Minority Populations Increases On SoCal & OC.

An increasingly diverse marketplace is the reality that affects today’s business organizations affording the opportunity for companies to sell their products or services to new customers. The Orange County Public Relations Society of America hosts its inaugural diversity conference, “Diversity in PR: New Challenges, New Opportunities” on Thursday, Feb. 17 at the Doubletree Hotel, Santa Ana/Orange County Airport. The event, offering best practices on how to reach African American, Asian, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), Latino, and senior consumers, is presented in partnership with the Hispanic Public Relations Association.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Orange County residents included 64.8 percent white, 1.7 percent African-American, .7 percent American Indian, 13.6 percent Asian, and 30.8 percent Latino. Of those residents, 29.9 percent were foreign born while 41.49 percent spoke a language other than English at home.

“Orange County has experienced incredible growth in ethnic and diverse populations and has become a true ‘majority minority’ community,” said Todd Cooley, president of the OC/PRSA Board of Directors. “As a result, it has become essential for organizations here to embrace diversity in their business practices. This seminar will not only give public relations and marketing pros a variety of insights and tools necessary to reach diverse audiences; but it also will show how gaining an understanding of diverse audiences can positively impact an organization’s bottom line.”

More than 100 public relations and marketing practitioners from private agencies, government entities and corporations throughout Orange and Los Angeles Counties are expected to attend. Attendees will learn how addressing diverse and ethnic audiences can be a smart business practice in both public relations and marketing.

Bridget Harper, vice president of marketing, Secure Horizons, PacifiCare, is slated as the keynote speaker. “OC/PRSA is to be commended for taking a lead in the public relations profession to promote diversity within its ranks, and to better communicate with the diverse publics its members serve,” said Harper. “As a consumer health organization, PacifiCare has embraced diversity as not only the right thing to do, but as a strategic business imperative, by which we can grow our health plan membership and improve their health outcomes.”

Harper will be joined by a diverse group of communications professionals, some who will participate on a best practices panel and others as roundtable presenters. Speakers include: Suzanna Tashiro Choi, Tashiro Choi & Associates; Rutely Conde, Southern California Edison; Janet Curry, Bauman Curry & Co. Public Relations; Bill Imada, IW Group, Inc.; Christopher Perez, Euro RSCG Magnet Latino; Robbin Preciado, North Orange County Bank of Wells Fargo; Matt Tumminello, Target-10 PR; and Dana Wiemiller, Orange County Transportation Authority.

A distinguished panel of representatives from general market and ethnic media also will be present at the event to discuss the role of media in reaching these key markets. Publications represented include: Excelsior, La Opinion, Nguoi Viet Daily News, The Orange County Register, and Turning Point Magazine.

Event sponsors include Euro RSCG Magnet Latino, La Agencia de Orci, Cal State Fullerton, IW Group, Inc., PR Newswire, and Tashiro Choi & Associates.

The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel, 201 E. MacArthur Blvd., Santa Ana.

Visit http://www.ocprsa.org/diversity.htm for more information and to register.