Excuse the effusive title to this blog, but as it's my last missive of 2010 I wanted to end on a positive note and I do genuinely believe the communications sector is going to hit the ground running next year.
While the economic woes of 2009 and the retrenchment of 2010 are clearly not completely behind us, there are definitely signs that clients are spending again. They are unlocking plans that have lain dormant for a while because of financial constraints and nervousness about the economy.
One agency boss even told me recently that a few green shoots of recovery are springing up in Europe, and that is an area that has been in a far worse state economically than the US and Asia.
Agencies and client teams are staffing up, with digital and social media specialists in particular demand. Attracting and retaining the best talent will be a theme of 2011 as the economic and PR outlook improves.
History has taught us that now is not a time to be complacent: volatility in the global economy is the new normal. But PR is well placed to grasp the Age of Opportunity we talked about at our PRWeek NEXT conference last month and cement its pivotal role in marketing services and other parts of businesses and organizations.
The PRWeek team looks forward to reflecting and analyzing these trends and opportunities in 2011 and we thank you for your support in 2010. We wish you all safe and happy holidays.