ARRP organized the first regional Summit with wide international participation

• Under the title “Freedom of expression vs anti-democratic discourse”, ARRP set out to define the future of strategic communication in the current geopolitical climate
• The success of the first edition determined the decision to organize the next Summit in 2024

The Romanian Public Relations Association (ARRP) organized the first edition of the regional Summit, with the theme “Freedom of Expression vs. Antidemocratic Discourse”. Professional associations of strategic communication and PR at the level of presidents participated, as well as over 100 professionals from agencies, companies, government institutions, business associations, local, regional, and central authorities from nine countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Great Britain, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, as well as from Romania, the host country.

Renowned internationally recognized specialists such as Paul Holmes, founder of PRovoke Media and the renowned global competition in the field, SABER Awards, and Grzegorz Szczepanski, President of ICCO, the largest network of communication consultancies in the world and President of Hill & Knowlton Poland, Maxim Behar, founder of the World Communication Forum Association and the Best PR Leader Awards global competition, gave a lecture at the event moderated by Cătălin Striblea, together with specialists from other countries such as Ukraine, Romania, from the academic environment or representatives of the ARRP management.

The 2023 ARRP Regional Summit marked an important milestone in the evolution of strategic communication, highlighting the PR industry’s commitment to ethical values and the positive impact it can have on economic development by supporting investment, corporations, and entrepreneurship in various markets, with major effects on sustainable development and society. Among the conclusions unanimously embraced by the Summit participants were the importance of collaboration and accountability of the PR industry in the face of unprecedented contemporary challenges, as well as the need for concrete actions to strengthen professional ethics and combat disinformation and manipulation through fake news.

Paul HOLMES, founder and chairman of PRovoke Media, emphasized the role of the industry in becoming part of the solution and called for a stronger stance against disinformation. “The time has come to advocate for the expulsion from professional associations of members who are unethical and intellectually dishonest,” Holmes said.

Grzegorz SZCZEPAŃSKI, president of ICCO, presented the ethical challenges and the need to review traditional communication models. “We must adopt a model where we put people first – ‘people first approach’. Otherwise, PR may disappear in the next 50 years,” he added.

And Cătălin HOSU, president of ARRP, said: “Today, we shared visions and perspectives that made us understand the crucial role of PR in the communication landscape. Everything discussed here is available as an important source of knowledge and insight for all PR professionals, not just ARRP members.”

Following discussions and deepening of the debated topics, ARRP announces the next steps. PR professional associations in the participating region are invited to sign a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen a greater role of ethics, truth, and trust in the PR profession. Also, a review of university curricula is proposed to train future generations of specialists in the spirit of truth, trust and fairness, including the introduction of a new subject of study for the management of disinformation and information, in the perpetual and extremely rapid evolution of communication channels, in an unpredictable and increasingly volatile international environment.

For more information and details, please visit ARRP’s website, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. The recording of the event is fully available on YouTube.

About the Romanian Public Relations Association (Asociația Română de Relații Publice – ARRP):
Founded in 1995, the Romanian Association of Public Relations was created to make the family of communicators in Romania stronger. Today, it brings together both seasoned experts who laid the foundations of this profession in Romania and young professionals at the beginning of their careers. Since 2012, the Association has expanded its scope, welcoming not only individual communicators but also companies and communication departments from various institutions. This expansion is based on the belief that it will increase its strength and better serve the interests of communicators. Since 2017, ARRP has been a member of the ICCO.

11.12.2023 / Editor, Andreea Dragan