When we started planning the 29th edition of EvaluatePR, the idea was not to create another panel or simply check a box on the event calendar. It was about gathering people who genuinely care about the future of public relations, individuals who believe in measuring the things that truly count: purpose, perception, and performance.
I walked away from this edition deeply inspired. Not only by the range of experience and insight our speakers brought, but also by how open and authentic the conversation became. This was not a lecture, but rather, a much-needed moment of clarity in a field that is constantly shifting.
Adeeba Hussain, Founder of Think Impact First Communications, brought that clarity from the inside out. Her reminder that communication begins with employees not the press or the public served as a wake-up call. If your internal audience is not aligned with your purpose, how can your external message land with any real meaning? Adeeba’s framework for evaluating employee experience through behavioral and emotional indicators was both human-centered and outcome-focused, reminding us that not everything that counts can be counted easily, but it still must be evaluated.
Then came Samuel O. Adeyemi, CEO of Media DNA and representative of AMEC, whose honesty cut through the noise. He shared how a simple client question “What does this really do for our business?”, completely changed his approach to measurement. It was a moment that made all of us think. It is not enough to track activity. We have to prove value. But he did not stop there. Samuel challenged us to rethink the metrics we consider important. He spoke about how the industry’s over-reliance on media coverage and vanity indicators has distracted communicators from what stakeholders and decision-makers actually value. Samuel advocated for a “business-aligned mindset,” urging PR professionals to focus on demonstrating how communication drives real business outcomes rather than relying on surface metrics. He emphasized that true evaluation connects directly to strategy and decision-making.
Ben Levine, Director & Senior Partner at TRUE Global Intelligence, FleishmanHillard UK, helped us zoom out and see the bigger picture. He spoke about context, the political, cultural, and economic forces that shape how our work is received. It reminded me that measurement is not just about data collection. It is about interpretation. And if we do not help people make sense of the numbers, we are missing the point. Ben highlighted how the same numbers can tell different stories depending on the lens applied, and how misinterpreting data can lead to missed opportunities or even reputational risks. He called on all of us to become not just data collectors but data interpreters, and to always connect insights to purpose and decision-making.
Beatrice Izeagbe Okpara, Founder and Principal Consultant at PuzzleCraft PR & Communications, added something critical to the mix: resilience. In a world of misinformation, deepfakes, and algorithm-driven chaos, how do we protect perception? Her emphasis on building strong, reputation-ready frameworks before a crisis occurs was both timely and necessary. Her contribution served as both a warning and a guidepost “If we wait until a crisis hits to care about perception, it is already too late”.
Throughout the session, there was a sense that everyone in the room, regardless of where they were joining from was asking the same questions. How do we stay grounded in purpose? How do we build strategies that hold up under pressure? And how do we measure success in ways that actually matter to the people we serve?
What made this edition of EvaluatePR so meaningful to me was not only the quality of insight shared, it was the sincerity behind it. These were not rehearsed lines. They were reflections from people who have lived through the challenges, who are still learning, and who are committed to doing better.
To everyone who tuned in, participated, or supported the event in any way, we say thank you. Your presence made this conversation what it was.
As we look ahead to the 30th edition, I hope we continue to move with intention. Let us keep asking difficult questions. Let us keep listening across disciplines and geographies. And above all, let us never lose sight of why we measure: not for headlines, but for impact.
Because evaluating what matters is not just the title of an event. It is the future of our profession.
Yusuf Opeyemi, Senior Media Analyst at P+ Measurement Services. He is a communications strategist passionate about data-driven reputation management and purposeful storytelling, leading conversations that shape the future of PR.
