BY LOURDES RODRIGUEZ, HPRA Los Angeles Chapter President
and DAVID HENRY, HPRA New York Chapter President
HPRA is making 2010 count! The theme of this year’s upcoming 26th Annual PRemio Awards and Scholarship Gala captures it best, “2010: A New Chapter.” Indeed, this year marks a new chapter in HPRA’s 26-year history. The organization has forged a new professional association standard by expanding its footprint nationally with the addition of a New York chapter and co-presenting the first national Hispanic PR and Social Media Conference.
It has been a very active first half of the year for all of us at HPRA L.A. and New York and we are proud to share some of our highlights… more to come in the second half.
Thank you to all HPRA volunteers, committee directors, advisory council members, executive board members and, of course, our members for making all of this possible.
And if you live in or have friends and colleagues in the New York, New Jersey and the Connecticut area, help spread the word about the New York chapter and encourage others to become members.
January 2010
1. HPRA kicks off the year with its Social Media: Measuring and Monitoring Results event at the beautiful Shutters Hotel in Santa Monica. Social media mavens provided insight on the increasing role social media plays in the ever-changing PR landscape.
2. HPRA launches a more powerful and integrated website developed and maintained by Conexion that’s user-friendly and provides social media integration.
February 2010
HPRA supports advocating responsible coverage of issues and images affecting the Hispanic community and provides support to other organizations needing our PR and marketing expertise. In February, we did just that as HPRA assisted with a media training workshop for 12 LGBT Latino leaders in the Los Angeles area. For the first time, leaders from The Wall-Las Memorias Project, GLAAD, Bienestar and other Latino LGBT organizations gathered to develop a cohesive and consistent media message. Thank you to the HPRA members who volunteered their time to help make this training possible: Tatum Wan, RL Public Relations; Anai Ibarra, consultant; Stephen Chavez, Allison & Partners; Alfredo Lee, VPE Public Relations; and Ivette Zurita, Accentmarketing.
March 2010
HPRA hosts a panel discussion with leading Hispanic news wire services, hosted by La Opinion in downtown L.A. The discussion focused on how PR professionals can best communicate with these valuable services and provided networking opportunities.
April 2010
HPRA goes national! The organization officially launches a New York chapter dedicated to supporting and growing the Hispanic PR profession in the heart of the big apple.
May 2010
HPRA and the Hispanic PR Blog make history with the first-ever Hispanic Public Relations & Social Media Conference May 10-12, 2010 in Dallas, TX. HPRA forged a national presence by co-presenting the conference. More than 300 professionals in the public relations, marketing and communications industries came together to hear from brand leaders, blogueros and blogueras as well as agency leaders about the increasing role of social media and the changing landscape of Hispanic PR. It was a packed two-days of workshops and networking, plus a great opportunity to introduce HPRA’s newest chapter … New York! We also announced our plans for expansion and were overwhelmed by the excitement and enthusiasm of so many to open HPRA chapters all over the U.S.
June 2010
1. On Tuesday, June 15th, Hispanic PR and social media experts descend on the bustling Times Square for the NY chapter’s inaugural event. It was the first time many Hispanic PR professionals from the Tri-State area gathered in one room to network and exchange fresh ideas with one another, toasting to success and longevity in the field.
2. On June 23rd, broadcast professionals from Estrella TV and Azteca America join HPRA-L.A. for a panel discussion on the do’s and don’ts of working with broadcast media at the Burbank Marriott.
3. HPRA-L.A. selects the 2010 Scholarship recipients to be awarded during the 26th Annual HPRA PRemio Awards and Scholarship Gala on Thursday, October 7th in Los Angeles, CA.
Upcoming events …
Mark your calendars for the 26th Annual HPRA PRemio Awards and Scholarship Gala on Thursday, October 7, 2010 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. For more information, please contact the PRemio Awards Director, Gabi Barbarena. The national call for entries for HPRA’s PRemio Awards – Campaign of the Year will go out the week of July 12.
HPRA says ¡Bienvenidos! to our new members!
Thank you to all our new members who have joined HPRA during 2010. For a one-year membership at $125, you can become a member of the nation’s leading professional organization for Hispanic PR professionals providing you with access to quality resources and allowing you to network amongst other leading PR experts across the country from L.A. to New York.
Become a Member of the Month
As a way to highlight our new and existing members, HPRA will start featuring two members of the month on a regular monthly basis. The recognized members will represent the L.A. and NY chapters. If you would like to be considered as a member of the month or would like to recommend a member, please contact Veronica Potes.