It’s hard to believe, but we’re already halfway through our 2023/24 board term and my year as president of IABC/Calgary! It’s been so fun to see many of you at recent events. As we head into the new year, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the highlights so far.
- Comms Connect dinners – We started our Comms Connect dinners last year and they have been a hit! We pick a night and host various dinners in and around Calgary for members. This year, we’ve been trying new elements, like adding in a new member welcome, or different themes. I recently spoke with a member who shared that they really liked the event as a more personal way to get to know others in the community, and a bit less intimidating than a large networking event can be.
- Holiday Party – We hosted our holiday party with CPRS, sponsored by Kirk & Co. We were thrilled to celebrate and connect with the 100 communications and P.R. professionals who registered for this event. We also included a charitable element, and it was so heart-warming to see members bring books for Children’s Link. To see all the fun, event photos are available here.
- Volunteer Recognition – This year, we recognized three of our volunteers at the holiday party. For anyone who’s been involved with IABC, you know that volunteers are essential in just about everything we do! We honoured longstanding volunteer of the year, Jacquelynn Twarzynski, SCMP, ABC; new volunteer of the year, Natalia Velasquez; and volunteer of the year, Jeremy Broadfield.
- Open Board Meeting – It was fantastic to have so many members come out to hear our plans for the year, and we also offered a PD opportunity. Jill Dewes and Miranda Thorne from Daughter Creative brought their perspectives on The Ins and Outs of Brand & Reputation Management.
- Mentorship Event – The mentorship program is one of IABC/Calgary’s signature programs (also multi-award winning). This year we launched with 15 pairs and hosted our kick-off event with The Ally Co., who led an eye-opening workshop on Operationalizing Power through Conscious Communication and how that might apply to mentorship relationships.
- Special Interest Group – In November, the Sustainability in Energy Special Interest Group (SIG) welcomed Tony Rino, communications and public relations leader, for a presentation on industry and public perceptions of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting in the Canadian oil and gas industry.
For help getting the most out of your membership in 2024, we’ve revamped the member benefits page on our website. There’s also a membership campaign on now through IABC. If you join or renew before the end of December, you’ll be entered in a raffle for registration to the World Conference or an upcoming IABC Master Class.
Finally, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank our sponsors – Website sponsor, Graphically Speaking and Gold sponsor, Park Digital.
I hope you get some time to recharge over the holidays and we look forward to seeing you in 2024.
Kristin McVeigh
President, IABC/Calgary