CIPR July update: East Anglia and Oregon

Chartered Institute of Public Relations Groups held two major regional conferences during July.

I attended the CIPR East Anglia Conference in Stowmarket, along with 76 other practitioners who enjoyed fabulous hospitality including a cake to celebrate the CIPR's 75th anniversary.

I spoke on a panel about the benefits of getting Chartered with Ruth Jackson FCIPR, ChartPR , Gemma Pettman Chart. PR, MCIPR Lingyu Wu and Chiara Ceci .

There were also really high value talks from Ann-Marie Blake about campaign planning and an award-winning social and digital case study by Andrew Stronach Chart. PR, MCIPR and the team Quadram Institute .

I was sorry to miss the Growing PR in the Midlands event organised by CIPR Midlands , which was on the same day.

Our President-elect, Rachael Clamp Chart.PR and Immediate Past President, Rachel Roberts were there, and it was an event stacked with top PR talent including Stephen Waddington , Donald Steel FCIPR FRSA , Richard Bagnall, Hon FCIPR, FPRCA, FAMEC and TikToker Rob Mayhew .

I was also pleased to speak alongside Jon Gerlis Chart.PR to advertising and PR undergraduate students from University of Oregon who were vising the UK to learn from one of the world's leading centres of PR practice.

Also this month:

• CIPR launched a new Everyday Ethics in PR guide for our members as part of Members Week. The guide is a collection of seven anonymous case studies featuring real-life ethical dilemmas as described to the CIPR's Ethics Hotline.
• I was really proud that Iprovision , the CIPR's benevolent charity, launched the 75 Fund to proactively help those from lower socioeconomic and under-represented groups to develop a career in PR. Well done to Kevin Taylor, Chart.PR, Hon.FCIPR ,Tony Bradley, Aimee Postle MEd MBA Chart.PR SFHEA and the other trustees who have driven this work. The fund is now open for applications.
• The CIPR Diversity & Inclusion Network also launched its latest guide to inclusive communication. Check out the whole five guide series.
• We held the CIPR AGM and highlighted the publication of the CIPR's 2023 Annual report and accounts. Acclaimed journalist, author, film writer and podcaster, Jon Ronson spoke to members about online bullying and the development of internet culture.
• The 2023 PRide Awards shortlist was announced. Good luck to all those businesses and individuals in the UK nations and regions who are nominated for an award.
• The CIPR has continued to campaign on members' behalf for more transparency in UK lobbying rules and said that new proposals from the government don't go far enough.
• Finally, make sure you book for the annual Maggie Nally lecture held by CIPR International Group . This webinar will hear an address from Melissa Fleming , Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication at the United Nations and truly a world leader in our industry.

For those of us going on a well earned summer break (I'm typing this from our holiday home in Broadstairs, Kent), I hope you have a restful time in August. As we enter the second half of the year, many challenges remain both for CIPR and the industry more generally. You'll see a lot more from CIPR in the coming months on the future of our industry and the fundamental need to close the trust gap in order to build healthier societies. Understanding the implications of growing artificial intelligence usage and under-investment in local and national media will be key to the latter challenge.