The Joys of Networking – When Sugar Connects People

Hello everyone.

This was by far my favourite week as an intern. I attended my very first international conference and it was great. I must admit that I did have apprehensions at first. I knew very well that I’d be the youngest person there and it tends to be a little (or VERY) awkward. Moreover, as mentioned in my previous blog post, the International AVH Symposium gathered businessmen and researchers who work in the sugar industry and who met in order to contribute to the advancement of the knowledge on sugar. I clearly felt out of place, especially when the researchers started to give lectures about the performance of sugar factories and refineries, with all the technical terms and mathematical formulae.

Mr John Field, Senior Technical Director at Carbo UA International, making a speech on "Energy Management in Cane Sugar Factories".

However, I had a rich learning experience by observing how the setup of the event was done and what needed to be done throughout the conference. It made me realise to what extent Public Relations involved doing a bit of everything; taking photographs, acting as Master of Ceremony, and so on. For my part, I assisted with the registration before the conference took place and it was actually a great way to make first contact and a good first impression. 

The registration point in front of the conference room at Holiday Inn Hotel.

Even if the conference was for people who had interests that were different from mine, I nevertheless took this opportunity for networking at the dining buffets and during the visit to the Omnicane Refinery, called La Baraque. It turns out that the people coming from different parts of the world were actually keen to know more about me and what I was doing at Omnicane. It was also an occasion to share our mutual experience and to discover more about the lifestyle in our respective countries. Many of them also had a good sense of humour and these people actually contributed to the fact that my experience at the conference was much more interesting than what I had initially thought. 

Omnicane's sugar mill at La Baraque.

One of Omnicane's employees showing samples of molasses, vinasse, and neutral alcohol at La Baraque.  

Dear PR students, please click here for a few networking tips.

One of the men whom I talked to worked in the Public Relations sector and he told me that his organisation was currently facing a crisis. He asked for advice and I was thus able to show my knowledge by telling him the Dos and Don’ts which were so often repeated by our lecturer. For example, “Do not downplay the issues”, “Never say ‘no comment’” and “Organise a media conference”. (Click here for a few other Dont's in a crisis situation). We exchanged a lot and I realised, more than ever, that the different PR units will greatly help us in real life; for instance, the crisis simulation that we had to deal with in Media Relations 250. The PR Professional told me that he had a similar training at work and that it was indeed very challenging.

One of the exhibition stand at Holiday Inn, on the occasion of the 22nd International AVH Symposium.

As my internship is coming to an end, I must say that I have gained confidence in my abilities and that my experience comforted me in my choice to pursue my career within the PR field. I hope that you are all enjoying your adventure as interns. Mine was sweet as sugar.

All the best,

Haddiyyah

Why You Should Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

Hi guys!

This week, I was asked to write a media advisory and a speech for the company’s CEO. There’s an important event coming soon, that of the 22^nd International AVH Symposium, organised by the Association Andrew Van Hook. It is the first time that it will take place in Mauritius and it will gather different researchers and businessmen that work for the advancement of the knowledge on sugar and in the sugar industry respectively.

As it is often said, practice makes perfect. I felt more confident on completing these written tasks, compared to the previous week. If you have any doubt on how to write a media advisory, I came across some good tips as well as a sample; you can click here. 

I’ve also written my 2^nd speech since the beginning of my internship. Once you’ve done some thorough research about your topic, the ‘writing’ part is actually completed quite quickly. It’s really the research that is more time-consuming. 

In my previous post, I was complaining about writing something on football but this time, I had to write about the sugar industry, which is way more challenging. I went through a pile of magazines, as demanded by my supervisor. I also went on the company’s website a number of times to check about the facts and figures. It was quite stressful at that instant; having to face this information overload and not knowing what exactly to write.  I can now say that I know quite a lot about the sugar industry, including its history. However, to avoid stress in such situations, you’d better know your topic well already.

I remember that we used to complain in class about having to read and watch the news daily and that many of us admitted to not really doing it, especially regarding local news. However, our local lecturer was right; it IS very important. You do not actually realise its importance when you’re still a student, living in your own world, until you start working and you feel that you’re missing out on certain things. So even if a particular topic is not your cup of tea, drink it, absorb it. You never know when it might come in handy. My experience taught me as much.

All the best,

Haddiyyah

The Awesome Moment When a PR Intern Attends her First Media Conference

Hello fellow interns.

This has been a busy week.

The company I intern for is sponsoring the Football Republic Cup this year and in this regard, I got the opportunity to attend my very first press conference. A number of influential people in sports were present on that day, such as the president of the Mauritius Professional Football League, Mr Georges Chung, and the head coach of the Mauritius national football team, Mr Didier Six. Of course, there were quite a few tasks to complete before and after the conference, needless to mention the phone calls that had to be made to confirm logistics for the event. I also wrote a media advisory and a press release. These were easy tasks compared to the speech I had to draft for the CEO of the company. 

Journalists waiting for the CEO of Omnicane to deliver his speech at the press conference held in Port-Louis.

It was definitely challenging, especially since it was about the Republic Cup and I’m not really into football. I was not very inspired and had to do some research on local football. I also looked for tips online and came across a nice article on Forbes, called 10 Keys To Writing A Speech. It basically says that your speech should be well structured, have a strong opening and ending, that you should repeat yourself because people tend to drift off, and most importantly, keep the speech short (let’s face it, short is sweet). Well, except when we’re talking about ‘short notice’.

Given the short notice and my lack of experience in this aspect, it was no surprise that on the day of the conference, the CEO delivered a speech different from the one I had written. However, it’s been a really good exercise as I’m pretty sure I would not have listened that attentively if I had not drafted the speech. As a result, I was able to note the things that I should have included to make it perfect. On another hand, one of the journalists asked a question to the CEO, concerning how long the partnership with the Republic Cup would last. While he had not mentioned it in his speech, I did write about it in the one I had drafted. I think it’s a good sign if, as an aspiring PR person, I can predict journalists’ questions and so I was nevertheless satisfied with my work.

I also wrote a media release after the event and I was excited when my supervisor told me that I did a good job and that I did not need to edit it.

If you have any other suggestions as to how to write a good speech, feel free to share them.

All the best,

Haddiyyah Tasneem Futloo

Do You Think PR is Glamorous? Think Again!

Hello fellow interns.

I can’t believe I’ve already completed my first week of internship at Omnicane, a company involved in sugarcane and food crop cultivation, bioethanol and electricity production. I’ve been placed in the Internal News Edition & Events Coordination department and what I really like about this department is that I’m constantly on the move.

I discovered places that I did not even know existed in Mauritius. I’m actually working on the annual newsletter and since Omnicane is really active in terms of community involvement, I had the opportunity to interview a few people that received support from the firm. It may sound weird but the company engages so much in CSR that I tend to feel like I’m interning for a non-profit organisation.

I went to Mahebourg Espoir Education Centre, a place where students who failed the Certificate of Primary Education, are given a second chance. They often have a difficult family background, are aged 12 to 16 years old and go there from Monday to Friday, from 08.15 to 16.15. Apart from the academic studies, they are also able to develop other skills since they learn cookery and how to play instruments such as the Djembe and guitar. Moreover, they practise sports like football and judo. The centre’s director as well as an ex-student were interviewed so as to gain a deeper understanding of their experience there. I then assisted my supervisor in the editing of the article about the centre, which will be included in the annual newsletter. 

Students preparing pancakes at Mahebourg Espoir Education Centre.

I also went to Batimarais to write an article about the needy residents’ situation three months after Omnicane gave them laying hens. Many of them have started to sell the eggs and hence, they can now earn an income. After talking to these people, I was reminded of a Chinese proverb that comes from Confucius, a great philosopher: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".

Gloria Joorun, a resident of Batimarais, feeding her hens.

From a new perspective, I can tell you that PR is not as glamorous as some people tend to think. My short experience has nevertheless taught me that to be a PR professional, you cannot afford to be too emotional. Believe me, it IS a challenge to witness such misery and not break down. However, professionalism is also about maintaining a smile even when the heart is not there. I indeed feel like I just stepped into the real world, already so far outside of my comfort zone. What about you? In what way do you feel that you have stepped out of your comfort zone?

Looking forward to learn about your own experience, be it positive or negative.

All the best,

Haddiyyah Tasneem Futloo