Happy Holidays

I am going to try and avoid adding to the digital hubbub around what happened in 2006 and what will happen in 2007. One was good for PRSA Boston and I am confident the other will be great for our members.

I will be off for a bit and probably will not post again until the New Year. Have a happy holiday and a great new year and get ready for a year where PRSA Boston will help advance your skills!

And if you don't get the daily newsfeed from PRSA, you should...

I am so excited for 2007

Sorry it has been a while since my last post, but I always want to make sure I have something meaningful about PRSA Boston to say.

In this case, I just had a great call with our program committee today and we have a whole lot of great stuff planned out for 2007. We will have a good mix of educational, networking and fun events. We are going to be doing more events in Boston and also trying a few experiments...(more on that later).

The teleseminars that went over so well will be back in 2007!

But only a few things are set in stone. Is there a topic that you would like to see? If so, chime in. Let us know. We are here to best serve the members of PRSA Boston and want to know what you like.

Holiday Party Recap

Last night's joint holiday party between PRSA Boston and the PubClub was a blast. A good chance to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and do my usual cocktail party trick of bringing conservation to a dead halt by asking too serious questions.

-But I do want to know: What do you consider to be the fundamental truth about public relations? Leave me a comment.

Best of all, I met a number of new people that want to get more involved in our chapter. Rest assured you will be contacted soon.

We also discussed some great programming ideas for 2007 - including some things we have never done before. So hold on to your hats, 2007 will be a wild and fun ride.

I look forward to seeing everyone at out next event- January 27- The Tools of the PR trade showcase.

More details to come soon.

Law Firm Media Professionals Event

This morning I spoke at a breakfast of the Law Firm Media Professionals. It was an honor to be invited and I enjoyed speaking on one of my favorite topics - PR measurement. I even took the bold step of starting out with a lawyer joke (subtly modified).

Q. "How can you tell if a PR professional is lying when they tell you they have the absolute perfect way to measure the effectiveness of a PR campaign?"

A. Their lips are moving.

There are many great ways to measure PR (and many horrible ways), but I do not believe there is any perfect way. We need to be consistent, quantifiable, rigorous and defensible. But you need to approach it in different ways based on your goals and your organization.

I learned just as much as them, so I really enjoyed the opportunity. I have conducted many thought leadership campaigns for clients over the years, but the amount of conflict of interest issues they need to deal with on a daily basis- puts anything I have had to consider to shame. I am impressed.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the holiday party on the 5th!