A buzz with activity: listening and sharing, IABC conference-goers addressed the key issues in communication today.

If you listened closely, you could hear it--everywhere, brains whirring, ears listening, mouths sharing, asking and challenging.

At IABC's annual International Conference in June in Washington, D.C., 1,388 communicators from around the world gathered to better understand the trends and issues facing them. The nearly 100 presenters did not disappoint, stimulating a shared learning environment in which participants were both challenged and validated.

A few weeks before the conference, IABC Chair Warren Bickford, ABC, shared his personal top 10 list of concerns at the IABC Cafe, Bickford's blog and a lively "gathering place for professional communicators." Conference sessions covered many of these issues, leaving participants with much to consider and even more to act upon.

Working from the bottom of Bickford's list, in the No. 10 spot is what he calls "The Dark Side," the tough ethical decisions we are faced with every day. "Should we be burning our 'spin' cards in the streets?" he asked.

No. 9 is the idea of communicators as futurists, and sessions such as Jennifer Corriero's blast on connecting with youth left many reeling with her messages around the need for intergenerational dialogue and consultation.

At another session, this one earning a rare IABC standing ovation, TJ Larkin engaged everyone with his enlightening and irreverent consideration of information overload and which channel is best--intranet, paper or face-to-face?

There were bloggers among us at the conference, and the hallway buzz often included "aha" moments about technology--blogs, wikis and RSS feeds, and how we can best use these new and empowering communication tools, in many cases as part of the "not if, but when" world of crisis communication.

Bickford's halfway spot on his top 10 list is cerebral: the democratization of information, or the role communicators have today in the gathering, packaging and disseminating of information. "What will the longer-term effect of citizen journalism be on the communication profession?" asked both Bickford and Debbie Weft, a corporate blogging consultant and moderator in Washington.

Many participants came armed with the same question concerning identity crisis: "If everyone is a communicator, what am I here for?" Answers came in different forms, and conference-goers such as Alix Edmiston heard validating content. "I heard from organizations that are starting to see the value that employees provide as champions of an organization's success," she said. "That's testament to good communicators in those workplaces."

Ethics and governance issues were heatedly discussed at the mock trial of a communicator who breached the association's Code of Ethics, though the lessons learned were clearly based in reality. New work arrangements, increasingly diverse workforces, and ongoing and emerging social and cultural issues are another reality for many communicators.

Finally, and at the top of Bickford's list of trends and issues, is the idea of organizational persona, which has been described as an organization's soul, or inner being.

The conference halls were emptier than usual--a sure sign that registrants were keeping seats warm in full sessions. But when the corridors and exhibit hall filled between sessions, the buzz was palpable. Directly or indirectly, people talked about issues of truly meeting audience needs, and all the transparency and accountability that goes with it. IABC's international Conference asked the same question--and delivered myriad answers. As Bickford said, "As a professional communicator, am I part of the problem, or can I be part of the solution?"

Jennifer Wah, ABC, finished her two-year term as program chair at the IABC International Conference in Washington, D.C. She is principal consultant for Forwords Communication Inc. in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Eddie Arrossi is an event photographer based in Washington, D.C. View his portfolio, including photos of the Gold Quill Awards ceremony, at www.eaphoto.com.