IABC Updates

Welcome to the October 2008 newsletter of the International Association of Business Communicators Wellington Chapter.

News from IABC Wellington

In recent months the news has been full of stories about the economic downturn. Topics range from the hopeful, "Resale home market on the upswing," to the pessimistic "Consumer confidence weakest since 2002".

Regardless of predictions, organisations always need to communicate values, goals and tactics. Businesses must still retain a home in the minds of their stakeholders but with fewer dollars to do it. Government agencies also need to maintain clear and accountable communication with decision-makers and the general public.

The resulting challenges are likely to be top-of-mind for many members of IABC, so taking some time out to attend the next IABC Wellington workshop could be the most valuable thing you do all year.

We are delighted to be bringing IABC's International Chair Barbara Gibson to lead the event, and help you leverage your communication skills up there with international best practice.

Barbara heads London-based independent consultancy SpokesComm, providing both strategic communication planning and media spokesperson development. Her 20-year-plus track record spans public relations, corporate communication, internal communication, public affairs, strategic planning, marketing and advertising.

Adrian Cropley, IABC International Executive and principal at Cropley Communications, Melbourne, will also lead a workshop on how to stop shouting and start being heard.

Should be a great event!

Read on for more details in this newsletter.

Also don’t forget to diary our next Be Heard events. These are proving extremely popular and a great way to network and share your experiences with other senior communications practitioners.

Best regards
Simon Pleasants
President, IABC Wellington

IABC Wellington and Massey University Research

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey being conducted by group of Massey University students as part of the inaugural IABC Wellington Post Graduate Scholarship.

The research is measuring the extent of research and measurement that communications professionals undertake within organisations and its relative effectiveness. Early in 2009, we expect to be able to make the results available to all IABC Wellington members.

The annual IABC Wellington scholarship was established to promote annual research into aspects of organisational communication.

Be Active Workshop – Wednesday 29 October 2008 - Learn from international experts

Ever wondered how they do it in London, or what’s the latest trend in communications in the United States? Here’s your opportunity to find out about international best practice, from two leading figures in IABC.

Barbara Gibson, International Chair of the IABC, and Adrian Cropley, Director on the IABC International Executive Board are holding workshops in Wellington on 29 October.

Barbara’s leading a workshop on strategic planning. Barbara is a dynamic and knowledgable presenter, with tales from the trenches having worked with leading companies worldwide for more than 20 years.

Find out more about what she's up to now and her view of the future on her IABC blog, Connecting the I's

Adrian Cropley, Principal for Cropley Communications in Melbourne, has more than two decades of communication experience in the private and public sectors. Adrian has been in roles from HR Management, Change and Organizational Development Manager to heading up corporate Internal Communications.

Adrian works with a variety of clients on change and internal communication strategies and programs. He is also an executive coach for a number of commercial and government organisations. He is a sought after facilitator, lecturer, coach and has spoken right across the globe at various, conferences and forums. He is widely published with a numbers of articles appearing in industry magazines globally.

Adrian is currently a Director on the International Executive board of IABC and has held a number of Voluntary roles.

In Wellington, Adrian will lead a workshop on cutting through the communication noise.

Click here for more details and to register

Member draw - dinner for two at Logan Brown!

IABC Wellington is celebrating - we've reached a milestone of 100 members in the last 18 months.

In recognition of this achievement, our principal sponsor Media Monitors, are offering an awesome dinner for two at the Logan Brown Restaurant valued at $200. The draw will take place at the International Best Practice Workshop on 29 October, so if you're not a member yet, join up now and be in to win an evening to remember.

Upcoming IABC Events – Be Heard

Get the most from your IABC membership

This month's Be Heard Forum — from 5.30 pm on 29 October — will also feature Barbara Gibson and Adrian Cropley. In the swanky surroundings of the Duxton Hotel, you'll be to catch up with all your comms colleagues while hearing from the international leadership how you can get maximum benefit from your membership of IABC.

This event is free for members but we need to know if you’re coming for catering purposes, so click here to register.

Final Be Heard Event for 2008

Our final event for the year will be a Be Heard Forum on Tuesday 25 November. These forums are proving popular as a way to meet people in an informal setting and share ideas. In November we’re aiming to have former IABC Gold Quill winners along to introduce the awards system that gives its winners international recognition and show how to prepare a winning entry.

Welcoming in the New Year – 27 January 2009

As we get back into the work routine after the summer break, it’s a great time to get together with colleagues for a Be Heard forum. Put this date in your diary now and keep an eye out for further details.

Be Heard Forums are free for members. Non-members are most welcome to attend at a cost of just $15, to be paid at the door.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the website for updates. If you have any suggestions or comments for professional development topics you would like covered in the future, email Professional Development Director Janice Rodenburg.

2009 Gold Quill and Student Gold Quill Awards® entries now open

It’s time to get ready for the 2009 Gold Quill Awards. The Gold Quill Awards are the mark of global distinction and represent the highest level of professional acknowledgement within business communication today.

Several New Zealand communicators have won Gold Quill over the years, including a number from IABC Wellington.

The early bird deadline for entries is 27 January 2009, with the final deadline: 3 February 2009. All IABC members will receive a hard copy of the call for entry in the mail later this month.

For more details about the Gold Quill.

2009 EXCEL Awards: Call for nominations

Is your CEO, managing director or president a top communicator?

If yes, he/she should be nominated for this top award.

The IABC EXCEL (Excellence in Communication Leadership) Award recognises contributions to business communication by an organisational leader, who is not a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

These contributions include initiating, directing, supporting or sustaining outstanding and effective communication programs. The award recipient will accept the award and give a keynote address at the IABC World Conference in San Francisco on 8 June 2009.

In 2008, IABC honored J.W. Marriott, Jr. with this prestigious award at its International Conference. View his acceptance and keynote presentation in the Member Centre.

Nominations must be received by 9 January 2009.

Visit the EXCEL Award site for further information or to obtain a nomination form.

There are also resources available from the IABC Wellington Library to help you in your application, visit our Library pages on the website.

More for your membership! Library service for members

The IABC Wellington board has invested in a collection of resources which are now available to members. The collection includes:

• Media Minefield: A Journalists’ Guide to Media Regulation in New Zealand, Steven Price (New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, Wellington)
• Essentials of Employee Communication: Building Relationships That Create Business Success, Tamara Gillis, ABC, EdD, and John Finney
• Vital Connections: Building Relationships with Key Stakeholders, Steve Freeman and Linda Mastaglio
• The Communication Plan - Second Edition, Lester R. Potter
• Planning Powerful Publications - Creating publications that boost your organization’s bottom line, Ann Wylie
• Crisis Management and Communication: How to gain and maintain control, Dan P Millar and Larry L Smith
• Communication in the 21st Century Workplace: The challenges, the needs and the answers, Roger D’Aprix
• Measuring Organisational Trust: a diagnostic survey and international indicator, Pamela Shockley-Zalabak, Kathleen Ellis and Ruggero Cesaria.
• Communication Research Primer: measuring and evaluating organisational communication, Joey Reagan
• Unleashing the power of PR: a contrarian’s guide to marketing and communication, Mark Weiner

There is no charge for accessing and borrowing items but you must be a current IABC Wellington member and have registered with the library. Books and reports can be borrowed for a maximum of three weeks. Lost or damaged items will incur a replacement charge.

For a full list of resources and how to borrow them, visit the Library section of the IABC Wellington website.

Want to get involved with IABC Wellington?

If you are passionate about communications, we are looking for volunteers to review the books and manuals in our resource collection and provide written reviews for our website. You may also be interested in making recommendations for future purchases. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact our Communications Director Anna Kominik.

And we are still keen to welcome new volunteers to the IABC Wellington Board and sub-committees. Having good people involved in IABC not only makes our organisation stronger, but also provides unique opportunities for individual, professional and leadership growth.

If you are interested or would like more information about how you can become more involved in our chapter, please don’t hesitate to contact IABC Wellington President, Simon Pleasants on 021 772 302.

On the IABC Wellington website

Our website has more stories and member profiles. Check back regularly for updates or subscribe to our RSS feed. And if you have any feedback or ideas about what you’d like to see included on the website, please email Shona Brown.

IABC international calendar of events

October is Accreditation Month

Accreditation month begins this month. Submit your accreditation application and fee any time during the promotional event of 1 October–15 November and enter to win one of the following prizes:

• Regular Conference registration to IABC World Conference in San Francisco, 7–10 June 2009 (valued at US$895)
• One-year IABC membership
• IABC Knowledge Centre Resource
• HP Photosmart C7280 All-in-One Printer/Fax/Scanner/Copier
• Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere® Elements 4.

In addition, those who apply or refer an applicant during this promotional event will receive a US$20 gift certificate to the IABC Knowledge Centre.

For more details on accreditation month