The Institute for Public Relations and its Commission on Global Public Relations Research presented a €500 Special Prize at the annual BledCom Symposium, July 1-3, 2010 at Lake Bled, Slovenia. The IPR Special Prize recognizes the best new research presented at the annual BledCom Symposium.

The IPR Global Commission supports and promotes research that expands management tools by which organizations can more effectively execute their global public relations programs. Any paper accepted by the BledCom Symposium is eligible for the special prize. An IPR panel of judges chose the winning paper from those submitted by scholars, researchers and graduate students. The winner paper is published on the Institute website (see link on this page).

The 2010 IPR Judging Panel included Peter Debreceny, Consultant at Gagen MacDonald and chair of the IPR Commission on Global Public Relations Research; Marco Herrera,  President of Grupo Public in México and a Commission member; Fraser Likely, President of Likely Communications Strategies Ltd. In Canada and a member of the IPR Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation; and Robert Grupp, IPR President and CEO.

The Bledcom organizers and the Institute for Public Relations hope the new prize will further stimulate cooperation between the key European and US organizations dedicated to PR research and education, and between scholars and professionals as well.