By Hafsa Obeng/ Elizabeth Awinbono, GNA
Accra, Nov. 19, GNA – Proseline Events Ghana Limited, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Monday launched the third protocol matters conference in Accra.
The conference, among other things, aimed at creating the platform where participants would tap into the experience of senior protocol officers, who have worked in the industry for years and are eager to ensure the maintenance of standards.
The two-day conference is on the theme: “Managing events in the corporate and hospitality industry: the importance of protocol.”
Mrs Barbara Oteng Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in a speech read on her behalf, said Ghana wanted to brand and position itself positively on the international destination market.
She said the protocol industry was a broad multidisciplinary one and there was the need to maintain standards in all endeavours.
“We are in a country where actions and inactions of people give the impression that professionalism does not matter, provided one can attain results which seem as a professional standard. We cannot continue to go on like that. Let us value our professionals and be prepared to learn best global practices from the experts.”
Mrs Oteng Gyasi said protocol was a vital element in making and keeping successful relationships, and as such it was essential for planners to understand the need for protocol as they begin the event planning process.
“The more information you can learn in advance of an event, the less the chance you will land in an embarrassing situation,” she added.
She noted that protocol officers must ensure to blend the global standard protocol with the Ghanaian cultural values and aspiration, by upholding the global protocol standards and use them creatively to project Ghana’s rich cultures.
The Minister said Ghana was in the lime light internationally, and considered a good destination for major international conferences hence the need to maintain the excellent impression in the kind of services offered, and the protocol industry was key in this regard.
She commended the organisers for taking on the onerous task of making protocol not just seen as an after-thought, but to push the frontiers of upholding professionalism in the protocol industry to leave lasting impression on the minds of guests.
She urged participants to be worthy ambassadors in their work places, home and community to enable people to appreciate the protocol industry and be prepared to invest in it for optimum success in events and programmes.
Mr Daniel Prosper Blagogee, Executive Director Prosline Events, said the vision was to help put protocol industry on the map so that organizations would give priority to professionals in handling Protocol services.
He said institutional heads should not have the impression that anybody could undertake Protocol services without proper training and expertise.
“When professionals do not take keen interest in upholding standards in any profession, it leaves room for quacks to take advantage of the situation to offer services which go a long way to tarnish the image of that profession. The unsuspecting public becomes the victim as they are served by non- professionals who just offer anything that seems as professional service.”
“With the inception of this conference two years ago we intend to let the public understand the need for protocol as critical in the successful outcome of any programme. Protocol establishes good image, as poor protocol services can ruin a major event.”
He appealed to government and stakeholder to help establish a professional body or Association to empower protocol professionals to champion the course of upholding professionalism in the protocol industry.
Some of the topics lined up for discussion during the conference include understanding the rudiments of protocol, protocol in corporate and religious setting, roles and functions of security personnel in protocol, among others.
GNA
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