Awards, International Conference and More!

The recent Thoth Awards Gala held on September 24 was a great event - check out the Thoth wrap-up below. We presented 44 awards across 28 categories to 24 winners, and 20 Certificates of Excellence. Congratulations to Oceana for winning Best of Show! Their "Cut the Bait" campaign was a stand out.

We're now working on our annual holiday party - where we'll wrap up the year and recognize and thank the many PRSA-NCC committee chairs, board members and volunteers for their wonderful efforts in 2009. You will see more information on this in the coming weeks.

PRSA-NCC membership has remained strong in 2009 despite the poor economy. By now you should have received your ballot with the nominees for the 2010 board. If you haven't voted yet, please make time to so before the deadline of October 21.

There's also still time to register for the PRSA International Conference from November 7-10 in San Diego this year. And don't forget- the 2010 conference will be here in Washington, D.C.! Sign up for one of the many subcommittees and help the Host Committee market the event in San Diego and into next year. More information is below.

As always, if you have any questions, contact me at barbara.burfeind@dma.mil or call me at 703-428-0712.

Sincerely,

Barbara Burfeind, APR
2009 PRSA-NCC President

PRSA International Conference: On the Road to San Diego and then to Washington, DC

As many know by now, the 2010 PRSA International Conference will be held here in Washington, D.C. The theme will be Powering PRogress. "Powering" speaks to PR as a catalyst to make things happen and also has the possibility of connections to alternative energy including "green" and "renewable" themes that provide numerous opportunities for best practice case studies and sponsorships.

PRSA-NCC is developing marketing materials to promote the 2010 conference at this year's event in San Diego. The host committee, made up of members from this chapter, will meet next on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m., prior to the PRSA-NCC Board Meeting at MS&L, 1133 21st Street, NW, Suite 300. Everyone interested in getting involved is welcome to attend.

The committee is also looking for additional promotional assistance at the upcoming conference in San Diego from November 7-10. Help is needed for the following activities:
• 2010 Booth volunteers and the "Get the Buzz Going" team
• Monday Night Cocktail Party at the Altitude Lounge
• Observer/Evaluator of 2009 conference/performance
• Tuesday on stage presentation

Mike Greenberg is coordinating volunteers who will be working the 2010 booth. The Exhibit Hall is open Sunday and Monday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.. You can view the schedule at http://www.prsa.org/ic2009/schedule.html. We need a set-up team to arrive earlier and a tear-down team to stay later, so please indicate participation on either team and provide your name, phone number and date(s) and time(s) you can cover the booth via email at mikegreenberg51@gmail.com.

If you are interested in assisting with any of the other volunteer areas, contact Ivonne at ivonne.couret@gmail.com or Michael at shewardapr@aol.com .

Oceana Wins Best in Show at PRSA-NCC Thoth Awards

PRSA-NCC celebrated the value of public relations and honored the talent and innovation in Washington public relations professionals at its 41st annual Thoth Awards, held at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel on September 24.

The Thoth "Best of Show" award was presented to Oceana for its "Cut the Bait" campaign. The campaign had clear goals and objectives through research and planning, impressive implementation and one of the most comprehensive evaluations and metrics. Oceana also received the Thoth Award for Global Communication, a Certificate of Excellence for Public Affairs/Issues Management and the Thoth Award for Speeches.

Nearly 150 guests attended to witness presentations of 44 awards across 28 categories. Thoth Awards were given to 24 winners, and 20 Certificates of Excellence were also presented. Award recipients included a wide array of Washington area public relations agencies, companies, government organization, and trade and professional associations.

A News Seminar was hosted prior to the gala to discuss the future of news and the changing role of journalists and PR professionals with regard to public communications. A panel of industry leaders from both fields shared their perspectives on the working relationship between public relations and media professionals and the economic and technological challenges facing each group. The panelists included Thomas Burr, senior Washington correspondent of The Salt Lake Tribune, Beth Frerking, assistant managing editor of Politico, Mark Hamrick, business editor for broadcast of Associated Press, Keith M. Kupferschmid, senior vice president, intellectual property policy & enforcement of Software and Information Industry Association, and Robert Mathias, managing director/Washington of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. The panel was moderated by Debbi Jarvis, vice president of communications of PEPCO Holdings.

Congratulations to all of our 2009 winners! To view the complete list, click here .

BlogPotomac to be Held October 23

What's All the Twitter About? Find Out on October 28

Everyone is talking about using Twitter, but how do you fit all the new social media into your strategy? Is it really right for all organizations? What's new with social media and how can I find what will work? These are all questions PR practitioners are asking, and a social media expert panel will address on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 8-10 a.m. at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center.

Panelists Michael Pranikoff, director of emerging media, PR Newswire; Susan Cato director web and new media strategy, Biotechnology Industry Organization; Susan E. Jacobsen President, LUV2XLPR; and Mike Holden, American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence; lead by moderator Debbie Friez, vice president, BurrellesLuce and co-chair, PRSA-NCC Professional Development Committee will discuss proven ways to incorporate social media tactics into your overall PR plan. The panel will work to review the most useful and popular tools for PR as well as how to measure social media's effectiveness.

Tickets are $35 for PRSA and WWPR members, $55 for non-members and $10 for students and retirees. Avoid the $10 surcharge at the door, by registering in advance on the PRSA-NCC website.

PRSA-NCC Newsletter Committee Looking for Member Contributors

The PRSA-NCC Newsletter is looking for members who know Associated Press Style and love to write. Contributing to the newsletter is an easy way to contribute to the chapter - especially if it is difficult for you to attend regular committee meetings and events.

It's easy to join! Simply e-mail newsletter@prsa-ncc.org with your contact information and you will be placed on the list to receive announcements about when content is due for the next issue. PRSA-NCC members typically submit 150-250 word contributions related to upcoming events, summaries of lessons learned at past events, take and submit photos and/or report on timely issues in the world of public relations. All contributors will receive credit for their work.

For more information, contact Jennifer Strohm at jstrohm@veandco.com or 301-581-7294.

IPRA Looks at Demystifying Blogs: From their Present Value to How they can Help SEO

Have you or someone you know joined the Chapter within the last six months? If so, would you like to be in our spotlight? Just contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org for a copy of the questionnaire. To view past new Member Spotlights, visit the membership section of the Web site.

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I'm thinking about pursuing accreditation by PRSA. What are the advantages of being accredited?-SA, Arlington, VA

Dear SA: Good question. I was fortunate to have worked for a large PR agency that paid for me to pursue accreditation more than 20 years ago. (Be sure to ask! Many will cover the cost of accreditation as professional development.) It was an extremely valuable experience, because although I had been practicing public relations for more than 10 years at that point, I had never taken a course in the subject. All I knew was based on my own experience, which was inherently limited.

I learned all of the basics of good PR practice, from communications theory to ethics, with lots of training in strategic thinking, especially research, planning, implementation and evaluation-the RPIE process, the basis of public relations. I received practical training to address the challenges I faced every day in a supportive environment with senior level practitioners available to provide help and support. But most important was the confidence I gained by successfully passing the exam and becoming accredited.

So how do you pursue accreditation? Most of your questions are answered here: Once you are ready, your first step in the process is to apply through National PRSA. Applications are available here. Once you are accepted, you may sign up for the next Readiness Review, which for NCC is November 14. A written submission is due to the NCC Accreditation Chair by October 30. Download the written submission questionnaire here.

Are you a senior-level practitioner who hasn't been accredited? PRSA has a blog featuring an interview with Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR - CEO of Keenan PR, past-President of PRSA-NCC, Silver Anvil Awards winner and Washington PR Woman of the Year Honoree - who describes why accreditation is an important career step for public relations professionals. For more information on how PRSA-NCC can help you, go to the National Capital Chapter's Accreditation page. Or talk to any of NCC's many APRs.


Regards,
Fred Whiting, APR

Do you have a question concerning the practice of public relations that would be of interest to others? Ask a PRofessional! Visit our Ask a PRofessional page to pose your question and receive a personal reply. Your question and the answer may appear in a future issue of the PRSA-NCC Chapter newsletter.

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