I know you’ve been waiting for this piece. It’s a final wrap of my experience as a first timer at the Annual General Meeting and Summit of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR-Ghana).
Nuggets were picked and new ideas shared, Day One took us on a journey to refresh our minds about PR.
The Second Day was the meat of the whole summit. It was the day for the AGM where key decisions were taken for the future of the IPR. It kicked off with a message from Mawuko Afadzinu, the President of IPR.
The day featured key activities – Delivery of the IPR Annual Report 2022, the Financial Statement for 2022, the Accreditation Ceremony, and Panel Sessions among others.
IPR Treasurer Afia Drah and Vice President Henry Nii Dottey took members through the Financial Statement and Annual Report respectively. These two items were approved by members.
The Annual Report captured some key activities embarked on by the Association – Professional Development Seminars, Accreditation Programme Review, Industrial Stakeholder Engagements, and Industry Collaborations among others.
I was excited to see World Public Relations Day (WPRD 2022) featured in the report. It was a very good collaborative initiative by Global Media Alliance and the IPR. For 2023, WPRD comes live in July. Await the big announcement.
Accreditation Ceremony
Next was the Accreditation Ceremony. It witnessed 55 accredited members being inducted into the Association. Big congratulations to all the new accredited members.
Giving an overview, Gayheart Mensah who oversees Professional Development, Education & Accreditation at IPR said the increase in the number of members getting accredited is a result of the hard work and seriousness attached to the programme by the members.
Mr. Mensah indicated that the association is reviewing the accreditation curriculum programme to meet new industry demands. “We have looked at the two-course programme. Next year, we are going to have a three-course programme. We have decided to move away from the course-based accreditation to a profile-based accreditation to equip the PR practitioner with all the relevant skills in order to function effectively and bring value in the management room and to the organization”.
[Watch] video here: https://fb.watch/jvJxKMVhjM/
Women Going Places
Madam Esther Cobbah, a PR Legend and Chief Executive Officer at Strategic Communications Africa gave a short message to practitioners on how they can be essential advisers to organizations. Let me bring you six nuggets from Madam Esther’s message to PR professionals.
- “Be a strategic partner. An organization with a strategic goal can’t do without someone who is a strategic partner.”
- “Try to do new things. Don’t get bored. Don’t do the same thing over and over again”
- “Always provide a business case for PR intervention”
- “Better learn more about your organization’s industry so you can stay ahead of them and provide strategic advice”
- “Be cost-conscious. Let your organization know how much money you’ve saved them with PR”
- “Excellence always pays”
Panel Sessions
Madam Esther Cobbah and Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Senior Manager for Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana shared their experiences and their road path to the top.
1st Panel Session: Women going places: Paths to professional excellence and personal fulfillment – Moderated by Beatrice Baiden – Public Relations Manager of Gaming Commission
“There are structures. The choices you make is what will help you navigate around the structures to succeed” – Esther Cobbah
“You have to appreciate the value of learning from people who are better than you. That made me better” – Georgina Asare Fiagbenu
[Watch] video here: https://fb.watch/jvJdlEL3FF/
2nd Panel Session: Change or Perish: New Age PR
“Recognize that the world has changed significantly. This is the environment of rapidity in which we live. You have to get used to it and know that the only survival route is transparency” – Yaw Nsarkoh Executive Vice President of Unilever
“Give technology an opportunity to make your life better. Technology is not competing with us but rather enabling us” – Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo – Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Hollard Ghana
“It is important for us to keep up with the time. Change is constant. Technology is here to make us better and more efficient” – Moliehi Molekoa, Managing Director of Magna Carta.
[Watch] video here: https://fb.watch/jvJag2QD6t/
Paul Asare Ansah, Former Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) made a presentation on “Breaking the cycle of distrust in public sector PR: How to win back credence, understanding and acceptance”.
According to Asare Ansah, the fundamental challenge in the practice of public relations in the public sector is distrust.
He urged practitioners to adopt ethical values in the delivery of their work when engaging the general public in order to win the trust of the people they serve.
“Let’s Go Ball”
After everything was said and done, it was time for some enjoyment – when good food meets good music. It was the IPR Dinner Ball.
Guess who stole the show? Koku Anyidoho, the former Presidential Spokesman for the Late President Prof. Evans Atta Mills. He serenaded us with his vocals on this song Jamaica Farewell “Down the way when the nights are gay” (sing along).
With live band and great DJing, members put on their dancing shoes and were on their feet till late.
[Watch] video here: https://fb.watch/jvJg03VPCF/
Everything has an End.
#IPR2023AGMSUMMIT officially came to an end on Saturday, March 25th. With smiles and good exchanges, we all departed Rock City Hotel and got to our various homes safely. “From Rock City to Gold Coast City,” a member said on our WhatsApp page.
I had a good time…I guess you did too
Those who couldn’t make it, please join us next year. Those who be first timers next year…be prepared…Clarence Amoatey will ask you to keep clapping…Hahaha.
Big shout out to the organizing team for the great coordination. To everyone who made Kwahu a success…We say Kudos!
Let’s be in touch! See you next year!
https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPR2023AGMSUMMIT?src=hashtag_click&f=live
Written By Ekow Quandzie, Assistant Head of PR, Global Media Alliance
LinkedIn: Ekow Quandzie
Twitter: @whyalwaysekow
