In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, Public Relations has become the cornerstone of progress, understanding and collaboration for individuals, organisations and communities. The profession’s pivotal role in developing a country cannot be underestimated, facilitating effective communication, building relationships, and shaping positive perceptions on both domestic and international fronts.
World Public Relations Day Festival was very exciting for the industry. With the journey beginning in the last quarter of last year, we took the festival lane because we wanted to ignite, elevate and attract the attention of policy-makers and the general public about the importance of Public Relations.
The World PR Day Festival celebration is more than just an event – it is a testament to the art of fostering understanding, trust and transparency. It was an opportunity to reflect on how communication has evolved and continues to evolve, with the advent of technology and the dynamic shifts in global dynamics.
We kick-started the third edition of World Public Relations Day Festival with a series of Twitter Spaces; then, we moved into the slush events and ended up with the big one – WPRD Festival Summit.
The celebrations, led by Global Media Alliance with the support of industry stakeholders, started from April through to 16th July, 2023. The WPRD Festival activities – both virtual and physical events – were aimed at bringing together experts, policy-makers, PR practitioners, and academia to discuss important industry-related issues, network, and build and elevate the PR community in Ghana.
With the theme ‘Harnessing the Power of Public Relations’, the festival touched on various aspects of the profession, including ESG & Sustainability, PR x Economy, PR Masterclass, and PR x NextGen Women. Throughout this celebration, we delved into the details of modern communication, exploring the innovative strategies that Public Relations experts employ to navigate a complex and rapidly changing landscape.
One key highlight of the festival for me is the representation of women – 54 percent of all the festival speakers were women. All the four-member panel for the Festival Summit, which was the main event, were women with incredible career experience who shared valuable insights with the audience. 84 percent of all the panel moderators, MCs, and hosts were also women. In partnership with Women in PR Ghana, we also put together a women-led event to engage the next generation of PR women.
We also brought what we describe as the ‘cool factor’ to the festival – The WPRD Festival-Boomplay Music Playlist, PR x Sustainability, and our social impact initiative PR Masterclass for Start-ups. We thank all our partners, speakers & hosts, agencies, organisations, industry practitioners, and associations for all the support in making sure the festival came off successfully.
I can’t forget the team at Global Media Alliance – The Senior Management Team, headed by our CEO Ernest Boateng, Heads of Departments, the staff, and most especially the core project team behind the WPRD Festival. We certainly built this for the industry. See you in 2024!
>>>the writer is the Lead Curator – World Public Relations Day Festival and Assistant Head of PR at Global Media Alliance (GMA)
