Take the Leap…from Good to Great! 2012 Forum is back and it’s happening on February 29, 2012 at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

We’ve gathered the best and brightest PR and media relations professionals in English and French to present you a stellar event! You will learn best practices from communicators at these top organizations:

• New Democratic Party (NDP) ; Brad Lavigne
• Canadian Olympic Committee ; Dimitri Soudas
• Canada Post ; Anick Losier
• McDonald’s Canada ; Jason Patuano
• NATIONAL Public Relations ; Bruno Guglielminetti

Join us and our Master of Ceremony, Christina Lawand, for this intensive one-day event, the #PRMixer after party, and, of course, a great networking and professional development experience! You’ll walk away with the tools you need to put your organization ahead of the competition.

Registration is now open at taketheleap2012.ca. Hurry up while seats are still available!

[Notice from CPRS Ottawa-Gatineau]

When:   Thursday December 15th 2011, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Where: The Grand Pizzeria & Bar, 74 George Street, Byward Market
Cost:    FREE!

It’s Holiday time!! Can you believe 2011 is almost over?? What a year it has been, time to kick up our heels and have a few laughs at this year’s CPRS Ottawa-Gatineau Holiday Social!

The Canadian Public Relations Society’s Ottawa/Gatineau holiday social will be held on Thursday December 15th at The Grand Pizzeria & Bar, in the Byward Market.

As part of our on-going community involvement, the chapter has extended a special invitation to our friends at the Ottawa Food Bank. We strongly encourage all of you to bring non-perishable food items to donate for people in need during the holiday season.

For a second social in a row, we are happy to host Public Relations Without Borders and it’s volunteers, who are raising awareness about their international aid missions. Cash donations are appreciated to help this most important cause!

Wait there’s more! We will also be making special announcements in regards to our day-long conference, slated for Wednesday February 29th 2012. 

Of course, DELICIOUS finger food will be distributed.

This is a FREE event. Add it to your agenda, bring a friend and your smile and help us make this Holiday Social the best one ever! We also extend a warm welcome to student members to come out and network with seasoned communications professionals. Not yet a student member? Check out the benefits on our website!

Sign up now via EventBrite at http://cprsholidaysocial2011.eventbrite.com/

Hope to see you there!

CPRS Ottawa/Gatineau would like to thank its generous sponsors:

• CNW Group
• .CA, Canadian Internet Registration Authority
• Thornley Fallis Group
• News Canada
• Marketwire
• Frischkorn Audiovisual
• Jana Chytilova Photography

[Ford is a client of Thornley Fallis]

When Ford of Canada’s Vice-President of Sales, Scott Cauvel, was in Ottawa in late September to speak at OCRI’s ExecTALKS event, Thornley Fallis Account Coordinator Samantha Hartley (@msshartley) arranged an interview between him and CTVs Kate Eggins, which led to this great report on the health technologies for drivers that Ford is putting in its vehicles.

Here’s a good opportunity for Ottawa PR and communications student to learn what it is like to work in an agency and how best to go about getting a job with one….

Joint Agency Information Session – Thornley Fallis and Hill & Knowlton

When? Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Where? Thornley Fallis, 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 730 (session one)
Where? Hill & Knowlton, 55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1100 (session two)
CPRS student member cost? Free
Student non-member cost? $20

About the Presentation
Are you interested in an intern position with a PR agency? Would you like to know what it’s like to be part of an agency team? Perhaps you’re curious to learn how your PR/communications program is preparing you for agency work? Then this joint information session is designed for you!

Thornley Fallis Communications helps organizations solve business problems using leading-edge communications tools and practices. Hill & Knowlton Ottawa is the nation capital’s leading full-service strategic public affairs, communications and government procurement consultancy. Join us as seasoned professionals and recent graduates employed at both organizations discuss the thrills of working at two of Ottawa’s trailblazing agencies!

Registration
The event is free for CPRS student members. The non-student member fee is $20 (via credit card) for this event. There are 40 spots available on a first-come basis. Please register by Tuesday, November 15, at the following EventBrite link: http://cprsnovember2011student.eventbrite.com/

Visit http://www.cprsottawa.ca/index.php/students-en/ for more information on the benefits of CPRS Ottawa/Gatineau student membership.

IABC Ottawa’s Holiday Mixer is on Thursday, December 1^st. I will be there!

Here are the details….

A Merry Mix & Mingle

The holiday season is fast-approaching, which means it’s time for IABC Ottawa’s annual holiday mixer!

Please join your fellow communicators on Dec. 1st for an evening of festive cheer and networking in the nation’s capital. Make new connections, catch up with friends and colleagues you haven’t seen in a while, and spread good tidings while enjoying the Empire Grill’s chic atmosphere and extensive assortment of food and refreshments. Start getting into the holiday spirit now by inviting your friends and contacts to come learn about the volunteer and professional development opportunities available through your IABC Ottawa chapter.

We hope you can join us for some delicious food and refreshments as we kick off the holiday season!

Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Empire Grill, 47 Clarence Street, Byward Market
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

REGISTER HERE

Several members of the Thornley Fallis & 76design team will be participating in the 2011 Army Run on the morning of Sunday, September 18^th.

We will be running on our client’s team, the Textron TAPV Team.

Here are pics of the team shirts that we designed and will be wearing.

Thornley Fallis Communications is pleased to announce that Sherrilynne Starkie has joined our team as an Account Director in our Ottawa office.

From 2006 to 2011, Sherrilynne was the owner and manager of Strive Public Relations, a boutique communications services company in the UK offering specialist services in corporate reputation management, digital public relations and social media engagement. During this time Sherrilynne was also the technology columnist for the Isle of Man Examiner, was named in the top three of the UK PR Weeks’ Power Players of Social Media Index and was No.1 on ZDnet UK Tech PR list.

From 2000 to 2003 she was Chief Operation Officer for Ignition Strategic Communications, a Washington DC-based PR agency (now part of The Chandler Chicco Agency) serving technology and start-up firms across the nation.

From 1994 to 1999, Sherrilynne held a variety of roles with UK-based public relations agencies including The Reputation Managers (then a PR Week Top 10 Agency) and with AIMM Limited (now part of The Sequel Group). 

For almost 20 years, Sherrilynne has been advising blue-chip organisations on both sides of the pond…covering Britain, Canada and the United States. She brings to Thornley Fallis a wide breadth of international experience in strategic communications, media relations, social media strategy, and in employee and stakeholder engagement. Her track record for success covers such industries as Internet, IT, financial services, postal services and  travel and tourism.

An Ottawa native, Sherrilynne graduated from Algonquin College Public Relations Program. You can connect with Sherrilyne online: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Thornley Fallis Communications is pleased to announce that Darren Cunningham has joined our team as a Vice-President in our Ottawa office.

From 2008 to 2011, Darren served as Director of Communications then Chief of Staff to Industry Minister Tony Clement.  

During the period 2006 to 2008, he was Chief of Staff to Minister of National Revenue Gordon O’Connor, Director of Issues Management and Parliamentary Affairs to Industry Minister Maxime Bernier, and Senior Media Advance for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

From 2003 to 2006, Darren held a variety of roles with the Conservative Party of Canada, including Manager of Media Relations, Director of Public Communications and Director of Operations.

Darren brings an exceptional track record in strategic communications, media relations, crisis and issue management to the Thornley Fallis team. As a determined brand and reputation manager, Darren has implemented creative media strategies, ethnic outreach programs, and social media strategies to ensure Canadians better understand their government.  He has also helped define what accountable and transparent government means while handling some of the government’s most controversial, including the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler — recognized as the 2009 business story of the year by the Canadian Press.

Originally from Calgary, Darren graduated from the University of Regina, before starting his career in the financial services sector, first with TD then with Fidelity Investments.

Join us on Wednesday, May 25th for the chapter’s last professional development event of the 2010/2011 season!

When
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 from 11:30am to 1:30pm (a light lunch will be served)

Where
Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, 150 Albert Street, O’Connor Room

Cost
CPRS & IABC Members $45
CPRS Student Members $35
Non-Members $60

Spaces are limited, please register by Friday May 20th on the EventBrite website at http://cprsottawagatmay2011.eventbrite.com/. Prepayment by credit card is required to reserve you seat for the event. We accept Visa and MasterCard

About the Presentation
In recent years, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in the public relations and communications industry. The inevitable integration of web 2.0, followed by the greater demand for creative multimedia assets, has brought industry professionals to develop new skill sets and reinforce old ones. Today, we attempt to evaluate the current state of the PR industry, in the hopes to draw new parallels that will lead the National Capital Region’s professionals with a fresh perspective for years to come.

The session will feature brief presentations from our three panel members, before they address three key questions:

1. What is the state of the profession in terms of its image and how well it is understood or misunderstood?

2. How did we get here? What is it about the work we do and the way we work that leads to the kind of understanding and image we have?

3. How do we fix it? If we agree that PR should be better understood and more valued, how can we achieve that?

The panel will then open the floor for questions.

Featuring panel members:


Bernard Gauthier, MA
Delta Media Inc.
Bernard Gauthier is CEO of Delta Media, where he offers PR counsel, planning, implementation and training to clients in government, the association sector and the private sector. A veteran of 25 years in PR, he also worked for a government agency, insurance companies and a community college. Bernard teaches courses in PR and advertising at Carleton University, where is currently completing his PhD in Communication. He is also a frequent commentator on PR, image and advertising, appearing in many of the country’s leading news media outlets.



Josh Greenberg, PhD
Carleton School of Journalism and Communication
Josh Greenberg is Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University. His research has explored case studies in nonprofit public relations, crisis and issues management in the global footwear-apparel and food industries, the use of social media in election campaigns, and the role of PR in the global climate change debate. His next project will explore the occupational rhetoric and professional culture of public relations. Outside of his research and teaching, Josh works in a consultancy capacity advising organizations in the government, nonprofit and corporate sectors on campaign strategy and evaluation.



Scott Hannant
Hannant Media Solutions Inc.
Scott Hannant’s career has taken him from teaching English in revolutionary Iran to running CTV News in Ottawa. Last year, he retired from the rigors of managing one of Canada’s most successful newsrooms to set up Hannant Media Solutions Inc. He now consults on media and communications. Scott also teaches at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University. As an active volunteer, Scott sits on the boards of the United Way Ottawa, the Ottawa Public Library Foundation, the Youth Services Bureau Foundation, The Vanier Institute of the Family, Peace Camp Ottawa and the Algonquin College Broadcast Advisory. During the summer you can often find him on his bicycle trying to work off the effects of his other hobby… cooking.

CPRS Ottawa/Gatineau would like to thank its generous sponsors:

CNW Group
Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Thornley Fallis & 76Design
News Canada
Duocom Canada Inc.
Jana Chytilova Photography

NEWS RELEASE
“Capturing the Arab Awakening” Al Jazeera’s Tony Burman

Canadian journalist Tony Burman will describe the challenges facing media outlets, including his own Al-Jazeera English (AJE) network, in capturing the revolutionary events of the “Arab Awakening” at the 13th annual Canadian World Press Freedom Awards luncheon in Ottawa, May 3, World Press Freedom Day.

Mr. Burman is now based in Washington as the head of strategy for the Americas for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera’s television network. Burman says that many TV sets in the White House, State Department, and the Pentagon were fixated on AJE’s coverage of the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere – receiving widespread praise in U.S. media circles. The former editor-in-chief of CBC News guided AJE’s growth in North America, including its launch on every major cable and satellite platform in Canada, with the worldwide audience reaching 220 million households.

At its luncheon May 3, hosted by broadcaster Don Newman, the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom (CCWPF) will present the 13th annual Press Freedom Award to a Canadian journalist who has suffered or advanced the cause of freedom of expression. The 11th annual International Editorial Cartoon Competition will also reward international cartoonists for submissions on the theme, “Wikileaks and its creators: villains or heroes?” Winning cartoons will be displayed.

The Press Freedom Award includes a cash prize of $2,000 and a certificate of honour from the CCWPF and the Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The International Editorial Cartoon Competition comprises awards of $1,500, $750 and $500.

Mr. Burman will present examples of stellar television reporting of the “Arab Awakening” and discuss the challenges to free expression in the region and to diversity of viewpoints in North America.

This year’s Awards come as violations of freedom of expression continue with 87 journalists killed in 2010. There are also new and ominous trends in the threat to free speech: last year more than 50 journalists were kidnapped for ransom or political propaganda, more than 500 were arrested, and more than 1,300 were attacked or threatened.

Tickets are available at: www.ccwpf-cclpm.ca, 613-233-1699 X 6229

Further information: Gord McIntosh, gord@110percent.ca; or Bob Carty, rcarty@sympatico.ca