APCO Collaborates With Clinton Global Initiative Again in 2010

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For a third consecutive year, APCO Worldwide is providing communications support to the Clinton Global Initiative's (CGI) Annual Meeting, helping CGI and its more than 1,000 members from around the globe announce the social and environmental impact of their wide-ranging efforts, APCO Founder and CEO Margery Kraus announced today.

"CGI truly illustrates the power of collaboration by bringing together global leaders from businesses, governments and nonprofits to discuss some of the world's most pressing global issues and devise innovative ways to address them," said Kraus. "For twenty-five years, APCO has worked across business, government and society to promote corporate responsibility and a multi-stakeholder approach to solving problems. We value CGI's important work and share its commitment to supporting its members in drawing attention to the work they do to improve our world."

The 2010 CGI Annual Meeting will take place September 20-23 in New York City and will bring together leaders from around the world. This year, focus areas are Harnessing Human Potential, Enhancing Access to Modern Technology, Strengthening Market-based Solutions and Empowering Girls and Women.

APCO made a commitment in 2008 to assist CGI and its members in publicizing the impact of their commitments by arranging media interviews, offering communication training and providing strategic counsel. As part of APCO's CGI Commitment to Action and sponsorship, the consultancy helps other CGI members – leaders from multinational corporations, social enterprises, governments and nonprofits – garner interest for the causes they are addressing, demonstrate their successes and highlight the wide-ranging achievements of CGI as a whole.

At last year's Annual Meeting, APCO helped CGI and more than 100 of its members achieve new levels of visibility for their good work, providing media training and facilitating interviews between CGI members and leading media, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The New York Times and CNN.

"APCO is pleased to continue to support CGI at a time when research shows that social responsibility is a key driver in defining reputation for companies across industries and geographies," said Kraus. "Simply having quality products and services or successful business operations is not enough to satisfy many stakeholders today. Audiences worldwide increasingly expect companies to contribute to positive social change. CGI is a leading advocate for these efforts, and we look forward to the energy and momentum that is sure to result from their successful Annual Meeting."

A recent study conducted among more than 15 Fortune 100 companies by APCO Insight®, the company's opinion research group, found that more than one-quarter of a company's reputation is based on the ability to meet stakeholder expectations related to social responsibility.

Former President Bill Clinton launched CGI in 2005. Since then, CGI members have made more than 1,700 Commitments to Action valued at upwards of $57 billion, which have improved more than 220 million lives in over 170 countries. In 2009, the annual meeting was named the No. 1 conference for CEOs, attracting more CEO speakers from top companies than any other major conference last year.

About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO clients include corporations and governments; industry associations and nonprofit organizations; and seven of the top 10 companies on Fortune's Global 500. APCO offers services related to business, industry and finance; media, public opinion and society; and government and public policy. The firm is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.

SOURCE APCO Worldwide