International Government Communication Forum Receives Myriad Suggestions for Upcoming Edition

An online survey launched by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC) in mid-October to identify the themes and topics of the seventh International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2018) received numerous suggestions from across the globe and achieved 2.2 million impressions on social media platforms and 2.8 million hits on Google.

Themed ‘Connect and Build the Future’, the e-survey enjoyed a huge interaction by the target audience, including media and PR professionals, organisations and corporations, government bodies and other members of the community interested in government communication.

There were 924,700 impressions on Twitter, including 11,016 tweets and retweets from media, celebrities and professionals in the economic sector from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The online campaign achieved 1,036,218 impressions on Facebook and Instagram, which saw more than 15,000 interactions between users in 20 Arab and foreign countries, while the professional networking platform LinkedIn registered 222,951 impressions from government communication and media experts as well as specialists in entrepreneurship.

Google topped the list with 2,784,370   impressions from all over the world, including South America, Northern Europe, East Asia and Australia, signalling the success of IGCF and the significant international attention it enjoys as a platform to develop government communication.

Jawaher Al Naqbi, Manager of the IGCC, said: “The implementation of this first-of-its-kind e-survey is in line with the vision of the IGCF to activate community engagement with the topics to be discussed by allowing the audience to suggest issues that touch their needs and aspirations.”

Al Naqbi underlined that the highly impressive interaction with the survey mirrors the public's desire to participate in shaping the future of government communication and be considered by decision-makers.

“The e-survey contributed to providing IGCF with a pool of ideas that serve the various development sectors and help in coping with challenges and changes,” Al Naqbi stressed.

The e-survey involved three key messages addressing the target audience: ‘Face your challenges… your challenges are the focus of our interest’, ‘Suggest what we should change… your suggestions can change the future’ and ‘Be frank… your frankness helps us better understand and reach you’.

IGCF brings together more than 2,500 industry experts, decision-makers and officials from all across the globe, government communication professionals, civil society organisations, media personnel, students and other interested parties every year.