My love for organised chaos.

Coming in to the last week of my internship at Mills Wilson, I have had the chance to take part in a lot different activities and have learnt so many tips and tricks about PR and the industry in general. Looking back on my time, it was hard to choose a favourite aspect of my experience to write about.  

I enjoyed developing my writing skills and having the opportunity to write for different clients. I enjoyed seeing all the theory I had learnt through Uni be put in to practice. I enjoyed seeing a ‘real life’ consultancy operating in all its glory. 

There was however, one PR activity that interested me the most – event planning.  

I have always loved organising – everything – and event planning is all about organising. Perhaps I would feel a little differently if I wasn’t just helping out on the sidelines as everyone tells me it is one of the more stressful aspects of PR, but it really appealed to me. 

During the time I have spent at Mills Wilson, they have been organising a large event for one of their major clients. 

The event is to celebrate the opening of a new shopping precinct. It will be a community event that will be held in the shopping precinct just a few weeks after the new stores open their doors to the public for the first time. The event will have live entertainment, rock climbing, tack-less train, cooking demonstrations from Anna Gare (Junior Masterchef Judge), face painting, balloon twisting, bouncy castles, stalls and more. 

The event is expected to attract around 2000 people, so it has taken a lot of work and organising in order to make happen. Watching the amount of effort and planning that goes in to an event like this made me appreciate every event I had ever been to. 

There are so many aspects that I had never considered before – letters to residents,  ensuring suppliers have all necessary information and insurance, council guidelines,  informing emergency services, traffic management and the list goes on! You have to think about every little possibility and actively account for it.

I had the opportunity to play a part in the organising of the event by drafting media material to promote the event, constructing supplier files, drafting letters to residents and emergency services, updating supplier databases, and more. 

All the aspects that go in to event planning and all the things that must be considered really is enough to send your head spinning - but for some insane reason, I loved it. 

Overall, my time at Mills Wilson has been more beneficial than I had ever thought. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what I would get out of the experience but I have definitely taken away some valuable skills and advice that I will carry with me in the future. It has given me a clearer view of where I want to go with my career after Uni and I know that consultancy is definitely on that list!