PRSJ Networking Event Heralds New Commitment to the Practice of PR

The PRSJ networking event on October 28 heralded a commitment by practitioners to build an organisation that would meet the needs of its members.

Practitioners from the public, private and non governmental sectors and consultancies lent their support to the vision by participating in the evening's activities.

Master of Ceremonies, Christine Bell, guided the activities.

The attendees were honoured to witness the first ever reading by member Joan Andrea Hutchinson from her new book Kin Teet Kibba Heart Bun, which will be available by Christmas.

Marketing professional and publisher, Glynis Salmon delivered the keynote address which challenged practitioners to read more and better inform themselves in order to be a partner with government in making positive change, especially in the area of literacy.

A panel discussion moderated by Alison Christie Binger with Glynis Salmon, Mark Thomas and Gillian Haughton allowed practitioners to raise issues of importance to them.

They include the need to:
Create opportunities for training, personal development, professional development
Better co-ordinate with the IABC
Organise more opportunities for interactions and connections with peers
Create opportunities to share best practices
Build respect and value for the Society
For Succession planning
Revise the definition for PR/Communication
Maintain relevance and importance to practitioners and to society
Play a role in the communications activities (media, marketing, journalism etc)
Be aligned with compatible social causes

The next steps suggested are to develop:
a strategy that will ensure the long term success of the Society
a public relations plan for the society

More information on the process to develop the strategies and the role that each practitioner can play will be made available soon.

Host facilities were graciously provided by Jamaica Trade and Invest. Photographs at the link below were taken by news and feature writer and editor, Mark Thompson.

Pictures from the PRSJ networking event Link to audio clips of Joan Andrea and Glynis