Last week I was lucky enough to attend the PR Detroit kickoff event, PR|D Symposium - Renewing Detroit: the Role of Public Relations which was held at Wayne State University.

PR Detroit is a newly formed group of Metro Detroit-based public relations professionals and companies working together to communicate positive messages for Detroit. Our mission is to facilitate positive news and information about the city with a vision of changing the national conversation to encourage positive change and growth in Detroit.

The symposium was intended for southeast Michigan public relations professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities for communicating positive message about Detroit within the context of the municipal bankruptcy. The symposium included a call to action and engaged the PR community to develop creative strategies for constructive, positive communication.

The entire event was packed full of powerful and influential speakers who are passionate about Detroit and here are some of my highlights and takeaways.


The Welcome
The PD|D Symposium's opening speech was given by Matt Segar, Dean of the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts at Wayne State University; Bill Nowling, Spokesperson for the Office of the Emergency Manager of the City of Detroit; and Alexis Wiley, Director of Community Engagement and Spokesperson for the City of Detroit.

It only takes you a few seconds to find a world class photo of blight. That is a huge problem. #PRdSymposium #Detroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

"Everybody is honestly working 24/7 to change the way we do business" @AlexisWileyNews #PRDetroit #Detroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

RT @AlexisWileyNews: "When you look at the city, it's like looking at the hope, pride and aspirations of those who built it. " #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Challenges and Opportunities to Communicating Detroit's Story
This section was given by Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities.

We are in a relationship with our places. @pkageyama #PRdetroit #detroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Not enough of us love our places...we need to be the ones who step up to show that. @pkageyama #PRDetroit”
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

How to build a loveable city: it has to be functional, safe, comfortable, convivial, and lastly, FUN!… http://t.co/u65HMbiM7w
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Those who go out there & break the rules are the ones that unjam the system. If you can't be a risk taker, support those who can #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

We need more places to play to grow our relationship with the city, such as public art. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

A good tip to cities: If children are happy, parents are happy. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

City rituals and traditions keep people engaged and committed to their relationship with their city. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Just like with the Marche du Nain Rouge where for 300 years, on the Sunday after the Vernal Equinox, Detroiters have celebrated liberation from the Nain Rouge, the fiendish embodiment of all that holds us back. Revelers dressed in costume converge at or near Cass Park and hope for better things for Detroit’s future, celebrating whatever is good and working in the city: happiness, success and freedom from the antagonism of the Nain in the new year.

Instead of trying to irradiate negative behavior, try and turn it into something positive. #PRDetroit Like the commissioned graffiti!
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

A perfect example of turning something negative into something positive can be seen while enjoying a nice bike ride down the Dequindre Cut Greenway, an urban recreational path, officially opened to the public in May of 2009. The 1.35-mile greenway, developed through a public, nonprofit and private partnership, offers a pedestrian link between the Riverfront, Eastern Market and many of the residential neighborhoods in between. Formerly a Grand Trunk Railroad line, the Dequindre Cut is a below-street level path for bicyclist and pedistrians. This greenway is well-known for its urban artwork and graffiti, often times commissioned by famous graffiti artists.

You can also see more commissioned graffiti on a well-traveled section of Woodward between downtown and Midtown on the front facade of the Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art.

We need to be open to solutions that don't looked like any other solutions we've dealt with before. @pkageyama #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

We also need to be open to solutions from people who are not the traditional solution finders. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Panel Discussion: Current Efforts and Activities
Moderated by Marge Sorge, Executive Director of the Detroit Regional News Hub, this panel consisted of Ken Cockrel Jr., Director of Detroit Future City; Mary Kramer, Publisher of Crain's Detroit Business, Dave Lorenz, Manager of Industry Relations and International Marketing for Travel Michigan; and Paula Silver, formerly of Quicken Loans and Opportunity Detroit public relations.

RT @LambertEdwards: "The opportunity to make a difference is a big draw [to a city]." - @pkageyama #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

RT @evan_sotnik: Hipsters, tech, and entrepreneurs seem to be a theme in improving Detroit and selling its image. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Downtown Grand Rapids once looked like Downtown Detroit and now it's gorgeous thanks to business leaders that invested. #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

"If you don't like what people are saying about you, change the conversation." - @KenCockrelJr2, a page out of Don Draper's book #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014

Based on the conversations that took place, these are the new unofficial guidelines came out of the PR|D Symposium:

• Do not refer to a Detroit business, landmark, restaurant, or shop as a “hidden gem” 
• Do not describe Detroiters as “gritty” 
• Do not support “ruin porn" -- In fact for every picture of ruin porn you come across, post 5 more favorable and positive images of Detroit
• Bring out of town guests to Detroit and let them experience it for themselves
• Have elevator speeches prepared in case your encounter negative reviews during your daily life
• Think outside of the box!

This was a fantastic event with a lot of great speakers and a lot of great suggestions from attendees on what we can do to make a difference using our PR superhero powers:

• Create an online resource for educational materials and elevator speeches that we can use as PR professionals when asked to speak on behalf of Detroit and our business in the area
• Work positive messaging into business materials and advertising about Detroit
• Keep PR|D going

Now that event has come and gone, what will come out of PR|D? I'm hoping it is something big. Something great. It could be a dinner on the Ambassador Bridge, a citywide pillow fight, or more public art. At the very least, I'm hoping for a strong, singular branding campaign that melts together Detroit, its people, and the businesses that support it. More importantly, I'm hoping for a round two where steps will be taken to build a cohesive, active PR presence for the city as a team.

NOTE: The PR|D symposium was sponsored by PRSA Detroit, the Detroit Regional News Hub, and Wayne State University, with support provided by General Motors, Airfoil Public Relations, and Quicken Loans.

Final thought: You don't have to convince the world, you have to convince yourselves. @pkageyama #PRDetroit
— Katelyn Davis (@katelynshelby) March 24, 2014