August is traditionally the time for reflection, recreation and reinspiration. Current events have put paid to that, so how about September? As luck (and some planning) would have it, PRCA’s all-in-one conference is scheduled to take place just when the back-to-school season has us all revisiting our plans and thinking about new starts. Thursday 12 September is the date for your diary, and the America Square Conference Centre in the heart of the City of London is where it’s at.
In the past, PRCA has run separate conferences for the general PR community and for public affairs. But this year the gap between the two is narrower than ever, with public affairs gaining the attention of the C-suite. So PRCA have created a double conference, with two stages but with a single ticket that enables delegates to choose their own path through the day. Politics aficionados can see what their PR colleagues are talking about, and their PA-curious colleagues can slake their thirst. Let’s be honest, PR and PA have more in common than we often allow. Both sides are either harnessing or struggling with AI, dealing with multi-generational teams, and navigating the complexities of cross-platform storytelling to drive product or campaign success. We’re encouraging colleagues to come in (at least) pairs, to ensure that all the takeaways can be dissected, either at the networking drinks or when the post-conference report drops a couple of weeks later.
The biggest problem in designing an event which aims to give its attendees perspective, is that you have to know what the viewpoint will be from which you are looking. Like most observers, we expected an autumn election, and early iterations of the programme had that in mind. We’ve brought the agenda right up to date, with sessions on the new government, what’s next for the Tories, and – with Eluned Morgan as the new First Minister of Wales – a briefing from the devolved nations. We’ll have up-to-the-minute reports on our work to improve the pitching process, and on the ethnicity pay gap, where we’ll be helping the industry prepare for the government’s stated aim for mandatory reporting.
We know that what’s on your mind is the future of the industry, an increasingly fragmented set of audiences, new media, telling stories, ethics and responsibility, corporate reputation, getting numbers and words to work together, crisis comms, knowing your customer, AI, and people. Plus, a load on the new political landscape. Sound right to you? And would you like some creative case studies all at the same time? See you in September.
You can check out the conference programme and buy your tickets at https://prca-conference.org/