Sharjah’s IGCF opens on 28th March

SHARJAH, 5th March, 2018 (WAM) -- Under the patronage of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the 7th International Government Communication Forum, IGCF, will take place on 28th and 29th March 2018 at Expo Centre Sharjah. The announcement was made by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, SGMB, on Monday at a press conference in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, SMC, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the SGMB, members of IGCF’s Academic Committee, representatives from IGCF’s sponsors and partners, as well as local media representatives. The Forum will host more than 40 speakers from 16 countries, and addresses an array of topics on ‘The Future of Government Communication in the Age of the Digital Community’ under the theme "Digital Millennium: Where To?" The event will feature 18 panel discussions and inspiring sessions, six interactive talks, four brainstorming sessions for children and young adults and seven workshops for journalists, government communication experts and visitors to the Forum. The event is anticipated to welcome up to 3,000 government officials, communication experts and specialists from across the world. During the press conference, Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi said that the Forum was launched seven years ago, under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, with the aim to highlight the best practices that achieve better and easier communication between the government and the public. "It also promotes Sharjah as a developed and progressive emirate that has preserved its values and heritage and is dedicated to being an engaging multicultural hub to achieve a more positive communication between governments and people to serve the stability and interests of global communities," he added. According Sheikh Sultan, IGCF seeks to develop a roadmap designed for government entities that take the initiative in communicating with the public through all traditional and modern channels, to elevate services and achieve the objective of satisfying all community members. "The Forum is dedicated to implementing this strategy, and in doing so, it has become a reliable and trusted reference for an array of international communication case studies, and played a fundamental role in enhancing the systems of such communication in the Emirate of Sharjah and UAE." He pointed out that dedicating a key theme for each edition of the event aligns with the variables imposed by modern development and community growth, adding that it provides an ideal platform to explore challenges on the most pressing issues in society, and link them to government communication to transform theoretical concepts into practical solutions. The SMC Chairman noted that the theme of the Forum’s seventh edition aims to explore the future of government communication in view of technological developments in the present and future. The Forum is also set to host a group of children from the Sharjah Arab Children Forum, SACF, for the very first time, and will feature more young individuals during its sessions and workshops. It will also see the launch of a special edition of the Harvard Business Review Arabic magazine on the future of communication. World leaders and eminent speakers will share their knowledge and expertise on government communications, including, Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius, Lech Walesa, former President of Poland, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, Mustafa El Khalfi, Moroccan Minister of Communications and Spokesperson of the Government, Majd Shweikeh, Jordanian Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary, and Dr. Ali Jawad Qasim Al Lawati, Advisor of Studies and Research at the Diwan of the Royal Court in Oman.