O2 Public Relations returns as Headline Sponsor of Middle East Public Relations Congress 2009

Produced by IIR Middle East and supported by the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA), PR Congress 2009 will offer constructive discussions on media relations, crisis prevention and management, new media tools, sponsorship on a minimal budget, and corporate social responsibility.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Mr. Mohammed Johmani, Founder and CEO of O2PR, says:

"As one of the few independent PR agencies based in the Middle East, we want to provide international companies with a better understanding of the local market, and support local agencies in adopting international standards. The Middle East PR industry, although having achieved a lot in terms of growth, is still a young market. There is a lot of room for improvement, which is why we have come back as the Headline Sponsor for PR Congress 2009."

With 176 industry participants last year, the annual event is the most powerful networking and evaluation platform in the greater Middle East. This year's PR Congress programme is the result of extensive research with leading international experts and publications. All topics and discussions have been chosen in collaboration with conference partners and participants, catered to only the most contemporary industry challenges and trends (80% of this year's panels will be made up of new speakers). In addition to over 30 executive-led discussions, this year's PR Congress will also organize one-on-one meetings between PR experts, and will offer half-day intensive clinics conducted by renowned branding experts.

Key speakers will include Christian Schultz, Director of Communications at Mattel (CNEUR-SEE); Mohammed Johmani, Founder and CEO of O2 Public Relations; and Kay Luo, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at LinkedIn. Additional speakers will represent companies such as Cisco Systems, Media Watch, the World Health Organization, and HSBC.

PR Congress 2009 is one of several conferences that the O2 Network has supported over the last 12 months. The upcoming Leaders in Dubai Business Forum (Oct. 26-27) will feature an O2 Network exhibition in which the agency will walk participants through the development of its newest creative campaigns. In March 2009, the O2 Network hosted a one-day forum in Dubai titled Hot Topics in Branding in coordination with Australian marketing firm The One Centre.

The O2 Network was also instrumental in the production of last year's 'Global Entrepreneurship Week' in Manama, Bahrain; an event celebrated worldwide that saw thousands of students and professionals from across the region meet in Manama to encourage creative business solutions. PR Congress 2008 was also sponsored by O2 Public Relations, as was Brand Summit 2008; an annual event that saw over 150 participants last year.

In the words of Mr. Kosta Petrov, Conference Director for IIR Middle East, "There is still a need for the development of the PR industry in the GCC. A recent MEPRA-funded study revealed that only about 31% of the Arabic-language press believes their needs are understood either 'Very Well' or 'Fairly Well' by PR practitioners, compared with 19% of the English-language press who feel the same. Such numbers need to improve, and we are glad that leading agencies in the region, like O2 Public Relations, are willing to offer their support."

Reputation and crisis management will be the central themes for PR Congress 2009. According to MEPRA figures, total PR spending during 2008 was a little above $150m, and that number was estimated to climb significantly by the end of 2009.