Media Relations – Virtual press conferencing – The African Press Organization signs up the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) for virtual press conferencing
DAKAR, Senegal, November 24, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The African Press Organization (http://www.apo-opa.org) has signed a contract with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) encompassing virtual press conferencing and media monitoring services.
Virtual press conferencing allows companies, organizations, institutions and governments to hold a real international press conference as it is done by internet. Journalists can participate in the virtual press conference wherever they are without leaving their offices or their respective countries of residence.
Virtual press conferencing is both profitable to the organizer and to the journalists because it helps to reduce travelling costs, and helps to gain time. It is also a way to reduce the impact of media relation activities on the environment and conveys the modern image of the companies, organizations, institutions or governments.
“Most African journalists do not have the means to pay for air tickets and hotel fees for them to participate in an international press conference. Thanks to the virtual press conference, we make it possible for journalists to participate in the press conference from anywhere in the world using a computer connected to the internet, even without high speed internet connection” declared APO’s Secretary General, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, insisting that the efficiency of APO’s virtual press conferencing is based notably on targeted distribution of the Media Advisory through APO’s three distribution channels (online database of Africa-related press releases – APO Source, targeted emailing based on media file of 25.000 contacts categorized by country and topic, and distribution by partners: PR Newswire, LexisNexis, Comtex, BurellesLuce, Afribiz.info, Afrik.com, Afrik-news.com, and A24Media.com).
“Being the leader in the distribution of Africa-related press releases, the APO is – also – the world leader in the distribution of Africa- related Media Advisories. The efficiency of our various media relation services, of which virtual press conferencing, webcasts, promotion of international events related to Africa, or the organization of physical press conferences, is based on our global leadership in the distribution of Africa-related press releases sector, which provides us with an incomparable awareness capacity to journalists ” emphasized the Secretary General of the APO.
During an interview published by Afrik.com, the 1st October 2009, APO’s Secretary General Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard declared that the APO anticipated a global significant increase of the number of press events organized by video conferencing, in particular because of the global financial crisis which affects advertising revenues of media and causes journalists to minimize their travelling costs and time. Similarly, apart from those accompanying official delegations, journalists are less likely to attend international meetings.
Having organized nearly 50 press conferences since 2008, particularly on behalf of different specialized agencies of the United Nations, for the European Commission for instance, the APO has a substantial advance in this sector, as well as in webcasting.
During the past three years, APO’s virtual press conferencing solution has been used by the most important African and international media, of which notably :South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Thomson Reuters, BBC World News, The Associated Press, Agence France Presse (AFP), Bloomberg News, XINHUA News, TV5 Monde, Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA), l’Agence Panafricaine d’Information (Panapress), The West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR), Africa N°1, Afrik.com, IC Publications, Radio France Internationale (RFI), Ethiopian News Agency, Les Afriques, The Africa Report, The Nation Media Group Ltd, but also the Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA), Le Monde (France), Gulf News (United Arab Emirates), Libération (France), Le Soleil (Senegal), Voice of America (USA), Xinmin Weekly (China), Afrique Expansion Magazine (Cameroon), AlWasat Newspaper (Bahrain), L’Express de Madagascar, Gabonews (Gabon), Nikkei (Japan), The Courrier ACP-EU (Belgium), BruxInfo (Hungary), Somali Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service Television, New African magazine, The Daily Sun (Nigeria), Business Day (South-Africa), Marchés Tropicaux et Méditerranéens (France), New Europe (Belgium), Swazi Observer (Swaziland), Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF), The Daily Observer (Gambia), Radio Télévision Guinéenne (RTG), Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Lesotho News Agency (LENA), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is an alliance driven by the vision of a world without malnutrition. GAIN is a Swiss foundation that mobilizes public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. http://www.gainhealth.org
About the African Press Organization
APO is the global leader in media relation services in or related to Africa and partners notably with PR Newswire, LexisNexis. APO has its headquarters in Dakar (Senegal) and its Regional Office for Europe in Lausanne (Switzerland).
Contact :
Jennipher TAMBADOU
Business Development Manager
Tel.: +221 33 829 64 33 – Skype : apo-opa5
Email: bdm1@apo-opa.org - www.apo-opa.org
SOURCE
African Press Organization (APO)
