Listen up! Network. Get engaged.

It’s a new era for PR and marketing professionals. Learn from the best at the 2011 professional development conference presented by the Southwest Missouri chapter of PRSA. The conference will be held 8:30 am to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, 202 S. JQ Hammons Parkway, Springfield, Mo.

Members of PRSA enjoy a discounted registration fee: $75 until Sept. 9. After that, the fee is $85. Register at www.swmoprsa.org

Speakers include David Grossman, APR, Fellow PRSA, and CEO of The Grossman Group, Chicago. He is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and engagement inside organizations. Mike Koehler, president and chief strategist of Smirk New Media, Oklahoma City, will share new trends in online brand monitoring through social media. Etiquette for business professionals, online and in professional settings, is the topic for Sheri Hawkins, owner of 2balance, a Springfield (Mo.) PR and communications agency.

For more information, contact PRSA member Claire Faucett, claire@springfieldchamber.com or 417-862-5567. She is chair of the conference planning committee.