by Laura Miller
The PR World Congress 2000 drew more than 3,500
public relations professionals, students, vendors, and trade journalists
to the Chicago Hyatt Regency Hotel in late October. The Public
Relations Society of America and the International Public Relations
Association sponsored the PR conference. This year's theme was "Building
Our Talent in a World of Tough Issues." Keynote speakers, panelists, and
PR dignitaries attempted to instruct and inspire those in attendance to
think about how, as communications professionals, they will be resolving
the global issues that "we care about."
align="BOTTOM">Corporate philanthropy has regained legitimacy
as a way of demonstrating "caring." Reynold Levy delivered a keynote talk
titled, "This Business of Giving--and Taking." Levy, who wears multiple
hats--president and CEO of International Rescue Committee, professor of
at Harvard Business School and Columbia School of Business, trustee of
the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and author of Give and Take: A Candid
Account of Corporate Philanthropy--spoke to an audience of well over a
thousand on the virtues of corporate giving.