PR Pressure Conference: The PRessure Is On

Over 50 PR agencies and in-house PR departments came together to witness the first PR Pressure conference, which took place on Wednesday, 25 May 2016, at the Dusit Thani, Dubai. The event, organised by Secret PR, marks the first of an annual series of conferences that address the struggles faced by PR professionals in the Middle East. Leading up to the next conference, Secret PR will be taking proactive steps towards providing pragmatic solutions for the issues raised at the event.

One of the highlights from the conference was a series of open discussions surrounding opinions on the media and the PR industry. Inspired by a popular hashtag, #UAEPR, the event offered an open and professional approach to the shortcomings of both industries in order to encourage better practice amongst journalists and PR professionals. These sessions were headed by speakers from PR agencies and media, including Nick Rego, Senior Editor at tbreak.com, Sudeshna Ghosh, a consulting editor and freelance writer, Shereen Shabnam, Consultant Head of PR for octOpus and MTE Studios, and Louay Al-Sammarai, Joint Managing Director and Co-Founder of Active (Digital. Marketing. Communications).

Later sessions included discussions on the struggles of finding the right Arabic talent, a close look at the tools available to the PR industry, and the continuous need to develop and improve PR measurements that can adapt to an ever-evolving industry. Speakers included Dr. Ali Mohamed, founder of AL Arabic Publishing and Training Services, Mohamed Sabe, Digital Media Consultant and former of Head of Content at Yahoo! Middle East, Jill Downie, founder of Aziza Communications, Joe Akkawi, Partner at PAZ Marketing, and Maan Dalghan, PR Director at Quill Communications.

Recurring messages from the speakers highlighted:

• The PR industry's need to focus on developing creative content through carefully targeted campaigns and effective media relations
• The need for PR agencies to move away from the 'yes man' culture, educate their clients on PR, and be more assertive with them
• The need for Arabic content to become more than just a mirror to its English counterpart

In response to the conference's discussions, Secret PR will speak to universities, institutes and PR associations in the UAE to encourage them to offer courses targeted at aspiring Arabic PR professionals, as well as internship programs that help bridge the gap between PR theory and practical applications. The next conference, which is set to take place in the fourth quarter of 2016, will provide an update on what has been achieved so far, and will target a bigger pool of journalists, bloggers, influencers, in-house PR departments, and agency clients.

"While going through the feedback forms, one person said that PR Pressure could be more than just a platform for these open conversations, that it could help bring forward solutions to many of the issues that exist in the industry," says Sarah Mohamed, Founder & Director of Secret PR. "That was always the plan, and we will endeavor to do so one step at a time."