Sharjah: The third International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2014) is set to start on February 22 and will have Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, as the guest of honour.
The forum will be inaugurated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who will give a keynote speech on February 23 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The theme for the three-day forum will be Different roles...Mutual Interest, kicking off a line-up of sessions discussing the positive impact of government communications on the relationship between governments and their audiences.
Discussions will explore the relationship between governments and citizens, as well as with government officials, the private sector, and different media stakeholders. They will also highlight the role that government communication can play in improving a country’s image, and influencing its economic, social, and political future.
The forum will bring together more than 25 regional and international professionals from the government, private and media sector, and around 2,000 are expected to attend this year.
The first day of the forum will feature two parallel training workshops for members of the media and government communication professionals titled Social Media in a Changing World, and The Changing Role of Government Communications.
The second day of the forum will hold the opening ceremony followed by three sessions, and the third day will host four interactive sessions discussing topics related to internal government communication.
During the three-day event, the green seat initiative adopted at last year’s forum will also be a part of this forum. The initiative allows public opinion makers such as the youth and students to get together with renowned speakers during sessions and present their perceptions and opinions as representatives of their community.
The forum will invite international government communication experts to share their experiences and case studies, as governments around the world face varied challenges in communicating with the public.
