Strategic Public Relations, Protocol and Travel Management

Day 1:

What is PR – Public Relations?

• Objectives and key elements of Public Relations

• Importance, benefits, and challenges of Public Relations Management

• How PR differs from marketing, advertising, and sales

• Advantages and disadvantages of all PR options

• Importance of PR internally

PR channels

• Print media and its current and likely future role in PR

• Television and the impact it can have

• Radio - relying on voice only

• Mobile technology and increasing accessibility

• Social media and multi-media - growth, complexity, and impact

Day 2:

Writing for all media

• What makes a good story?

• How to win and keep the reader’s attention

• Writing for print: marketing materials, news, features, editorial, and letters

• Press releases that are published and not ignored

• Writing effectively for electronic media

Target  markets

• Requirements of target audiences and stakeholders

• What are your competitors doing and how successfully?

• Identifying the most appropriate way to reach your audiences

• Pitfalls to avoid on messages and content

Day 3:

PR events and activities

• Organizing, preparing for and delivering presentations

• Visits to your organization by media and journalists

• Lobbying: advantages, risks and impact

• Sponsorship: maximizing return on investment (ROI)

• Corporate social responsibility

The right  documents, at the right time, in the right place

• Organizing passports, processing visas and overcoming the complexities and problems

• Compliance with entry requirements and immigration rules

• Ensuring the health, safety and security of staff and visitors

• Booking tickets; timetables; time differences; holidays; cancellations

• Airport procedures, requirements and duties

Day 4:

Accommodation and international travel requirements

• Factors to choose and book the most appropriate hotel and rooms

• Customer and protocol requirements; preferred hotels list; change in plans; families

• Car transport; tolls; parking; rental; security; motorcades

• Meeting the demands of business travel: payment methods and exchange rates

• Methods to research all possible options and prioritise the best

Exhibitions, conferences, visits and events – nationally and internationally

• Planning and organizing events, conferences and visits

• Organizing, exhibiting and attending exhibitions

• Trade visits and the protocol for them

• Greeting foreign dignitaries, flying flags correctly and meeting expectations

• Order of precedence for official ceremonies

Day 5:

Budgeting and cost control

• Budgeting accurately and meaningfully

• Monitoring authorization, approvals, expenditure, allowances, expenses and receipts

• Cost control for ensuring that expenses are legitimate

• Cancellations, claims, reimbursements, hospitality

• Insurance which is robust, appropriate and up-to-date