Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću/Croatian Public Relations Association

Name

Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću/Croatian Public Relations Association

Legal name

Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću

Website

https://huoj.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Public relations certification
• Communications industry standards
• PR professional development
• Media literacy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Members pay annual dues ranging from EUR 8 (students) to EUR 90 (regular members), depending on employment status. This is the primary recurring revenue stream sustaining the association's operations, governance bodies, and project delivery.
2. Conference and Event Revenue: The KOMferencija (annual two-day professional conference with approximately 500 attendees) and Grand PRix award ceremony generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships. The the! award regional competition also generates entry fees from participating organizations across Southeast Europe.
3. Professional Publications Sales: Biblioteka PRint publishes 17-19 professional titles (handbooks, textbooks, guides) on public relations, crisis communication, media relations, and related topics. Revenue is generated through book sales to members at discounted rates and to the general public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HUOJ is a nonprofit professional association that unites Croatian PR and communications practitioners and offers tiered annual memberships (EUR 8–90), industry certification, ethics adjudication through its Court of Honor, and a portfolio of signature programs including the KOMferencija annual conference, the Grand PRix national PR award, the regional the! award for Southeast Europe, the Biblioteka PRint publishing imprint, the tocno.hr fact-checking platform, and student-focused initiatives (Studentska konferencija, Mlada nada). It sells these programs as standalone offerings to members, PR agencies, corporate communications departments, government communicators, and students across Croatia and the wider region.

Product overview

Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću (HUOJ) operates as a professional association offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: the annual KOMferencija conference (20+ years of tradition), Grand PRix awards (prestigious PR award since 2007), and the! award (regional SEE communication award). Supporting programs include: Carpe Diem (member site visits), student initiatives (Studentska konferencija and Mlada nada award since 2015), Biblioteka PRint publishing (19 books since 2007), research projects, and specialized projects including AI in PR (launched 2021) and tocno.hr fact-checking platform. Membership provides access to educational events, certifications, discounts, and networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grand PRix: The most prestigious annual award for excellence in public relations projects in Croatia, awarded since 2007.
• the! award
• KOMferencija
• Carpe Diem
• Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations (AI in PR)
• Unaprjeđenje kulture provjere činjenica / tocno.hr
• Studentska konferencija (Neki novi klinci)
• Mlada nada
• Biblioteka PRint

Products and services

• HUOJ Annual Membership (Članstvo) Tiered annual subscription membership for Croatian PR and communications professionals, offering voting rights, event discounts, priority award entries, reduced certification fees, and free access to member-only workshops and visits.
• KOMferencija Annual Conference HUOJ's flagship two-to-three day professional conference drawing approximately 500 PR and communications professionals annually, featuring lectures, panels, and networking on industry-relevant topics; the central and most important event in the association's calendar.
• Grand PRix National PR Award Annual award program recognizing excellence in PR project design and implementation in Croatia, with special categories including Communicator of the Year, Anti-Communication of the Year, and Agency of the Year. The 19th edition (2025) received 50 valid submissions across nine categories.
• the! Award (Southeast Europe Regional Award) Regional communication award recognizing outstanding PR projects across Southeast Europe (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, North Macedonia), open to PR experts and independent professionals, awarded in multiple categories including institutions, NGOs, corporate, and digital communication.
• Carpe Diem Member Visits Program enabling HUOJ members to visit the communication departments of different organizations to learn about internal PR work, case studies, and exchange experiences across sectors. Free participation for members.
• Studentska konferencija (Neki novi klinci) Annual student conference since 2014 bringing together PR and communications students with industry professionals to gain practical and theoretical knowledge; the only conference of its kind in Croatia focused on university-industry collaboration.
• Mlada Nada (Young Talent Student Award) Annual student award since 2015 recognizing outstanding student works in PR across four categories: seminar paper, graduate paper, communication plan, and final paper. Open to Croatian communications students.
• Biblioteka PRint Publishing Imprint Publishing imprint producing practical handbooks and professional literature for PR practitioners, managers, and newcomers to the field. 19 titles published as of 2026 on crisis communication, PR in local government, media relations, internal communications, and political campaigning, sold at member discounts and to the general public.
• tocno.hr Fact-Checking Platform Public-facing fact-checking website monitoring statements made during election cycles and publishing fact-checks of economic and business claims, operated in partnership with Lider Media and the Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb.
• AI in PR Training Program Virtual training program launched in late 2021 providing AI training for communication students and masterclasses for university lecturers, covering sentiment analysis, hate-speech detection, and ethical AI use in public relations. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Croatia.
• Istraživanja (Research Projects) Research projects including surveys on employee retention trends and public-opinion research such as the 'Zero Quadrant' survey on citizen pessimism and trust in authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven IPRA Golden World Awards (gold) won by Croatian communications firms in 2026, validating the quality standards HUOJ promotes through Grand PRix and professional development.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sveučilište Sjever (University North)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026HUOJ partnered with Sveučilište Sjever (University North) as a key partner in the 'KOMUNIKACIJOM PROTIV MANIPULACIJE' project, co-funded by the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Programme. The partnership involves developing and delivering a new university course (5 ECTS credits) on communications and media literacy over two academic years.
• Srednja škola Stjepana Sulimanca, PitomačaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026Partner in the 'KOMUNIKACIJOM PROTIV MANIPULACIJE' project targeting youth resilience to disinformation. The school will host workshops and student advocacy campaigns as part of the initiative.
• Ekonomsko-birotehnička i trgovačka škola ZadarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026Partner in the 'KOMUNIKACIJOM PROTIV MANIPULACIJE' project. The school will host workshops and digital advocacy campaigns as part of the disinformation resilience program.
• Lider Media d.o.o.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUOJ partners with Lider Media as the media partner for the 'Unaprjeđenje kulture provjere činjenica' (Fact-Checking Culture Improvement) project, which includes the tocno.hr platform for monitoring and debunking false information during election cycles.
• Ekonomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the 'Unaprjeđenje kulture provjere činjenica' project, providing research expertise for fact-checking during Croatian election campaigns and monitoring economic and business misinformation.
• Veleposlanstvo SAD-a u Hrvatskoj (U.S. Embassy in Croatia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUOJ collaborated with the U.S. Embassy in Croatia on the 'Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations' (AI in PR) project, launched in late 2021. The embassy served as a key partner in connecting the communications and STEM fields, supporting virtual training programs for students and university lecturers.
• Ured za udruge Vlade RH (Croatian Government Office for NGOs)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Croatian Government's Office for NGOs, as programme manager, awarded HUOJ and partners a grant of EUR 275,790.31 under the Civil Society Programme of the Second Swiss Contribution. This grant funds the 'KOMUNIKACIJOM PROTIV MANIPULACIJE' project.
• tocno.hrcoreOthersHUOJ operates the tocno.hr platform as part of the 'Unaprjeđenje kulture provjere činjenica' project. The platform monitors statements made during election campaigns and publishes fact-checks, with findings linked to HUOJ's educational mission.
• Zagrebački inovacijski centar (ZICER)minorOthersThe Zagreb Innovation Center (ZICER) hosted the 2024 Neki novi klinci student conference, providing the venue for HUOJ's annual student conference.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): UK professional body awarding chartered practitioner status and running CPD, regional branches, and an independent ethics process — a near-functional analog to HUOJ's certification, regional podružnice, and Sud časti.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): Global association for business communicators offering credentials (SCMP), regional chapters, and an annual world conference — comparable to HUOJ's KOMferencija, certification (Pravilnik o certifikaciji), and section-based structure.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): The largest national professional PR association in the U.S., offering certification (APR), continuing education, awards, chapters, and an independent code of ethics — the same functional stack HUOJ provides at a national level in Croatia.
• Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA): Trade and professional body for PR agencies and in-house teams in the UK and internationally, running CPD, accreditation, and the PRCA Awards — directly comparable to HUOJ's mix of agency-facing services, Grand PRix awards, and professional-development programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management: Confederation of the world's national PR associations (including IPRA, PRSA, CIPR). HUOJ is a participant through these networks, making Global Alliance the federated body whose standards and certifications ultimately trickle down to HUOJ's domestic programmes.
• International Public Relations Association (IPRA): Global umbrella association for PR professionals, running the IPRA Golden World Awards that HUOJ members compete in. IPRA operates at international scale across ethics, standards, and advocacy, making it the most direct global counterpart to HUOJ's national professional-association role.

Regional players

• Slovenian PR Association (PRSS – Slovensko združenje za odnose z javnostmi): The national PR association of Slovenia — the closest regional peer to HUOJ, with overlapping membership in the the! award and similar Central European scope. Useful for SEE competitive benchmarking.
• Deutscher Public Relations Verband (DPRG): Germany's national professional PR association, with regional chapters, awards (German PR Award), and CPD programmes. A close functional analog to HUOJ at a much larger national scale, useful for benchmarking governance and programme depth.

Others

• Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo (Croatian Journalists' Association): Croatia's national journalists' association — a domestic peer organization with overlapping media-literacy, ethics, and advocacy agenda. Relevant as a sister professional body in Croatia that HUOJ partners and competes for member mindshare with.

Emerging players

• European Association of Communication Directors (EACD): Pan-European network for senior corporate communication leaders, with awards and roundtables. A more executive-tier counterpart that overlaps with HUOJ's agency and corporate-member base across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HUOJhr
• Facebookfacebook.com/HUOJhr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/croatian-public-relations-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/_huoj/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću/Croatian Public Relations Association