The event, which took place between Sunday, 27 and Tuesday, 29 September, 2015, at the Sandton Convention Centre, hosted over 300 delegates from 38 countries in the fields of public relations and communications.
It also hosted social responsibility and social media experts who came together to participate in key note speeches, success cases presentations and panel discussions.
Delegates who attended the event, including those who missed it, have an opportunity to purchase a video recording of the whole affair which emphasised the powerful role of public relations, while addressing the theme: 'Leadership in Communications – The Way to Trust'.
Congress chairperson
Johanna McDowell says the core aim of the congress was to get delegates thinking, and rejuvenating their outlook when it comes to public relations and communications.
“The event was an excellent opportunity for public relations practitioners from the developed world, with the challenges of technology and new media, to exchange views with industry members from the developing world, particularly Africa, where the challenge is so different. The benefits for stakeholders in PR are immense. Anyone who teaches public relations from various tertiary institutions as well as agencies that practice public relations as well as corporate public relations executives will find the recording of the conference very useful and insightful,” she says.
Discussions at the congress centred around the decline of trust towards organisations, brands, government and the media, as well as highlighting the need to raise new requirements from stakeholders around transparency and ethics.
Discussions also evaluated the road from public relations to leadership, and what it takes to be a leader for a brand or organisation.
The video recording is over 10 hours long and covers two full days’ worth of international speakers on the subjects presented, and six case study presentations. The content is suitable for academics in the public relations and communications field, as well as for corporates, government institutions, NGOs and people involved with PR, and communication and marketing agencies.