Woman.Comm, a platform supporting women in the communications industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, is thriving. The number of members is steadily growing, as is the number of projects bearing the Woman.Comm signature. Their quality has also been confirmed by IPRA, the most prestigious public relations association in the world. This prestigious recognition underlines the increasing importance and influence of the Woman.Comm conference as a leading event in the communications industry – dedicated to professional development, knowledge exchange, and empowering women in PR, marketing, media, and the creative sector.
There are still eight months left until the conference, and we will be writing a lot more about it. Today we are talking with Irena Miličević Vukoja, who successfully steers the Woman.Comm project, firmly guiding it toward safe waters.
Media Marketing: IPRA has supported the Conference and become a part of it. What does that specifically mean?
Irena Miličević Vukoja: Receiving support for something you’re doing from such a large and influential organization – one that has been setting the standards in the global PR industry for 70 years – is a tremendous honor and a confirmation of the quality of our work. It is a strong tailwind, a motivation to go even further, and proof that we are on the right track.
Specifically, this support means greater international visibility for the Woman.Comm conference, opening up opportunities to host renowned experts from the IPRA network in the future, as well as enhancing our content through collaboration, exchanging experiences, and setting new industry standards. Moreover, it is an opportunity for Woman.Comm to position itself as a key platform for women in communications in the region and beyond.
Furthermore, IPRA’s support can positively impact our other projects, such as the Rising Star Academy – whose mission is to empower young talents in the industry – as well as the entire Woman.Comm narrative. Considering that we are currently the only structured network for PR professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this partnership further confirms our significance and allows us to continue building strong connections with global leaders in the communications industry.
Media Marketing: Last year the conference had over 500 participants. Is it possible to surpass that number this year? Do you have any ideas that will make that possible?
Irena Miličević Vukoja: Every year we record an increase in the number of participants, which tells us that we are doing the right thing. We will strive to make each new conference more substantive, inspiring, and useful than the previous one. That’s why we carefully analyze every piece of feedback—what participants found most valuable, which topics especially interested them, and what we can improve to engage them even more.
This year, we are working on making the program even more attractive by bringing in relevant experts from across the region and the world. Quality, concrete content tailored to the needs of communications professionals is always our focus, and that is something that sets us apart. Additionally, we are dedicated to ensuring that the conference experience itself is exceptional – from networking and inspiring panels to educational workshops offering practical knowledge that can be immediately applied in business.
Of course, I won’t reveal too many details in advance, but what I can promise is that the Woman.Comm conference will once again bring something new and different. And as always – Media Marketing will be the first to have all the information! 😊
Media Marketing: Over the past year or two, women in almost every segment of business have been receiving increasing support day by day—from entrepreneurship and founding their own companies to joining the top management of the largest companies. This is a trend throughout the region, a picture completely different from, say, two years ago. Do you see a role for the Woman.Comm project in this?
Irena Miličević Vukoja: It is an incredible feeling to see that things are changing for the better, regardless of who is responsible for those changes. However, I am proud because I know that Woman.Comm has certainly been one of the catalysts for these changes. Through our activities, conferences, workshops, and networking, we have created a space where women can be empowered, inspired, and find opportunities for professional growth.
Whether we have directly encouraged someone to apply for a better position, inspired them to take an entrepreneurial step, or facilitated connections with the right people who have helped them further their careers – we have achieved our goal. Our vision has never been just to be an event or a gathering; we aim to change the industry and society as a whole in the long term.
The most beautiful confirmations of this come through the stories of our members. When they reach out with news that they’ve been promoted, landed their dream job, or launched their own business, we know that Woman.Comm is not just an initiative – it is a movement.
And that is why I want this not to remain just a “trend,” but to become the standard. That empowering women in the communications industry becomes the norm, not the exception. Woman.Comm will continue to build this story, because this is just the beginning of what we can achieve together.
