The Independent Practitioners Network (IPN) is a group of seasoned, self-employed public relations professionals and small agencies in the greater Boston area who are also members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Recognizing the advantages that experienced, senior-level practitioners can bring to clients and peers, the IPN was formed to facilitate partnership, enhance professional growth, and provide clients with a full range of strategic and tactical public relations services to meet their needs. 

IPN members are multi-disciplined public relations professionals who offer the flexible terms of engagement and the senior-level focus and execution that larger agencies may be unable to deliver.

Why Hire an Independent Practitioner? Learn about the benefits realized by our clients.

Why Join the Independent Practitioners Network? Find out how you can benefit from participating in our group.

Why Hire an Independent Practitioner?

By working with members of the Independent Practitioners Network, you gain access to a diverse group of senior public relations practitioners who offer considerable breadth and depth of expertise. IPN members have an average of 10 or more years practicing as an independent, and up to 25 years total experience working for agencies, corporations, or non-profit organizations. Many members have won industry awards or earned the prestigious APR accreditation.

Although each member operates as a separate entity, the Independent Practitioners Network provides a forum for effective partnership and the creation of specialized task teams to meet specific client needs. You'll find IPN members with the expertise to help you with the strategic planning of communications programs, as well as tactical execution of media relations, article development and placement, special events, product launches, press tours, and Web content development -- just to name a few of the public relations services we provide.

When you hire a member of the Independent Practitioners Network, you’re assured of having an experienced, senior-level professional leading and executing your public relations program. You’ll also continue working with the same person you initially met and built a rapport with.

Our members' expertise includes a wide range of industry sectors and practice areas. To help you find practitioners with a specific industry background or the strategic/tactical specialties you need, we offer our online directory that allows you to search by industry, practice specialty, or name.

The IPN also has a Speakers Bureau comprised of members who are available to speak to companies and organizations in various industries on topics related to public relations, marketing, business, leadership, entrepreneurship, and consulting.

For more information on the IPN, its members, Speakers Bureau, and public relations services, contact Beth Bryant, IPN administrator, at bbwrites@comcast.net, or at 617 926-3013.

Upcoming Meetings

The Independent Practitioners Network hosts monthly meetings that feature speakers on relevant topics and provide the opportunity for networking. Meetings are open to all practitioners. We ask non-IPN members to pay a $10 fee to help defray costs. Our next meeting is detailed below. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Beth Bryant at bbwrites@comcast.net.

DATE:
Friday, November 19, 2004

TIME:

Noon to 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
Weston PublicLibrary, Community Room
87 School Street , Weston
(Bag lunch allowed)

PROGRAM: Taking Your Business to the Next Level – Part II

• Do you have an effective and strategic plan for meeting your business goals?
• Would you like to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage?

Business consultant, Kevin Lister of Paradigm Strategies, will answer questions about business strategy and management.

Kevin provides assistance with all aspects of developing and implementing a strategic business plan:

• Identifying your vision for the future to get a sense of your business direction;
• Creating a passionate mission for your company – your reason for doing business;
• Performing a SWOT analysis to assess the strategic position of your company and its environment;
• Determining the areas of your business that need improvement and are impacting other areas;
• Assessing the business issues that are inhibiting your growth and success;
• Outlining short and long-range plans that are focused and build momentum for your business;
• Taking the steps that will increase profitability and productivity; and
• Achieving top performance in all areas of your business: finance management, operations, leadership, human resource management, sales/business development and marketing.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Kevin Lister, founder and president of Paradigm Strategies, is a leader in the field of business performance improvement. With an entrepreneurial spirit and CEO’s point of view, Kevin brings nearly 20 years experience in business management and consulting, effectively operating his own ventures and assisting others with realizing business success. He spent two of those years working as a performance improvement consultant to Eastern European companies making the transition to a market economy.

Kevin possesses a Masters in business administration (MBA) from Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Bentley College . He teaches management for the University of Phoenix online and is a mentor in the Babson College undergraduate Coaching Program for Leadership and Teamwork.

DIRECTIONS: From I-95/Route 128, take the exit for Route 20 west. Follow Route 20 almost 1.5 miles until you come to the first traffic light. Take a left at the light, which is School Street . Follow School St. 1/3 of a mile and you’ll see the library on your right.

If you are working on your own or as part of a small agency, the Independent Practitioners Network can enhance your professional experience in a number of ways - professional development programs, member support services and the opportunity to network and brainstorm with a diverse and talented peer group.

The IPN hosts monthly meetings that feature speakers on relevant topics and provide the opportunity to network with other members. Members can attend these meetings free, as well as receive new business leads and resource information via email and, for a $50 fee, have a listing in our online directory.
The Independent Practitioners Network welcomes practitioners at all stages of their careers to join our group. To become a member of the IPN, you must:

• Be a member of PRSA Boston (which requires membership in PRSA national)
• Practice public relations 50% or more of the time.
• Have a practice of one to two principals and not more than two full-time employees
• Contribute to the cost of a paid administrator for the group.
  For more information on joining the Independent Practitioners Network, please email Beth Bryant at bbwrites@comcast.net, or call her at 617 926-3013.