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Convention To Serve Up Public Relations Hot, No Sugar

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By DAVE SIMANOFF, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 18, 2007

If anything newsworthy happens in Tampa this weekend, don't panic. We'll have plenty of people in town to help issue press releases.
Public relations professionals from all over the South will convene in Tampa for a regional convention of the International Association of Business Communicators, which starts Thursday and continues through Saturday.

'This is a great chance to showcase Tampa,' said Crystal Coovert, marketing committee co-chair of IABC's Tampa Bay chapter, which is hosting the convention. 'This is a huge professional development opportunity, and a chance for people to meet and mix with their peers.'

About 200 people have registered for the convention, Coovert said. (The event is still open to registration; go to iabcsrc2007.com for information. The Tampa Tribune is one of the event's sponsors.)

Joseph Michelli, author of 'The Starbucks Experience: Five Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary,' is one of the convention's keynote speakers. He's a speaker, organizational psychologist and business consultant.

On Wednesday, he spoke to the Tribune about what he's planning to say at the convention, why Starbucks matters, and why PR people make a difference.

What will you be talking about in Tampa?

We're going to talk about change. This is an industry that's ripe for change - a growing industry that's had its ups and downs.

What should business people be learning from Starbucks?

Starbucks crafted an experience around a cup of coffee. They turned the service into an affordable luxury. Businesses should be understanding that consumers are seeking memorable and pleasurable experiences.

My next book is about the Ritz-Carlton hotels. That's a very different type of luxury experience.

Why are public relations so important today?

Because there are so many more places where images of companies are formed.

There are many companies that don't elevate professional communicators to the level of the C-suite. I think great businesses do put them up there. It's not just important what companies do, but how well we communicate what we do. I think it's critically important now, with so many opportunities for misinformation to get out there.

Also, consumers are interested in more kinds of things now - not just what you do, but how socially responsible you are. We have to make sure we share that story with people.

Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at (813) 259-7762 or dsimanoff@tampatrib.com.

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