• South Africa’s PRISA becomes Observer Member
• Semi-annual board meeting hosted by Assorel in Milan
• CMS global contract signed with DNV
• New partner benefits from Business Wire

• May – The ICCO Southeast European Summit (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
• June – PRCA National Conference (London)

• ICCO World Report shows record year for public relations
• Talent research enters final phase

• Caution in the US for second half of 2008
• PR employment outpacing advertising
• Over-servicing harmful to the business

• “Gulf PR Industry Booming” – by Jack Pearce, Chairman of the Middle East Public Relations Association, MEPRA (reprinted with permission)

#####

What’s New @ ICCO

·          ICCO news

-         ICCO SEE Summit brings international expertise to Ljubljana

-         Lou Capozzi speaks at CIPR World Conference

-         New tools help promote CMS

-         ICCO partners offer discounts to member associations and firms

·          Key events

-         September – PRGlobal conference on Reputation Management (London)

-         September / October – ICCO board meeting (location pending)

-         October – PRIA National Conference (Freemantle, Australia)

-         May 20-21, 2009 – ICCO Global Summit (Stockholm)

·          Surveys

-         Researchers expand talent survey to improve geographic reach

-         Financial benchmarking research starts this autumn

Industry Highlights

·         Marketing Communications continues to generate top revenues in the US

·         Austria’s PR business gets more competitive as it grows

·         A changing communications landscape brings new challenges to German PR firms

·         Public relations in Italy follows global growth trends

Thinkers’ Corner

·         “Public Relations and New Media” – Richard Houghton, CEO & Founder of Carrot Communications, ICCO Executive Committee member and former PRCA UK Chairman

#####

The ICCO quarterly newsletter is distributed to over 1,000 firms in 29 member countries.

ICCO is pleased to welcome South Africa as an Observer Member. The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) is an umbrella organisation for public relations professionals with a separate chapter dedicated to the interests of consultancies. This chapter, the PRCC, currently boasts over 40 member firms and includes many large networks or their exclusive affiliates in the region.

Observer membership is granted for a maximum period of two years, during which time an association can participate fully in the ICCO network and receive guidance towards becoming a Full Member.

Visit the “Consultants” section on the PRISA website (www.prisa.co.za) to learn more about the newest addition to the ICCO community.

Once again the ICCO board convened for a full day of stimulating discussion on ICCO activities and wider industry issues. This time the meetings were graciously hosted by Italy’s trade association, Assorel, and participants were treated to some fantastic Italian cuisine as well as scenic surroundings of a meeting venue right in the heart of Milan.  Board members from some 20 countries attended, including new representatives from Finland, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Many thanks on behalf of ICCO to the gracious hosts and to all who participated.