PR industry heads gather for London roundtable
London, 7 June 2012 – Heads of PR consultancy associations from around Europe gathered in London last week to discuss challenges facing the industry and ways of working together to raise the profile of public relations internationally.
Hosted by the PRCA and organised by ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation), the roundtable brought together executive heads of associations from eight countries, discussing common issues facing PR professionals internationally such as pricing and profitability, campaign evaluation, management standards, professional development and maximising the agency-client relationship.
The following national and international organisations participated: the UK’s PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association), BPRCA (Belgian Public Relations Consultants Association), APRA (Czech Association of Public Relations Agencies), SYNTEC Conseil en Relations Publiques (French Public Relations Consultancy Association), ASSOREL (Italian Association of Full-Service Public Relations Agencies), PPRCA (Polish Public Relations Consultancies Association), АКОS (Russian Communications Consultancies Association), PRECIS (Association of Public Relations Consultancies in Sweden), and ICCO.
Francis Ingham, PRCA Chief Executive said: “The PRCA was delighted to host our peers from other trade associations. London is a truly global PR hub, and we see that in country after country the same issues face our industry. In challenging economic times like these, we all need to help our members more -that’s why it’s a very positive step for association chief executives to meet and share best practice.
“The PRCA set the gold standard in professional PR practice some years ago when we created CMS (Consultancy Management Standard). Now adopted by fifteen countries worldwide, its importance has never been higher. Collectively representing so many PR firms, we are determined to push that standard even harder.”
Virginia Hague, ICCO Executive Director said: “It’s a real eye-opener when you put high calibre, highly dedicated people together in the same room to share experiences. I think everyone walked away with new insights on how to tackle our common issues at home – all to the benefit of our collective membership and the PR industry as a whole. ICCO is committed to making this an annual event, and we thank the PRCA for their support in making it happen.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
For media enquiries please contact Francis Ingham, PRCA Chief Executive on 020 7233 6026
About the PRCA
Who we are: Founded in 1969, the PRCA is the professional body that represents UK PR consultancies, in-house communications teams, PR freelancers and individuals. The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and internal communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations.
What we do: The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.
How we do it and make a difference: All PRCA members are bound by a professional charter and codes of conduct, and benefit from exceptional training. The Association also works for the greater benefit of the industry, sharing best practice and lobbying on the industry’s behalf e.g. fighting the NLA’s digital licence.
Who we represent: The PRCA represents many of the major consultancies in the UK, and currently has more than 250 agency members from around the world, including the majority of the top 100 UK
About ICCO
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in twenty-eight countries across the globe: from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 1,500 PR firms.