'Advancing Africa' at APRA conference

27 May 2014

Members of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) will meet in Mauritius for the 26th annual conference themed 'Advancing Africa' from 28-30 May 2014.

The conference will serve as a platform for foreign investors, PR and communication experts, and local businesses to learn from their African peers as they give insights into reaching the diverse markets which make up Africa.

Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO of Burson-Marsteller for Africa and Training Chair for APRA comments: "More and more companies are looking for a high calibre of communications professionals who can work across borders and who truly understand the cultural nuances within the landscape in which they operate. The war for talent in Africa is just beginning. Global studies and long business experience demonstrate that a company's success is directly linked to its ability to attract and retain the right skills, emphasising the need for conferences such as this where skills transfer is paramount."

Speakers

Two speakers of international repute in the field of PR, organised with the assistance of De Villiers in her strategic role as Training Chair for APRA, include Paul Holmes, President and CEO of The Holmes Group and Jeremy Galbraith, Global Chief Strategy Officer and CEO of Burson-Marsteller for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Galbraith, who will deliver the keynote address, will highlight the 10 communication trends that are shaping the way organisations engage with their audiences, says that global public relations and communication firms are expanding their footprints in Africa due to the growing demand for strategic communication across the continent coupled with the increasing focus on reputation management.

De Villiers is doing a presentation entitled "Reputation Management: Critical to Success" whilst Paul Holmes is talking about "The changing face of the media for PR" as well as moderating a panel discussion on "Ethics in PR".

Global trends in communication

"Communications practitioners in Africa will need to engage with growing tech-savvy consumers whilst being able to deliver strategic advice with measurable outcomes in a tough economic environment. This conference will allow participants to be informed of the global trends in communications and will certainly help the PR practitioners, marketers and advertisers to understand that the industry is gearing towards an integrated approach to communication," says Galbraith.

Delegates across different communication sectors and professional groupings from all over Africa will be at Le Meridien hotel in Pointe-aux-Piments for the event.