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
