There’s a lot of talk going around Penn State recently about a sold-out regional conference occuring this weekend at the Days Inn. Hosted by Penn State’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the two-day conference will be attended by students and faculty across the region and feature some of the industry’s top professionals. So, who could have pulled off such an event? Meet Amelia Friedrichs, Crystal Remick and Emily Grabowski – PRSSA’s Regional Conference Directors and the women who helped make it all possible.
HC: What exactly is the PRSSA Regional Conference, and could you give us a brief background of the event?
PRSSA: Each year, the National Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) selects 10 universities nationwide to host regional conferences. These regional conferences are attended by local and regional PRSSA chapters and serve as an opportunity to network, learn, build portfolios, attend workshops, and listen to speakers.
HC: How did Penn State go about being selected as one of the 10 hosts this year?
PRSSA: This process began in May 2014. The three Penn State regional conference directors set up phone conferences and Skype throughout the entire summer to work out conference details for the bid that is submitted to the National Board the first week of September. Between internship schedules and time differences with Crystal being in Italy, the directors defied the odds and put together a bid that was eventually chosen by the National Board to host a conference.
HC: That’s quite the accomplishment. So, how did you come up with the theme “Plugged Into PR?”
PRSSA: The theme “PR Industries Defined: # PluggedintoPR” was chosen after a series of surveys that we conducted over the summer. We found that students seemed to have trouble figuring out where exactly to ‘plug’ themselves after graduation in terms of industry. From here the concept of the conference was born, which aims to give students a taste of different industries in the PR world.
HC: What made you want take on the responsibility of planning such a huge event?
PRSSA: Despite the fact that none of us had ever planned a conference before, we were given an opportunity that couldn’t be turned down. To gain experience planning such an incredible nationally recognized event at a college level is an unforgettable experience.
HC: How were the guest speakers chosen?
PRSSA: The best approach to figuring out what type of speakers college students wanted to hear from was to survey college students on what they were most interested in hearing. The poll we conducted this summer helped narrow down which industries were of most interest to students, which made our job easier in terms of who we chose to reach out to.
HC: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
PRSSA: Running into obstacles when planning any major event is inevitable, but the biggest challenge for us as new event planners was anticipating the unexpected hiccups along the way. In the end, we feel we’ve learned a lot and are grateful for the experience we’ve been given.
HC: What can students attending the conference expect of the experience?
PRSSA: Students can expect a speaker line-up of top industry professionals, an etiquette luncheon, workshops, three breakout sessions, a keynote speaker session featuring Jon Lorenzini from Google, and endless networking opportunities. This a completely student-run event tailored to first and foremost, college students. With a set-up that is not typical from many conferences put on by the university, students are guaranteed a relatable experience that will shape their young professional outlook.
HC: Which part of the two-day event are you looking most forward to?
PRSSA: We’re extremely excited for the opening night this Friday, where students from more than 15 schools along the East Coast will join us at Penn State for a fun, interactive team building activity. This activity will incorporate our conference philanthropy, as well as give attendees a chance to meet one another and kick off the conference weekend!
HC: Anything else you’d like us to know?
PRSSA: We are absolutely thrilled with the response to the conference we have worked so hard to plan. We have currently SOLD OUT our entire registration space and are looking forward to meeting all 175 attendees this weekend.