Mark your calendar for January 23 when the Marcom Super Meetup returns to Philadelphia. The third annual networking event will be open to members of several Philadelphia-area PR, marketing and advertising associations, including IABC, PRSA, Philly Ad Club, PPRA, AMA and others. Details will be coming in the next few weeks.

By Diane Streleckis - This highly charged election cycle can be particularly fraught for communication professionals. Leaders often want to share their policy perspectives or feel pressured to do so by expectant employees or stakeholders. But the risks to the company’s public perception, as well as a leader’s individually, can be high if a message goes awry.

Renew your IABC dues in October for a chance to receive complimentary registration to Alex Sevigny's AI Master Class, Part 2. You'll also receive access to Part 1.

Renew here.

The new IABC International website is live. It's colorful, easy to navigate, and loaded with professional development resources. The homepage lists IABC events from around the globe. www.iabc.com

By Diane Streleckis - The nature of politics means politicians are used to being interviewed on video. But just because they do it often doesn’t mean they’re immune from common missteps. Kerry Barrett, founder of media-training firm Kerry Barrett Consulting. and an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist, shared four anecdotes highlighting what communication professionals can look out for, whether they’re on camera or advising business leaders and colleagues.

Our August 6 masterclass on prompt writing for communication professionals drew several live attendees and 33 virtual guests. The online participants hailed from California, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Edmonton, Canada.

Greg Matusky, CEO of Gregory FCA. delivered the engaging and informative presentation from his company's office in Ardmore, PA.

IABC Philadelphia Programming Committee Chair Daniel Paulling earned his CMP certification from the Global Communication Certification Council, the only person to do so at the IABC World Conference in June. He joins Rashi Iyer, IABC Philadelphia's accreditation/certification chair, as the only active chapter members to have been certified.

IABC Philly received the 2024 chapter management award for professional development from IABC International. The award, presented at the association's recent World Conference in Chicago, "recognizes the leadership, management, creativity and teamwork of IABC chapter leaders." 

In the July/Aug issue of Philly Ad News, Rick Alcantara, president of IABC Philadelphia, discusses the organization's role in delivering professional development opportunities to communications pros.

Diane Streleckis is a writer and content strategist dedicated to using the power of words for good. Her mission is to understand what makes people tick and then share practical ideas to help support their needs and concerns. She’s applied this mission mindset across industries for more than 30 years.

By Diane Streleckis - It’s no secret that internal communications these days faces enormous challenges. In 2024, employee trust in their employers barely exceeds 50%, a drop of nine percentage points from 2023, according to the Edelman Trust Index. Employees expressed uncertainty about their leaders’ ability to provide a workplace where they can thrive or even remain employed.

By Diane Streleckis - Emails are the workhorses of marketing. Statista estimated that more than 347 billion emails were sent every day in 2022—and that number has only increased. Meanwhile, HubSpot research found that most marketers reported an average email open rate of 46-50% and average email clickthrough rate of 2.6-3%.

On May 14, Greg Matusky, CEO and Founder of Gregory FCA, delivered an engaging program on AI prompt writing.

IABC Philly board members Rick Alcantara, Rashi Iyer and Bill Seiberlich volunteered for a Gloucester County Habitat for Humanity project build on May 4. Work included painting and installing fire-related sheathing and lighting fixtures.

The Heritage, Pacific Plains and Southern regions held their Annual General Meetings (AGM) on 30 April. Delegates from all three regions voted to dissolve their respective region to become one U.S. region. This dissolution also initiates a new, emerging region for members in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Join us on May 4 for a morning of community service in support of Gloucester County Habitat for Humanity. You'll team with fellow IABC Philly members in a home project build. No carpentry, painting, plumbing, or electrical experience is required.

The following IABC Guiding Principles for the Use of Artificial Intelligence are intended to guide IABC’s members on the relevance of IABC’s Code of Ethics to generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, and similar technologies (AI). These Guiding Principles may be updated from time to time as AI technology advances and are intended to complement the IABC Code of Ethics and other IABC guidelines. 

by Katie Quackenboss – In 2024, there will be about four million students graduating from college and entering the job market, myself included. They will need direction and lots of help. The professional world has much to offer, but where do you begin?

Rick Alcantara, president of IABC Philadelphia, recently appeared on Tiffany's Community Spotlight to discuss public relations, crisis communications and association membership with host Tiffany DuBois-Morales.