Thursday, January 10, 2008

Philadelphia Bar's Chancellor's Reception Means Great Networking

Last night I had the pleasure to attend the Philadelphia Bar Association's Annual Chancellor's Reception in honor of A. Michael Pratt, only the third African American to serve as Chancellor in the 206-year history of the13,000 member Philadelphia Bar Association.

The event took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue from 5 to 7 p.m. but it went on much longer. When I arrived at 6 p.m. the receiving line was snaked through two hallways and the hotel security were holding individuals on the first floor waiting for the line to subside. I just kept thinking, "Go Michael." It was great to see such a large and diverse turn out at such a great networking event.

Networking is the quintessential public relations tool. And what a night it was. I ran into colleagues that I haven't seen in many years - as far back as grade school!

Some of the other notables that I had the chance to see were Immediate-Past Chancellor Jane Leslie Dalton, Chancellor-Elect Sayde J. Ladov and Vice Chancellor Scott F. Cooper, Past Chancellors Carl Primavera, Abraham C. Reich, and Andrew A. Chirls, my dear friend and legal PR pro, Dan Cirucci, and my loving father Richard F. Furia, just to name a few. Needless to say, it's a must attend event!

According to a press release issued by Mark Tarasiewicz of the Philadelphia Bar Association, "The annual Chancellor's Reception has been a longstanding Philadelphia tradition. Even the city's busiest and most successful legal luminaries as well as community, city and state leaders patiently wait in a long line to wish the Chancellor good luck in the year ahead. At times, the line of nearly1,000 well-wishers will flow through the ballroom foyer, around corridors and down the escalator that leads guests to the ballroom level." How right indeed.

No comments: