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WHAT IS MYTH AND WHAT IS REALITY?
WHERE DO PERCEPTIONS END AND REALITY BEGIN?

People believe what they perceive of an idea or message, not the reality. And people's perceptions have a way of tripping up facts; influencing events and shaping minds. History has proven this time and time again. Recent events in the world and Singapore have once again reinforced that, Perception is indeed Reality. So how can companies, brands and even countries ensure that perceptions will work in their favour and not against them?

The PR Academy has brought together communications experts from the States, UK, Australia and Singapore to debate this issue and to share their perspectives on the subject at its second annual conference on 20 Aug 03. About 200 policy makers, senior civil servants, government communicators, and PR consultancy representatives will attend the one day conference at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, aptly themed, "Strategic Communications: Perception is Reality".

Minister for the Environment, Mr Lim Swee Say will deliver the opening address. The international speakers are Mike McCurry, former US President Clinton's Press Secretary; Mike Holtzman, one of the key players who helped Beijing clinch the 2008 Olympic bid; Sue Driscoll and Thomas Murell, well-known social marketing experts in Australia; and Richard Barrington who drives the E-Government efforts at Sun Microsystems. Providing the Singapore perspectives are Dr Ismail Sudderuddin, Mr Lim Chiow Giap and Mr Basskaran Nair. (The speakers and their bio-data and the conference programme are attached.)

Commenting on why the PR Academy had chosen to focus on the theme of perceptions, the Academy's Managing Director, Ms Sulosana Karthigasu said: " Many communicators here, both in the public and private sector, feel that facts alone are sufficient to promote a policy, programme, or product. But two recent issues – SARS and introduction of NEWater - brought home very clearly the need to speak to the heart as well as the mind so that perceptions match the reality.

"And given today's news environment and its global outreach, managing perceptions have taken on a new urgency. Hence, we felt that it was timely to bring the international and local experts together to share their perspectives. And as all the experts speaking at the conference are practitioners, the conference promises to shed light on how the different cultures manage perceptions in today's global village."

ISSUED BY: PUBLIC RELATIONS ACADEMY

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

DATE: 20 AUG 03