2018 IABC First Quarter Report: See what IABC is doing to advance the profession, create connection and develop strategic communicators around the world.

1. 2018 QUARTERLY
RE
PORT
July–September

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Advancing the
communication
profession, creating
connection and
developing strategic
communicators.
03 About IABC
04 Message from the Chair
Fostering a diverse community • Advocating for ethics • Strategy with purpose
06 Message from the Executive Director
Making global connections • Developing strategic communication competencies
and thinking • Advancing the profession with new insights • Raising standards •
Scholarships available • Member Month: Expand Your Impact
09 Diversity and Inclusion Statement
11 IABC Leadership
12 Committee Updates
13 Awards Committee
14 Mentorship Task Force
15 IABC History Task Force
16 Program Advisory Committee
17 Key Dates
18 Stay Connected
ON THE COVER The IABC World Conference is the must-attend annual event for forward-thinking communication
professionals. Over 1,300 communicators from around the world were in attendance at the 2018 World Conference in
Montréal—don’t miss the 2019 IABC World Conference next June in Vancouver..

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About IABC
The International Association of Business
Communicators (IABC) is the only global association
that connects you with the people and insights you
need to drive business results.
Supporting professional communicators at the
heart of every organization, IABC provides insights
and tools needed to lean into the future of a changing
communication profession and prepare for what’s next,
while driving your business forward today.
Join IABC or renew your membership
during October Member Month and save
10 percent on international dues. Members
can also share their #myIABCstory to be
entered to win a gift card.

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Dear IABC leaders and members around the world,
What an honor to serve as your chair. It’s a privilege to work with talented
professionals on chapter, regional and the international boards, as well as our
international committees and IABC staff. It is inspiring to see everyone doing their
part to create a better association and advance our profession. The commitment
clearly runs deep, so thank you for everything you are doing.
Fostering a diverse and safe community
One of our core values is to foster a diverse
community, and this year we are being
very intentional to ensure we make
progress. In this report, you can read
IABC’s new diversity and inclusion
statement, along with our immediate
steps to advance this core strength.
Diversity of all kinds, on every board and
committee, will make us stronger and more
relevant to all communication professionals.
I’m excited about the possibilities of what we can
achieve when everyone understands they are valued
as part of our global community. In that spirit, our new Code of Conduct is intended
to create safe spaces and a supportive environment at all IABC events — virtual, face-
to-face and online forums, so stay tuned. Our executive director, Stephanie Doute,
CAE, and I will report out on progress made at our Annual General Meeting in June.
Advocating for ethics
We continued our stand for ethics in the workplace in August when we joined as a
voice for #FreePress. IABC joined eight other communication and public relations
Update from our Chair
associations in issuing a statement in support of a free press globally. We know we
are dependent on a free press to speak honestly and fearlessly on behalf of ourselves
and our companies, clients and causes. Our own Code of Ethics states, “I support the
ideals of free speech, freedom of assembly and access to an open marketplace
of ideas”—so we will continue to fight for these ideas so that citizens have access to
information to make their own judgments.
Strategy with purpose
We are in the second year of our three-year strategy and we’ve made significant
progress. As I speak with communicators around the world, it is evident that we are
facing the same issues. It’s also reaffirming to see that IABC’s purpose to advance the

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Update from our
Chair (cont’d)
profession, create connection and develop strategic communicators resonates
and is on target.
The Global Standard is the cornerstone of our work and how we advance the
profession, along with the two levels of certification offered to test yourself against
the standard. For the first time, we are awarding scholarships for IABC members to
take the exams offered by the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC).
In addition, our new corporate membership package is designed to raise up an
entire communication team to meet the standard.
Our newest forum for creating connection is The Hub, a private social network just for
members. This is a wonderful place to engage with peers about issues you are facing.
We also have a task force exploring how IABC can make mutual mentoring available
on a global scale. This program will help us understand what world-class skills we can
offer as individuals and what we can do to support those we lead. I’m eager to see
where they go and anxious to participate as a mentee!
As promised, we will be adding courses to the IABC Academy to build our business
acumen. Research tells us that business acumen is the third most important behavioral
competency needed to succeed—trailing only leadership and ethics. I encourage
you to take a look at the training, which includes a simulation where you can see the
results of your decisions. With the right training and preparation, we can set our own
career path.
In this report, we’re highlighting two committees and two task forces and the work
they are doing. A big thank you to Gabrielle Loring, Awards Committee Chair;
Michael Ambjorn, SCMP, Mentorship Task Force Chair; Michael Nord, SCMP, History
Task Force Chair; and Jen Bice, World Conference Program Advisory Committee
Chair, for the work they are doing to lead the charge. IABC is volunteer-driven—and
the caliber of volunteers we have willing to dedicate their time to advancing our
profession always amazes me.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s do this!
Ginger D. Homan, ABC, SCMP

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It’s hard to believe we are moving into the latter part of 2018. As we prepare for colder
weather here in the U.S., some of you are getting your summer clothes ready and
looking forward to the warm weather about to break. Regardless of the season, it’s a
time of transition as we start moving through the last half of the year.
As we have transitioned to our new international executive board (IEB) and our
2018–2019 operating plan, we’ve been hard at work bringing to life programs and
content to connect you with people and insights you need to drive results.
Later in this report, you will read the new IABC statement on diversity and inclusion, as
well as some initial steps we are taking to begin our work on becoming the diverse,
inclusive, equitable, representative profession and association we envision. Our
community is strong and diverse, and I am proud that we are bringing that
diversity to light and seeking to create a more inclusive and representative space
for all members.
Making global connections
Launched in May 2018, The Hub is the central
online place for IABC members to connect
with colleagues globally. In just a few short
months, thousands of you have started and
participated in more than 950 discussions
in The Hub, helping each other solve
challenges and think differently about
things, including engaging Gen Z,
communication planning for cyber
security, how to effectively share and
engage employees in corporate strategy,
visual storytelling, digital communication
and so much more. The Hub is there to help you
Update from the Executive Director
connect with the best people and thinkers in the field. Jump in and get solutions to
the challenges you are facing or drive your reputation as a thought leader and mentor
by adding your expertise to help someone else.
Developing strategic communication competencies and thinking
To help ensure that IABC members have access to new ideas and training as a part of
your membership, we continue to host free-to-members webinars each month.
We know the variety of time zones that make up our community can make it
difficult to attend live sometimes, so we record all of the webinars and post them

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in an online library for members on iabc.com. You can watch them on demand
and at your convenience. This member-only content is exclusive for you and has no
additional cost—so if you are feeling like you need some training or perspective,
check out the library and see what’s available. We add new webinars after their live
presentation each month.
Advancing the profession with new insights
In June 2018, we announced our strategic
partnership with IC Kollectif to help bring
forward new research and insight on internal
communication. Our partnership has
resulted in the publication of a new global
report called The Next Level. The Next
Level examines the practice of internal
communication inside companies,
how business leaders perceive internal
communication and how practitioners
can better position themselves as trusted
advisers and key business enablers. We are
excited to be able to bring you new insights to
help advance your work.
Raising standards
The Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) offers certification to
communication professionals globally to prove their skill sets and demonstrate
their expertise in driving business results. Every month, the GCCC hosts exams in
partnership with IABC chapters/region, Ragan Communications and others to allow
professionals around the world to become certified.
Research shows that in general, certified professionals in any field are almost two
times more likely to receive pay raises than their non-certified peers, and earn nearly
18 percent more per week than their non-certified peers. The same research also
shows that 50 percent of certified professionals in any field receive promotions within
the first six months of being certified.*
View the schedule of exams—there are several left in 2018 and many already
scheduled for 2019.
Update from the
Executive Director
(cont’d)
“I’m proud to reaffirm IABC’s commitment to a culture that is safe, supportive and inclusive. In addition to the IABC Diversity and
Inclusion Statement, we are launching a new IABC Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct sets forth clear expectations for members,
speakers, vendors, media representatives, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers and staff to ensure all feel welcome at live and virtual
IABC events, and that we create safe spaces for all of our participants.” —Stephanie Doute

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Update from the
Executive Director
(cont’d)
Scholarships available
The IABC Foundation is pleased to have just launched the Gift of Excellence grant
program, which provides scholarships of US$600 to IABC members who would like
to seek professional certification through the GCCC, but may be prevented from
doing so by extenuating financial circumstances. All IABC members demonstrating
financial need may apply. Preference will be given to members living in countries with
developing economies (as defined by the World Bank and International Monetary
Fund) or those residing in an area recently hit by a disaster.
Member Month: Expand Your Impact
Finally, it’s Member Month! Member Month
is always exciting because we spend time
reflecting on the amazing people who
make up the IABC community. All of
you who are thought leaders sharing
with each other in The Hub; teaching
each other at World Conference, in
webinars, articles, and at chapter
events; mentoring one another, and
having a whole lot of fun while you do
it. We love growing our community and
Member Month allows us to say thank you
to you by offering a 10 percent discount on dues
when you renew your membership and by giving out some great gifts when you refer
your colleagues to join and be a part of our community.
We are continually looking for ways to continue to help advance the profession,
connect communication professionals, and develop strategic communicators so
that you can carry forward your career and work, driving measurable business results
through excellence in communication. As we wrap the first quarter of the 2018–2019
year, we have accomplished a lot, but we have much more ahead of us to ensure that
you have a valuable year as an IABC member, and that we continue to help move
your career and work forward.
Stephanie Doute, CAE
Executive Director
*Research from Simplilearn
“I am proud that we are bringing diversity to light and seeking to create a more inclusive and representative space for all
IABC members.” —Stephanie Doute

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IABC Statement on
Diversity and Inclusion
This statement was adopted by the IABC international executive board on
8 August 2018.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
is a welcoming community that supports, develops and connects
communication professionals around the world. We are committed
to embracing the diversity and inclusion of all people.
Regardless of your race, culture, faith, sexual orientation, disability, skin color,
gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, age or experience, you
are an equal and valued part of our global community. We require only that you
abide by the IABC Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.
IABC’s shared values state, “We are a diverse community. We welcome diverse
communication professionals of all levels and practices. We embrace diverse
viewpoints, encourage conversation and celebrate cultural differences.”
We believe these differences benefit our community and that we are more
enlightened, well informed, and successful when we honor our unique
experiences and perspectives.
The international executive board reaffirms IABC’s commitment to
supporting and encouraging diversity, equity and inclusion in
our global communication community.

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Next steps
The journey to creating an organization that embraces inclusion at every level is a
marathon, not a sprint. As we begin to chart our course, here are some things you can
expect us to be working on during the 2018–2019 year:
• Identifying and defining what success looks like for IABC and the profession for
diversity and inclusion.
• Developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure we can measure progress
in both the short and long term.
• Exploring initiatives and good practice from other associations to learn from what is
working successfully with other groups.
• Identifying and implementing opportunities for international executive board
education as needed.
• Creating a diversity and inclusion scorecard to chart progress for recruiting,
participation and turnover for international executive board, international
committees and staff.
• Creating frameworks for all IABC headquarters programs to ensure we are reaching
out to and inviting diverse audiences to participate.
• Exploring the outcomes of the Mentorship Task Force to determine if there are
specific opportunities to support diverse or traditionally underserved communities
through mentoring to help develop their career and leadership pathways.
• Ensuring safe spaces for individuals at IABC through writing and adopting a
Code of Conduct for IABC international events and online community spaces.
• Carrying out the #PanelPledge announced during the 2018 World Conference
to ensure that all panels at IABC international events are diverse.
• Ensuring IABC’s use of inclusive language and imagery.
• Engaging the international executive board and IABC staff in actively recruiting
diverse volunteer leaders to help shape the face, content, perspectives and
future of the association.
• Exploring marketing and communication in channels, publications and spaces
typically frequented by diverse communities.
• Strengthening diversity-related recruitment practices for staff. Identifying and
implementing opportunities for staff education as needed.
• Being ready to report progress at the 2019 Annual General Meeting.
Taking Action to Advance Diversity & Inclusion

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The international executive board (IEB) is the governing body of IABC. It is
accountable to the members and has supervision, control and direction of
the affairs of the association.
It actively pursues the association’s purpose and determines its policy within the limits
of the law, Articles of Incorporation and IABC bylaws. It upholds the IABC Code of
Ethics for professional communicators and supervises disbursement of the association’s
funds. The IEB develops the strategic plan and direction for the association under
the guidance of the association bylaws approved by the IABC membership. The IEB,
committees, regions and chapters work together to achieve our goals, while enhancing
our reputation within the profession through better brand positioning and greater
interaction with the broader communication profession.
IABC Leadership
Chair* – Ginger D. Homan, ABC, SCMP
Vice chair* – Victoria Dew, SCMP
Past chair* – Sharon Hunter, SCMP
Secretary/Treasurer* – Kathleen Bell, ABC, SCMP
Director – Zora Artis, GAICD, FAMI CPM, MComm,
MMktg, SCMP
Director – Sheila R. Carruthers, MBA-PR, CMC, SCMP
Director – Bonnie Caver
Director* – Deb Hileman, SCMP
Director – Michael Nord, MBA, SCMP
Director – Leanne Nyirfa, ABC
Director – Matthew Tidwell, Ph.D., APR
Director – Jill Vitiello
*Executive Committee
IEB 2018–2019

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Committee and
task force updates
At the heart of service to IABC members is a
network of committees, in which members
participate on a voluntary basis. IABC committees
provide strategic direction for the work of the
association. IABC has 14 committees and seven
short-term committees and task forces. This report
includes updates from the volunteer leaders who
make up the Awards Committee, the IABC History
Task Force, the Mentorship Task Force and the
Program Advisory Committee.

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The Gold Quill Awards had a banner year in 2018. The 2018–2019 IABC
Awards Committee is already working toward an outstanding 2019
Gold Quill Awards program.
“Some key objectives of the Awards Committee for the 2019
awards program are to increase entry submissions, face-to-face
Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) locations and recognition for winners,”
said Committee Chair Gabrielle Loring.
Over the past few months, the committee has been hard at
work reviewing and recommending changes to the Gold Quill
Award submission categories, as well as the two cornerstone
Gold Quill resources: The Midas Touch Guides and the Evaluating
Excellence Guides. The committee has also been recruiting Blue
Ribbon Panel locations and chairs.
Awards Committee
Rather than identifying a standalone theme for the 2019 Gold
Quill Awards, the committee decided to use a more enduring
tagline that better describes the program and can be used for
the next few years:“Celebrating communication excellence for
over [40] years.” This tagline will be used in marketing and on
the website.
We are currently accepting 2019 Gold Quill Awards
submissions on the recently updated Gold Quill Awards
website. The early-bird deadline is 14 November.
The IABC Awards Committee is chartered to provide leadership and vision for IABC Gold Quill Awards.
It is responsible for ensuring that the Gold Quill Awards program is the leading awards program for
business communicators, chapters and regions have the information they need to align to Gold Quill
standards and processes, and appropriate governance and strategic documentation is in place.
Gabrielle Loring – Chair
• Michele Liston, CMP | Awards
Manager – IABC staff liaison
• Leanne Nyirfa, ABC – IEB liaison
• Cindy Schmieg, ABC, SCMP, IABC
Fellow – Past chair
• Wei Joo Ng
• Gary Hernandez

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As part of IABC’s work to develop communication professionals,
building on the Career Road Map, we’re looking at the role
that mentoring can play. Mentoring (and reverse mentoring)
can make a difference at all career stages. And it can make a
difference at all ages.
Despite that, you might have seen this article in
Communication World earlier in the year: “Mentoring offers a
boost, study says, but few take advantage.”
IABC chapters in Calgary, Dallas, Edmonton, Toronto and the U.K.
all run mentoring programs (to name a few). This is great work and
it deserves to be supported.
Mentorship Task Force
Why? Because many of these chapters are keen to share, and
offering more mentoring opportunities is a way for IABC to have
tangible, measurable long-range impact on lives and careers
across the globe. It’s also a way to create deeper connections
for our members-at-large. And what’s not to like about that?
If you’re not already in touch with this team, and you have
something to share, be sure to reach out. We’d love to hear
from you on The Hub collaboration platform about your
experiences being mentored, or mentoring others, through IABC.
View IABC’s mentoring program locations on a map.
This task force is focused on making mentoring at IABC sustainable through evaluation work and
subsequent concrete, practical recommendations to the board.
“We’re currently mapping existing good practice from chapters and regions, exploring
mentor versus mentee guidance, and what sets up these pairs for success.”
Michael Ambjorn, SCMP – Chair
• Natasha Nicholson | Director of
content – IABC staff liaison
• Michael Nord, SCMP – IEB liaison
• Maliha Aqeel, SCMP
• Leanne Joyce
• Jeanette LeBlanc
• Edward Ulrich
• Anna Willey, ABC, MC,
IABC Fellow

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In recognition of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the IABC name in 2020,
the international executive board (IEB) has established a History Task
Force to collect, archive and share the association’s unique story.
IABC has a rich, multi-decade history of helping to advance
the profession, create connection and develop strategic
communicators. The task force is well underway in expanding
on the timeline of the organization to include memorable
milestones, important events and professional innovations.
The work of the task force will help kick-start the 2020
Anniversary Task Force in 2019, which will be charged with
helping to plan the actual celebration. The task force is planning
on bringing the timeline to leaders at the upcoming Leadership
Institute in February 2019 to gather their stories and milestones.
IABC History Task Force
This task force was chartered to update the IABC history for the years 1970 to 2018.
Goal: Collect, celebrate and archive materials from IABC.
Michael Nord, SCMP – Chair
• Kirsten Peterson | Governance
& Foundation Manager –
IABC staff liaison
• Stephanie Griffiths
• Alain Legault
• Robin McCasland, SCMP
Stay tuned: The task force will
soon be reaching out to you to
help bring IABC’s history to life.

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With a theme of“Think Forward”for the 2019 conference, the World Conference
Program Advisory Committee (PAC) is in full swing! The call for speakers launched in
early September and our group has its eye on finding the very best speakers with
fresh, forward-thinking perspectives on business communication. At this year’s event,
we’ll be exploring what’s new and what’s next, and getting answers to what’s most
pressing for today’s communication professional.
As we determine our slate of speakers, we’ll be looking at experts in areas that are on
the cusp of blowing up and seeking out people with experiences and perspectives
that will help the communication leaders of today and tomorrow be the best that
they can be.
The PAC will be evaluating and selecting breakout session speakers in October and
November, and speakers will be notified in December. Our first keynote speaker will
be announced in November.
Program Advisory Committee (PAC)
Our sessions will be organized into five tracks: Leadership and Strategy, Marketing and
Brand, Reputation, Employee Engagement, and Communication Skills.
The good news is that attendees are already getting on board! Pre-registration was
open during the month of August, allowing members to register for the 2019 World
Conference at our lowest price point. General registration opens in early November.
The PAC is excited to drive the communication profession to Think Forward and we
can’t wait to share the results at the event. See you at the IABC World Conference in
Vancouver on 9–12 June 2019!
The Program Advisory Committee (PAC) works collaboratively with staff to ensure that IABC World Conference
is a high-value professional development experience aligned to the needs of the global profession.
Jenifer Bice – Chair
• Nic Pearce – Vice chair
• Natasha Nicholson |
Content Director –
Staff liaison
• Ginger D. Homan, ABC,
SCMP – IEB liaison
• Neil Griffiths, ABC –
Past chair
• Jennifer Andrewes
• Melissa Arulappan
• Michelle Buchanan
• Rosetta Cannata
• Marie Fitzpatrick, ABC
• Jill Folan
• Shannon Frederick,
ABC, SCMP
• David Geddes
• Genma Holmes
• Val Mellesmoen
• Dennis Michael
• Jane Mitchell
• Julie Nurski
• Lindi Nxumalo
• Sarah Parker
• Ritzi Ronquillo, APR
• Kellie Williams, ABC
If you have fresh, forward-thinking perspectives on
business communication, apply to speak at the 2019
IABC World Conference in Vancouver by 26 October.

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2018 Key Dates
October 2018
24–25 October
IABC Africa Region Conference – Johannesburg
25 October
CommuniCon – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
26 October
2019 IABC World Conference call for
speakers closes
31 October
Member Month ends
November 2018
Early November
2019 IABC World Conference registration opens
November
First World Conference keynote announced
Late November
IABC international executive board (IEB)
nominations open
1–10 November
Member Month winners announced
1 November
Fellows call for nominations opens
1 November
GCCC certification exam – Toronto
6 November
Free-to-members webinar – Preparing for cyber
security and a data breach
8 November
Free-to-members webinar – How to manage fake
news in the real world
10 November
GCCC certification exam – Richmond, Virginia
at IABC Heritage Region Conference
11–13 November
IABC Heritage Region Conference –
Richmond, Virginia
14 November
Gold Quill Awards early–bird deadline
23–26 November
IABC Academy Cyber Week promotion
December 2018
Early December
Chapter Management Awards (CMA) call for
nominations closes
13 December
Free-to-members webinar – Mind–blowing
PowerPoint. No, really!
31 December
2019 IABC World Conference super–saver deadline

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Stay Connected
#createconnection
#IABC
#IABCGQ
#WeLeadIABC
#IABCLI
#IABC19
#MyIABCstory
International Association of
Business Communicators
649 Mission Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: +1 415.544.4700
Toll-free (U.S. and Canada): 800.776.4222
Fax: +1 415.544.4747
Email: member_relations@iabc.com

19. IABC is the only global
communication
association connecting
you with the people and
insights you need to
drive business results.