Join Meltwater Group’s Kimling Lam for the PRSA 2012 International Conference workshop, Get the Right Buzz: Newsworthy Campaigns That Showcase Your Brand, on
Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:45–6 p.m.

What is the right buzz? Is it a top-tier hit in the New York Times, TechCrunch, Wired, or a leading trade journal? Or does getting the right buzz mean going viral in social media? Is it some magical combination of the things described above?

Continue reading " The Right Mindset for PR Success "

Listen to Inside PR‘s podcast interview with Conference Co-Chair Rob Flaherty to hear more on what to expect at the PRSA International Conference this year. The PRSA 2012 International Conference takes place October 13 – 16, 2012 in San Francisco. 

Interview: PRSA 2012 International Conference Co-Chair Robert Flaherty, APR

Continue reading " Looking Forward to the PRSA 2012 International Conference: An Interview with Robert Flaherty, APR [Podcast] "

I’m so looking forward to presenting “Media Training: How to Deliver Compelling Messages” on Monday, Oct. 15 from 11:45 a.m.–1 p.m. At last year’s Conference, this session attracted a standing-room only crowd that generated stimulating questions and dynamic interactions. I hope you’ll plan to attend this year’s workshop and join the fast-paced, engaging program designed to guide you through spokesperson preparation, message development, delivery and control techniques, and personal presence.

Spokespersons—and PR practitioners who provide behind-the-scene counsel and support—know successful communications skills are honed by media training and practice. The most effective are strategic and follow a simple five-step process to drive message development and interview preparation. 

Continue reading " Media Training: A 5 Step Process to Drive Message Development and Interview Preparation "

We’ve all been in that conference, you know the one, in which expert after expert stands up in front of the room, clicks through presentation slides and drones on and on about a particular topic. Yes, some of these speakers are entertaining, some are monotone, and most you do learn from, however, other than the few minutes of Q & A at the end of each presentation, there’s not much time to really discuss and explore the topics. This can really be a waste of valuable resources, since there are usually several meeting participants in attendance that have great first-hand knowledge to share, interesting and engaging questions to explore, and some even with expert knowledge that can shed light on the topics.

So the question becomes, how do we tap into all the knowledge, energy and experience of these conference participants? Planning an unconference is the most successful and proven way to enable a great participant-driven meeting. No, that’s not a typo, I meant to write unconference. At an unconference, the agenda is created by the attendees at the beginning of the meeting. Anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on a topic may claim a time and a space. Unconferences typically feature open discussions, rather than having a single speaker at the front of the room giving a talk. This format opens participants up to new ways of thinking and fresh ideas, spawns creativity, ignites passion, defines problems and taps into people’s problem-solving skills.

We will use this unconference format for the PRSA 2012 Leadership Assembly meeting, held Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in San Francisco, Calif. I know what you’re probably thinking. This sounds chaotic and kind of scary. I’m used to order and having a solid agenda. We need to know what we are going to talk about! Rest assured that this is a normal reaction to this type of conference, and although it may seem chaotic, there is a method to this madness.

Continue reading " The 4 Rules of Unconferences: Tapping Into Conference Participants’ Knowledge "

Increase the value of your work to clients or your organization with measurement principles from the PRSA/AMEC Measurement Symposium , a special Sunday event on Oct. 14, from 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m., during the PRSA International Conference. Examine the Barcelona Principles with measurement experts from Starbucks, FedEx, Philips North America, Ketchum, Weber Shandwick, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide and more.

Save $50 on Symposium registration with code LD12 through Friday, Sept. 7.

The PRSA/AMEC Measurement Symposium, held on Oct. 14, is a one-day event to give PR practitioners a complete course on measurement and evaluation, as well as the tools they need to succeed.

Participation can be part of overall Conference registration, or you can purchase it separately.

As part of your registration for the stand-alone event, you also have the opportunity to attend the plenary Conference session that day featuring an array of speakers, as well as the opening party that night, which is a great networking opportunity.

Here are some details

Continue reading " Increase the Value of Your Work: Master Public Relations Measurement with PRSA this October "