iWriting Session Highlights

Most Internet readers don’t make it past the first paragraph of your article, so we’ll keep this nice and short. Jim Haynes provided tips for the iWriting future, an inevitable world where the PR industry is learning how to interactively stay one step ahead. Haynes shared tips that included using bullet form, having less copy and making the page easily accessible. One key point he made was to know your audience. He also recommended checking your work on Macs and PCs to make sure the finished product is compatible with both.

Sarah Beth Turner
PRSSA President
University of Arkansas

Chris Brogan’s Presentation Warned of Dangerous Social Media

Chris Brogan’s session focused on blogging and what companies should do about reaching out to the communities on Facebook and MySpace. The session was constructed in a conversation setting where representatives of companies could feel free to ask questions. Brogan talked about the criteria used for social networking sites, and how it is about whether or not you want to be able to have a conversation with your target or if you would rather just get the message out. He went into podcasting and how it should be a good mix of audio and video podcasts. The conversation got into the difference between MySpace and Facebook. Overall, it was a very interesting session that educated us on how to go about this new experimental type of public relations.

Sarah Beth Turner
PRSSA President
University of Arkansas

MARGARITAS ALL AROUND!

Welcome to Little Rock! As the conference gets started today, don’t miss our Southwest Fiesta opening reception at 5 p.m. There will be margaritas all around, Tex-Mex favorites and plenty of conversation. Afterwards, mix and mingle with your fellow professionals at the dine-arounds. Stop by the registration desk to see menus and get ready for a treat! By tomorrow, we’ll al be old friends.

Mary Wagoner, APR
PRSA/Arkansas Chapter President

New Speaker Added

We have added an additional speaker to Friday’s agenda – Ed Schipul, CEO of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company, will speak from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in Salon C at The Peabody.

Ed will address “Social Media Optimization: Putting the Relations Back in PR.” He’ll touch on where to start with social media and how to gain much-needed internal support for your efforts. His “Four Pillars of Social Media Success” are designed to help online communicators find their true social media purpose and identify the employees within their organization to make their efforts a sustainable and powerful part of their PR strategy. Visit http://www.nxtpr.org/details.cfm?Sec=Speakers to read up on Ed.

The White House in Miniature

 

Participants in the Southwest District Conference will be treated to a reception at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and have the opportunity to take advantage of a private tour conducted by PRSA Fellow and Arkansas Chapter former president Bob Sells, APR. Now on exhibit at the Center is a stunning replica of the White House in miniature.

The Center’s web site lists this exhibit as:

“On display from mid-February through mid-July, the exhibit provides visitors with a look into the rooms and grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The model of the White House, done by John and Jan Zweifel, is 60-feet long and 25-feet wide and was constructed in a one-inch-to-one-foot scale.

The replica, which took 32 years to complete, is a faithful recreation of the president’s home that opens up rooms seldom seen by the public. Details include hand-carved furniture; tiny paintings that match the exact colors of the original works of art; working miniature televisions and clocks; and hundreds of tiny lights which illuminate the chandeliers.

The top floor of the three-story model includes the Lincoln Bedroom, which served as President Lincoln’s office where he signed The Emancipation Proclamation. The second floor includes The Green Room, which Thomas Jefferson used as a dining room; and the bottom floor includes the Map Room, in which President Franklin Roosevelt followed the course of World War II. “

We have even more fun in store for everyone, besides the outstanding professional development opportunities! Watch this space for details!

Come Rock with Us in Little Rock!

Mary Hunter Wagoner, APR
President, PRSA/Arkansas

Welcome from PRSA/Arkansas - Your Trolley Awaits!

Welcome to Little Rock! The Arkansas PRSA Chapter members are excited about hosting you in our home town. You’ve seen what a wonderful conference the district has planned for you but there’s much to see and do in Little Rock as well. If you can’t see it all during the conference, we hope you’ll consider staying on over the weekend to take in the attractions.

Our host hotel, the elegant Peabody, is right in the heart of downtown Little Rock, just a short walk away from the entertainment center of the city, The River Market. Here you’ll find live music, great restaurants, quaint shops, museums, and a variety of lively bars.

  You can jump on the trolley near the hotel and ride through the district to have a look and stay on to cross the river over to North Little Rock’s historic Argenta district full of more restaurants, shops, art, and bars.

 Little Rock and North Little Rock are blessed with truly outstanding local restaurants and you’ll get the chance to check out some menus at our hospitality table, but be sure to ask any of the Arkansas Chapter members for recommendations. Whether it’s catfish, barbeque, ethic, New Orleans style, a great steak or fine dining you want, we can get you there.

Can’t wait to see you all!

Mary Wagoner, APR
President, PRSA/Arkansas

Location, Location, Location

If you’ve never stayed at The Peabody Little Rock, you are in for a real treat. Not only is the hotel beautiful, it presents the world-famous Peabody Ducks each day. The hotel is located on the banks of the Arkansas River and is in the heart of the city’s River Market District, with easy access by foot or trolley to many nearby attractions.

There are three award-winning dining options in the hotel – Capriccio Grill Italian Steakhouse (I recommend the dessert shooters), Mallard’s Bar and the Lobby Bar (the place to see and be seen).

You can also visit The Peabody’s great fitness center to work off all those extra calories!

I guarantee you will enjoy your stay at The Peabody.

– Kara Lee Ford, conference hotel and registration coordinator

Welcome!

Welcome to nxtpr.wordpress.com, the official blog for the Public Relations Society of America’s 2008 Southwest District Conference. We’re thrilled to host this year’s conference in Little Rock and have assembled a great lineup of speakers and topics related to the new media world that are sure to pique your interest.

For many of you, this may be the first time you’ve ever visited a blog; for some of you, you may be wondering where all the widgets and customized areas are (give the poor Gen X creator a break; she’s experiencing tons of professional development just putting this blog together; stay tuned for more live demonstrations in learning to maximize your blogging experience).

Either way, blogging, podcasting, social networking, searching and texting are the newest ways our friends, family, coworkers and clients are connecting. As PR professionals, we must engage in professional development, both on an individual level and group level, to not only get acquainted with new media but also learn exactly how it can benefit our clients and effectively deliver a desired message. So, this is one conference you can’t afford to miss!

If you’ve never been to Little Rock before, we have plenty to show you, starting with the Little Rock National Airport, where travelers enjoy free wireless access (!), and, if you fly our sponsor airline, Southwest, free peanuts (although we hear they are discontinuing their honey-roasted variety in favor of the classic dry-roasted). Once you’re here, we encourage you to stay at our host hotel, The Peabody Little Rock, where you can watch the famous Peabody Ducks march to and from their day-time fountain home at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

As it’s the political season, we would be remiss not to mention that we’ll be offering guided tours of the Clinton Presidential Library, where movers and shakers congregate daily.

Finally, if you decide at the conference’s end that you’d like to stay a while, we offer you a one-stop resource to The Natural State’s parks and other tourist attractions. Did you know Arkansas boasts the only public diamond mine in the world? Digging in the dirt not your thing? Plenty of shopping can be had in Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas and, of course, Bentonville, the home of the world’s largest retailer (hint: its name starts with “Wal”).

We’re excited to be a part of your professional development, and we’re looking forward to having fun along the way! Check this blog for more information on the 2008 Southwest District Conference speaker lineup, as well as information on lodging, hospitality, special PRSSA and APR sessions and more.

We’ll see you soon!

The PRSA 2008 Southwest District Conference Committee