Message from the IPRA President: At the close of the year December 2017
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7 years ago
Message from the IPRA President:
At the close of the year December 2017
As the year draws to a close, several high-end PR conferences have taken place to which IPRA has made contributions. Our ongoing cooperation with P World, the ever-expanding international agency of Kosta Petrov of Macedonia, resulted in IPRA’s endorsement of the Global PR Summit Canada 2 which took place in Toronto. In just six years, Kosta’s P World has grown to bring summits, trainings and business events to many countries across the world. IPRA’s cooperation with P World allows us to strengthening our ties with members across the global and also helps us to fulfill our mission which is the promotion of ethical communications and advanced practices. Last month in Toronto, I delivered a presentation on creativity and PR.
Then just a few days ago, I participated as a presenter at PRilika in Belgrade, Serbia, the 2017 edition of the annual Communications Conference organised by the Serbian communications community and PR Association. As the day of presentations and round table discussions came to an end, it was quite clear that similar professional questions occupy the Serbian communication community as they do elsewhere in the world, including Toronto. Questions such as the future role of public relations, the art of engagement and the challenge to rise above the noise level on social media were recurring topics.
Our Code
IPRA has taken steps this year to bring our current membership base of 12,700 professionals on our LinkedIn group closer by inviting them to endorse IPRA’s Code of Conduct. This will be an ongoing effort on our part. After an encouraging start, we will pursue this drive to encourage our LinkedIn members to become full members of the IPRA family. In case you have missed this, let me briefly explain. IPRA’s raison d’être is encapsulated in our Code of Conduct. It can be easily found on our website at www.ipra.org. The Code aims to provide an ethical framework for the activities of the communication profession and we have been inviting our LinkedIn group members to endorse the Code.
The IPRA Board and future Presidents
Finally, some exiting news resulting from IPRA’s most recent Board meeting which took place on the back of the Golden World Award Gala in October in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the Board session, we welcomed (as of 1 January 2018) as new Board members: Mohammed Al Eady and Philippe Borremans. They each represent important regions of the world, the Gulf and North Africa, respectively, and thereby emphasize the truly global nature of IPRA. In addition, the Board unanimously elected Svetlana Stavreva-Petrushkova as IPRA President 2019. On behalf of all at IPRA, I welcome her as President-Elect.
That said, I conclude by expressing my humble appreciation to IPRA and its Board for inviting and appointing me for a third year as IPRA President in 2018. I am quite aware of the unusualness of a 3-year term and I will do my utmost to justify both the honour and the trust that is placed in me. I wish you all wonderful holidays and a great New Year.
Bart de Vries
President 2016 – 2018
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