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UVUPRSSA host career insights on media relations and event planning
Students gain valuable inside knowledge from Public Relations Professionals
Orem, Utah – October 5, 2021 – Utah Valley Public Relations Student Society of America (UVU PRSSA (squarespace.com) hosted their first live-person event of the year on media relations, event planning, journalism and marketing from guest speakers Wade Draper and Kevin Randall.
Draper, PR and Events Manager at PCF Insurance Services and UVU alumni shared his expertise on event planning. Looking for opportunities and asking professors about internships while in school is important to gain hands-on experience in the field, he said. Creativity is a key component and it’s not just something your born with; it’s a skill that can be learned. Draper listed five points for one to be successful at event planning and they are 1st. Build your skill set 2nd. Organize, networking and basic event knowledge 3rd. Negotiation, Problem Solving, Tech Savvy 4th. Internships, PRSSA/school involvement, connect with event professionals 5th. Keep calm, keep fun, stay engaging and stay spectacular.
“Every job and every opportunity that I’ve ever had was because of somebody who I met along the way and a lot of it was here at UVU PRSSA. The job I have today is because my boss and I started on the PRSSA board together. We become friends and stayed in contact, she reached out to me about a job and I said perfect let’s do it,” said Draper.
Watch full event video here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUqiOXhJiqO/?utm_medium=copy_link
Randall, Owner and Founder of Blackbird Communications shared his insights and knowledge on media relations and public relations campaigns. He talked about a campaign he conducted with the Utah Pride Center. When the pandemic hit, they were forced to cancel their pride parade and festival, their largest source of revenue, he said. Donations halted and online engagement dropped and they reached out to him for help. Together they responded by creating messages
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emphasizing that the Utah Pride Center is an organization that focus on the health and wellness of the LGBTQ+ community. In a year, Randall and Blackbird Communications were able to double their fans on Facebook and Instagram and have over 100 news media mentions.
In Randall’s eyes the key skills that separate the professionals from the amateurs in communication and public relations are knowing how to research, story tell and create messages, distribute and implement strategy and evaluate and analyze campaigns. Know what is going on in your community and be on top of current events.
“We need right now some good, responsible effective communicators. With all this information that is going on right now; we need people who can determine what is false, what is true, what is credible, what is not and be able to share that in a way that is effective,” said Randall.
UVUPRSSA Resources:
· Instagram: UVU PRSSA (@prssa_uvu) • Instagram photos and videos
· Twitter: (1) PRSSA at UVU (@prssa_uvu) / Twitter
· LinkedIn: Utah Valley PRSSA: Overview | LinkedIn
· Facebook: PRSSA at UVU | Facebook
About UVUPRSSA:
The UVU PRSSA is a chapter of the nationally recognized Public Relations Student Society of America, it was created in October 2009 and within its short time as a chapter has received local, state, and national recognition. In addition to holding monthly professional development activities, multiple UVU PRSSA student teams have received honorable mentions in the PRSSA National Bateman Case Study Competition. UVU PRSSA has received many Golden Spike Awards, including Best of Show and Utah’s top PR industry award. UVU PRSSA has received the National Star Chapter Award every year since 2010. The Chapter is integrated within the UVU culture and its surrounding communities through internships, service projects, events, and the prestigious Wolverine PR Firm.
For More Information, Contact:
Jarom Loosle
VP of Public Relations
801-349-6907