By Latisha Ellison

DePaul PRSSA hosted a regional conference for music and entertainment PR called PRpalooza. I had the pleasure of sitting in on two sessions: one with Rob Walton from Allied Integrated Marketing (AIM) and the other with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). AIM represents major film studios and Walton heads GrassRoots Promotion and red carpet events, while DCASE is responsible for organizing and promoting seven free music festivals for the city of Chicago. It was my first time in Chicago, I had a blast, and even learned a few things along the way.

1. Entertainment PR is not glamorous.
It's hard work. These PR professionals work 18-hour days and wear several hats. They are part event planner, part travel agent, part tour guide and part food critic; that's what it means to be a publicist. As an entertainment publicist you will be up at 5 a.m. picking up talent to do press tours for the day or getting the media ready for an event happening later in the day. Then, you will be up late because your company will want a full report of the day's work. In Chicago, the PR professionals are right in the middle of two time zones, so Walton is expected to be answering emails until at least 7:30 p.m. to accommodate all clients. If you're thinking about entertainment PR, just remember red carpets are fun, but you're behind the scenes keeping everything from falling apart, not modeling for the shoe cam.  
                                                        
2. Genuine connections are crucial.
We are always told how important it is to network, but I think that sometimes we forget that part of networking is forming a real connection with someone. PR is all about relationships and now is the time to start building genuine relationships with those going into same industry as you. National and regional conferences are great places to meet your peers who will eventually become your colleagues. If the relationship is real, the connections will be better and mutually beneficial. I think this is especially true when networking with professionals in the industry. Real connections will last longer than the two-minute conversation you have after a breakout session.

3. Creativity is important.
AIM represented the movie "Sausage Party," and Walton had to discover a way to get some publicity for the film, so he reached out to the food section of the paper that wrote about different types of sausage and he got some buzz going about the film. Another time he did some research for a film  and found that it had a connection to a local theater. Through his research he was able to connect the film to the city of Chicago which helped generate even more press. In entertainment, as in all branches of PR, you really have to think about who your audience is and what will make them interested in your movie or event. Thinking outside the box can make you more appealing to more people.

4. Current Events are important.
It's always important to know what's going on in the world, regardless of the industry you're in. In entertainment, knowing about the world can help you create more ideas for your communication plan. In the film industry, promotional screenings are held to get a preview of what the public will think about the film and how the publicists have to frame their messaging. The movie "Patriot's Day" came out at the same time the Chicago Police Department was facing scrutiny in the media. AIM invited 30 members of the Chicago PD to a screening of the movie as a way of calming things down a bit.

5. PRKent is preparing us for the real world.
Listening to DCASE's presentation made me feel like I was sitting in Eric Mansfield's media relations class and Professor Armour's PR Tactics class. Press releases aren't dead. In fact, they're incredibly important and need to grab the attention of the reporter reading it, and that reporter had better be the right person to receive the release! In entertainment PR it is so important to follow a communication plan, using a workback, months before your event. This plan includes a roadmap for the event and leaves room for potential roadblocks that are sure to happen. Research is the key to a successful event because through research we learn who our audience is and how they will receive our messages. Our key messages have to be targeted the right way--with a strong call to action--to each of our audiences if we want a successful event.  
I learned a lot at PRpalooza and had a great time. Special thanks to DePaul PRSSA for planning a great regional conference! If any PRSSA Kent members are interested in attending future PRSSA conferences, talk to the PRSSA officers and learn about how you can attend.

Latisha Ellison is a junior public relations major and is PRSSA Kent's YouToo Committee Chairperson. Contact her at l[email protected]. 

By Meghan Caprez
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Around this time of year, I’m busy taking final exams and writing research papers. However, I can also be found hunched over my desk writing out holiday cards to the professionals in my network.
 
I like – no, I LOVE – sending snail mail. My friends receive dozens of post cards from me each year, and I much prefer writing out a thank you note to sending one via email. So it makes sense that I would enjoy writing out holiday cards. But why do I send them to professionals, too?
 
It’s personal. It lets those in my network know that I’m thinking about them outside of a stiff, career-focused business atmosphere. It takes time to write out, address and mail a physical holiday card, so professionals know that our relationship matters to me.
 
It’s different. Not a lot of college students think to send holiday cards to their family and friends, let alone to professionals in their network. While I’ve only mailed holiday cards for the past three years, professionals have now come to expect it from me. Just call me the Christmas card girl!
 
It’s global. The great thing about the holiday season is that it is nearly universal. If you aren’t celebrating a religious holiday, you’re celebrating the winter solstice or the new year. Because I studied abroad, I have professional contacts in London and Dublin, too. The holiday season is a great excuse to send them some snail mail love.
 
But I get it; winter holiday cards aren’t for everyone, and keeping in touch with contacts in your professional network can be tough. Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky to meet tons of great networkers at PRSSA National events. Here are just a few of their suggestions for staying in contact with professionals:
 
Get coffee
If you’re a PR or communication major, chances are you need coffee (or hot chocolate) to survive. So why not make your daily Starbucks run a networking opportunity? Once or twice a year, reach out to the professionals in your network and invite them to catch up over coffee.
 
Email
If you’re like me, your network is spread out throughout the country…and even the world. It’s not as easy to set up a coffee date when your mentor is in New York City and you live in Ohio. Instead of catching up over a warm beverage, catch up over a warm keyboard. Send professionals a note every season to see how things are going.
 
Send a treat
One of my friends from PRSSA National said she sends her internship supervisors an Edible Arrangement every year around the time she started working for them. Maybe your old officemates had a sweet tooth, so a dozen cookies might be the way to go. This is a great way to show your thanks for the opportunity and let your old employers know you’re thinking of them. It can get pricey, so adopt this method sparingly.
 
Find your own holiday card
When you talk to professionals, pay attention to the things they say they enjoy. One professional shared that she connected with a student over their mutual love of Halloween. Now, every year, the student sends her a Halloween treat. Look for unique opportunities like that to connect with professionals in your network, whether it’s emailing them silly cat videos or mailing them a $5 Dairy Queen gift card each National Ice Cream Day.

Meghan Caprez is a graduate student studing communications studies at Kent State. Contact her at [email protected].