Event preparation and organisation is key! - Emily Fromson (Bentley)

"As I'm completing my placement at a high school I assumed that I would be involved in multiple event organisation activities. What I wasn't prepared for however was just how many events I would be working on and the majority of which at the same time. Three quarters of the way into my internship and I'm currently working on five different events, and from the attitudes and work ethics of my colleagues this is not abnormal!"

Before beginning my internship at Ellenbrook Christian College I considered myself an extremely well-organised person. Having now completed approximately three quarters of my internship, I must admit I still consider myself to be very organised. What has changed however is my view of just how important and essential organisation is to public relations. 

As previously mentioned, I'm currently working on five different events and for this I am extremely thankful that I developed good organisational habits early on. As can be expected however, I'm continuously learning new tricks and skills that aid in event preparation, some of which include: 

1) Know your deadlines and get them early. Once you have them, make a habit of checking with your supervisor whether or not they have been altered or changed altogether. 

2) Have the phone numbers of every single person involved in the event process. Also, don't solely rely on databases because quite often these will be outdated. It is therefore a very good idea to send out regular emails asking people to update their details. You'd be surprised how often people buy new phones/get new mobile numbers. 

3) Know the names and roles of everyone involved. It's extremely confusing when you tell a colleague that someone has gone "that way" when that is not that someones name! 

4) Allow extra travel time and arrive early whenever possible. Also, don't ask Siri how long it takes to get somewhere because Siri is unorganised and she lies.

5) Give yourself ample time to complete each task and don't tell yourself it can wait until after lunch. The sooner the task is completed the sooner you (and your bosses) can stop worrying about it and you can be given your next task.

6) Make a list. Sticky notes and bullet points are your best friends and can (and should) be used if you tend to forget little details. Also, ensure that you keep separate lists for each event you're working on and file all documentation in separate folders dedicated to that event.

I hope my six suggestions to event success help someone completing PUBR3002 :)

Thanks, Emily :)