Book your seat for the 2004 PRISA PRISM Awards

The organisers are thrilled at the response to this year's competition, with the number of entries having doubled from 2003's figure.

Now in their eighth year, the PRISMs aim to acknowledge success stories, and to give recognition to excellence in public relations and communication management. They also aspire to set and raise the bar for the local industry.

Submissions from entrants are in the process of being judged by a panel that boasts outstanding credentials and years of experience, and to top it off, some of the industry's strongest opponents will have their say this time around, adding notably to the credibility and distinction of the awards.

Professor Ronél Rensburg, who has led the Department of Marketing and Communication Management at the University of Pretoria since 2000, will share the panel with public relations and marketing experts such as the director of the Marketing Federation of South Africa, Andrew Fasedemi, who is chief executive of the Wisdom Keys Group, a marketing, communications and organisational strategy concern. They will work with Anthea Johnston, a fellow and past president of PRISA and a member of the PRISA Council; Victor Bongi Sibeko, the senior manager of corporate development at the Transnet Pension Fund Administrators, and Mixael de Kock, chief executive of The Maverick Group.

Nonhlanhla Koza, the vice-president of marketing for South African Airways; Zeona Motshabi, the managing director of Lobedu Leo Burnett; Pat Nyathi, who runs Global Interface Consultancy, and Ncedisa Gcobo, the Director of Marketing, Advertising and Distribution at the Government Communication and Information Services, will also be examining the piles of entries received.

Consultancies, individual practitioners, corporate, and government in-house departments had a choice of 23 categories to enter, which together encompass the diverse disciplines of this multi-faceted industry.

If you would like to attend the PRISM Awards ceremony, book your seat with Susan Richardson of PRISA at Tel: +27 +11 326 1259.