Communication Without Borders was this year’s theme for the 7th biennial World PR Forum, held for the first time in Australia.

Featuring 800 delegates representing 29 countries, this year’s conference was the largest and arguably, most successful ever, with #WPRF becoming the number one trending topic in Australia.

This year’s program included a stellar line-up of world leading communicators from diverse fields including Richard Edelman, President & CEO, Edelman; Charlie Miller, International Corporate Communications Vice President, Boeing; Anna Adriani, Global PR and Corporate Responsibility Director, illycafe; Paull Young, Director of Digital, charity: water and Michael Sheldrick, Manager, Global Policy & Campaigns, Global Poverty Project.

The concept of “storytelling”, echoed in many presentations, became a sub-text for the forum.

This year’s conference focused on the need for PRs to readily adapt to the changing communication landscape, particularly given that social media has rendered the individual one of our most influential communicators.

The forum concluded with Global Alliance Chair, Daniel Tisch presenting the final draft of the Melbourne Mandate – a document set to shape the PR Code of practice for the next 12 months – and announcing the location of the 2014 World PR Forum: Madrid, Spain.

The three day event wasn’t all about inspiring thought leaders and ongoing workshops, as Team VIVA! indulged in some team-bonding and Melbourne sightseeing as part of the forum agenda.

VIVA! Principal, Kirsten Bruce, also experienced a blast from the past, running into her former journalism lecturer from Bond University, Mark Pearson. Mark is a journalist, author and Professor of journalism, who holds a PhD in Internet journalism and a Master of Law. He presented at the conference and spruiked his book entitled “Blogging & Tweeting without Getting Sued”– an insightful guide on how the law plays out in the world of digital communication.

According to Mark, with the growing influence of social media, one can’t underestimate the importance of understanding how to use this platform properly, and legally.

A delightful character, he signed a copy of his book for Kirsten with “Bondies forever. Love Mark”.