PR Society -- Why not New York?

Jack O'Dwyer, who has been chronicling the PR industry for some 40 years, asks a question in his current online newsletter. 

Why has the Public Relations Society held its national conference in New York City only twice since 1990?  New York, he points out, has, by far, the biggest city chapter of PRS, with 685 members here in the Apple.  The DC chapter, which is ranked at number one, draws members from not only the capitol, but from neighboring Virgina and Maryland.  And New York still is the media capitol of the U.S.

Jack calls out the leaders of the New York chapter for not being aggressive in their pursuit of the national conference.  He also slams the national PRS leadership for not being open -- even to members and chapter heads -- about the process they use to select their conference cities.

I don't know, nor do I care about, the internal politics of PRS and its chapters.  I've stayed away from the organization for many years, since I personally found it to be too political and slanted towards the bigger agencies and the corporate side.  Frankly, the group had little to offer me.

But Jack's column is worth a read.  It would be nice to have the PRS conference in New York a bit more often.  Maybe I'd even join and attend.  Maybe.

Comments

[Jack O'Dwyer]

Thanks for the great post! PRS is wracked by regional politics. The annual (money-losing) conference goes to cities throughout the U.S. to keep them in line politically. Any city that starts to complain about dues or whatever or that wants to move h.q. from super-expensive NY, is plied with the possibility of having the conference in that city.

Many other carrots keep dissidents quiet--speaker at national conference, Silver Anvil judge, national director, district posts (50), section posts, awards of all sorts, money sent to chapters, the $140,000 "Leadership Rally" (the weekend in NY each June including giving 140 attendees $550 each in cash), etc.