========================================================
MEETINGS
“IABC Your Way”
A half-day IABC Fort Worth seminar Tuesday, April 28, will focus on how best to
market yourself in a volatile, challenging world. Whether or not you’ve been in a secure job for a long time, honing your skills is never a bad idea.
Roundtable sessions in the morning will cover résumé writing, interviewing, entrepreneurship, business presentations and
interpersonal skills. After lunch, a panel of experts — Kendra Price, Jacobs Carter Burgess; Amy Caster, Freese and Nichols; Lori De La Cruz, owner of Blue Marble Media, LLC; Robin McCasland, Buck Consultants; and Kay Colley, Texas Wesleyan University — will present roundtable summaries and explore related communications best
practices.
Time & date: roundtable discussions 8:30-11:10 a.m., lunch/panel 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday,
April 28
Place: Baker Building, Texas Wesleyan University (Rosedale Street at Wesleyan Street)
Cost: register by April 17, members $70, nonmembers $80; register after April 17,
members $80, nonmembers $90; students $25
-----
Making Headlines: Creativity in Ad/PR Writing
Fort Worth-Dallas copywriter, broadcast producer and creative consultant Brian Pierce has done it all, from ad campaigns to press releases, live comedy to 4-D movie
scripts. He’ll offer tips at the April 8 meeting for developing your creativity and explain
why, in today’s economy, being an advertising/PR “switch hitter” can increase job security.
Also at the meeting, the 2009 TCU PRSSA Bateman Case Study team will present its
“Destination: College!” campaign aimed at middle school minority students and their families.
April 8 is Pro-Am Day, the annual event where PR students can spend time with a
professional, getting a taste of various aspects of public relations.
Professionals will host students in their workplace in the morning, then
together they will attend the luncheon. Students are expected to pay for their
meal. More on Pro-Am Day here and here.
Even though the meeting is packed, organizers vow it will end by 1 p.m.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 (program at noon)
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers, students $20
========================================================
STRAIGHT STUFF
It’s April, and that means panic time for any soon-to-graduate college students
still unsure of what to do after leaving school. For those interested in
writing, communications, marketing or even a little public policy work, SPJ has
an offer. Applications are being accepted for a postgraduate internship at SPJ
headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind. The full-time (approximately Aug. 1, 2009,
through July 31, 2010) position includes competitive pay, benefits and paid
vacation. See the SPJ web site for
application instructions and a job position description. Application deadline is May 1. ...
Barbara Blanks’ memoir, “Out of the Wreckage: the Pop Stories,” chronicles the last 15 months of her father-in-law’s life. By focusing on the positive side of caregiving, it maintains its humor
even during the tough times. Readers identify with the book because they’re either in or have been in similar situations. Blanks won two first-place
awards in the 2008 Poetry Society of Texas annual contests, in addition to
three second-place wins and 14 other placements, and she’s the program at the Writers’ Guild of Texas meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 20, at the Richardson Public
Library, 900 Civic Center Drive. WGT third-Monday early-birds: May 18,
Earl Staggs on short stories; June 15, WGT All-Stars Read-In; July 20, Nancy Robinson Masters, “10 Rules for Top Gun Writers”; Sept. 21, Cindy Valor on researching and writing the historical novel. More from writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/ or from organizer Carol Woods.
IABC local update: The 2009 IABC Bronze Quill awards program is just around the
corner. Entries are due April 27 in the categories of communication programs,
internal or external campaigns, graphic design, writing, magazines,
newsletters, e-newsletters, one-time publications, annual reports, direct mail
campaigns, advertising/public service announcements, special events/meetings,
photography, web site, intranet, best improved publication, corporate identity
and social media. Two senior communicators from other IABC chapters judge each
entry and provide feedback. Instructions and an entry form are at
bronzequill.com.
IABC local update II: Dallas IABC and the American Marketing Association’s Dallas chapter will sponsor an AMA Beyond Borders Summit on Wednesday, April
15, at the Plano Centre. Info here.
PRSA local update: Dr. Doug Newsom, APR, Fellow PRSA, is retiring from the TCU Schieffer School of Journalism
after more than 40 years and a mile-long list of accomplishments as a public
relations educator. Among other things, she was a co-founder of PRSA national’s Educators Section and its first female Educator of the Year. She will be
honored at a retirement party at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the new
Brown-Lupton University Union on the TCU campus. Cost is $8 per person; call
817-257-7425. Those who can’t attend but have a little love to share may reach Dr. Newsom at
d.newsom@tcu.edu or the Schieffer School of Journalism, TCU Box 298060, Fort Worth 76129.
PRSA local update II: When PR stands for membership PRomotion. Eligible
associate members who join PRSA national in April receive a free one-year
membership to the national New Professionals group. Associate members are those
public relations pros with two or fewer years experience, previous members of
PRSSA or full-time graduate students. Professionals who join PRSA in May and
June will have the $65 initiation fee waived.
PRSA local update III: PRSA Southwest District leaders, it’s time to nominate PRSA members for national office. Positions to be filled
include chair-elect, treasurer, secretary, Southwest District director,
director at large and two National Assembly delegates at large. Eligibility
requirements and info on the nomination process are here. E-mail the names of potential candidates to national nominating committee
chair Rhoda Weiss, APR, Fellow PRSA, by June 15. The nominating committee would like to have at
least two candidates for each office.
