Outgoing IABC President reflects on the year that was
Outgoing IABC Wellington President, Simon Pleasants, reported on the Chapter’s activities and achievements of the past 12 months to attendees at the 2009 Annual General Meeting on 26 February. The President’s speech follows.
Providing professional development opportunities for our members and other business communicators is what IABC Wellington is all about.
Over the year, we offered a range of events including workshops, international speakers and networking events. I will talk more about our professional development programme shortly.
Membership - 65% increase
We also increased our membership by 65%, rising from 65 members in February 2008 to 107 members in February 2009, a gain of 42. The chapter ranks number No.1 in Asia Pacific for growth, beating India (just like our cricketers did last night) and Australia (always a good thing), and in the top ten in the world.
It’s great to see the local interest in IABC, particularly from our corporate members – Ideas Shop, the Department of Internal Affairs, Department of Labour, and Ministry of Social Development. An active and expanding membership makes for vibrant, engaging chapter events and more valuable networking opportunities.
Member survey - your feedback is important!
The member survey at the start of 2008 helped us design the programme for the year. We have a repeat of it going on now – it’s worth visiting the site to have your say about the year ahead.
Also, as promised by Lucy at the last AGM, we asked for feedback on every workshop, seeking guidance on the way forward.
Overwhelmingly, you want your professional development sessions to deliver valuable advice, new information and practical knowledge that you haven’t heard before, and that you can apply back at the office the next day. Sessions need to be relevant to New Zealand, get to the guts of the issues, and provide plenty of scope for interaction. You’re a demanding lot.
Professional development
Did we deliver? I reckon we did. For the 2008 Professional Development Programme, we introduced a new kind of event, the Be Heard Forum.
At these less formal events held every other month, we set and lead a discussion and provide a chance for informal networking. They have proved popular, with up to two dozen members attending regularly. Be Heard Forums were held in April, June, August, November and January. Thanks to our sponsors Powerhouse People for providing the venue and food for these events.
We also aimed to hold a ‘Be Active’ workshop every second month, with slight variations to allow us to fit in with international speakers.
- In May our topic was crisis management. We experimented with an online seminar from IABC international – a mode of presentation that needs finessing before we do it again. Our local speakers at the same event were much better received – the Ministry of Social Development team that led the response to the CYFSwatch website.
- In July we held a workshop on ethical and legal issues, with presentations and timely expert practical advice on the Electoral Finance Act, ethics, and media law.
- September’s workshop on internal communications measurement was led by our own specialists Anna Kominik and Paul Rayner. Again, members welcomed the practical aspects that they could take away and use in their own professional life.
- In late October we held an international best practice session with IABC International President Barbara Gibson from London and international executive member Adrian Cropley from Melbourne.
Some of our speakers rated highly for delivering that crucial practical advice that our members can apply in their work, while others need to be better briefed in advance.
Financial success
Soon you will hear the financial details from Shona. IABC Wellington has built upon the financial success of the 2007 board by pricing events that produced positive returns, while delivering great value for members. We’ve been able to deliver lower priced events and added more services for members, including:
- online event registration, discussion facilities, polls and other cool stuff on the website;
- the free Be Heard sessions
- a rapidly expanding library of professional development resources (kindly managed by DIA’s knowledge management staff). IABC has a robust Research Foundation that sponsors numerous publications and studies. Many of these titles can cost the Earth, so we’ve started buying them for you and as a member, you can borrow these great resources for free.
Research and measurement
There’s also Massey University’s research into internal communications measurement. Without pre-empting Kate and Bruce’s report, I will say measurement is hugely important for the communications professional.
Last weekend I was privileged to be in Melbourne on the panel judging the first stage of IABC’s Gold Quill Awards. If there was one element that prevented a good entry from progressing to the Blue Ribbon panel, it was straight, gutsy talk about measurement.
Avoiding measurement may seem like a safe option, but it encourages the mediocre by preventing proper assessment of success. I’m proud to say some of the NZ entries got through this stringent test, and thoroughly deserved to. Fingers crossed for the final judging.
The 2008 Board
Almost finally, let me thank the members of the Board who have produced a great programme of events for members in 2008. The Chapter’s progress is a direct result of their dedication to the professional development of Capital communicators. For their tireless work over the past year, I thank:
- Lucy Sanderson-Gammon, Immediate Past President and Senior Delegate, for her always thoughtful contributions and encyclopaedic knowledge of all things IABC
- Shona Brown, Vice President, Treasurer, and Online Communications, for her faultless efficiency with the chapter finances and online comms
- Anna Kominik, Communications Director, for her perspicacious skill with words, creative energy, and cool ideas
- Michael Mead, Membership Director, for handling with aplomb a phenomenal increase in membership – one of the fastest in IABC history
- Paul Rayner, Research and Development Director, for his wisdom and no-nonsense comment
- Luke Thoms, Administration Director, for his uncanny timeliness and making me look good
- And particularly Janice Rodenburg, Professional Development Director, for her superhuman efforts producing 2008’s superb Professional Development series.
Our sponsors
Major contributions have also come over the last two years from our sponsors:
- Powerhouse People – Dave Hollander, Lindsay Jackson and Annabel McCallum have been understanding and interested hosts and kindly provided sustenance for our Be Heard gatherings in their boardroom
- Breathe Communications and their Parent company Modica. (Phil Whitehead) Built and now maintain our website and enable our regular high-tech newsletters.
- Media Monitors. Linnette Allan, Alexandra MacGibbon, and their boss Jarrod Smith have been mainstays for us. They offer amazingly detailed and customisable services that enable you to keep your finger on the pulse of how and when your organisation is being covered in the media. They also put those drinks in your hands tonight and at all of our professional development events.
Our sponsors are involved because they like what we do, and they like you too … so please show your appreciation and perhaps have a chat with them later.
Finally, thanks to you, the members of the chapter – the capital’s senior communicators – for your support, encouragement, interest and commitment to professional development during the past year. Your support is greatly appreciated.
You’ll be seeing quite a bit more of Shona Brown over the next 12 months. As current Vice President, she takes over from me as President, so long as she can get through speaking on the financial statements unscathed.