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PRCA launches new award

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Public Relations and Communications Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) has introduced a new award category for the upcoming awards ceremony that will be held on February 8, 2017. The ‘Influencers Relations’ award aims to recognise and honour the efforts of PRs and marketers that develop successful campaigns with the help of targeted influencer relations.

“I am pleased to announce that the Influencer Relations award has been added to the inaugural PRCA MENA Awards,” says Leanne Foy, General Manager, PRCA MENA. “We are all aware that our work spans further than media relations and the demand for this category displays exactly that.”

PRCA MENA Awards 2017 now open for entries

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Nominations for the PRCA MENA Awards 2017, hosted by Public Relations and Communications Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA), are now open for entries. The deadline for the entries is December 13, 2016, with the finalists to be announced on January 4, 2017. The awards aim to recognise teams and individuals for campaigns that have taken place between November 1, 2015 to November 2, 2016, that can demonstrate strategy, creativity and originality across 12 categories including Best Integrated Campaign, Rising Star of the Year and Best PR Campaign: Media Relations. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held on February 8, 2017 at the H Hotel. Nominations for the awards are currently open and can be made through prca.mena.global/how-to-enter/.

“I am delighted that the first PRCA MENA awards are open for entries, celebrating excellence in PR and communications across the region,” says Leanne Foy, General Manager, PRCA MENA. “We have a range of new categories to bring to the region and entries will be judged by our international judging panel.”

Five Minute Focus – PRCA Awards

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With the launch of the PRCA MENA Awards coming up, TMN sat down with Loretta Ahmed, Chairperson PRCA MENA, to find out more about what to expect from the upcoming event…

When is the launch of the PRCA MENA Awards and where will it be held?

The PRCA MENA Awards will open for entries from November 7, 2016 – December 13, 2016. The Awards will be held at the H Hotel, Dubai on February 8, 2017.

Tell us the concept behind the awards…

We wanted to have an awards night with a difference, to recognise the good work that PR and communications professionals are doing in the region. We also wanted to mark our first year in the region by looking for creative strategies that achieve results and recognising the talent here to ensure the region is profiled globally for the world-class campaigns undertaken here.

What makes an award event such as the PRCA MENA Awards different from other regional PR awards?

We have a totally different concept and variety of awards which will be judged by an international judging panel.  The night itself is a fresh take on awards and we’ve done away with a long sit-down meal in favour of an event that encourages networking.

Can you give us some details about the nomination process?

To enter is easy, it’s all online. Submissions are the standard 1000 word entry, but we are looking for creative strategies, execution and most importantly results.

How can non-members participate in the awards?

We have a rate for members and non-members. We encourage all PR and communications professionals to take part.

Can you tell us more about the awards/categories themselves?

There will be twelve categories. Eight campaign awards and four awards focused on teams and individuals. The award categories will include, Rising Star of the Year, Results on a Budget, Best Integrated Campaign of the Year and Best Regional Campaign of the Year.

Who judges the entries for the PRCA MENA Awards?

The Judges will be announced next month. Our panel will be an international judging panel with experience in the region. Some will be based here and others will be from our other key global PR markets.  This is key for us as we are a global organisation committed to raising the profile of the MENA PR industry across the world.

What has been your advertising strategy for the UAE/Middle East?

We don’t have a traditional advertising campaign for PRCA MENA and we rely heavily on our networking events programme and word of mouth.

Did you face any challenges establishing the event in the Middle East?

We have had a great response so far and we are seeing participants very focused on budgets and resources. For this reason we’ve kept our entry fees low and the entry process as simple as possible.

How do you think the PRCA MENA Awards will develop in the future?

PRCA MENA Awards will develop by being held in different parts of the region, and attract PR and communications professionals from different areas to nominate their work for the awards. The UAE is a key regional hub but there is exceptional work undertaken right across the region and we see no reason why the UAE should always be the host country.  We will have new innovative categories and dedicated specialist awards in the future.

Q Communications and PRCA MENA launch Qcademy

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Q Communications, in partnership with PRCA MENA, has launched Qcademy, a training academy that will provide each member of Q Communications‘ 18-strong team with access to PRCA MENA events alongside a rigorous, tailored programme of both internal and external training. PR and Communications professionals will be allocated a training budget as well as a bespoke guide and staff will be able to learn new skills, develop best practice and stay abreast of the latest developments in areas that they already operate in. The CPD-acredited programme includes both face-to-face training in the region as well as webinars and will be overseen from PRCA MENA’s office in Dubai.

“We are delighted to launch Qcademy, the first of its kind in-house training academy in the region,” says Katie Harvey MPRCA, Managing Partner, Q Communications. “In collaboration with PRCA MENA, the Qcademy initiative has been in the works for several months and we have designed a programme tailored for the UAE market and our team. At Q Communications, our team is the most important component of the agency; so developing a training academy is high priority for Elsa and myself.”

Leanne Foy MPRCA, General Manager, PRCA MENA, adds “I am thrilled that Q Communications have put together a comprehensive training plan and are investing in their staff with both internal and external training, developing talented PR and communications professionals.”

Golin MENA wins MENA Young Lions competition

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The Golin MENA team of Baseem Ayache and Anisha Sharme has won the MENA Young Lions PR competition with their ‘Mirror Mirror’ campaign, and will go on to represent the region at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, sponsored by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO). This year was the inaugural competition, and saw over 20 entries from teams of two, all under the age of 30. Competitors were asked to respond to a brief from Friends of Cancer Patients, which performed as the client, and each team had 24 hours to form a creative and effective campaign.

“There was some really, really great work on display from PRCA MENA members,” says Frances Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA MENA. “Sitting through the eight presentations, it was obvious that the future of our industry here in the Middle East and North Africa is incredibly bright. Many deserve to be in Cannes, but only one team could win and that team was, deservedly, Golin. Golin’s duo went all in – great ideas, rigorous strategy. Literally pitch-perfect presentation. And now they have the honour and the burden of representing all of the MENA countries in Cannes. Good luck Baseem and Anisha.”

Ylannis Vafeas, Managing Director, Golin MENA, adds “There is nothing more inspiring than being recognised for creativity, especially when creativity leads to change and good. We are so proud of Baseem and Anisha who will be representing the Golin MENA region in the Young Lions PR competition.”

PRCA MENA launches

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The Public Relations Consultants Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) has launched in Dubai. The new professional body will cover the entire MENA region, providing PR practitioners with an association to share best practice as well as network and work to raise standards of PR. The organisation will provide training, networking, market intelligence and an international network through the International Communications Consultancy Organisation.
PRCA MENA will be co-chaired by MENA PR industry leaders Loretta Ahmed, CEO Middle East, Grayling and Mohamed Al Ayed, CEO, TRACCS. Founding members include MENA consultancies Golin MENA, Memac Ogilvy, Fleishman Europe, Q Communications, MCS Action, Sept PR, Active and Instinctif.