The 4th ASEAN PR Conference & The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards, 2023

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: In conjunction with The International Tourism Expo that was held from the 7th to 9th of September 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam,  ASEAN PR Network in collaboration with Vietnam PR Network supported by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has successfully organised The 4th ASEAN International PR Conference (APRC) and The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards bringing together international delegates to Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam that was held on 8th September 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam.

The 4th ASEAN PR Conference was filled with many distinguished speakers from countries  around the ASEAN such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Conference was divided into two sessions with various topics from talking about Destination Marketing in the first session to Viable Public Relations: Trustworthy and Purposeful to Create Values in the second session.

The Conference was started with Welcoming remarks from Mr. Ha Van Sieu as the Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Dr. (H.C.) Prita Kemal Gani, MBA, MCIPR, APR, FIPR as the President of ASEAN PR Network and Mr. Nguyen Khoa My as the Chairman of Vietnam PR Network.

The first session of the forum focused on discussing Tourism which is Destination Marketing. The discussion on this topic was started with the first speaker from Thailand, Dr. Nutthaboon Pornrattanacharoen as the Academic Committee for Innovation and Foreign Affairs, Thailand Public Relations Association, continued with second speaker from Vietnam, Mr. Nguyễn Tiến Huy as the CEO of Pencil Group.  Followed by Vietnamese speakers, Mr. Phuoc Dang as the Co- Founder & CEO, The Outbox Company and Mr. Miquel Angel P. Martorell as the Head of Human Resources & Quality Management Working Group, Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and Founder, ML Sustainable & Tourism Services Ltd, Ms. Nguyễn Cẩm Tú – Director of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism. The Tourism Session was closed with panel discussion with all the speakers and moderated by Mr. Le Quoc Vinh as the  Chairman and CEO of Le Group.

The 4th ASEAN PR Conference proceeded to the second forum session that focused on Viable Public Relations: Purposeful and Trustworthy to Create Value topics, bringing out PR Professionals and PR Leaders from ASEAN countries. The first session started with, Dr. (H.C) Prita Kemal Gani, MBA, MCIPR, APR, FIPR as the President of  ASEAN PR Network, second speaker from Malaysia, Dato Sri Haji Ibrahim Abdul Rahman as the Immediate Past President of Institute PR Malaysia and Former Director General Department Of Information Malaysia. Continued with third speaker from Malaysia, Mr. Jaffri Amin Osman as the President of Institute PR Malaysia and and Chair of Global Alliance for Communication and Management Asia Pacific and fourth speaker from Mr. Le Quoc Vinh as the Chairman and CEO of Le Group of Companies. The Public Relations session was closed with Panel Discussion with all the speakers, Moderated by Mr. My Nguyen Khoa as the Chair of Vietnam PR Network  and with Mr. Alexander Mamby Aruan on behalf of Dr. (H.C) Prita.

As one of the PR Leaders and Professionals, Dr. (H.C) Prita Kemal Gani, MBA, MCIPR, APR, FIPR expressed that “it was indeed a great honour that the esteemed organizers of Vietnam PR Network extended their invitation to collaborate with ASEAN PR Network in hosting The 4th ASEAN PR Conference and The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. During this distinguished event, we had the privilege of serving as speakers, addressing the crucial topic of Public Relations (PR) and its role in bolstering the growth of the tourism sector. We deliberated on strategies to advance tourism and enhance the collective image of ASEAN countries as a unified brand and we had the privilege of presenting awards to outstanding PR practitioners, both individuals and organizations, as well as commendable campaigns from diverse ASEAN countries during The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards. We are delighted to have forged strong bonds of friendship with Vietnam as the gracious host, as well as with fellow nations represented at the event. These interactions have facilitated the establishment of valuable international connections.”

Global Alliance Chair For Asia-Pacific and President of Institute PR Malaysia, Mr. Jaffri Amin Osman said, “This ASEAN PR Conference managed by APRN and VNPR again showcased some of the best ASEAN-centric and culturally relevant presentations. The presentations, as presented also by the APRN Chair Ibu Prita Kemal Gani, also stressed how ASEAN should stand together and become a PR force to be reckoned with. Also, the networking opportunity at this ASEAN PR Conference makes it one of the most important and unique conferences in this region. Kudos APRN!”

Keeping the momentum, after the closing of The 4th ASEAN PR Conference the event was continued with The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards 2023. This PR Excellence Award is to benchmark the industry and practice standards as a distinctive badge to RECOGNIZE and CELEBRATE achievements in Public Relations practice.

The award ceremony was started with welcoming remarks from Dr. (H.C) Prita Kemal Gani, MBA, MCIPR, APR, FIPR as the President of  ASEAN PR Network, Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa as the Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and a special greetings from H.E Tran Duc Binh as the Deputy Secretary – General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs.

This award is to celebrate the achievements of the leading communicators and agencies in ASEAN. Each of the entries was submitted by association or institution from different countries across ASEAN. The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards has 12 award categories which are: Best PR Programme, Best PR Practitioners, Best PR Agencies, Best PR Campaign, Best Crisis Management, Best Government PR, Best Comm Use of Digital Platform, Best Comm Use of Social Media, Lifetime Achievement Award, ASEAN Young Practitioner of The Year, Outstanding PR Project – Students and Outstanding University / Institution in Public Relations.

This year, 2023, the special award of the 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award is also given to honour the most outstanding ASEAN Practitioners for his contribution and achievement in ASEAN to Mr. Jahja Setiaatmadja as the President Director of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk.

A remarkable turn of events, this year’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 trophy was presented directly to the deserving winner. Following an online awarding ceremony in 2021, we are delighted to return to in-person presentations this year, making the occasion all the more special.

In addition to this exciting change, we witnessed fierce competition in the social media category between Megaworld Philippines the Bronze award and Sabah Tourism Board from Malaysia, securing the Runner-Up for Bronze award. These achievements underscore the growing recognition of excellence in our industry, and we are proud to honour those who have contributed significantly to its advancement.

Aside from the PR Excellence Awarding, the  International Tourism Expo HCMC together with Vietnam PR Network and ASEAN PR Network also presented the ITE x APRN Award with a total of four categories which are: International Media Agency, Vietnamese Local Media Agency, Travel Influencer and  Travel Publication.

Mr. Nguyen Khoa My – Chairman of Vietnam Public Relations Network (VNPR) shared: “As the host country of the event, this is a memorable milestone for us to connect and create sustainable value, celebrating the region’s brilliant Public Relations achievements. Public relations is not just work, but also an important mission to promote understanding, cooperation and peace in the ASEAN region. May these outstanding achievements serve as inspiration for all of us to continue working for the bright future of Southeast Asia.”

Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa – Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism shared: “The Vietnamese and global tourism industry is gradually warming up since the Covid19 pandemic. To truly stand out and effectively build the image of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general requires the participation of many parties and especially professional destination communications strategies. It is also why Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and ASEAN Public Relations Network – APRN joined hands in this series of special events.”

HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism (short name: HCMC DOT) is the official specialized agency for tourism, under the direction of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, which is responsible for tourism administration, research & development, tourism and hospitality management, marketing & promotion for HCMC as a tourist destination.

BANK RAKYAT INDONESIA (BRI) – Diamond Sponsors

BRI was established on 16 December 1895 in Purwokerto, Central Java by Raden Aria Wiriatmaja as De Poerwokertosche Hulp en Spaarbank Der Inladsche Hoofden. Initially started as a savings and loan cooperative for mosques, the simple financial institution was then incorporated as a bona fide bank in 1968.

Today, BRI is one of the largest banks in Indonesia and Southeast Asia that focuses on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and a pioneer of microfinance in Indonesia. Since its IPO in 2003, BRI has consistently posted profit and paid dividends to shareholders. As of June 2023, BRI’s services are supported by 666,038 BRILink agents, 565,937 EDC units, 13,838 ATMs, and 8,007 CRMs.

CAO FINE JEWELLERY – Gold Sponsors

List of Winners : The 4th ASEAN PR Excellence Awards, 2023