...am glad to hear that the PRSJ is back. My mother was a member and in 1991 I went with her to a PRSJ luncheon at the Italian restaurant that was on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel. It was fabulous; the decor, the food the ambiance...it remains as one of the most outstanding events of my life...
...The memorable PRSJ flex to the Festival Train road show at Goodyear, St Thomas and the Rumble in the Jungle on the South Coast...
...I have never attended a better seminar in Jamaica than the PRSJ one on Information Technology that was arranged by Alison...
...We used to have good get-togethers where everybody exposed their talent: singing, dancing, acting, crotchet, cooking...
...It was so good when I got an award for my campaign from PRSJ, younger ones should also have an opportunity to be recognised for their work...
...I have been through through three resurrections of the PRSJ, it keeps coming back.....
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Agenda - Networking activity
Dear Colleagues,
The agenda for our networking activity is below. To RSVP, email: prsj2009@gmail.com.
PRSJ Networking Activity
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 (5:30 - 7:30)
Jamaica Trade and Invest 18 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10
Master of Ceremonies – Former PRSJ President, Christine Bell,
PR Consultant, Innovative Ideas
Registration starts/ refreshments available
Welcome - PRSJ President, Mark Thomas
Communications Director, Jamaica Trade and Invest
Introduction of Guest Speaker – Tyrell Morgan,
PR Officer, UDC
Reading/Performance from her new book - Joan Andrea Hutchinson
Actress, author, innovator
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 (5:30 - 7:30)
Jamaica Trade and Invest 18 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10
Master of Ceremonies – Former PRSJ President, Christine Bell,
PR Consultant, Innovative Ideas
Registration starts/ refreshments available
Welcome - PRSJ President, Mark Thomas
Communications Director, Jamaica Trade and Invest
Introduction of Guest Speaker – Tyrell Morgan,
PR Officer, UDC
Reading/Performance from her new book - Joan Andrea Hutchinson
Actress, author, innovator
"Solving Illiteracy through marketing education - Saving the unread"
Keynote Speaker – Glynis Salmon
Director of Business Development and Communication, MIND
Director of Business Development and Communication, MIND
************
Panel Discussion – The Way Forward Now
Moderator:
Former PRSJ President, Alison Christie Binger, PR Counsellor, Illuminart
Panellists:
Sydian Brissett PR Officer, The British Council
Former PRSJ President, Janneth Mornan Green – Consultant, Media Central
Gillian Haughton, PR Director, Ministry of National Security
Former PRSJ President, Janneth Mornan Green – Consultant, Media Central
Gillian Haughton, PR Director, Ministry of National Security
Registration of volunteers for Working Groups:
AGM Planning Committee
Training and Professional Development
Lights out
RSVP prsj2009@gmail.com
Monday, October 19, 2009
Inside the Obama Communications Machinery
Youtube Insights into how the Obama campaign got the job done
Handling Bad Press
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation for competition
Building a Communications Team - talking more important than press releases
PRSJ Vision Statement to Members
We are committed to providing guiding principles in our profession and enhancing a sense of professionalism among our members as they represent their clients and customers. We will grant support to our members, updating them on the latest developments and best practices in the profession, assisting them in developing their skills whilst facilitating the necessary training for internationally accepted accreditation and creating opportunities for networking.
Handling Bad Press
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation for competition
Building a Communications Team - talking more important than press releases
PRSJ Vision Statement to Members
We are committed to providing guiding principles in our profession and enhancing a sense of professionalism among our members as they represent their clients and customers. We will grant support to our members, updating them on the latest developments and best practices in the profession, assisting them in developing their skills whilst facilitating the necessary training for internationally accepted accreditation and creating opportunities for networking.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
What does Casually Elegant mean?
The invitation clearly said "Dress: Formal", yet here is a gentleman arriving at your function in a silky, shiny shirt that is hanging loosely out of his trousers. The print on the shirt is outrageous evoking the eternal cosmos, complete with the stars and milky way. You are frustrated, then you smile and rush foward to welcome Nelson Mandela.
In Jamaica, organisers of OFFICIAL EVENTS use many creative ways to try and be inclusive of modern dress codes, but sometimes the wording on the invitation frustrates the guests themselves. At a recent function some guests arrived in three-button dark tailored suits with ties while the guests of honour (looking great ) were in short sleeved cotton shirts and low waisted slacks. The invitation said, "Evening Elegant".
Terms like Casually Elegant, Tropical Elegance, Semi Formal, Business Casual, Dress down are being used and no one knows exactly what they mean. Can I wear a nice pair of jeans and a dressy top and heels? Do I have to wear a tie or can I wear a Polo shirt? You end up evoking a mental image of the location and how other people who attend might be dressed, then hazard a guess.
While Lounge Suit sounds outdated, to the few in the know it means business attire. With the Shirt Jack, Nehru suit, and Rastafarian robes as acceptable business attire for men, the time has apparently come to update these time honoured codes to ensure that hosts and guests are comfortable.
There is a move to revisit these codes for OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS and create new ones to match this era and beyond. As practitioners who plan these events, the PRSJ must have a voice at that table when those decisions are being made.
If you have a view on dress codes for OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS and have some suggestions to make, do drop a line or reply by private email to prsj2009@gmail.com. Let us work together on a submission to the Chief Protocol Officer.
To help you along, here is the link to the government dress guide for journalists . Bear in mind that OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS relate to State events. They speak to the man and the woman takes her cue from that. Corporate event planners many times take their cue from what the State does.
This is not my area, but my personal view is to:
Keep Black Tie and Formal as is;
Change Lounge Suit to Business Attire - do not use the word suit as it dismisses cultural differences such as non-European traditional and ethnic wear;
If you want men to know that they do not have to wear a jacket and tie let the invitation read
Relaxed Business Attire.
In Jamaica, organisers of OFFICIAL EVENTS use many creative ways to try and be inclusive of modern dress codes, but sometimes the wording on the invitation frustrates the guests themselves. At a recent function some guests arrived in three-button dark tailored suits with ties while the guests of honour (looking great ) were in short sleeved cotton shirts and low waisted slacks. The invitation said, "Evening Elegant".
Terms like Casually Elegant, Tropical Elegance, Semi Formal, Business Casual, Dress down are being used and no one knows exactly what they mean. Can I wear a nice pair of jeans and a dressy top and heels? Do I have to wear a tie or can I wear a Polo shirt? You end up evoking a mental image of the location and how other people who attend might be dressed, then hazard a guess.
While Lounge Suit sounds outdated, to the few in the know it means business attire. With the Shirt Jack, Nehru suit, and Rastafarian robes as acceptable business attire for men, the time has apparently come to update these time honoured codes to ensure that hosts and guests are comfortable.
There is a move to revisit these codes for OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS and create new ones to match this era and beyond. As practitioners who plan these events, the PRSJ must have a voice at that table when those decisions are being made.
If you have a view on dress codes for OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS and have some suggestions to make, do drop a line or reply by private email to prsj2009@gmail.com. Let us work together on a submission to the Chief Protocol Officer.
To help you along, here is the link to the government dress guide for journalists . Bear in mind that OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS relate to State events. They speak to the man and the woman takes her cue from that. Corporate event planners many times take their cue from what the State does.
This is not my area, but my personal view is to:
Keep Black Tie and Formal as is;
Change Lounge Suit to Business Attire - do not use the word suit as it dismisses cultural differences such as non-European traditional and ethnic wear;
If you want men to know that they do not have to wear a jacket and tie let the invitation read
Relaxed Business Attire.
Casual if jeans are acceptable to the host for that occasion.
More confusion? What say you?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Does my organisation need an online community?
It seems as if anyone with an email these days is on Facebook, or as one of our journalists cleverly and correctly renamed it Faasbook, but how do we know when to open online communities for our organisations?
Here is a link to short article to get us thinking.
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/what-is-a-community-manager-and-should-i-hire-one-ben-parr
How do we know who makes a good community manager? See ideas at the link below.
http://mashable.com/2009/04/06/community-manager/
Regards,
Mod
Here is a link to short article to get us thinking.
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/what-is-a-community-manager-and-should-i-hire-one-ben-parr
How do we know who makes a good community manager? See ideas at the link below.
http://mashable.com/2009/04/06/community-manager/
Regards,
Mod
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Free News Blog Helps Small Businesses Get FREE publicity!
From Delroy A Whyte-Hall
Free News Blog Helps Small Businesses Get FREE publicity!
Can Jamaican-based entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses beat the recession and bring in new business? The answer is a resounding “YES!” according to Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, President of Whyte-Hall Communications.
To give local-based small business owners the solutions they’re looking for, Whyte-Hall Communications has developed a free weekly news blog, the Blog Enterprise. Each week’s issue is filled with news, profile, and information about the entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized business owners who want to get the word out about their businesses and activities without having to purchase expensive advertising. Business owners may subscribe online at http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com, or submit their news and other information to enterpriseblog@gmail.com for publication.
“Everyone’s struggling right now,” says Delroy, who opened Whyte-Hall Communications in January 2009. “If local businesses want to survive the recession, they need to differentiate themselves, and take unique approaches to promotion and marketing.” Delroy also points out that unique in this case means FREE publicity. “Businesses don’t have to spend a fortune on business promotions. But owners have to understand that business promotion does NOT mean advertising,” he says. “Promotion is a process. It’s defining your niche and your mission, targeting your market, and communicating your offer in the most clear, concise and compelling, and cost-effective way possible.”
Whyte-Hall Communications is an independent virtual-based public relations consultancy that supports small to mid-sized businesses that want to enhance their image and increase profits by means of well-written and persuasive promotional copy—both online and off. Clients include companies in the Corporate Area, as well as from parish to parish and around the Caribbean.
For more information, visit: http://linkedin.com/in/whcomn, or call Delroy A. Whyte-Hall at (876) 382-7135, or eMail: whcomn@gmail.com.
Free News Blog Helps Small Businesses Get FREE publicity!
Can Jamaican-based entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses beat the recession and bring in new business? The answer is a resounding “YES!” according to Delroy A. Whyte-Hall, President of Whyte-Hall Communications.
To give local-based small business owners the solutions they’re looking for, Whyte-Hall Communications has developed a free weekly news blog, the Blog Enterprise. Each week’s issue is filled with news, profile, and information about the entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized business owners who want to get the word out about their businesses and activities without having to purchase expensive advertising. Business owners may subscribe online at http://whytehallcommunications.wordpress.com, or submit their news and other information to enterpriseblog@gmail.com for publication.
“Everyone’s struggling right now,” says Delroy, who opened Whyte-Hall Communications in January 2009. “If local businesses want to survive the recession, they need to differentiate themselves, and take unique approaches to promotion and marketing.” Delroy also points out that unique in this case means FREE publicity. “Businesses don’t have to spend a fortune on business promotions. But owners have to understand that business promotion does NOT mean advertising,” he says. “Promotion is a process. It’s defining your niche and your mission, targeting your market, and communicating your offer in the most clear, concise and compelling, and cost-effective way possible.”
Whyte-Hall Communications is an independent virtual-based public relations consultancy that supports small to mid-sized businesses that want to enhance their image and increase profits by means of well-written and persuasive promotional copy—both online and off. Clients include companies in the Corporate Area, as well as from parish to parish and around the Caribbean.
For more information, visit: http://linkedin.com/in/whcomn, or call Delroy A. Whyte-Hall at (876) 382-7135, or eMail: whcomn@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Not just athletics putting Jamaica ahead
Something good is in the state of Jamaica.
Yesterday I attended a function at Jamalco attended by senior executives of the parent company, Alcoa. They came to congratulate their Jamaican staff on overcoming a monumental task.
Two years ago it seemed as if the 50-year old company was going to be closed as the refinery had been scraping the bottom of the Alcoa barrell in many key business indices. Bad luck they say is worse than obeah, and nature added its own calamity by sending storms that ravaged the already inefficient production facilities. Add global downturn to that and it seemed only a matter of mere months to turning off the lights.
The mandate from head office was clear: give us a plan that will work. A new management team did what it had to do and Jamalco leapt from 9th to 4th place and is aiming to dethrone Western Australia where three refineries, some with the most modern practices and recent investments, lead the pack.
Responsible mining practices include robust communications strategies that must involve community relations. The Jamalco tradition remains strong in this area currently headed by PRSJ Member Leo Lambert with PRSJ Past President, Ealane Livingston Smith and PRSJ Member Pamella White anchoring key portfolios .
Among their strategies is a measurable staff volunteer programme. Currently 88 staff members have committed to giving 50 hours of volunteer service per year allowing them to earn US$250 for a project. This programme is making an impact on 60 communities in three parishes. The Jamalco management team also meets with business stakeholders every quarter, ensuring that those relationships are kept solid.
Jamalco shows that Jamaica not only leads in the sprints, but can chase in a marathon.
Yesterday I attended a function at Jamalco attended by senior executives of the parent company, Alcoa. They came to congratulate their Jamaican staff on overcoming a monumental task.
Two years ago it seemed as if the 50-year old company was going to be closed as the refinery had been scraping the bottom of the Alcoa barrell in many key business indices. Bad luck they say is worse than obeah, and nature added its own calamity by sending storms that ravaged the already inefficient production facilities. Add global downturn to that and it seemed only a matter of mere months to turning off the lights.
The mandate from head office was clear: give us a plan that will work. A new management team did what it had to do and Jamalco leapt from 9th to 4th place and is aiming to dethrone Western Australia where three refineries, some with the most modern practices and recent investments, lead the pack.
Responsible mining practices include robust communications strategies that must involve community relations. The Jamalco tradition remains strong in this area currently headed by PRSJ Member Leo Lambert with PRSJ Past President, Ealane Livingston Smith and PRSJ Member Pamella White anchoring key portfolios .
Among their strategies is a measurable staff volunteer programme. Currently 88 staff members have committed to giving 50 hours of volunteer service per year allowing them to earn US$250 for a project. This programme is making an impact on 60 communities in three parishes. The Jamalco management team also meets with business stakeholders every quarter, ensuring that those relationships are kept solid.
Jamalco shows that Jamaica not only leads in the sprints, but can chase in a marathon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
