On The Edge - CPRS Conference '09 | À La Fine Pointe - Conférence SCRP '09

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

On the Edge/Á la fine pointe

2009 CPRS National Conference

 Do you have an idea for a dynamic presentation that will help practitioners gain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving world of public relations? Can you provide tools and share techniques that will give practitioners an edge in their career? Then you are invited to submit your proposal for a presentation at On the Edge, the Canadian Public Relations Society’s national conference being held in Vancouver, BC from June 7 to 9, 2009 in Vancouver, BC.

About On the Edge

On the Edge is a conference dedicated to exploring some of the new realities in the field of public relations, both in the audiences being communicated with and how they need to be approached. New features within this landscape include the rise in “citizen journalism”, the changing ethnic face of media, the use of celebrity spokespersons, as well as the ascendance of issues such as environmental sustainability and Aboriginal relations. The conference is being designed to provide practitioners with a greater understanding of the issues and the latest generation of tools to access changing audiences.

The audience comprises a wide-ranging group of professionals that include:

• mid-to-senior level public relations practitioners and communications professionals from across Canada with responsibility for communication programs that cross national and cultural borders
• professionals seeking expert and innovative approaches to communication issues that feature practical applications and best practice examples
• professionals comprising a broad spectrum of public relations disciplines including media relations, employee communication, government relations, investor relations and marketing

Call for Presentations

Currently, the Conference Program Committee is seeking workshop proposals from qualified practitioners who meet the Society’s criteria for helping public relations professionals excel professionally and improve organizational performance.

Presentations are being sought in the following areas:

• social media
• new technology
• communicating sustainability and other environmental issues
• strategy and counsel
• integrated marketing
• Aboriginal relations
• media relations and the changing face of the media
• "citizen journalism"
• communicating to a multicultural audience
• reputation management
• branding and celebrity

Speaker Qualifications

1. Are you accustomed to speaking to audiences of 75 or more participants?
2. Do your audiences describe you as a dynamic, professional, experienced and engaging presenter?
3. Is your content fresh, thought provoking, well-researched and highly relevant to an international audience of communications professionals?
4. Are your sessions interactive? Do you incorporate practical examples, case studies and best practices?
5. Will your workshop help participants do their jobs more effectively and increase their value to their employers?

Submission Process

Fill out the Call for Presentations Submission Form. The form requests information about your personal profile and your proposed presentation.

Once you fill out the online form and hit “Submit”, your application will be sent to the 2009 CPRS Conference Program Committee for review. Proponents must complete all sections of the Submission Form and submit it online by October 31, 2008.

The Program Committee will evaluate each application and “short list” those that best fit the On the Edge conference theme and focus on topics that will be featured in the program. Selection criteria include the presenter’s credentials, expertise, delivery, and the degree to which these fit with the Conference program’s objectives.

Those who submit applications that become short-listed will be contacted via telephone before November 15, 2008. A member of the Program Committee will conduct a brief telephone interview to learn more about the presenter and his or her proposed presentation.

Speakers whose presentations are chosen for inclusion in the program will be notified via email by November 30, 2008.

Speaker’s Agreement and Communication

Immediately following selection of their presentation, speakers will be required to sign a CPRS speaker’s agreement of engagement. As part of the speaker’s agreement, they also commit to maintain an educational focus in their session, eliminating all sales messages or presentations. They also agree to submit all required information about audio-visual needs, a biography, and photograph and session descriptions, among other things, within the time specified in the agreement.

Every conference session is designed as an educational offering to advance the attending practitioners' professional development, their career and the profession itself. Speakers commit to keeping their sessions as interactive as possible, with minimal theory and significant practical, adaptable examples and case studies.

CPRS workshop presenters do not receive fees or free entry to the conference (other than the day of their presentation) and are responsible for their own travel expenses including hotel, airfare and ground transportation. In exchange for their participation, speakers benefit through their association with CPRS and their exposure to an audience of public relations professionals.

Within eight weeks of signing the agreement of engagement, speakers will have received a confirmation letter and a speaker’s kit that contains a Conference program, a list of speakers and other necessary information.

Conclusion

Questions should be directed to presentations@cprs.ca. Thank you for your interest. We look forward to reviewing your submission.

Key Information