IPRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2010

I am extremely happy that IPRA will be hosting an international conference in Indonesia in February 2010, as well as the Board and Council meetings and the inauguration ceremony for the IPRA President 2010.

I believe that as the leading international professional organization, IPRA should get closer to the PR professionals in different countries and regions. This conference is a great opportunity to share knowledge, to understand regional PR development, to create opportunities for further co-operation and mutual understanding. Regional and international PR practitioners will be able to together to network, learn, share, understand and discuss the latest developments in the PR industry, the challenges and the opportunities presented to the PR profession.

IPRA has been the platform for providing intellectual leadership and professional development for more than 50 years. IPRA is an organization without borders. IPRA membership is available to all PR professionals around the world.

In today’s interconnected world, with news and information flowing 24/7, with every communications expert having instant GLOBAL reach, it is even more important to understand local culture and behavior. Therefore regional leadership is of extreme importance.

I believe this conference is yet another great opportunity to showcase what IPRA stands for – GLOBAL REACH, regional leadership.

Dear Honorable Guests,

We are pleased to welcome you to the 2010 IPRA Conference in Jakarta. Our theme is Global Reach,
Regional Leadership. This theme encompasses public relations issues anywhere in the world; not just in Asia, but across all continents. At a time when boundaries seem to be falling, and differences seem to be merging, an issue's which is happening in one part of the globe may be felt in another part. And an effort performed in a particular place may spread its impact to its neighbors. This presents a challenge, as well as a golden opportunity for the field of public relations.

This means that when responding to a crisis, or an issue, or a cause, we can create something much more impactful. But this also means that the slightest mistake may affect more people than we have imagined. IPRA always strives to be the world’s number one international association for senior public relations executives. We aim to be relevant, resourceful, and influential. And to be all this requires having a global reach while leading in our respective regions.

As an emerging continent in various sectors from economy to culture, Asia merits special attention. But wherever we are in the world, public relations professionals nowadays need to focus not only on how we can create impact to our local stakeholders: community, constituent, or nation. We should broaden our focus into how that impact can be felt by others at an international level. We actually no longer operate in solitary.

Once again, thank you and look foward at the IPRA International Conference 2010