In the Spirit of Co-operation and Excellence in Communications: IABC International Conference 2003
By Tatiana Mitchell
It takes many volunteers to run an international conference successfully. This year, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is pleased to inform its members of the appointment of Cyndy DeGiusti as Hospitality Chair for its annual conference in June 2003. DeGiusti and her team will be managing the events that will, in DeGiusti’s words, “make business communicators fall in love with Toronto and come back over and over again.”
IABC’s stated mission is to provide its members with the inspirational learning opportunities needed to achieve excellence through services, activities and networking opportunities.
It was with the spirit of co-operation that DeGiusti first began volunteering as a writer for IABC’s Communicator newsletter in 1978. Since then, she has volunteered her time and expertise in numerous capacities, including a stint as president of IABC, as a consultant for private and public organizations, and most recently, with non-profit organizations such as Kinark Child and Family Services.
DeGiusti understands the substantial rewards that come from volunteer activities, such as an increase in social awareness, the augmentation of community relations, the establishment of personal and professional networks, and the donation of personal strengths or skills to specific organizations.
“Many businesses today encourage volunteerism as an integral part of the corporate culture because it orients individuals to look beyond themselves to a common goal, and fosters confidence and trust in working as a team.”
DeGiusti has discovered many untapped strengths and talents by cultivating her own skills through volunteer opportunities.
DeGiusti is humble about her success as a communicator, however. Currently, she is the chief of public affairs at The Hospital for Sick Children, where her most important role is developing the communications strategies needed to safeguard the hospital’s extraordinary reputation for excellence.
She says, “It is the children I see with very complex illnesses but still having fun who give me the motivation to work hard for another day. I love my job because I use my skills to help an organization do astounding things every day for children and their families.”
It is her ability to motivate people, make practical, detail-oriented decisions and collaborate with teams of volunteers that has earned DeGiusti the reputation of being down-to-earth, dedicated, and fun.
Although DeGiusti has become more focused on not-for-profit organizations than in the past, she has not neglected her ties to IABC. In accepting her new role as IABC’s Chair of Hospitality, she looks forward to providing conference attendees with a learning environment, a new social perspective and ultimately, a rewarding experience overall.
Asked why IABC holds conferences for its members, she responds, “We need to provide opportunities to learn from the experience of others and to meet with like-minded professionals to talk about common issues.”
It’s DeGiusti’s ambition to open doors for newcomers and help all to share in the intellectual capital that is the bread and butter of the communications industry. With this goal in mind, it is no wonder IABC’s conference committee chose such an inspirational leader.
In today’s career climate, volunteering counts as valid work experience, and getting involved in an international conference is an once-in-a-lifetime volunteer opportunity. Would you like to contribute your expertise, take on a new challenge, or learn new skills from top communicators through hands-on experience? DeGiusti would love to hear from you.
The program advisory committee is in need of volunteers in the following areas: Volunteers, Hospitality, Dine-Around, Marketing and Sponsorship. Contact IABC-Toronto Chapter at ***, or e-mail DeGiusti at cyndy.degiusti@sickkids.ca
Chris Grosgart, Education/Information leader for IABC also invites suggestions for local speakers in the following areas: Employee Communication; Public Relations; Strategy and Counsel; Reputation and Branding; Technology; and Skills Development. The committee is looking for diversity in content and speakers, ranging from experts in all professions, geographic location, industry, communication function, and cultures. Sixty-six speakers are needed in total for various modules. For an online speaker proposal, visithttp://www.iabc.com/presenter/form.htm . For more information on speaker requirements, please contact ***
