PRSA MD

Best in Maryland Awards and Chesapeake Conference – You’ve Heard the Whispers, Now Here’s the Unveiling!

JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

City of Hyattsville - Communications Manager City of Hyattsville

Copywriter Devaney & Associates

PRSA MD

Best in Maryland Awards and Chesapeake Conference – You’ve Heard the Whispers, Now Here’s the Unveiling!

This year, to be sensitive to everyone’s budgetary needs in this challenged economy and to provide a more robust, exciting event for our members, we are combining the Best in Maryland Awards (BIM) and the Chesapeake Conference. To be held in October, the Chesapeake Conference will feature informative speaker-lead sessions and dialogues in the morning and afternoon and the Best In Maryland Awards presentation during the luncheon.

The Best In Maryland (BIM) Critical Deadlines:

Early Bird: by June 30

Final Deadline: by July 17

Look for more details in future WebNotes issues, as well as on our Website and on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Social Media Series
PRSA MD is offering a look at social media in a two-part series. Members save when they register for both.

Part 1: April 23 – Twitter and PR
Heard about Twitter but think it sounds like a colossal waste of time? It can be if you’re reading what others ate for lunch, but it can be so much more for savvy public relations professionals who understand how to use what is fast becoming an essential, mainstream communications tool.
 
At this practical, hands-on session designed for those new to Twitter, you’ll learn:

What Twitter is and how to get started – without the buzzwords and tech speak

Ways to develop relationships with media – including a weekly Twitter conversation with journalists

Which members of the Baltimore area media are using Twitter

How Twitter can become a powerful resource for sharing PR knowledge

Ways Twitter can help you uncover stories in development – regionally and nationally

Who some of the “must-follow” PR and social media people are on Twitter

Useful tools and techniques, including how to use Twitter to monitor what others are saying about your company

If you want to sign up for a free Twitter account during the session, bring your laptop and you’ll be guided through a step-by-step process that will have you up and running in no time.
 
The workshop will be lead by Jeffrey A. Davis, APR, past president of the Maryland Chapter of PRSA and currently a partner with Sawmill Marketing Public Relations, a Baltimore-based PR firm specializing in media relations, media training, crisis communications and social media. Davis co-authors a blog on public relations trends, the PR Buzzsaw and uses @contactjeff as his Twitter handle.

Moderator: Jeffrey A. Davis, APR, Sawmill Marketing Public Relations, Partner
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Time: 8:30 a.m. Registration, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Program
Place: JHU Downtown Center, 10 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Parking: Parking is available on the street and at area lots.
Cost:

PRSA Members: $20 paid by 4/17/09; $35 after 4/17/09
Non-Members: $35 paid by 4/17/09; $50 after 4/17/09
Students: $10 PRSSA Member; $20 Non-PRSSA Member

Click here for more details and registration.

Part II: May 14: Putting Social Media into your PR Strategy

How do you mount a successful social media campaign?  What are the necessary ingredients?  Answer these questions, and many more, at this panel discussion on May 14. Panelists will take you through real cases and point out challenges, opportunities and lessons learned.

This event is Part II of this year’s Social Media Series – attend both events and save, or pick just one and expand your knowledge!

Moderator: Shawn Draper, VP/Partner, IMRE

Panelists:
Terry Rakosky, Vice President Marketing, Black and Decker
Crystalyn Stuart, Director, WOM, IMRE (To celebrate John Deere's "Deere Season", IMRE’s Web-based campaign collected real life stories from John Deere owners.)

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009
Time: 8:30 a.m. Registration, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Program
Place: University of Baltimore, School of Communication Design, 10 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD
Parking: Parking is available on the street and at area lots.
Cost:
PRSA Members: $20 paid by 5/8/09; $35 after 5/8/09
Non-Members: $35 paid by 5/8/09; $50 after 5/8/09
Students: $10 PRSSA Member; $20 Non-PRSSA Member

Click here for more details and registration.

PRSA Members Save on the Series!

Sign up for BOTH Part 1 and Part II and save! To get this savings, you must be a PRSA Member and pay for both at the same time.

PRSA Members: $30 paid by 4/17/09; $70 after 4/17/09 – SAVE $10
PRSSA Students: $15 – SAVE $5

Click here for more details and registration.

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In Case You Missed It

If you missed the March 3 event, Meet the BBJ Editors, here are a few tips on pitching to the Baltimore Business Journal:

1. Tie your story idea into the recession. Right now anything having to do with this topic is hot, hot, hot!
2. Develop relationships with BBJ reporters and know their beats. Also, be familiar with the paper BEFORE you pitch.
3. BBJ reporters are most likely to take your calls or review your e-mail pitches on Thursday and Friday.
4. If you have a relationship with a specific reporter or editor, feel free to contact them and pitch your story. The BBJ editors and reporters work closely together and forward story ideas to one another for approval all the time.

Want to know more, check out our discussion on LinkedIn.

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Welcome, University of Baltimore!

PRSA Maryland welcomes the University of Baltimore’s School of Communications Design (SCD) as our new events co-sponsor. The SCD will begin hosting PRSA’s monthly programs  in May. We are excited about this partnership with the SCD, whose graduate and undergraduate programs are aimed at advancing the careers of communications professionals throughout the region.

The SCD is located at 10 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201 (entrance on Preston St.). The monthly events will be held on the third floor in room LAP-308. Street parking is available, or you can park in the UB Biddle Street garage at the corner of Maryland and Biddle Streets for $4.00. To get this rate, be sure to get one of the coupons, which will be available at the events.

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Looking for a Way to Earn APR Maintenance Credits?
Attending our monthly programs is one simple way to earn 0.5 APR maintenance credits. Our upcoming events are:

March 26 – Getting a Seat at the Management Table, JHU Downtown Center

April 23 - Social Media 1, JHU Downtown Center

May 14 - Social Media 2, UB School of Communications Design

June 18 – The Changing Landscape for Public Relations Professionals, UB School of Communications Design

July 16 - Speed Pitching, UB School of Communications Design

Plus, you can earn one (1.0) full maintenance credit by volunteering to judge award entries! This year, PRSA MD will be swapping our Best in Maryland award entries with those from the Rochester, NY chapter. Judging begins in April – see Calling for Judges below.

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Looking for a Few (well maybe a couple more) PR Pros!

Opportunities abound with PRSA-MD and we would love to talk to you! Looking for ways to enhance your career, build up your resume, get CEU’s toward your APR maintenance or create relationships with fellow PR pros in the area? Check out the fabulous opportunities below!

Consider joining the Membership Committee where you will use all your experience, knowledge and wiles to help grow our chapter. Please contact the Membership Committee chair, Angelique Rewers, at alr@bonmotcomms.com or 410.667.1113.

Get involved with launching PRSA-MD’s Top event for the year, The Best in MD/Chesapeake Conference! Please contact Erika Murray at erika.murray@medstar.net or 410.772.6670.

Calling all judges! This year's judges for our Best in Maryland Awards will be members of the PRSA Rochester New York Chapter. We will be judging their awards before they judge ours. If you have never judged award entries before, it's a great way to see what type of work is being done in another region, the different types of tactics being used and their results, and how other publications, media relations and internal/external campaigns measure up. Judging will occur during a two-week period from April 6 – April 17. If you’re interested in forming or joining a judging team, please contact Erika Murray at erika.murray@medstar.net or 410.772.6670.

PRSA MD
c/o Mariner Management * PO Box 1046 * Laurel, MD 20725
866-868-7772