Right after my presentation on new media here at the TOCA meeting the next session featured editors and public relations people. They discussed the relationship dynamics between the two groups.

My presentation went okay even though I didn’t have internet access. Don’t ask me how but it got done. It’s kind of a challenge though when everything we do and that I wanted to show is online.

You can find an online photo album with pictures I’ve taken today here: TOCA Photo Album

This morning before we went out to Hazeltine National Golf Club for the tournament I interviewed TOCA President, Ed Hiscock, Golf Course Management Magazine. Ed says that there are about 200 members of the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association which will be celebrating 20 years next year. He says the organization was formed to bring together editors and public relations people and set standards for how they work together. I asked him about new media and how it’s changing the way we communicate and he says that new technology is allowing us to extend what we’re already doing. You can find his publication’s blog here.

Listen to my interview with Ed here: toca-08-hiscock.mp3

I’ve found a lot of similarities between the membership of TOCA and other groups I belong to like AAEA, LPC, IFAJ and NAFB. For one thing we share some of the same advertisers and sponsors. You’ll notice some of the same corporate names represented here in the chemical and equipment business, just different divisions. The media and public relations representatives are no different and facing the same challenges as in other industries. I’ve also seen several people I know who are also doing work on the ag side.