A Little Bit Of Everything

So it's been a little while since my last post, mainly because I have been involved in a bit of everything that I have decided embodies the PR professional (of course depending on the situation and organisation);

• Event Manager


• Liaison


• Photographer


• Part-time Journalist


• Artist


• Feature Writer


• Researcher


• Spectator
  

In regards to event management, I managed the Tennis West stand (Part-Time) during the Hyundai Hopman Cup (HHC) during which I learnt the importance of being able to understand and attend to stakeholder needs and to be resourceful. Apart from just manning the stand we also had an interactive children's zone which included mini tennis courts. From managing these courts I found that I needed to be able to liaise with and build good relationships with event staff to ensure that the courts were not closed down if a child accidentally hit a ball near the very real practice courts and other likely events.
Recently I have also been looking at venues for an upcoming awards night, which has taught me events management from the ground up, including picking a venue, catering and even how to organise the right tablecloths!

As far as being a part-time journalist goes, I do believe that this is what you have to become if you are going to produce a believable and readable media release. During the HHC I was required to write a piece for the newsletter and a media release on the final match. In order to do this, I had to become an avid spectator and listener in order to get appropriate quotes and a story that would be acceptable to stakeholders.

A skill that also goes hand in hand with this idea is that of photographer and as such I have learnt to always have a camera on hand. This came into play recently as I have been attending CBH Country Week (country tennis tournament), playing journalist and photographer as well as PR professional, but I will cover this in my next post, when my stories have been approved.

The artist in me came out when I was required to create some promotional posters and material for various events and situations. In order to complete this task I learnt to fully use Publisher, something which we all touched upon in PR Techniques and that I am grateful for. The experience did however make me consider and now possibly recommend to everyone, that a computer or social media course may be extremely relevant in today's world. I think if anyone in PR is unsure of any technology they should do something about it and keep on learning in order to stay ahead!

As a final point, the PR professional can become both researcher and feature writer. This week the Australian Open began and as such I needed to write a small feature and introduction to the event, which required research into both the event as well as what others had written to ensure the end product was of the highest standard and most importantly; relevant.

Some people have described PR as the glamorous job that only involves socialising and having fun (which at times it can be), however from experience and insight I believe that the profession is quite challenging, where one is required to be multi-skilled and able to multi-task in order to produce an acceptable end result. PR is not just one job, in some cases it is a mix-up of many professions.

Tennis West Stand at the Hyundai Hopman Cup

Mini Courts at the Hyundai Hopman Cup