Plumbing Africa April 2018 | Page 58

56 ASSOCIATIONS: WPC World Plumbing Council Review The World Plumbing Council (WPC) is exploring ways to better harness and expand its communication network, so that it can promote the work of the council and the role of plumbing in human and environmental health more broadly and with greater effect. By WPC WPC COMMUNICATIONS One of the great strengths of the WPC, and one which the executive board wants to make greater use of, is its extensive network of industry and community connections. When taken together, the significant networks of the individual WPC executive board and members form a vast web of stakeholder connections. As well as promotion and public awareness raising, the WPC envisages a growing role for itself as an international communications hub with respect to all things to do with plumbing and sanitation. To this end, the WPC has been focusing, and will continue to focus throughout this executive board term, considerable effort on refreshing and updating its communication practices and systems. Through initiatives like the Four Pillars of Plumbing programme, the council will gradually build on its bank of international plumbing industry knowledge. As well as receiving and collating information provided to it, the WPC will increasingly look for opportunities to disseminate articles and information of interest to its members and stakeholders and, over time, develop more of its own content and promote it widely on social media and other platforms. The intent of the executive board is that over the coming months and years, and by receiving, storing, curating, distributing, and promoting articles and materials of interest, the WPC’s status as a definitive point of plumbing industry reference will form and grow. WPC director Dave Viola, who leads the WPC’s marketing and communications portfolio, has been driving the WPC’s upgraded contribution as a communications hub. As part of that process, the WPC has adopted an improved format and coverage of the newsletter; initiated and reinvigorated social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook); and revised and updated its branding and website. These efforts are starting to have an impact, with higher levels of engagement being noted by several executive board members. However, to realise its goal of becoming the international focal point for information about the global plumbing industry, a higher level of engagement from all the WPC members and stakeholders is required. We ask all WPC members to support this effort, and the worldwide plumbing industry, by contributing information;