SMC Opens Online Registrations for International Government Communication Forum 2014

Forum Set to Run at Expo Centre Sharjah from February 22 - 24

Sharjah-UAE: February 8, 2014 – Sharjah Media Centre (SMC) has announced the opening of online registrations for professionals from the government, private and media sector seeking to attend the the inaugural edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2014).

Participants are invited to log onto the forum’s official website www.igcf.ae and register to benefit from the thought sessions, training workshops and interactive presentations that are a part of the forum’s agenda this year.

Themed ‘Different Roles..Mutual Interest’, the event is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah from February 22-24 at Expo Centre Sharjah. The forum seeks to highlight the positive impact of government communication on the relationship between governments and their audiences including citizens, officials from the government and private sector, public utility commissions and different media stakeholders.

Osama Samra, Director of SMC, said: "The forum’s official website allows all those interested in attending the event to register their participation through a simple, time-saving process. It also provides visitors with detailed information about the agenda, names and biographies of the guests and speakers, as well as details on the thought sessions and training workshops."

Samra added: "Due to the overwhelming response to last year’s regional government communication forum, and also to enable a larger section of the community to attend and benefit from this year’s international event, we have earmarked a full day in IGCF’s agenda to training workshops. I would advise all government and media professionals interested in attending these sessions to complete the workshops’ online registration forms at the earliest to avoid disappointments due to the limited number of seats available."

The website IGCF serves as a useful community interface and will offer a slice of the action to those unable to attend the forum. Live broadcast feeds of the forum’s sessions, latest news and images from the event will be uploaded in real time over various social media channels such as Facebook (SharjahMediaCentre), Youtube (SharjahMediaCentre) and Twitter (SharjahMedia) via the hashtag #IGCF2014. The website also includes extensive information about the previous forums and a downloadable final report.

IGCF 2014 is expected to bring together more than 2,000 senior executives, media professionals, eminent broadcast media experts and government communication professionals, as well as students of communication and media studies.

The first regional government communication event was organised by Sharjah Media Centre in 2012. The forum discussed relevant communication challenges that were triggered by the socio-political occurrences in the Arab world. IGCF 2014 is a first-of-its-kind event that articulates the SMC’s efforts to develop government communication mechanisms for the benefit of government institutions in the UAE and wider region.