Posted by Valerie Norman on August 7, 2007 at 04:15 PM
To coin a term from one of my favorite shows, this session was a “quick-fire elimination challenge.” These four different speakers were allowed 15 minutes to sum up their company and their responsibilities in the PR business, which helped us student’s decide what fields we were interested in and which ones we weren’t.
First up, Julia Babair, APR, Priority Marketing, Inc. Julia described her role as an event planner for her company, planning scholarship functions to small company luncheons. She passed out a very comprehensive handout that she uses when organizing events to make sure she covers all the angles, down to the littlest detail. Take away tip: Be prepared for the unexpected.
Meghan Watts, Marketing Associate for Conference and Events, FTSE International Limited, LLC- Meghan manages over 40 conferences and client events. Her job is to promote FTSE brand awareness and facilitate the relationship of financial professionals through these events and conference. Take away tip: Research your company and gain the knowledge you need to describe it intelligently; even if it’s an industry like investor relations, you have no background in.
Continue reading "FPRA Annual Conference: Student Track - PR’s Most Wanted Topics Uncovered!" »
Posted by Valerie Norman on August 7, 2007 at 02:45 PM
"Don’t Be Media Road Kill- Do’s and Don’ts of Working with the Media " was a highly helpful presentation on dealing with the media. John McShaffrey, APR , Public Information Officer for Earth Tech was the speaker for this breakout and told of his many crises in working for the Department of Transportation. Whether you have or haven't yet, it's probably certain that you will talk with someone from the media, whether they are calling you or you are calling them. This might be because they want your comment on a crisis your company is facing. Here are some quick versions of crises John has encountered and the lessons he has learned from them.
The day the crane fell- Lesson learned: Handling all the media at once can make it go away quicker.
The night the bridge fell- Lesson learned: Crises don’t take holidays.
The day the worker fell- Lesson Learn: Stay out of the crisis if it is not yours.
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Posted by Valerie Norman on August 7, 2007 at 01:30 PM
With a passionate heart, Rick Oppenheim, APR, CPRC, unlocked Pandora’s Box of job searching tips. As a student, if you attended one presentation, the handouts given at this one are worth more then gold. It seems PR should really stand for perfect representation when searching for a job. It's a nerve-racking time for students, but hopefully these tips will help you make it through the storm and seem as perfect as possible.
Rick's "Five Essential Traits for Public Relations Success" should be read every month and burnt into our memories. So here they are!
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Posted by Valerie Norman on August 6, 2007 at 03:13 PM
As students we are primarily focused on getting PR experience, building our portfolios and making great grades. The President’s Luncheon made me realize it’s never too soon to think about the future. Being surrounded by PR greats and hearing their long lists of accomplishments is motivating in a way that’s larger then life. You just have to be in the room to feel the power.
The steps we take now will lead us to accomplishing the HUGE dreams we may have in the coming years. Start preparing now by becoming involved in a FPRA executive committee or any volunteer event. Get to know the people around you, make contacts, but most of all make friends. Combined the knowledge we have can produce amazing results and strategies to accomplish anything. PR has a very bright future and you can be a part of it.
