Australian PR agency miraworld, headed by Barbara Raffellini, has been singled out for its networking capabilities and international success at the European, African and Middle East Regional Meeting 2008, organized by the World Trade Center in Pescara-Chieti.

Patrizia Angelini, Italian TV journalist and president of the global association Italian Women in the World (IWW), illustrated to delegates how miraworld creates interest and develops relations through a sophisticated mix of traditional and social media strategies.

The three-day conference was attended by representatives from the various World Trade Centers as well as economic and business leaders from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, USA, Canada, India and China.

The international audience heard how miraworld, a Sydney-based PR agency specialising in tourism and food, has undertaken innovative and successful world-wide campaigns, from the recent roadshows for the National Tourism Board of Peru to the ongoing work for the Cinque Terre National Park – including the development of strategic alliances with the Great Wall of China, Fiordland in New Zealand and the Blue Mountains.

Supplementing traditional styles of face-to-face networking, miraworld also embraces new technologies and social media sites like Linkedin, Plaxo and Xing to build awareness and reputation for clients.

Raffellini encourages businesses to take advantage of online social networking especially for its potential to reach markets abroad. But she is quick to point out that effective networking requires a mix of modern and conventional tools.

I don’t think Web 2.0 will ever completely replace old school ways – admits Raffellini – but it’s obvious that social media is no longer just for Generation Y.