Split across two days and jam-packed with over 20 live sessions, the PRCA Virtual International Summit will connect you with industry pioneers from Delhi to New York. You’ll hear from the brightest communications minds around the world on the challenges and opportunities that lie in wait for the industry as the world comes to terms with the seismic impact of the COVID-19 tragedy.
As we draw closer to PRCA’s inaugural Virtual International Summit, we're publishing a Q&A Series with the key-note speakers at our inaugural Summit. We sat down with Lars Voedisch, Managing Director & Founder, Precious Communications, to talk about startup businesses, COVID-19 life, authenticity, and much more.
1. What will you be discussing at the PRCA Virtual International Summit?
I’m sharing how startups are affected by the current situation and their need to adjust their business models, save costs – and at the same time build brands based on trust and innovation during times of great uncertainty.
2. What inspired the topic of your keynote address?
I’m very passionate about startups as I started my own firm when the ecosystem started booming in Southeast Asia and then grew together.
Founders put their heart, soul and often also their own and family’s money on the line to make their vision become a reality. Making that vision palatable for a wider audience is already hard. Adjusting it constantly as the economy changes is even harder – listening to customers, colleagues, investors… and basically the market.
3. Is there another area of public relations that’s really striking your interest of late?
How can you build a brand on authenticity if traditional corporate communications have been a lot of smoke, mirrors and massive stonewalls?
4. What do you think of the virtual event experience? Have you spoken at a virtual event or tuned into one recently?
It’s a fascinating development – long overdue and now speed tracked with the Covid-19 situation. There is a lot of experimenting on formats, programming etc. It’s great that the rather traditional events industry is getting shaken up from the ground up and forced to innovate!
5. How has the COVID-19 crisis affected you and your organisation?
I believe that 99% of people always wanting to work-from-home are now wishing to go back to the office at least some time. Balancing home-based learning for three kids plus two adults on near-non-stop video calls is quite challenging at time – not only for the network bandwidth;)
6. Have you been heartened by anything you’ve seen amidst the crisis – the industry’s response or organisations coming together to support each other?
I am actually speaking more often and more openly now with some of our direct competitors as many of the challenges we’re facing are bringing us together to exchange ideas, solutions and sorrows.
Read Q&A with consultant Jane Fordham MPRCA.
Read Q&A with Dr. Clara Ly-Le.
Read Q&A with Stephen Welch CMPRCA.
Read Q&A with Mary-Beth West MPRCA.
Read Q&A with Tariq Al Sharabi.