Since its inception in 2006, the Stakeholder reputation workshop has received many accolades and become established as the must-attend workshop for industry experts looking to share best practices about stakeholder management and building company reputation.

An organisation derives its reputation from its stakeholders. The management of and interaction with stakeholders therefore needs careful attention if an organisation wants to maximise its opportunities and minimise threats in dealing with stakeholders.

This isn't just a seminar, it's not a communications conference—the stakeholder reputation workshop will empower and enable you to plan and build your organisation's reputation amongst its numerous stakeholders.

This two-day workshop focuses on how stakeholder relationships impact on the creation of organisational reputation. Numerous case studies document the bottom-line advantages to companies that develop long-term, highly interdependent relationships with groups of stakeholders. Researchers have found that it isn't just the existence of the relationship that is important, but the qualities of the relationship that matters. In every relationship, trust was the ingredient for success.

Stakeholders offer organisations both opportunity and threat. For instance if you have a good reputation with stakeholders they may give you more latitude to operate. On the other hand a poor reputation with the regulators may result in laws being passed that can make it more difficult for you to operate. This seminar examines amongst many things the steps, hints and practices necessary to build lasting collaborative relationships, which should ultimately result in a better reputation.

This two-day workshop shows business leaders and managers how to establish and maintain positive, mutually beneficial stakeholder relations. Based on a synthesis of ideas from community relations, marketing, strategic communication, reputation and stakeholder management, organizational change, sustainability and CSI thinking, it offers an integrated framework, as well as practical tools for developing new kinds of collaborative relationships and will cover areas such as the following:

• Identifying key stakeholders: How do you decide which groups are vital and tailor your messages accordingly? How do you define stakeholders' needs, issues and concerns
• Stakeholder engagement: What works - and how do you overcome conflicting agendas and promote a consistent, open, balanced dialogue?
• Stakeholder feedback: How should you use the data you get - and communicate your results for maximum gain? What listening methods are you using?
• Current approaches to stakeholder assessment, measurement and reporting. Criteria for evaluation of success.
• How to involve stakeholders in decision making processes and generate trust and improved relationships amongst stakeholders.
• Exploring ways to enhance relationships with various stakeholders - targeting the media, employees, customers, suppliers, government and activists.

For more information, please e-mail deonbin@icon.co.za.

Should you be interested, I recommend quick action as the previous workshop were oversubscribed.

Some previous delegates comments

- I have just submitted a proposal for the development of a stakeholder reputation management system for the CIH Group. The knowledge gained at the workshop was invaluable for the proposal. - Suegnét Scheun, Consultant, Group Corporate Marketing and Communication Services (GCMCS), Capricorn Investment Holdings Limited (CIH), Windhoek, Namibia

- "Inspiring! What an eye-opener... stakeholder management is not the preserve of the manager in charge but rather an integrated function that all should have responsibility for, that was my feedback to our MD. Its' strategic importance is to be elevated in organisations. A Brilliant learning opportunity! Equipped me with invaluable tools! Empowered by new terminology such as silositis, reputation drivers, stakeholder attributes, stakeholder models, universal principles of stakeholder management and the unpacking of the mission for stakeholder management etc...Loved your sense of humour, your presentation layout is superb and user-friendly. I benefitted immensely and would like to know what you suggest as follow-up training - Fikile Kuhlase, general manager: Transformation, the Banking Association South Africa

- Deon's presentation helped me to sharpen my own perspective on certain issues in the stakeholder management field. Just thinking...I picked up on radio news this morning that about 100m illegal cigarettes enter SA each year and the revenue loss to SARS amounts to about R1.4b per annum. You will recall that Deon gave us an exercise on this and when I heard this on radio my mind went "stakeholder map, reputation and business risk, strategic partnerships, etc...” - Malebo Modise, Standard Bank

- Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your inspiring course this week! The dynamism, the opportunities, the emphasis on the importance on careful research, friendly and caring approach for the care of various stakeholders - the summary of the framework you presented for addressing stakeholder management was all very relevant and confirmed my personal believes and practice in the past in relation to our stakeholders with whom we are working in our field. - Seija Tyrninoksa; Country Representative for South Africa; International Federation of Red Cross

Who should attend
- stakeholder managers/corporate and public affairs managers
- PR/Communication and marketing personnel
- Customer service and supply chain officers
- HR and other staff responsible for relationship management with stakeholders
- Line managers, directors, CEO's, CFO's who are required to handle reputation and stakeholder matters

For more information and a detailed brochure and registration form, email deonbin@icon.co.za.

The course will be facilitated by Deon Binneman. See my public profile at http://www.linkedin.com/deonbin for more information.

I hope to see you there. Now is the time to register.

Venue

Date: 02 July 2008 to 03 July 2008
Location: Hotel Apollo, Randburg, Johannesburg
Cost: On Application

Contact: Deon Binneman
Company name: Repucomm
Telephone number: 27114753515
Email address deonbin@icon.co.za