Fashion Public Relations: Re-living Women in PR Ghana Seminar 2017

Speakers and Panelists -Women in PR Seminar 2017

On the eve of 1^st July, 2017, I felt a deep joy in my heart, not just because we have been able to pull off an event for the first time but to see something that has been on my mind for many years come to pass.

Right from this day in 2015 when I blogged this first post featuring Millicent Baku, PR at WAEC, the event idea started. Few years down the line, Women in PR Ghana Seminar officially launched.

It started sometime in 2012 when I joined a Facebook closed group page called Women in PR created by Ange Collins where she spear heads a Women in PR Summit as well as followed her blog and social media pages. I became a fan of all those activities and wanted so badly to see same happening here in Ghana.As they said, there is no original idea on this earth, the idea to have a women in public relations event was born out similar thing being done in US and Canada.

I had always wondered and wandered; why wasn’t such events or organizations in Ghana. Five years down the line, this has become a reality. Then I knew it was close to impossible to organize it because I was a recent graduate, I barely knew anyone in the PR industry talk less of holding a women in PR Seminar.

On Saturday 1^st July 2017, with the support of a great team and friends and people I call angels, we were able to pull off the maiden edition. In as much as I had very high expectations in terms of attendance because it was a niche event and companies were going to embrace it, it was a hard knack to crack.

It was the first time so yes, doors slammed at us, people said No, heard the “I am Sorry words”, people changed their minds, people turned their backs, and the last nightmare was knowing one of leading speakers wouldn’t show up.

With a first event of close of 80 attendees, we could only be grateful. We had the likes of the President of IPR Ghana Madam Elaine Sam, Dr. Koryoe Anim-Wright President of African University College of Communications, Gifty Bingley Head of Corporate Affairs, Tigo Ghana and Cynthia E. Ofori-Dwumfuo (PR Business Leader, Ogilvy & Mather Ghana) all as speakers.

And had a panel discussion moderated by Akosua Ogyiri Kwafo (Communications Professional, Stratcomm Africa) will have panelists to include Joyce Ahiadorme (Sustainability and Community Affairs Manager, Voltic Ghana), Paulina Kuranchie (Head of PR Department, Ghana Institute of Journalism), Afia Drah (Head of Public Relations, Trust Hospital) and Fati Shaibu (News Editor, e.TV Ghana).

I am confident of how far this event will go to affect the practice of Public Relations in Ghana, build a great community of professionals and serve as a resource platform for many of us.

I know I have made my appreciation post on Facebook already but I will still want to thank everyone who believed in this idea and has not stopped supporting us to keep the flame alive.

We are already thinking about the next edition. Feel free to share your ideas on how we can improve and become better.

See you at the 2018 edition.

Cheers