Austin is one of those places that makes you fall in love with it in an instant. That’s one of the reasons we selected it for the 2013 Counselors Academy Conference. I snapped this photo during our conference planning meeting in January. Can’t wait to see the city in full bloom during the conference, June 9-11.
There’s a wonderful dog park behind Austin Four Seasons, the host hotel for the 2013 Counselors Academy Conference. When I was enjoying the walking trails there in January, I saw this sign, and immediately thought, “That’s exactly what Counselors Academy Conference is!”
Let’s face it, with the demands that come along with being PR agency owners, managers and leaders, there aren’t many opportunities to run wild. Really, there’s one chance a year. That’s when we get together with our trusted peers (old and new friends each time) at the Counselors Academy Conference and have frank discussions about our business challenges, take a good look at what we might need to do to change and open our minds to improving ourselves as leaders, our teams and our agencies.
It’s so wonderful to be able to set aside time annually to be untethered in a safe environment to ultimately figure out how to better serve our clients and keep improving year after year. Being unleashed gives us the freedom to remember what we do best and what we love about being PR agency leaders and re-energizes us with creativity and fresh thinking.
Hope to get to get to run free with you in Austin! The conference is June 9 – 11 which is just a few weeks away. That makes me wag my tail. 🙂
Clairemont Communications Sweeps InSpire Awards with 18 Wins for Excellence in Public Relations
— Raleigh PR Agency Recognized Amongst Best in State by the North Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America —
Raleigh, N.C. – May 14, 2013 – Clairemont Communications, a full-service public relations and marketing communications firm, won 18 InSpire Awards – a record number for the Raleigh-based agency and the most given to any organization – at the 2013 InSpire Awards hosted by the North Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than having our successful client campaigns recognized as examples of exceptional quality by our PR industry peers,” said Dana Hughens, chief executive officer, Clairemont Communications. “Bringing home more Best in Category Awards this year is an extra thrill!”
Modeled after PRSA’s Bronze and Silver Anvil Awards, the InSpire Awards and are open to all public relations, communications and marketing organizations and professionals in the state. Members of the Portland Metro Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America judged this year’s entries. Clairemont won the following:
Bronze Awards:
Silver Awards:
“We chose to work with Clairemont Communications based on the agency’s track record for producing results-driven, creative campaigns that integrate various communications disciplines,” said Patrick O’Neil, director of corporate communications, Railinc. “Because of this, we are proud that our work together received Awards of Excellence and Best in Category designations in the Creative Tactics and Internal Communications categories.”
Clairemont Communications devises communications strategies that utilize traditional communications and social media to help clients achieve business objectives and improve the bottom line by influencing purchases, persuading stakeholders and influencers, and defining brands. Clarity in vision + the promise of monumental results = Clairemont Communications.
Photo Credits: Ashley McCray Photography (Thank you Ashley for also sponsoring NCPRSA InSpire Awards!)
Okay, okay, the theme for the 2013 Counselors Academy conference is in fact Get W.E.I.R.D. in Austin: Wired, Entrepreneurial, Imaginative and Results-Driven, but if you go for the conference June 9 – 11, you might also want to get batty while you are there.
Did you know that Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America? It just so happens that our conference takes place during prime bat watching season when up to 1.5 million bats will be living under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Each night as the sun is setting, they fly out from under the bridge in search of insects to eat right out of the air.
Yes, this does sound a little weird, I’ll admit. And as someone who has always had a fear that a bat is going to want to nest in my hair, I was extremely creeped out by the thought of this. However, I was convinced to witness it a few years ago, and I’ll go ahead and say it is an Austin can’t-miss!
Our conference hotel is within walking distance of several prime bat viewing locations. If you want to get weird AND batty in Austin, ask the hotel concierge for tips on the best places and times to see these interesting little creatures and unofficial Austin ambassadors. See you in Austin in a few weeks!
The better question is, “How is juggling NOT like managing a PR agency?”
When I was in Austin in January for a planning session for our upcoming PRSA’s Counselors Academy Conference, I took some time to walk around and enjoy the weirdness the city is known to embrace. As I watched this amazing juggler, I thought about what it takes for PR agency owners and leaders to keep all the balls in the air each day. It’s no cake walk!
Fortunately, there’s Counselors Academy to help you hone your juggling skills. First, let me say that it is the relationships I’ve made through this organization that are the biggest asset to me in running an agency. I depend on my Counselors Academy friends on a weekly (sometimes daily!) basis for support, advice and in-market support throughout the year. The fact that Counselors is part of my world year-round makes the annual conference so exciting!
It’s so wonderful to get to see my trusted colleagues in person AND to meet each new attendee who shows up as a newbie only to walk away as “one of the group” just a few days later. We gather to learn how to better our teams, our client work and our businesses through sessions like “Building the Best Place to Work” by Starr Baker and Kelly Womer, “Transforming Your Agency: How Change Inspires Creativity” by Indra Gardiner and “Managing Your PR Agency as a Business” by Darryl Salerno.
Anyone juggling the management of teams, clients, new business and other aspects of a PR agency should consider attending this year’s conference in Austin, June 9 – 11. If you have questions about the conference, feel free to leave them in the comments section or email me direct at d@clairemontcommunications.com or ring my mobile at 615-294-1886. Hope to see you there!
