Hang in there, we aren't done yet!

The blog title may seem a tad ironic as this is my first blog post - particularly coming at a time when I, by all accounts, am nowhere near close to being done but by the end of this blog post it should all make sense!

The Pilbara Transformed 2035 poster

Before I start, I'll let you know a little bit my internship placement company, Networking WA. Networking WA is a boutique events company that specialises in various services - events management, public relations, social media management and sponsorship management among others. Networking WA is a small and relatively young company (it was only established 5 years ago). Taking this into consideration, the client base and scale of events the company has managed, not to mention the industry contacts the company has built is truly impressive. 

Last week was a busy week at Networking WA, with three event days in a row. The lead up to the events saw us interns frantically scrambling to complete our tasks - sorting lanyards and name badges, checking (then double checking, then checking again) guest lists, run sheets and attendee itineraries and ensuring we were sure of what was expected of us on the day. 

Wednesday and Thursday was Pilbara Transformed 2035, a symposium Networking WA organised for the Department of Planning.  I attended the conference as a staff member on Wednesday, day one of the Symposium. I attended the Perth part of the conference, which took place at the Pan Pacific Hotel. There were around 50 attendees in Perth and 80 in Port Hedland. 

The key difference between this symposium and a regular symposium is that it took place between two locations - the PanPacific in Perth and the Pilbara. The conferences were live streamed to each other using video technology, which not only allowed attendees to listen to a range of speakers but also allowed for interaction between the two symposiums. However, it was not all smooth sailing, though the schedule of the day ran on time, a few attendees did not show, and problems with video consistency and sound quality saw various attendees leave before the end of the conference.

The day ended with another chance to network - a cocktail sundowner. It is quickly becoming apparent why the business is called Networking WA!

The seminar at The Pilbara Transformed 2035 event -
if you look closely you can see the speaker from the Pilbara
event on the screen!

Friday was the Swan West Network education seminar. There was a lot more to take into consideration at this event - not only was it on a much larger scale but the seminar was spread between three locations within the Crown Burswood - the botanical rooms downstairs, the studio rooms upstairs and the two grand ballrooms and large hallway on the ground level. After registering guests, interns directed participants to their seminars and answered any questions guests may have.  The day was run on a tight schedule and there was no room for error - we were forever shepherding people from location to location in order to make sure that the event ran according to its time constraints.

As the day drew to a close we ended with a speech from the events key note speaker and the awarding of door prizes and vendor prizes. As we stood by the doors reminding those who were keen to make an early departure about the prizes and final speeches I realised getting people to an event was only half the battle - keeping them there to see the day out was almost as difficult!

As both of these events were government contracts, I am looking forward to attending an event that was managed for a private organisation to see if I can notice any obvious differences.

When reflecting on this week, I thought about how the seminar showed me the variety technological advancements has brought to events. This got me thinking about the connection between technology at events and the use of technology for PR. The use of social media at an event can generate great PR for an organisation - for example the use of “check-ins” or event hashtags are a free and painless way to broadcast an event, organisation or cause. And on that note, I think I've just found my topic for my next intern blog at Networking WA!