IABC23 - A successful conference, and a smart decision

There were some packed rooms and noisy corridors at IABC’s 2023 World Conference in Toronto. Not just during the conference itself - but in the pre-conference discussions about IABC’s future.

For the most part, the attention of the nearly 1000 attendees was focused on the content coming from the likes of crisis expert Helio Fred Garcia, Second City alum turned corporate improv expert Brian G. Smith, and Duolingo social media czar Zaria Parvez.  

But as always, the annual conference also convened a gathering-within-a-gathering of those who care intensely about the Association itself.

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And at that gathering, the conversation among the IABC leaders in attendance increasingly reflects a new narrative that’s emerging as the Association transitions from the pandemic.

It is not an “old IABC vs. new IABC” narrative. 

Instead it signals a shift away from “what can IABC do for its members” towards “what can IABC and its members do to support and lead the industry, and how can we create the opportunities to do this.”

Part of the shift became apparent at the packed pre-kickoff Town Hall for association leaders, which I had the pleasure of moderating.  

The topic was IABC’s year-long re-evaluation of its internal structure, which after considering numerous alternatives for a top-to-bottom reorganization, settled on a simple bylaw change to formalize regional representation on its International Executive Board.

The seemingly “minor” change took the wind out of an anticipated Town Hall debate that was expected to pit old-timers against new folks, small against large chapters and strong regions against those that were struggling. 

But the decision to defer a full-blown reorganization didn’t merely avoid another inward-looking “rearrange the deck chairs” debate.  It actually sets the stage for a far more exciting transformation that will be driven by the opportunities IABC leaders and members choose to embrace over the next few years.

The opportunities are significant and diverse.  Making the most of them will require new approaches to organization, funding and agility that arbitrary organizational changes would more likely impede rather than improve. 

They include: 

Climate communication: There are tens of millions of dollars being thrown at climate solutions, including many involving communication and campaigning. Having thousands of already-effective communication professionals on its books able to help resolve real climate problems could position IABC to bring in some of those millions. 

IABC’s experience in delivering certification and training programs could allow it to establish a strong presence in this area if it moves quickly and decisively.  Doing so, however, might require new structures, processes, and practices if it chooses to evolve and grow in this direction.

Professional isolation: following the combined challenges of pandemic, organizational layoffs, and remote and hybrid work, communication pros are increasingly recognizing professional isolation as a challenge - something even more critical for personal well-being than the simple need for professional networking had been in the pre-pandemic world.  Such a trend bodes well for an association that can provide strong connections in-person and virtually, as IABC can.

Gatherings: The need to address professional isolation is changing the ways for communication pros to convene, discuss and connect with each other.  Physical events in particular are changing - and the business models are also shifting, with many comms vendors are organizing their own events at considerable expense. 

Still, there remains a need for practitioner-led events to promote broader perspectives rather than just accelerate commercial transactions. 

IABC’s World Conference success is an encouraging sign that practitioners are still willing to pay for such events.  Additionally, IABC chapters like Minnesota and Kansas City have had excellent results with low-cost one-day conferences that connect local comms pros while drawing beyond immediate metro areas.

Genuinely interactive online events, such as online open space conferences, present additional opportunities to create networks and connections - globally and regionally as well as locally.

Certification: The ISO-certified SCMP and CMP communication certifications of the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) remain a source of untapped potential for IABC to expand its reach beyond its current membership - and new channels for reaching unaffiliated communication pros and the ability to deliver remote proctoring could prove game-changing.

A free-standing climate communication certification, if GCCC could get one up and running quickly, could also seize the initiative in the still-emerging climate communication space.

Industry Leadership:  On a broader scale, the very model of industry leadership in comms is changing - away from organizations and institutions leading with position statements and pronouncements, and towards leaders active in those organizations and institutions leading through their own voices and being amplified by their peers and fellow members.  

As an association that continues to retain the loyalty of many top communication industry thought leaders and is the home of some exciting new voices, IABC is very well positioned. It has significant opportunities to increase its overall share of voice by championing and platforming its thought leaders towards the broader communication profession, rather than focusing on its own pronouncements to maintain the pretense of being the profession’s primary voice.  

Where does IABC head coming out of Toronto  

For me, what strikes out is that IABC and its leadership has stopped trying to control its future - to stop putting the cart of organizational change and internal jockeying ahead of the horsepower that the developments taking place in the industry can provide in catalyzing IABC’s mission and driving sustainable and substantial growth. 

In so doing, IABC has stopped trying vainly to make itself the center of the communication world.  

This could make it possible for IABC to become more dynamic, more important and, indeed, more central than it could ever have imagined. 

Watch this space.