The Middle East Public Relations Association, MEPRA, HAS announced that the National Media Council, NMC, will be one of the key strategic partners and keynote speakers at the fourth Leadership Majlis in Abu Dhabi on 10th May at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The speakers will also include a range of strategic partners and senior public relations professionals from Facebook, Mubadala, Etihad Airways, The UAE World Energy Congress Marriott International, CARMA and United Eastern Medical Services, PRWeek and Arthur W. Page Society. The forum will provide an opportunity to listen to discussions and perspectives that will contribute to the future of the region's public relations sector.

On track to sell out to 200 attendees and covering six sessions, the morning conference will explore a wide range of industry topics, including countering fake news in the UAE; CEO activism; PR as the most powerful marketing discipline; PR professionals at the leadership table; and how the brand defines communications. The event will also provide plenty of opportunities to network with the industry’s elite.

As the platinum headline partner, the National Media Council will kick off the first session with NMC Director-General Mansour Al Mansouri, moderated by Founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, Sunil John, on the mission and objectives of the National Media Council and its role in consolidating the UAE's status and media presence.

Al Mansouri said, "The NMC is committed to strengthening our strategic partnerships with the various stakeholders in the local, regional and international media sector. This supports our efforts to develop a national strategy capable of advancing the UAE's media sector, and allows us to achieve the Council's objectives and vision – particularly, projecting a positive image of the UAE and spreading its message ??of moderation and tolerance. It is with these objectives in mind that we forged our strategic partnership with MEPRA in the lead-up to its fourth Leadership Majlis. The Forum offers an opportunity for us to engage with media leaders and experts in social media and public relations, and explore the challenges, opportunities and trends reshaping our sector."

"The significant and rapid developments witnessed by the media sector has created new media spaces, which are sometimes exploited to spread false news," Al Mansouri added. "This requires all media stakeholders to cooperate and explore ways to combat and eradicate this phenomenon. This is what we plan on discussing with our media partners present here at the MEPRA Leadership Majlis."

The 2018 MEPRA Leadership Majlis will cover the theme ‘Power Forward’, highlighting the power of PR through a mix of presentations, panel discussions and workshops, including; - The National Media Council and its crucial role in the positioning of the UAE: Mansour Al Mansouri, Director General, National Media Council, interviewed by Sunil John, Founder & CEO of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller.

- The Power of Truth: Countering fake news in the UAE: Nashwa Ali, Head of Public Policy, Facebook.

- The Power of our Industry: How public relations can be the most powerful marketing discipline in the future: Danny Rogers, Editor-in-Chief, PRWeek.

- The Power of CEO Activism: How companies around the world are wrestling with demands to take a position on controversial social issues: Case study presentation by Peter Debreceny, International Vice President for the Arthur W. Page Society and former VP of Corporate Relations at Allstate Insurance Company (US). Panel session to follow joined by Deema Kingsmill-Moore, Communications and Community Engagement Director MEA, Marriott International and Mazen Nahawi, CEO, CARMA. Moderated by Roger Bolton, President of the Arthur W. Page Society.

- A Seat at the Table: The Power of Communication Leaders: Panel session with Amina Taher, VP Corporate Affairs, Etihad Aviation Group, Jorge Camara, Deputy CEO, UAE World Energy Congress, and Farah Al Alami, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, United Eastern Medical Services. Moderated by Fahad Al Qahtani, Chief Executive Officer at The Corporate Office.

- Power of Brands: How the Brand Defines Communications: Case study presentations with Mohammed AlSiddiq, Head of Digital Communications, Mubadala. Panel session to follow, joined by Umayma Abubakar, Head of Internal Corporate Relations, Mubadala and Danny Rogers, Editor-in-Chief, PRWeek. Moderated by Jonty Summers, Managing Director, Hanover ME.

MEPRA Chair Ray Eglington said, "We are proud to have such a high-calibre group of speakers, featuring key players from the industry as well as some globally recognized brands. The purpose of the MEPRA Leadership Majlis is to bring strategic views from leading communicators, which will allow for critical and insightful discussions. We have no doubt this will be achieved through our 2018 conference agenda."

The 2018 MPRA Leadership Majlis is supported by corporate and agency partners including, the National Media Council, Jumeirah Group, Mubadala, Four Communications Group, Etihad Airways, PRWeek, Arthur W. Page Society and SOCIALEYEZ.

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