Networking in the industry

Hi my fellow interns,

I hope you have all been enjoying your placement and have been busy writing the report. I know I have.

Just more details about my experience the past week. Tomorrow is my last day at Promaco as an intern and surprisingly the managing director liked me so much, she offered me a full time job starting in June, which I am excited about.

The past few weeks have been hectic with Promaco's first event drawing near. The Australians Counsel Day Conference will be held next week and the office have been busy making sure everything is perfect and ready to go for Wednesday the 23rd May. I will also be going into the office on Saturday to fill up bag satchels with sponsorship inserts, so it will all be ready to go to hand to delegates on the event day.

On another note, my blog today is about networking. I have realised in the PR and Events industry, or any industry for that fact, it is all about who you know and the relationships you build. Perth is such a small community and I experienced that first hand today by going to the Perth's Event Show, which was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. There I got to meet all the different people in the same industry. It was exciting yet daunting because I didn't want to say anything stupid, but at the same time I wanted to liaise and get some contacts. It was my first time going to these kinds of functions and it was good to meet the people I will be constantly bumping into. I was glad I had my boss there with me to make me feel comfortable and accepted. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly and I even scored a few pamphlets and gifts. Overall it was a great experience and there will only be more opportunities when I go into the work force. So I am excited to see what else is waiting for me.

This will probably be my last post as I end my 20 day internship tomorrow and I will be busy typing away on my report, which I am kind of lazy to do now that I am working.
Does anyone else feel this way? I am literally working everyday and I find it so hard to concentrate on my studies, because I feel like the last thing I want to do after coming home from a 9 to 5 job is to sit down and do my assignment. I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way.

But anyway, I'm kind of sad to say good bye to the study life, it was such a safe haven for a long time. Now the hard life begins!

All the best to my fellow PR friends. I am sure in this industry, we will cross paths somewhere.

Grace Akang
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Project

Hi my fellow interns,

I hope you are all enjoying your internship.

Just a little update on what I have been up to with my internship. It is getting more and more busy in my office. We have our first event coming up at the end of May and I've been busy helping my supervisor putting the finishing touches of the event. This includes emailing sponsors and making sure they are updated, also promoting in social media feeds about the event and making sure delegates are up to date on what will be happening at the event.

Apart from this event, I have also been given a little project of my own. I have been given the opportunity to be more apart of the event known as Energy WA. Even though I have not helped with organising the event from the start, I have recently been given the task to create the event in the Promacos System. This includes creating the website, providing the necessary information about the event, writing up the sponsorship prospectus for suitable sponsors and also creating twitter for Energy WA and updating it every week.

This has been a great opportunity and a great experience as I get to see how it all plans together and the work that it takes to plan an event and make it successful.

It takes a lot of time and effort to organise an event together, there are many concepts and layers that is needed to be done. One of the strength that I think I bring to Promaco is my Public Relations background. I am able to use the skills that I learn from Uni to corporate it in terms of promoting, coming up with ideas on how to make the event more attractive and also using social media as a tool to communicate with the target audience for the event. My attention to details is also used in Promaco as I am able to help with editing and making sure that sponsorship prospectus is perfect when it goes out to clients.

Overall, I have learnt and experienced so much in my time at Promaco Conventions and put what I have learnt at Uni into practice. I am only more excited every week to see what else I can learn and the new things I can experience.

Have a great week everyone, till next time.

Grace

Half way there!

Hi my fellow interns,

Sorry I have not been up to date. It has been hectic, especially after the Easter break, with assignments from uni and also juggling my part time job with my internship. I thought my head was about to explode! I'm sure you can relate.

Anyway, I have finally finished my ten days interning at Promaco Conventions and I am having a blast. I have settled in and is more comfortable in my environment. I have also decorated my desk a little bit, which I was so happy to do and felt so professional. As you know, I am interning at an event company that deals with corporate events. I have learnt a lot, and now my supervisor Livia has given me more tasks and responsibilities such as calling up clients, emailing and liaising more. Which is great. Even though I am still doing a lot of administrative tasks, I have also been doing up sponsorship prospectus and my recent achievement, making a registration form and a website for an event that is coming up.

All I can say is, pay your dues. Put in 110% in everything that you do, even if its the little things such as organising brochures (which I had to do). Once your supervisor see the effort that you put in, and the initiatives that you take, they will definitely take a chance on you and give you more responsibilities.

Promaco's first event is coming up on the 23rd of May, and I am excited to see how it all plans out. Im more excited to be there on the event, see people from all over the state come together and maybe network if Im given the opportunity.

Nevertheless, any opportunity and experience that your able to capture, make the most out of it and take advantage.

Until next time.

Grace

Company and Social Media-Facebook

Hello my fellow bloggers!

Finally, I have time to actually blog and just take a breather. It has truly been a busy couple of weeks, juggling uni, a part time job and my internship at Promaco Conventions.

My internship is going smoothly, and I am taking a lot of things in and learning a lot. There is no dull day in the office, it's definitely a go go go kind of workplace. With the first event coming up in May my supervisor and I have been busy with liaising, sponsorship packages, getting quotes for venues and lots of other event like things. Every week I come into the office, I check my emails, reply to them accordingly and get down to my tasks and deadlines that has to be met.

One of my weekly task is to monitor the company's Facebook page. Every week I will do at least one post, preferably on a Friday. Last week I came across one of the most interesting article I've read this year. It's called  How To: Improve Engagement on Your Brand's Facebook Page (STATS). 


Here is the link: http://mashable.com/2011/04/06/facebook-engagement-data/

Basically the article talks about statistics and tips on how to engage your audience on your Facebook page specifically for companies. I thought the article just had to be shared around.

I highly recommend anyone to read this, especially if your doing your PR internship. You might be able to use these tips for the companies you are interning for and impress your supervisor.

Social Media is truly everywhere, and it is such a great tool for communicating to your audience.

That's all for now.

Have a great Easter break everyone.

Till next time...

The World of Events

Blogger: Grace Akang

Company: Promaco Conventions

How it all began!

At the start of the year I have just came back from a long and deserved holiday from Indonesia. Commencing my return to university, I yet have gotten a placement for my PR 393 unit. As this was my last semester, it was impossible for me to delay anymore time. Trying to find a placement was difficult, positions were either filled, or the companies were just not interested. By week two of being back at uni, I still have not gotten an internship. I've applied to many PR companies and event companies, and no luck. I was freaking out! 

Thankfully I was a member of the PRSC (Public Relations Student Chapter) at Curtin and they email me on a regular basis on any internship positions available. Because my main passion was on events, I wanted a placement that had some form of events management. At the end of week two, the unexpected happen. I received a phone call from an event company and they were interested in me. Just as I thought all hope was gone, my luck started  turning around. I booked an interview, researched about the company and I was motivated than ever to get this placement. 

Promaco Conventions is an event company that specifically deals with high scaled corporate events, mainly conferences. I told them about my situation and the internship program I need to complete for Curtin and after meeting Livia, the managing director of Promaco, she agreed to take me on as an intern for 20 days. I was ecstatic and so excited to learn more about events and the world of events. 

My first week at Promaco.

Livia agreed to take me on for 20 days and my timetable was twice a week, Thursdays and Fridays. My first day at the office I was placed in my own cubical and a list of 'Things to do' for the day, the week and the month and also other projects. I already knew that this internship was not going to be breezy, but very busy. Livia also explained that she has six events for the year and three so far for 2013, so she needs all hands on deck. First day and I was already taught a lot, it was such a roller coaster ride, but an enjoyable one. I felt so professional and trusted, as I was responsible for my own tasks and Livia expected me to work as hard as I can to get all the tasks finished and up to her standards. By Friday I was already given one major project for an event that will be held next year. I was responsible for a  sponsorship plan for the event. This means writing up a plan of what potential sponsors will get in return if they sponsor that particular event. I was both overwhelmed and over joyed as it was something new and exciting. I couldn't wait to start and see what I can come up with. 

My first week was both busy and exciting and I got the opportunity to put the theory I learnt at uni into practice. 

I'm more excited to see what other plans Promaco has for me and what other projects come my way.

What ever it is, I'm glad Curtin has implemented this unit, as it really is an experience for our future. 

Till next time,

Grace Akang :)