APRA Conference 2021 Goes Virtual as SABRE Receives Entries for African PR Awards
The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has announced that its 2021 Conference will be held virtually as the organiser of the SABRE African PR awards extends deadline for submissions of entries.
The APRA Coordinator, Ms Taiye Tunkarimu said the African PR Conference would no longer be held physically in Tanzania due to the continuous rise in Covid-19 cases and the ban on travel for some organisations.
In a statement sent to PRNigeria, Tunkarimu said the African association of image makers was concerned about the safety of everyone and the continent as a whole which is why the decision to go virtual was taken rather than postponing the conference.
She added that following the decision, planning had commenced for the virtual conference and all information in that regard would be communicated to members in due course.
The association had last year postponed the 2020 conference, which had the theme: “One Africa! March to Economic Integration and the Role of Public Relations,” due to the Coronavirus.
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Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, APRA president and Group Chief Executive Officer at CMC Connect Limited, had told PRNigeria that the conference was expected to host at least 500 delegates and other participants across the globe.
The APRA is the successor organisation to the Federation of African Public Relations Associations (FAPRA) that was inaugurated in 1975 in Nairobi Kenya to foster unity via interaction and exchange of ideas amongst public relations practitioners in Africa as a whole.
Through communication, it promotes social, political and economic integration on the continent. It is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making professional association.
Over the years, APRA has held her flagship event, the annual conference, as central amongst activities used to promote the profession.
It was later registered in Nigeria in 2008 to be the clearing house for public relations information in Africa, set standards for public relations practice through its code of ethics and foster the establishment of national and sub-regional public relations associations so that the profession can flourish in the continent.
Other objectives include promoting African Unity and co-operation, especially as a consultant body to the African Union and its various agencies, publish bulletins and journals on public relations in Africa and affiliate with all other similar international professional bodies.
Meanwhile, the annual APRA Conference features African PR awards, popularly known as SABRE awards. The award event is organised and hosted by Provoke, the PR industry’s leading source of news, trends, events, career information and intelligence.
The Awards which cover the entire global public relations business through six regional competitions, recognize campaigns that demonstrate the highest levels of strategic planning, creativity and business results.
The final deadline for the submission of entry for the African SABRE competition has been extended to Friday, February 19.
The chairman of the SABRE judges, Paul Holmes provided justification for extending the deadline. He said: “Understandably, given that teams are preparing awards virtually and digitally this year, many firms had difficulties getting all their entry materials together in the time allotted.
“Under the circumstances, and in the interests of fairness, we are extending the deadlines. We hope this means that all the spectacular work done under trying conditions in 2020 will be submitted to our judges.”
Members of the African SABRE jury include Ipelegeng Thibedi of Weber Shandwick, Jennifer Leppington-Clark of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Lekha Seebaluck of Blast Burson Cohn & Wolfe, Regine le Roux of Reputation Matters and Samantha Presbury of MSL.
