3 things you learn as an events apprentice

Your complete beginners guide to PR

As novices in Public Relations, theories of communication and management are not only the proud contents of our students CVs but mainly they are our work expectations when starting an internship, and we tend to see those job-placements as add-ons to already acquired knowledge.

However, there are extra skills and crucial lessons one needs to attain in the sharp and fast business of events. From my new perspective:

       1. There are goals and objectives and then there are goals and objectives.

In theory this is calculated relative to time and importance differentials but in reality there’s more than meets the eye. As for my work in marketing and communication for a new service brochure, I was focused on direct service awareness and indirect service department visibility, which is common sense in theoretical attainable and feasible events results. But common sense in reality is quite uncommon, that is, goals go beyond attainability and extend to aims such as market recognition for future work, client network enhancements and long run department growth. In a way, PR professionals need to think about goals and objectives as future accumulated benefits possibilities within broader perspectives. And that, you will need to figure out by yourself.

      2. There is a time limit for everyone except you.

All pre-set ideas of time management, date restrictions and service accessibility are void, the clock is there but you control the ticking. Most of the time, artwork designers, printers or distributors are unavailable, and they will pretend to call back but won’t therefore my efforts were logically meant to fail. But with the right words, a smart use of connections and an up-to-date expertise of the latest technology, efficiency in communication is assured to destroy any limit conventions. The secret though, is perseverance, I found myself contacting more than 15 printing agencies in Mauritius at 5 p.m before finding one that would accept the job.

       

      3. Media relations is more important than you think.

Information promotion on radio, newspapers, social media and other platforms is not only the main connection between your firm and target audiences but also the main impressions source for other business stakeholders. You must learn that any piece of data generated from the activities of your firm will act as a catalyst to image perception fluctuations. The mastering of this will determine the credibility, effectiveness and professionalism of your Public Relations team and in turn define the reliability and business value of your organisation. Therefore, media relations will affect image and reputation and this is a fact, to which PR professionals need to work in accordance with.