PR Week and Award 08

For a while now, I have been wanting to personally meet those whose works I had read a while back. Thus, the motive and excuse for my participating in this year’s PR Award ( JW, 30th Sept- 3rd Oct).

I then had the opportunity- the media opportunity that is- of meeting and exploiting during lunch and coffee brakes J Grunig- a man’s whose case studies, pieces of research and theories- of excellence-sic!- I had crammed during Uni. Further, the current edition of the event spelled the opportunity and the thrill of seeing IPRA Peter Debreceny again, of professionally glimpsing at my future during coffee, of reaching a Vin Expert showroom, of recommending him Rozalb.
Of catching up with new and old friends and with the profession.

The concept behind the event was from Waterboy to Playmaker or, as we put it, from worker bee to queen bee (Dana)- though some- such as myself- also suggested the intermediate- Princess Bee!?

There were tacked subjects such as stakeholders and shareholders, ethics in the profession and measuring relationships and amidst, measuring PR.
The communication of Innovation was an aspect grasped in itself by Siemens and Henkel representatives for instance, the idea collection during the debate aiming at palpable techniques of encouraging and putting forth innovation either through excellence in design, the art of discipline or by exploiting “loci communi”. Predicting the future might then be inventing it yourself!
Web 2.0, internal communication and its plans d’approche were debated upon by some 17 both national and international speakers. There followed a debate on Crises Comm, which I chose skipping, being already maxed out on the subject in such and ended up wrapping up diplomas with Felicia for the Junior Awards.

We later gathered in the CD section of the JW to award best PR and to network over media kits and rose. Excellent crises comm by Saatchi and Saatchi PR, Marketing PR for the “most urged for mall in Ro” by Rogalski-Grigoriu, super catchy campaign for diet Pepsi during football frenzy in 2008 by Pleon Graffiti,”Family” by the Practice for GE Money, “Tempo Upbranding” by the very same RG and 14 Junior PRs, these to name only my favorites in the competition.
3 awards for the Practice and 5 for RG, also the PR agency of the year, with account, clients and agency head on stage for a final “family photo”.
Closing cocktail with some more champagne, media calls and managing paperwork for the following day. Banner wrapping and 3G finding.

2nd October, J Grunig participated in opening the school year at our former Uni, in a somehow quaint ceremony they say. Speeches and being awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa. Late drinks and Chinese cheering with all busy bees at nearby Chocolat.

3rd, Thomas trained us on Strategic Planning and Creative Thinking, both theoretical and practical games and quizzes. Lunch with the Campaign. Splitting up shapes in identical parts while coordinating with our event coordinator in the JW.


All in all, successful an event- very catchy concept behind it and a german, thus punctual and extremely well organized Thomas coordinating. Plus a better location overall- truly, the Opera was more suited for the Gala, but this current one was perfect beginning to end, thus the “lancer des fleurs” for the JW staff, extremely supportive and efficient at all times.
Some more contacts establishes with both the media and the industry- both Florin and Mihnea are a blast- and solely positive media coverage so far, thus a higher visibility and notoriety of the event overall.