Workshop on Day-1 Examines Public Speaking Skills & Social Media Fundamentals
Workshop on Day-2 Discusses Relationship between Governments and Media & Dynamics of Press Conference Management
Government Communication Forum 2013 hosted four workshops over the two-day event seeking to equip nearly 380 participants including young professionals and communications students with skills in public speaking, social media, government media relations and press conference management.
The first workshop titled Public Speaking: how to get your message across' was headlined by media experts from Abu Dhabi twofour54 tadreeb - David Hardaker, Head of Media Development, and Fahed Hussein, Media Executive Consultant. The segment examined all aspects of effective public presentation, including planning and preparation, role of speechwriters, effective speech structuring, and tailoring delivery for target audiences.
Highlighting the need for senior officials and spokespersons to present clear and powerful speeches, David Hardaker said: Effective public speaking is key to successful leadership, especially in the government sector where officials need to communicate their messages and engage with the public. Whether it's for informative, persuasive, or entertainment purpose, public speaking is a form of communication, where the presenter has only one chance to deliver the message. Therefore, it's important to keep it simple and easy for the listeners to understand.
He added: Speaking in public is not easy; in fact, only few people feel comfortable to do so. Majority of speakers experience anxiety and nervousness when presenting in front of the audience. Fear of public speaking comes from not knowing the topic and lack of preparation, which is a crucial element for delivering a powerful speech.
On his part, Fahed Hussein shared techniques for crafting impactful speeches in English and Arabic. He said: When delivering a speech, the presenter must break down the barrier between him and his audience. This is a principle of one-to-one communication that allows engaging with the audience and sustains public attention. Simplicity of the message and speech intelligibility are important for delivering a lucid and effective speech.
In the second workshop on day-one titled Introduction to Social Media for Communications', participants examined the role of social media in government communications. Showcasing best international practices with local case studies, social media expert Khaled Akbik covered aspects such as introduction to social media, defining objectives and scope of campaigns, reputation management, monitoring and measurement, and optimization. The workshop offered insight into how best to leverage social media for shaping public opinion on government initiatives, while enhancing reputation and credibility.
Khaled Akbik said: Social media is all about listening. In a nutshell, it provides a platform for two-way communication between organizations and the people. Governments are now realising the importance of utilising social media as a tool for engaging with the public and responding in an effective way to address social needs.
Today, three out of four global internet users are social media users; 95 per cent of companies use LinkedIn as a tool to recruit employees. Social networks have a great impact on the way modern society functions. People's use of social media is growing and becoming more and more widespread and influential.
The second day of Government Communication Forum opened with a workshop on Relationship between governmental institutions and the media'. The segment was led by senior executives from twofour54 tadreeb Fahed Hussein, and May Alem Shehab. Analysing the complementary relationship between government institutions and the media, the trainers emphasised on the need for government bodies and the media to mutually understand the nature of each other's work for establishing a successful partnership that supports public interest and promotes national identity.
May Alem Shehab said: We always think that the media and government institutions are two separate entities. Realistically, the two share a symbiotic association. The media has a responsibility to replicate the government messages clearly and accurately. The communication mechanism is as follows: government institutions send certain messages to the public through media, and then communicate their opinions and requirements through various media channels.
The trainers also offered pointers to professionals on the ways to package the news, select media houses for disseminating particular news pieces and approach media persons for carrying their messages. Addressing emerging journalists, the experts pointed out the need for media to take on the responsibility of communicating the correct message of the government and accurately highlight changes in regulation for the benefit of the wider community.
The final workshop titled Holding a press conference' was also led by media training consultant May Alem Shehab. The one-hour segment covered best-practice techniques for preparing and managing successful press conferences, from concept to execution. In addition to highlighting the importance of strategic planning and resource preparation, the workshop examined the art of managing the press pack and fielding media questions trough realistic role-plays and simulations.
May Alem Shehab pointed out that the success of the conference depends on the proactivity of the organiser in inviting the right media as well as the spontaneity and clarity of the spokesperson in responding to the media. She also offered tips on logistics arrangements such as seating for creating a conducive environment for optimum coverage of the event.
David Hardaker holds a 25-year experience working with print and
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
23/10/2025
A deadline is looming for a new carriage deal between Verizon's Fios TV and Nexstar, with both Verizon and the pay TV-backed American Television Alliance bl...
23/10/2025
NEW YORK During a high-profile session at NAB Show New York, new survey data was shared that revealed significant public concern over artificial intelligence (A...
23/10/2025
BELLEVUE, Wash. and NEW YORK Fox Weather has tapped T-Mobile has as its preferred communications provider and announced that all Fox Weather reporters are being...
23/10/2025
PBS and Amazon Web Services have announced the network is using generative AI to provide enhanced search results to viewers on the PBS App and PBS LearningMedia...
23/10/2025
Series three of the award winning, hit comedy entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back on your screens, celebrating the very best of all t...
23/10/2025
Performances by Michael Flatley, Andy Irvine, Cuckoo's Nest, Foster and Allen and more
Friday 24 October, 8pm on RT One and RT Player
Fleadh Cheoil re...
23/10/2025
The nights grow longer and the shadows get bolder with Vampire The Masquerade: B...
22/10/2025
Prime Video Inks Deal To Present NFL Black Friday Game Worldwide By SVG Staff
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - 10:06 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story ...
22/10/2025
NBA Tip-Off: ESPN Goes 1080p HDR End-to-End, Flipping HDR Switch on REMI and REM...
22/10/2025
FloSports Empowers Division II, III Athletic Departments With Turnkey Production...
22/10/2025
Wall Street Video Summit Debuts, Bringing Together 200 Financial Enterprise Vide...
22/10/2025
Dueling Pianos: International Chopin Piano Competition Is as Competitive as a Ba...
22/10/2025
In 1995, a young Colombian artist released an album that would change Latin pop ...
22/10/2025
Over the past few months, a photovoltaic system has been installed on a three-he...
22/10/2025
The Orion spacecraft for NASA's Artemis II mission is stacked on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kenn...
22/10/2025
L3Harris' Hybrid SATCOM is resilient by design, offering path diversity that eliminates vulnerabilities by routing data across the best available networks i...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. Organizers of NAB Show New York said they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countries along with 260 exhibitor...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C The organizers of The 2025 NAB Show New York have announced that they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countr...
22/10/2025
Masque Sound, a leading theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company, supplied an extensive gear package of professional-grade equipment for ...
22/10/2025
Lightware, a global leader in signal management and AV connectivity solutions, is seeing strong market momentum for the UCX-3x3-TPX-RX20, a compact transmitter-...
22/10/2025
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has released PAINT 10.2, the latest update for its telestration platform, adding support for SMPTE ST 2110 IP workflows, expanding brandin...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON Run3TV today said NBCUniversal is joining as an investor in the ATSC 3.0 Framework Authority, which develops the Run3TV NextGen TV application platfo...
22/10/2025
ATLANTA swXtch.io will feature two new networking solutions extending the company's reach across more cloud and on-prem workflows at NAB Show New York, set ...
22/10/2025
The Warner Bros. Discoverys HBO Max streaming services has increased prices for all its streaming tiers effectively immediately for new customers. Existing cust...
22/10/2025
LOS ANGELES OpenDrives has signed a new distribution partnership deal with Versatile Distribution Services (VDS) to strengthen its channel and streamline how it...
22/10/2025
WASHINGTON, D.C The organizers of The 2025 NAB Show New York have announced that they are expecting more than 12,000 registered attendees from about 100 countr...
22/10/2025
Samora Pinderhughes Brings Immersive Sound to Berklee's Signature Series The artist and composer, who's worked with Herbie Hancock, Robert Glasper, Co...
22/10/2025
BMI Day at Berklee Celebrates Composer Fil Eisler and Awards Scholarship to Stud...
22/10/2025
October 22nd, 2025 TRIBECA ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED LINEUP OF MEMBERSHIP EVENTS F...
22/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF cooperate in drone defense Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF partner to deliver a comprehensive drone defense solution combining Rohde & S...
22/10/2025
European Broadcaster Upgrades To Grass Valley's NativeIP LDX 135 Cameras And...
22/10/2025
Everyone Gets a Better Deal on Verizon with New FOX One Perk The $15 FOX One streaming service perk is yet another way Verizon continues to add savings for cu...
22/10/2025
First Look Hidden Assets Series 3
Premieres on 9th November 9:30pm on RT One & RT Player
WATCH HERE Promo Link: Hidden Assets Series 3 | RT
The Crimin...
21/10/2025
NAB New York 2025: Although AES Show Is on Its Own, Audio Will Be a Major Part o...
21/10/2025
NAB New York 2025: Business of Broadcast and Media,' Future of Content'...
21/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Ethan Folz, Senior Director, Digital Operations and Quality of Ex...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: Livestream Offers Graphic Overlays, Predictive Gaming, Ancil...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: At the Front Bench With Producer Frank DiGraci and Director ...
21/10/2025
NBA on NBC/Peacock: NBC Sports, NEP Build Ultra-Flexible Production Plan That Se...
21/10/2025
Indigenous storytelling has been at the heart of the work of the Sundance Instit...
21/10/2025
Top L-R: Mysterious Skin, American Dream Second Row L-R: Little Miss Sunshine, D...
21/10/2025
Last week, Spotify and Columbia Records transformed Pier 4 at the Brooklyn Army ...
21/10/2025
SBS Learn's Dharug Ngurra resource empowers classrooms to meaningfully celeb...
21/10/2025
As global operators simplify and evolve their digital platforms, NPS improvement...
21/10/2025
Critical Design Review completion is a key milestone on the path toward Wideband Global Satellite Communications certification for the network in 2026, opening ...
21/10/2025
New Australian undersea training range to implement and improve warfighting tactics, proficiency and safety; enable joint/allied training that contributes to pr...
21/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
21/10/2025
September, the beginning of autumn, brought an expected revival to the TV market, largely due to the new fall TV schedules. The time spent in front of the TV sc...
Workshop on Day-1 Examines Public Speaking Skills & Social Media Fundamentals
