Public relations practitioners around the world are gearing up for the second edition of the World Public Relations Day (WPRD).
Scheduled to take place on July 16, 2022, WPRD is inspired by a need to present a unified global agenda for a better understanding and utilisation of public relations practice.
WPRD presents a unique platform for public relations and marketing communications practitioners across the globe to unite and stake a claim for the practice.
As an annual global celebration dedicated to the virtues of truth, honesty and reputation management, WPRD is a global response to reposition public relations as a defining profession of the 21st century.
Themed “Trust, Truth and Transparency”, the second edition presents another opportunity for professionals to put forward a unified global agenda and propel one another to answer a call of duty, help stakeholders to communicate more responsibly and be more deliberate about using public relations to help organisations make positive contributions to the environment and society in which they operate.
Set aside as a day dedicated to truth, honesty and reputation management in a way that is beneficial to all people across the globe, July 16 also honours Ivy Lee, one of the pioneers of Public Relations practice who was born on the same date 145 years ago.
Speaking on the need to constantly communicate the importance of the global public relations practice, the CEO and founder, BHM and Convener, World PR Day, Ayeni Adekunle, said: “Public relations is an essential ingredient in building relationships, preventing crises, achieving business objectives; pushing national interest, and preventing the kind of confusion that could ruin a company or lead nations to war.
“All over the world, people are bombarded daily with volumes of information. There is an urgent need for professionals, furnished with the right skills and bound by a unifying global agenda to cut through the noise. That is the genesis of WPRD.’’
During the maiden edition of World PR Day in 2021, more than 3,500 people from 15 countries participated in the global commemoration.
Speaking on the planned activities this year, a WPRD Committee Adviser and the Managing Partner, Wadds Inc., a professional advisory firm, Stephen Waddington, said: “COVID-19 has highlighted a range of broader societal considerations related to environmental concerns, social inequality, technology, and health. Organisations are reconsidering their role within this new operating context providing an opportunity for the public relations function to assert its role within management.
“With World PR Day, we’re ensuring public relations professionals across the world spearhead the right conversations to better position the industry in which we work.”
Alastair McCapra, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Francis Ingham, Director General of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA); Nitin Mantri, President, International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO); Rachel Roberts President, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect – DNA Brand Architects; Steve Barrett, Editorial Director, PRWeek and Emma Wenani Chief Director, GMA Worldwide, have been confirmed to speak at the event.
