Call for Nominees - IABC & PRSJ Icons

POSTPONED

Call for Nominees for IABC & PRSJ 2009 Icon

(Individual or organization)

Criteria:

1. Must have contributed in a tangible way to the development of the PRSJ or the IABC;

2. Must have contributed to the growth and development of Jamaica’s communications over the past 20 years;

3. Is not a recent recipient of a long-service or founder's award from either organization;

4. Evidence of the nominee’s outstanding contribution must be sent in writing.

Deadline for nominations must be sent by Tuesday December 8, 2009 by email to:

prsj2009@gmail.com or

yvonne@rocommunications.com

IABC PRSJ Networking Christmas Mixer

We came together and decided to end the year with a great big bang, instead of a whimper. So, join us on Friday December 18, 2009 @ Jamaica Pegasus @ 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Joan Andrea Hutchinson will be reading from her new book...Angel-voiced Karla Josephs will thrill us and Cameal Davis, Digicel Rising Star winner will wow us.

Sponsors: Your fave Bank...BNS

"Bring a Toy or Book and Wear Red"



Negril Suite, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

To order tickets, email prsj2009@gmail.com

Corporate Scene

January 2010

Haiti Relief Shoe Drive Jan 23-24 - ODPEM

Lisa Ogilvie (Caribbean Events), under the philanthropic group "Well Heeled Jamaicans" has organised a shoe drive as a Haiti relief activity. Donations will be accepted at ODPEM's new location, 2-4 Haining Road, on Sat Jan 23 and Sun Jan 24 from 10a.m. - 6p.m. each day. Volunteers for sorting are welcome, safety and health gear will be provided.

National Prayer Breakfast

Organised and executed as a contribution to nation building by PROComm led by Jean Lowrie Chin. Event on Jan 21, 2010 was attended by hundreds of national leaders in government, business and religion. Part proceeds for Hear the Children Cry and Haiti relief.

Professional Development

CARIMAC has started its year with a bang with short courses being offered as early as this month! For January they have Voice and Speech, and in February Event Planning and also Social Media. Visit their site for more: http://www.carimac.com/training/courses/ .

Marketplace
The PRSJ is currently outfitting our marketplace with PR consultants and will shortly invite buyers to send us their advertisements for job placements, tenders and bids which we will position for all to see in one place. There is also space for suppliers, so send by email the websites and blogs of your recommended event venues, caterers, florists, video and audio technicians, printers, entertainers, photographers and more. Visit the construction site of the marketplace at http://sites.google.com/site/gojamaicapr/home/jamaica-pr-marketplace?pli=1



December 2009

Nicole Robinson, formerly of the Registrar General's Department, is now with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority and immediately on arrival pulled together a successful aviation seminar that allowed a range of industry players to receive a timely update on the status of aviation in Jamaica.

Business Development Officer at the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), Shawnette Henry (in photo left), was honoured at the organisation's graduation and 10th anniversary awards ceremony for displaying the values of the organisation: passion for customers; on fire for quality; dynamic; active team player; understanding and embracing the bigger picture. She was also key in organising the agency's 10th graduation and awards ceremony on December 12 where the Prime Minister was guest speaker. For more on MIND's courses for public sector workers, visit their website at http://www.mind.edu.jm/Templates/start.html#











Caribbean Communications Icon - postponed
Note that due to low submission of nominations, the Caribbean Communications Icon award has been postponed.




November 2009
Dania Beckford - Now Director of Public Relations & Information at Jamaica Customs Department. Previous posting was Youth Information Specialist at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Enthrose Campbell - Production Manager JIS (TV and Radio) is currently on an intensified short TV course in Beijing, China.

Congratulations - Latoya Halstead of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is back on the job following maternity leave.

Jean Lowrie Chin - Appointed to Consultative Monitoring Group (CMG) that will work directly with the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) of the Office of the Prime Minister, which has been charged with transforming the machinery of government to be more efficient and cost-effective. The CMG will report to a Sub-Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister.

Photos - Civil Service Week Expo

The Jamaica Civil Service Association held its first Civil Service Week Expo yesterday, November 17 in Emancipation Park. If you were not able to be there, do visit our gallery and see how government communicators came together to create a space to make the public more aware of the work of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Event organised by Cheryl Smith and Florene Wilks of the Ministry of Finance.

Click here to see slideshow

PRSJ/ IABC Summit - More Collaboration Will Be Of Mutual Benefit

Coming Together

PRSJ and IABC representatives met for a "breakfast summit" in Kingston and agreed that the practice of public relations in Jamaica will beneft from ongoing co-operation between the two organisations.

It was also agreed that the opportunity to collaborate on programmes and events would be of mutual benefit to the membership of both organisations.

Arising from this, the two organisations will jointly organise and support an event on December 18 and also a professional enhancement event in the future.

Participants at the "summit", which was held at the Courtleigh Hotel, on Tuesday, November 10 were PRSJ President, Mark Thomas; PRSJ member Gwyneth Davidson; IABC President Yvonne Grinham Nicholson; IABC Immediate Past President and former PRSJ President, Beverley Josephs.

Strategy Needed - Report from Networking Event

It was generally agreed that the October 28 Networking Event was a misnomer for our gathering, but it certainly generated material for discussion and a mandate to move forward.

Below is a summary of what unfolded.

PRSJ Networking Event

October 28, 2009

JTI

The event was called to order at about 5:50 and ended at about 8:20


ATTENDANCE - 29 Practitioners

Deep concern was raised about the scheduling of a membership event by the IABC and the PRSJ at the same time. It was agreed that this should never happen again as it creates division among practitioners and does not add to the growth of the profession in Jamaica.

PRSJ member and Author, Joan Andrea Hutchinson did the very first reading from her upcoming book "Kin Teet Kibba Heart Bun" - celebrating the creativity of Jamaican poor people. Pre-order in time for Christmas, write to: kinteetkibbaheartbun@yahoo.com and bumpyhead@cwjamaica.com.

Publisher and Marketing Executive Glynis Salmon who delivered the keynote address told practitioners that Jamaicans do not fulfull the promise of talent on a global stage as so many of us are unprepared. She urged practitioners to devote more time to reading and absorbing relevant material.

The panel discussion about the future of the society that was moderated by Past President Alison Christie Binger, with panellists President Mark Thomas, member Gillian Haughton and Glynis Salmon revealed the following topics that people care about.

• Opportunities for training, personal development, professional development
• Better co-ordination with the IABC
• More opportunities for interactions and connections with peers
• Opportunities to share best practicesNeed to build respect and value for the Society
• Need for Succession planning
• Need to revise the definition for PR/Communiation
• Need to maintain relevance and importance to practitioners and to society
• Society must play a role in the communications activities (media, marketing, journalism etc)Society needs to align itself with compatable social causes

The next steps are to engage practitioners into the life of the society by forming working groups to:
Develop a strategy that will ensure the long term success of the Society
Develop a public relations plan for the society

Click here for slideshow of the event
To volunteer email "I Will Work" to prsj2009@gmail.com