Event sponsorships have their unintended costs, according to the New York Times. Stephanie Clifford reports on how Yum Brands CEO David C. Novak issued prepared remarks about the splendor of the Kentucky Derby, without knowing that NBC had just announced that injured horse Eight Bells had been euthanized.

This year, PRWeek will visit eight cities where an industry close to that respective region will be discussed. For each event, leading PR pros from a variety of firms, companies, and other organizations will gather in a roundtable discussion about the issues affecting them and their peers. Keith O'Brien and Tonya Garcia were in New York to discuss financial communications.

In a previous column, I extolled the virtues of monitoring Twitter for information about your company (or client's) reputation, products, and brand. It's also great for finding a column idea.

The 2008 Agency Business Report found that the PR industry had another successful year. These gains can be attributed, at least in part, to increased digital revenues, the improving stature of PR pros in the eyes of C-suite executives, and global companies seeking expertise in multiple countries

Thanks to the combination of digital work and increased global assignments, PR's recent momentum continued in 2007. However, economic uncertainties cloud the future.

Bob Feldman is not one to follow a predictable path. After an early career in the agency world - highlighted by eight years as CEO and president of GCI Group - he shifted to DreamWorks Animation as the company's first corporate communications head.

This year, PRWeek will visit eight cities where an industry close to that respective region will be discussed. For each event, leading PR pros from a variety of firms, companies, and other organizations will gather in a roundtable discussion about the issues affecting them and their peers. Keith O'Brien and Aarti Shah were in San Francisco to discuss the technology industry.

This week's issue is filled with stories of companies and individuals that should have been able to see the issues ahead, but could not - or would not - change course.

NEW YORK: Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn stepped down as chief strategist for the Hillary Clinton campaign April 6 after it was revealed that Penn, representing Burson, met with Colombia government officials to work on a free trade issue at odds with the Clinton campaign's stance.

Yahoo's recent launch of Shine, a women-focused media portal, is bound to make some magazine publishers nervous.