Hi all, I'm back for round 2!
So the night before I started at Kings Park, I won't lie, I panicked a little! I dragged out my workbook from PR Techniques and wrote down any notes I could find on media releases ... The good thing is I haven't had to look at those notes since! I have found though that PR Media and PR Techniques were two units that prepared me for my professional practice. These units covered aspects of event management like event plans, running sheets and brochures, and therefore these are things I have been able to revert back to when working with the Events team at Kings Park. I guess because we are all working in different areas of PR that everyone will pick out different things in their degree they have found most helpful when completing their professional practice.
So for the majority of the year, the Events team at Kings Park is planning for one major event - the Kings Park Festival. The Festival runs throughout the whole month of September celebrating Kings Park in its spectacular springtime glory. There is so much happenning, which means there is so much to organise! Just to name a few, the Festival offers exciting entertaniment like free live music performances, workshops, activities, exhibits and tours. As soon as the Festival is over, the Events team jumps right into organising the Summer Events Program which are all the concerts, cinema and theatre held at Kings Park, and when that finishes early in the year, it is straight back into organising for the Festival again - So you can see how much time and preparation goes into such an event!
The first major project I had a lot to do with was the promotional brochure and website because it was important to get them both up and running to promote the Festival. On my very first day I was in charge of going through hundrends (and I mean hundreds!) of photos and picking the best ones that could be used for various promotional material. If you need someone to find an image of a small child having the time of their life amongst beautiful wildflowers - I'm your girl! I know what images are in what folders like the back of my hand! And its come in handy when I've been asked to pick promotional photos for all kinds of things like website banners and also for a liftout that will be running in The West soon. My favourite task so far was when I was given the opportunity to gather information and write content for the brochure and website. I drafted up a lot of content from blurbs promoting the various workshops, tours and seminars, to musicians bios for the music in the park. For a little taste of what I wrote for the Feature Artist Program on at Aspects head to the Mylene van Heijster bio and Philippa Nikulinsky bio on the Kings Park Festival website.
Once the brochure was finalised and printed, then came the job of getting the brochures out to the public. I spent a whole day counting out brochures into piles of 10, 15, 25, 50, 100, 150, 250, 300 (and you get the picture), then putting them in envelopes/boxes, sealing the envelopes/boxes and addressing them. I had my own little production line going! I'm not going to lie, it was a long and tedious job, but I didn't mind doing it at all! If I didn't do it then someone else would have because it had to be done. Its all part of how the event comes together. Its all part of PR. And seeing the organisation and prepartation that goes into this Festival is one thing that I have really enjoyed. It has opened my eyes to the amount of work that really goes in.
Well thats enough for me this time! Until next time ...
Kate Brown
14290138
Bentley Campus
2 comments:
Hi Kate
Your internship sounds great!
I am also working within the events sector of PR, however for the Rottnest Island Authority, and completely understand the complexity, and somewhat tediousness that goes into the paperwork and preparation for events. In saying this though i have learnt just how important these tasks are, and at the end of the day they really determine what becomes the bulding blocks of the whole event process and establishment of crucial stakeholder reputations and relationships!
During my time completing simular tasks to you such as the creating of running sheets, brochures and feedback forms, i have discovered just how important the client-stakeholder relationship really is, becoming one of, if not the most important connection between the events sector and PR. Like you said, all tasks big or small are included in the process of pulling the final event together, ultimately determining public relations.
I just wondered what your insight was into the importance of establishing positive stakeholder relationships within the events process for Kings Park?
Thanks, Kayla
Hi Kayla,
The Rottnest Island Authority definitely sounds interesting! I read your blog where you mentioned the 'not so exciting' tasks you've had to undertake... it's so helpful to hear that we all have something in common! But it is also good to know that we're taking the same lesson out of it - because you're right, these tasks are the building blocks of the event process! By the way - you mentioned mail merging in your blog... I learnt exactly the same thing! Doesn't it just make life a whole lot easier? haha
But you're also right about stakeholder relationships being a crucial element. And I think one thing I've learnt from Kings Park is that positive and clear communication between you and your stakeholders really is key. The Festival has free live music performances for the public every sunday, so there has been a lot of correspondence with bands leading up to the festival. And I found it interesting to see how much work went into securing the bands and then maintaining good relationships with them, for example making sure they knew what equipment would/would not be available for them on the day. And so I can see how constant and clear communication is key to establishing positive stakeholder relationships.
Good question! haha
Goodluck with your prac! - Kate :)
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