CORPORATE and individual Public Relations practitioners who wish to participate in the maiden edition of aPRa award, a new project of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), have until Monday, October 31, 2011 to submit their entries.The reward system designed to encourage, inspire, and celebrate PR excellence throughout Africa is a major highlight for this year's All Africa Public Relations Conference holding in Mombasa, Kenya from November 23 to 26, 2011.At a pre-conference luncheon held last week in Abuja, APRA Secretary General, Dr. Wole Adamolekun hinted that the awards' premier edition would recognize a range of strategic PR performances. Entries, he stressed, are open to local and regional continental private and public organisations, NGOs as well as PR consultancies.'AstheworldofPublicRelationsbecomes increasingly competitive due to factors such as technology and the ever-changing dynamics, in which Public Relations operates in, the awards presents an opportunity for the participants to showcase their work to a wider network on strategic intervention that have impactonthegrowthofPublicRelations professionalism in the continent,' Adamolekun said.The award winners will be announced on November 26 during the gala night that will draw curtain on the continental gathering. The occasion will also mark the 40th anniversary of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), the host of the conference.Specifically, aPRa awards seek to promote the value of Public Relations and Communication management across Africa; celebrate PR excellence in Africa; as well as to encourage practitioners to embrace the challenges and rewards of professional practice in the continent, in addition to building strong networks for Africa PR consultancy.The organisers mentioned five reasons why practitioners should endeavor to participate in the award project. They are optimistic that no participant will regret entering for the award as they will gain recognition for their PR and communication management achievement; increase awareness of their work and gain public and peer comment; increase exposure to potential customers and clients; benchmark works and share experience with peers; and gain a mark of distinction for PR work.There are five categories on offer. They are: 2011 Africa PRConsultancy (Small,Medium,Large); AfricaPRCampaign; BestUseofTechnology; PublicRelationsSkills Development; and the Triple Bottom Line awards.The Abuja pre-conference meeting also served to sensitise APRA members in Nigeria for the forthcoming conference in Mombasa. Adamolekun seized the opportunity to underscore strategic position that Nigeria has attained within the continental PR body while soliciting cooperation and support of members in ensuring that APRA Nigeria chapter continue to grow in leap and bound. There was also a presentation by Adamolekun detailing certain milestones in the life of the association since inception in 1975 in Nairobi, Kenya with emphasis on all the conferences held including the host countries and the themes of those conferences.The theme of this year's conference is Public Relations and Communications Management in a regulated environment: The Opportunities. Curtain drew on the meeting with a briefing on preparation for Mombasa 2011 anchored by Mr. Edward Adebanjo of Publics Limited, a PR/event management outlet saddled with the responsibility of marketing the conference in Nigeria.
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