``The Future of PR and Measuring its Impact'' Half-Day PRSA Conference October 2, 2002.

Business Editors

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2002

The Hampton Roads Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America will present its annual Professional Development Conference, "The Future of PR & Measuring its Impact," at the new Scripps Howard Journalism Center, Tyler and Queen Streets, Hampton University in Hampton, VA on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 from 8 am-1 pm.

The keynote speaker, Lisa Reilly, associate vice president with Delahaye Group in Washington, D.C., will discuss "The Future of PR" during the luncheon, which begins at 11:30 am. Two additional workshops, "A Case Study: PR Measurements from an Award-Winning Electronic Federal Tax Payment System Online Campaign" and "What Have You Done For Me Lately? Measuring Corporate Results: The Trend Toward Measurement," will precede the keynote.

Seminar I, A Case Study: PR Measurements form an Award-Winning Electronic Federal Tax Payment System Online Campaign, will be presented by Terry Morrison, vice president, group account director, and David Zapata, group director of public relations with Slack Barshinger. Slack Barshinger recently received three national ProComm awards for this integrated marketing communications campaign. Two of the three awards were presented for the campaign's measurable and sustainable results, and the research and methods that launched high-impact PR.

Morrison and Zapata will present their campaign, public relations efforts, effectiveness and impact. Their challenging goal: to initiate an effective communications program on behalf of the U.S. Treasury that would encourage taxpayers and tax practitioners to pay taxes online. The initial results are in, and we'll hear about the success of the campaign and the metrics they used to prove it.

Seminar II, What Have You Done For Me Lately? Measuring Corporate Results: The Trend Toward Measurement, will be presented by Kay Bransford, vice president, marketing communications, Vocus. It's no secret that companies have been scaling back marketing budgets and placing more and more emphasis on corporate communications to generate brand name awareness and influence buying behavior. As communications and public relations gain recognition in the boardroom, there is a growing expectation for measurement of these initiatives. This session will explore how measurement has been evolving in two critical ways: One is rooted in the advanced technology that enables great automation and speed, and the other is a greater awareness of the importance of measuring PR's impact on a target audience.

The luncheon keynote, The Future of PR, presented by Lisa Reilly, associate vice president Delahaye Group, will be especially enlightening. Ms. Reilly has worked with such PR giants as Hill & Knowlton and has advised a wide range of clients including Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Intuit, Nationwide and Xerox.

If the events of the past year have taught us anything, it is that predicting the future is nearly impossible. Yet some basic truths exist - especially for the future of the PR profession, according to Ms. Reilly. First, the need for public relations will increase as the business environment becomes ever more competitive. Second, the environment in which we work will continue to change as technology, particularly the Internet, becomes more pervasive and we shift to a true 24/7 world. Communications will become more personal, more one-on-one and yet more specialized in both content and media outlets. Clients will require innovation in the form of better, more meaningful results, produced by seasoned professionals in increasingly shorter timeframes. Accountability will be key; the ability to measure performance against objectives will be the hallmark of each and every effort we undertake. A discussion of the tools, resources and approach necessary to be ready for this PR future will be tackled.

Sponsors of the conference are Business Wire, Virginia Natural Gas and Clark Nexsen. Tradeshow vendors include Jones Printing, Brown & Bigelow, Creative Memories, Goldman & Associates, and Burrelle's.

The Public Relations Society of America Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter is one of three chapters of the international PRSA organization in Virginia. Its mission is to uphold and promote professional standards of the public relations practice and to provide top quality service to benefit and provide value to members. It is a 20-year-old professional association of communications and public relations in the Hampton Roads region. With a diverse membership from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, the Hampton Roads PRSA Chapter is actively working to build relationships through public relations and build value and understanding for the public relations profession.

The PRSA conference is open to the public and pre-registration is required by September 27. Register by September 16 for early bird full registration of $60 for members, and $70 for non-members. After September 16, full conference registration is $70 for members, $80 for non-members, and $30 for students. Lunch only is $25 members and students/$30 non-members. All registrations must be prepaid. No walk-ins will be allowed. For more information or to register, contact Nina Cunningham at 757-493-8855. Registration is also available online at www.prsahr.org.