Welcome

“A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”

- Baltasar Gracián

We used to spend the majority of our time competing against other PR firms or advertising agencies for new business. Everything was so much simpler. We knew who these people were and, more importantly, how to position against them.

But now the landscape has changed. Suddenly, we are facing new competitors eager for our hard-won client business. Management consulting firms, IT companies and online specialty shops represent just a few of our modern-day “enemies.” Throw in the competition for new kinds of talent — Millennials, creative directors and new media specialists — and it can seem as if we are in a much different industry than the one we joined years ago.

Of course, with greater threat comes greater opportunity — to learn, to grow and to improve. While we can never lose sight of the fundamentals of effective communications, we must learn to operate in a significantly more competitive marketplace than the one we knew just a few short years back. We must anticipate new trends, adapt to them in a meaningful manner and act in a way that benefits both our clients and the profession. To that end, we have assembled a stellar group of presenters — including keynote speaker Peter Blackshaw, executive vice president of Nielsen Online Strategic Solutions, and a keynote panel led by Peter Krivkovich, president and chief executive officer of Cramer-Krasselt. Their insights will help us not only survive, but also thrive as counselors in an ever-changing business environment.

We would like to extend a special “thank you” to our committee chairs, who have given so much time and energy into making this conference a success. Thanks also to our sponsors — this conference wouldn’t be possible without your incredible support. And to the hardworking staff at PRSA, thank you for your guidance, flexibility and incredible patience. This experience has both challenged and enriched us, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Enjoy the conference, fabulous accommodations and opportunity of sharing and learning among friends!

Sydney Ayers, APR

2008 Conference Co-Chair

Robert L. Amberg

2008 Conference Co-Chair

J.R. Hipple, Hipple&Co., Atlanta, Ga.

Matthew J. Kucharski, APR, Padilla Speer Beardsley, Minneapolis, Minn.

Keynote Sessions

Joel G. Curran, APR, CKPR, Chicago, Ill.

Networking Opportunity Roundtables

Gini Dietrich, Arment Dietrich Public Relations, Chicago, Ill.

Ben Wheatley, ABC, APR, Pierpont Communications, Houston, Texas

Development Breakout Sessions

Roger M. Friedensen, APR, The Catevo Group, Raleigh, N.C.

Elise Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Mitchell Communications Group, Fayetteville, Ark.

Pre-Conference Seminar

Robert A. Reed, Element-R Partners, Naperville, Ill.

Scott Smith, Westbound Communications Inc., Orange, Calif.

QuickConnect

Linda Welter Cohen, APR, The Caliber Group, Inc., Tuscon, Ariz.

Communications

R. Jason Anthoine, APR, The Cohesion Group, Macon, Ga.

Jerry Goodwin, Goodwin & Grant, Inc., Tulsa, Okla.

Steven Knipstein, APR, Cushman/Amberg Communications, Chicago, Ill.

Spouse Activities

Nancy Sacunas, APR, Sacunas, Harrisburg, Pa.

Opening & Closing Night Events

Esther Buchsbaum, APR, Communications MECA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Mary Leigh Wallace, RLF Communications, Greensboro, N.C.

Golf & Tennis

Carol Levine, APR, Communications MECA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Robert C. Merritt, APR, CKPR, Chicago, Ill.

Student Coordination

Steve Cody, Peppercom, Inc., New York, N.Y.

Abbie S. Fink, HMA Public Relations, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.

Click here to download the full conference brochure. (.pdf)

Questions?: Contact Carolyn Marr at carolyn.marr@prsa.org or 212-460-1420.

Conference Main Page

General Information

Sunday Schedule of Events

Monday Schedule of Events

Tuesday Schedule of Events