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XII International PR-Festival: results and impressions
On 10-11 April, 2014 Kiev hosted the XII International PR-Festival, which traditionally has collected nearly 200 leading Ukrainian specialists in the field of public communications. Despite the difficult situation in the country, the festival was successful – the guests from the UK, Germany, Latvia and Russia arrived as scheduled. «We were organizing a festival relying on the principle – «I see the goal – do not see any obstacles»–under an extremely abnormal conditions. Therefore, I am infinitely glad that we managed all our plans,» – commented the event Elena Derevianko, Vice-president of the Ukrainian PR-League and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Festival.
Within the Business-PR Day (April 10) a welcome speech via videoconference was delivered by the President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Zehra Güngör and report-analysis of the situation in the global PR industry was made by Paul Holmes – the founder and CEO of The Holmes Report and the SABRE awards. The discussion on the situation in the Ukrainian market was attended by heads of leading Ukrainian media – Alexander Bogutskiy (TV channel ICTV), Vadim Denisenko (Espreso.tv), Anton Podlutsky (IA «RBK-Ukraine») and Sevgil Musaeva (project Hubs), Alexei Pogorelov (General Director of the Ukrainian Press Publishers Association). Experience of using social media for business purposes was discussed by representatives of small and big businesses, outsourcing digital agencies, the initiators of social projects: Natalia Valevskaya (founder of online project ShoeShoe), Taras Gavriluk (Head of SMM direction at «UkrSibbank»), Sergei Didkovskij (PR-strategist, PR-manager at the company «Olshansky and Partners»), Andrey Ichkenko (partner of digital agency «Inache»), Olga Kudinenko (founder of the project «Tabletochki»).
Effective models of organizing corporate communications and Investor Relations under the crisis were discussed by heads of PR-departments of the largest Ukrainian diversified holdings – Natalia Yemchenko (SKM) and Eugene Zagorulko («Smart – Holding»); industry-leading companies – Anna Leachman (Corporation «ATB») and Sergei Trifonov («Milkiland»), banking institutions – Tatiana Shikerjavaja («UkrSibbank») and Vera Tarasenko («Russian Standard»), as well as known domestic economic expert Boris Kushniruk.
On current trends in the world of visual communications leading national experts in the field of design and infographics were talking (Andrey Gazin – head of information services at «Korrespondent» magazine, Andrey Zagorodsky – Project Manager at Newsplot.org, Yuriy Kurilchuk – designer infografer at «Vesti») virtuously moderated by Sergei Chuev, Chairman of the Union of Designers of Ukraine.
In addition, participants of the festival had a unique opportunity to meet and talk to Ukrainian designer who received European recognition «man-brand» Fedor Vozianov (TM «v o z i a n o v»). And also to get useful tips on how to conquer information attacks from one of the leading lawyers of Arzinger company. «Perhaps, XII International PR-Festival is the best event for the PR-specialists. Such flower bouquet of speakers, and most importantly – nothing in excess. You can actually make use of what they tell» – described the Business-PR Day Elena Konoplia, ex-editor of the famous Kharkov news agency Status Quo, now PR-expert «EuroBasket-2015».
Guests of the XII International PR-Festival highly appreciated the theme of Political PR Day (April 11) – «Searching the national idea and social harmony». Especially for the event their forecasts on the future of Ukraine prepared a Polish social activist and a famous film director Krzysztof Zanussi, Ukrainian economist and a current member of the Club of Rome Bogdan Gavrilishin, the Russian philosopher, a student of the Strugatsky brothers Sergei Pereslegin. Special guests of the Festival were Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy and founder of the cult Russian TV channel «Rain» Natalia Sindeeva. His vision of the strategy of social development of Ukraine presented the Latvian PR-consultant Christian Rozenvalds, Ukrainian social psychologist and writer Oleg Pokalchuk and popular Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Portnikov. During the panel discussions, his vision on the search of national reconciliation expressed director of the Ukrainian Institute in London Andy Hunder, chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Georgiy and political experts who do not need additional representation: Mintusov Igor (Russia), Denis Bogush, Dmitry Vydrin, Vadim Karasev, Eugene Kopatko, and Mikhail Pogrebinsky.
«This is automatically brought to some extent laboratory PR to a somewhat different level. And on Friday, it was a real speaker's extravaganza. From Vitaly Portnikov to super-pranker Vovan222. Through a surprise of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy, who was stated to appear via Skype, but in fact was in the room alive. And to the channel founder of RAIN Natalia Sindeeva or chief of all information policy of the Rights sector Borislav Bereza ... (Forgive me, those whom I have not mentioned) ...» – wrote on his Facebook account known public figure, human rights activist and guru of Ukrainian journalism Andrei Kapustin.
Theme of transparency and sincerity of public persons in relation to the Ukrainian politics discussed Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy, president of Internet Invest Group Holding Alexander Olshansky, PR-consultants of such political forces as «Svoboda» and «Right sector». About fake epidemic and ways to combat misinformation talked initiators of the project «Fake Control», experts in the field of crisis PR Rostislav Kasyanenko, Zakhar Chistyakov, as well as top pranker of post-Soviet space Vovan222. The practice of using social media as a tool for self-organization of citizens in public initiatives was analyzed by Osman Pashayev (known Ukrainian, Crimean journalist), Christina Berdinskih (head of rapidly gained popularity of world level social project «Elyudi»), Anna «Ahava» Teslenko (initiator of top television projects at ICTV).
As the final chord of the Political PR Day a panel discussion «Internet TV – is there life outside the Maidan?» was held with Vadim Denisenko (editor at Espreso.TV TC), Alexei Semenov (general producer TC 112), Natalia Sindeeva. As well as a creative meeting with another «man-brand» – this time of the Ukrainian media industry:Dmitry Gordon.
And philosophically the results of the Festival summed up in his comment Sergei Pereslegin, who wrote in his letter to the Organizing Committee: «Modern PR in my opinion should turn to convey the meaning instead of the agitation for goods, services, entertainment, political programs. Man becomes free, spiritual and creative in association with others. And other people’s co-organizations are being born. Gifting and understanding has not yet become the economic categories, but who knows? The world is changing ... In the throes it is born on the Maidan in Kiev. Slow and evolutionary matures in the womb of former empires. Thank you for picking the topics where there are not only people, but also humanity».
Articles and videos on the results of the two days of work will gradually appear in the media of events sponsors, on its website and Facebook-group. Meanwhile, the organizing committee has already begun preparations of XIII International PR-Festival – gathering ideas on themes, candidates for speakers and interactive events satellites. «For the next festival, which will be held again at any political and economic weather, to raise the quality level even higher, than which we have achieved this year», – summarized Elena Derevianko.