Van Eperen Public Relations Adds New Services to Accommodate Changing Industry

Van Eperen Public Relations Adds New Services to Accommodate Changing Industry

VE PR Helps the Business Community “Keep Up” Via Educational Seminars

ROCKVILLE, Md. – With the emergence new media, such as blogs, wikis and other collaborative social media tools, the face of the public relations industry is changing. Organizations can no longer simply issue news releases on a semi-regular basis, as new media require more attention and rapid responses. Van Eperen Public Relations (VE PR), a full-service public relations firm located in Rockville, Md., is responding to the changing industry demands by offering new services and educational seminars.

“As a former journalist, I know what reporters and editors want and need,” said Laura Van Eperen, principal of the firm. “I also recognize their needs are changing. Only ten years ago, the Internet had not permeated the business community. Now, the distribution of news releases via fax and mail is nearly obsolete. The news media wants to receive information as it happens, which is where blogs and wikis come in— allowing organizations to instantly communicate with their target audiences.”

VE PR added the creation of blogs and wikis to its list of services, as well as online event management tools. VE PR’s other services include media relations, community relations, marketing events, government affairs, crisis communications, online communications and collateral development.

“While we are not an event planning firm,” said Van Eperen, “we do work on event-based projects. The individuals our clients invite to their events want to receive information quickly just like reporters, so it is necessary to move event management information online just like everything else.”

In addition to educating their current clients about the changing face of the industry, VE PR offers approximately six educational seminars each year to organizations throughout the Washington, DC metro area. The topics planned for this year include:

• Creating Synergies between Your Communications and Advocacy Departments (a seminar for associations): February 6, 2007 at 8:30 a.m. at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
• Boot Camp: Get Your Communications Plan in Shape (a general PR seminar): March 6, 2007 at 8 a.m. at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
• Preparing for and Maximizing Your Attendance at BIO 2007 (a seminar for biotechnology companies): April 17, 2007 at 8 a.m., tentatively at Rockville Economic Development, Inc.
• Translating Your Tech-Speak into Everyday Language (a seminar for high-tech companies): September 4, 2007 at 8 a.m., tentatively at Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus
• How To Use Blogs, Wikis And Other Collaborative Social Media Tools To Reinvent Your Internal Communications (a general PR seminar): October 23, 2007 at 8 a.m., tentatively at Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus
• Planning for 2008 (a general PR seminar): December 4, 2007 at 8 a.m., tentatively at Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus