Members of Nebraska PRSA are invited to join students and learn more about such topics as digital media, branding and event planning  at “Big Biz in the Big O,” Regional Conference April 12-14,  at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Hosted by MaverickPR, the UNO Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter, the conference also features sessions on agency PR, entrepreneurial PR and corporate social responsibility

The chapter has invited more than 100 students from universities in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and South Dakota. All events are held at Mammel Hall in the College of Business Administration on the south campus.

The conference opens Friday, April 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. with a “Viva la Omaha” social and presentation by Phil Gomes, senior vice president of Edelman Digital in Chicago,

Sessions begin on Saturday, April 13, at 9:30 a.m. One session features a panel of agency professionals from Swanson Russell, Bozell, Bailey Lauerman and Emspace Group.  Another session features branding presented by representatives from ConAgra Foods and Kiewit Corp. The event planning session includes presenters from the Omaha Sports Commission and Omaha Fashion Week.

The conference closes on Sunday, April 14, at 9:30 a.m. with portfolio do’s and don’ts, and a keynote speech on leadership by Dr. Tim McMahon, president of McMahon Marketing and a Creighton University associate professor, who teaches leadership, marketing and social media in the College of Business.

“Our team chose the theme, ‘Big Biz in the Big O’ because of Omaha’s wealth of public relations and communications professionals from major agencies and Fortune 500 companies,” said Karen Weber, UNO PRSSA faculty adviser. “Students and professionals can learn best practices from each other during the interactive sessions and through numerous networking opportunities at this conference.”

The cost to attend the three-day conference is only $35 for PRSA Nebraska members until the day of the conference. The registration fee includes the Friday night reception, continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and a box lunch on Saturday.

To register, visit www.unoprssarc.com or the UNO PRSSA regional conference page on Facebook. Checks should be mailed in care of Karen Weber, UNO PRSSA Faculty Adviser, Arts & Sciences Hall, Room 140, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0112

MaverickPR, the University of Nebraska at Omaha chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA), offers students interested in public relations opportunities in professional development and community and university service. One of the most active student organizations on campus, UNO PRSSA earned the F. H. Teahan National PRSSA Award for Outstanding Chapter in 2012 and 2009 and Outstanding University Service in 2010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                      Contact:  Keith Trivitt
PRSA
(212) 460-1495
keith.trivitt@prsa.org

 PRSA Urges U.S. Senate to Avoid Restricting Government Use of Public Relations Firms

NEW YORK (March 15, 2012) — In an op-ed published today in Roll Call, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) urges Senator Claire McCaskill (D–Mo.) and Senator Rob Portman (R–Ohio) to avoid actions that might diminish or severely restrict the United States government’s use of approved public relations and public affairs contractors. The Senators are leading an investigation of the federal government’s use of public relations and advertising contracts.

“We believe that all stakeholders in society — including governments themselves — must participate in vigorously communicating their goals, programs, objectives, and knowledge to the public at large,” PRSA Chair and CEO Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA, writes in Roll Call. “Whether educating the public about government services, providing information on public health and safety, explaining the tax code, attracting businesses to an economic enterprise zone, or any of dozens of other areas, governments have a clear role in communicating effectively and efficiently to the public.”

To accompany the published opinion piece, PRSA sent letters this week to Sens. McCaskill and Portman expressing its concerns with the investigation. Corbett states in those letters and the Roll Call op-ed that PRSA’s primary concern with the investigation is that “the Subcommittee is disregarding public relations’ central value to government: its ability to engender a more informed society through ethical, transparent and honest communications between the Government and its citizens, and its role as an economic contributor to the economy of today and tomorrow.”

Corbett asks Sens. McCaskill and Portman to thoroughly consider the substantial public interest served by public relations and public affairs on behalf of the federal government, and to use discretion when attempting to characterize the federal government’s use of those services and related firms.

Corbett also says that “any investigation into the Government’s use of PR firms should not be undertaken unilaterally. It must be met by an equally robust examination of how the Government communicates with the public and how it can better utilize the many innovative PR firms and professionals throughout the U.S. to best reach and inform citizens.”

Sen. McCaskill chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, and Sen. Portman serves as its ranking member. It is one of five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Full text of PRSA’s letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight is available for download.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 16 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.

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By William M. Murray, CAE in PR Tactics

June 13, 2011

In March, I explained that the PRSA Board of Directors had engaged a Business Model Task Force to evaluate our 2011 financial forecast and budget, and prepare recommendations for ways that PRSA can balance its budget and meet its financial goals in future years.

Let’s quickly review why the Board took this step. In 2010, PRSA realized a net surplus from operations of $73,000 by tightly controlling expenses. We were fortunate that our financial investments added $197,000 to our income, helping us meet our ultimate goal of contributing 1 percent of  budgeted expenses to our financial reserves (and then some).

While we anticipate that PRSA will meet its stated net financial goals for 2011, those goals do not include the 1 percent contribution to our financial reserves. It’s the first time that any of us can recall operating with lowered expectations in this regard.

Having sharply cut expenses and tapped nearly all feasible sources of new revenue — while keeping the price of membership at 2002 levels — PRSA leaders asked the Business Model Task Force to review our financial position from a fresh, independent perspective.

To better understand the nuances of PRSA’s business model, the Task Force looked at historical data, including: financial and membership trends from 2002 through 2010; comparative data from other industry associations, such as IABC and Arthur Page; nonmember behavior; sponsorship trends; the evolution of PRSA’s product and service offerings, and the financial approaches taken by organizations of a comparable size.

The Task Force also analyzed the market factors likely to impact PRSA in 2011 and beyond, including continued pressure to diversify revenue resources; a continued increase in the cost of doing business; increased competition for lucrative programming categories and greater demand for relevant member benefits.

After reviewing and discussing the relevant information, the Business Model Task Force issued a summary report recommending that the PRSA Board of  Directors advance a motion to increase annual dues by $25 to $50 (11 percent to 22 percent) for the regular member category.* The Task Force also suggested that the Board consider new purchase options, such as bundling products and services that would increase the PRSA membership value proposition.

Finally, to help relieve the Society’s ongoing challenge of reconciling stagnant revenues with rising costs, the Task Force asked the Board to consider a policy that would allow for automatic annual increases, tied to an independent inflationary index.

Next steps

It’s now up to the Board of  Directors to accept or decline the Task Force’s recommendations, or to propose a different course of action.

The Task Force counseled the Board — in the event that it decides to move forward with the Task Force’s recommendations — to provide sufficient notice to PRSA members, highlight the rationale for the increase and give members an opportunity to provide meaningful feedback.

So why not engage our members now through this forum and elsewhere and get the conversation started?  The rationale for a dues increase is simply this:

• PRSA has not increased the cost of its membership dues in 10 years, even though the cost of doing business has risen sharply over that time.
• PRSA has increased the scope and number of benefits it delivers and taken other steps to increase member value, satisfaction and renewal during that same 10-year span.
• PRSA has also been diligent about finding new ways to diversify its non-member revenue sources, and has cut $1.5 million in operating expenses from its budget.
• PRSA needs a new approach to ensure our future financial health.

I’m eager to begin this important dialogue, and I encourage you to send me your thoughts.

*UPDATE: June 14, 2011, 9:30 a.m.: In reviewing the Task Force’s findings, the Board of Directors felt that an increase on the lower end of the recommended increase range would help mitigate the economic impact, while still allowing PRSA to achieve its financial goals in 2012 and possibly beyond. For this reason, the Board voted in May to move forward with proposing a $30 increase.

Special offer! Invest in your career with a PRSA membership in May and receive a $25 Visa gift card, our gift to you!* Join a community of more than 21,000 communications professionals, and you will:

With PRSA National membership, you will:

• Stay on top of emerging public relations trends and industry news.
• Find answers to your most pressing public relations questions.
• Meet others, engage with experts, and receive professional support.
• Benefit from members-only offers, including discounts on professional development seminars, conferences and events.
• Have opportunities to participate in leadership and awards programs.
• Be part of a vibrant community of more than 22,000 public relations professionals.
• Accelerate your career – at any level.

With PRSA Local Chapter membership, you will:

• Become a visibly engaged member of your local public relations community, while expanding your circle of colleagues and contacts.
• Attend local seminars, meetings, luncheons, receptions and programs.
• Earn recognition through industry awards.
• Step into a leadership roles and advocate for the public relations profession.
• Learn about business development and job opportunities in your local community.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of a PRSA Nebraska Membership, please contact PRSA Nebraska Membership Chair – Tracie McPherson.

National membership dues are $225 annually plus a $65 initiation fee. Mention promotion code MAY11 on your application to take advantage of this special offer. While this offer is not valid for Associate Members, special pricing is available for Associate Members and Graduate Students. Don’t forget to check out our list of Professional Interest Sections and Chapters as well. Questions? Send an email to Member Services or call (212) 460-1400. Join Online Now or mail/fax the application and gain access to career-boosting tools, resources and expertise. PRSA is a community you can count on at any level of your career.

*Certain restrictions may apply. Offer does not apply to Associate Members. Offer not valid in combination with any other promotion.