference

You asked for it, and here they are...the presentations from this year's PRSA Western District Conference. Keep checking this post as presentations are being loaded as they are received. If you want to keep in touch with our speakers, click the links on the names to access their Twitter/LinkedIn or bio pages. Company names are also linked wherever possible.

• Checking the Pulse of PR with Dan Barber and John Armato, Fleishman-Hillard International


• Mastering Social Media Skills with Sally Falkow, Expansion Plus
  
• Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement in PR by Johna Burke, Burelles Luce


• Tapping the Power in the Gay and Lesbian Community by David Paisley, Community Marketing, Inc.


• Disaster Communications: The American Red Cross Story by Nicholas Samaniego, American Red Cross


• Content Marketing for PR Professionals by Paul Roetzer, PR 20/20


• Social Media Ethics and Policy in Today's Time-Sensitive World with Ron Smedley, Synergistic Resource Associates
• 5 Keys to Successful Social Media Strategy in 2010 by Ravit Lichtenberg, UStrategy


• Get to the Root of it: How Grass Roots Community Relations Will Deliver Successful Results by Noelle Afualo, CALTROP Corporation


• Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian's Guide to Marketing and Communication by Mark Weiner, PRIME Research (Here's his handout as well.)


• Twitter Talk: Tweet, Follow and Measure with Serena Erlich, Startup Army

• The Challenging Face of Search - Advanced Tips for the Analyst by Bonnie Parrish-Kell, Dancing Rabbits


• Everything About Online Newsrooms by Pete Codella, APR, Codella Marketing


• Mastering Web Video Strategy for PR by Mike McDougall, APR, Bausch & Lomb


• The Sunrise Powerlink Project with Laura McDonald (San Diego Gas & Electric), Chris Wahl (Southwest Strategies) and Buz Schott (Capitol Strategies)

If you're looking for a visual recap, be sure to check out the pics from our in-kind sponsor and official photographers, Mod Photograpy as well as this fun slide show from OCPRSA's Ted Nguyen.

Thanks again for coming. See you next year in fabulous Las Vegas!