Highlights from the 2010 Canadian Public Relations Conference in Regina

Over 250 public relations and communications professionals from across Canada gathered together to learn, mingle and celebrate.

TORONTO, June 28 /CNW/ - The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) hosted the three-day Canadian Public Relations Conference in Regina from June 13-15. The conference, titled State of the Art, featured the CPRS' annual general meeting, provided 26 professional development sessions and concluded with the Awards of Excellence gala and dinner.

"The conference is an opportunity for public relations professionals to share their unique experiences and expertise for the betterment of the profession in Canada," said Karen Dalton APR, Executive Director, CPRS. "Thank you to the conference committee, the National staff and our volunteers whose dedication and commitment made this year's successful conference possible."

This year's remarkable keynote speakers included: Peter Mansbridge, Anchor of CBC's The National, who captivated the audience with a compelling discussion about "What is a Canadian?"; Richard Bartrem, Vice-President of Communications and Community Relations at WestJet, who shared unique stories that helped make the airline stand apart from its competition and Jon Iwata, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Communications at IBM, who stressed the importance of reputation and brand.

Other keynote speakers were The Honourable Lynda Haverstock, C.M., S.O.M., Ph.D., LL.D, President and CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan; Sheila Bird, Executive Director of Public Affairs for the RCMP; Jillian de Beer, Owner of de Beer Marketing and Communications; Bert Crowfoot, Founder and CEO of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA); Sarah K. Jones APR, FCPRS, Partner at Kennedy Jones and Sweeney, Inc.; Patricia Parsons APR, FCPRS, Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University; Murray Mandryk, Political Columnist at the Regina Leader-Post and Blair Peberdy APR, Vice-President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at Toronto Hydro. Their sessions covered a variety of topics from corporate branding to social media to ethics and transparency.

Each year, CPRS hosts a national conference opened to public relations and communications professionals from all levels. Last year, the conference was in Vancouver. Next year, the Canadian Public Relations Conference will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick from June 5-7, 2011 at the Hilton Hotel.

This year's generous sponsors include CNW Group, Marketwire, Farm Credit Canada, The Canadian Press Images, NATIONAL, City of Regina, SaskEnergy, Partnership Group, McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Business, Bravo Tango, Frischkorn Audiovisual, Gilles Bureau, SGI, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan, SaskPower, University of Regina, Marketing, SaskTel, Prairie Advertising and Savaria Public Relations Inc.

About CPRS

Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit organization whose members are engaged in the practice, management or teaching of public relations and communications. Members work to maintain the highest standards and share a uniquely Canadian experience in public relations. CPRS is a federation of over 1,800 members across 16 Member Societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. For more information, visit our website: www.cprs.ca.

For further information: MEDIA CONTACT, Karen Dalton APR, Executive Director, 416-239-7034, [email protected]