March 13th, 2007.
The International Association of Business Communicators Trinidad and Tobago, (IABC T&T) is the local chapter of IABC International, a global learning community of professionals committed to improving the effectiveness of organisations through strategic communications. Established in 1970, IABC is a 13,000-strong network of communicators worldwide, serving professionals in public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, strategic communication, government affairs, public affairs and writing/editing. It is one of few global organisations that offer accreditation programmes for communication professionals as well as cutting edge research in the area of communications and branding.
Since its launch in 2006, IABC T&T has welcomed into its membership over 40 local corporate communication and marketing professionals pursuing the credibility and global connections needed to excel in their careers. It is an enrolment rate with which the local chapter president, Judette Coward-Puglisi (Mango Media Caribbean) is very pleased.
"Our main goal is to be recognised as the professional organisation of choice for communicators and brand professionals who wish to excel in their chosen fields", said Coward-Puglisi, who is joined on the IABC T&T Board by other corporate communication professionals from some of the country's leading organizations, including Maria Rivas McMillan of Guardian Holdings Ltd as Executive Vice President, Giselle La Ronde-West of Angostura as VP Membership, Maria Mohammed of Kamo Designs & Productions Limited as VP Administration, Dawn Marie De Four-Gill of UWI as VP Communications, and Wynell Gregorio of CLICO as VP Professional Development. Alicia Lewis from the accounting firm, Leo Alleng and Associates, serves as the chapter's VP of Finance.
The IABC's printed and online magazines are another valuable resource. Designed to educate, demonstrate and inspire, IABC's numerous content resources offer expert insights and step-by-step instruction on the practice of communication. Special member pricing on events, books, manuals and external trade publications allows further individual growth, while member pricing on IABC's accreditation and Gold Quill Award program fees allows employees to gain credibility and enhance organisational reputation.
In IABC T&T's brief history, two events share prime significance. The first is a seminar held at Angostura House, Laventille in December, entitled, Communicators, Meet the Business Press. This seminar, which gave business communicators a chance to break bread with editors from the print and broadcast media, represented one step towards the fulfillment of one of the Association's primary objectives—to form a new relationship paradigm between communicators and journalists by bridging the gap between corporate communicators and the business media. The Association invited Anthony Wilson (Business Editor and Acting Editor, Trinidad Guardian), Sandra Chouthi (Associate Business Editor, Trinidad Guardian), Julian Rogers (Media Consultant and Head of News, Caribbean New Media Group) and Nigel Cumberbatch (Business Editor, Trinidad Express) to discuss issues ranging from the Alcoa smelter plant to ethics in the media.
On November 21st Coward-Puglisi and the IABC T&T Board were received by His Excellency President George Maxwell Richards at the Office of the President. During the 20-minute meeting, President Richards inquired about the Chapter's formation and vision, and proposed partnership with the Communications Department of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. His Excellency has also committed, schedule permitting, to attend the first, annual Communications Summit, which is carded for 2007.
