Chairman P Kamalanathan expects about 1,000 delegates to attend, including nearly 200 international participants primarily from Asean countries and 100 representatives from universities.

“The conference is about working together to elevate and strengthen our industry, and to promote our industry in other areas of interest,” he told a press conference at IACT College, Petaling Jaya.

“We have been building other people’s brands, image and industry, but our profession itself needs elevation.”

The three-day event will include panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions featuring experts from the UK, the US and other regions.

Masterclasses focussing on verbal and non-verbal communication are also planned.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, will officiate and deliver the keynote address on Nov 13.

A special dialogue session for Asean students will explore the future of communications in their respective countries, with additional guests expected from across Asia.

Kamalanathan expressed hope that the conference would be a platform for industry players to exchange expertise, especially on pressing industry challenges such as the danger posed by fake news, the rise of social media and innovations in the media industry.

He also revealed plans for the conference to become a biennial event, with the potential to expand regionally in the future.

“There are suggestions to take it regional, but that’s a work in progress. Our first priority now is to organise this conference successfully.”

The conference is supported by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Public Relations and Communications Association Asia Pacific branch. It has been endorsed by the Human Resource Development Corporation.

Memorandums of understanding were signed today with strategic partners, including the National Press Club, the Malaysian Institute of Management and the Malaysian HR Forum.

Interested parties can visit www.gprfmy.com for more details.