The Bethanie Medallion 2014

16th October 2014

I’m pretty sure everyone has had a touch and experience of organizing an event – be it a small-scaled one such as a birthday party or a large scaled roadshow. So you will know when I say that organizing an event requires paying attention to the smallest of detail and having it planned in a systematic order in order for it to be a success.

This is true for me at least. I was tasked to help organize and coordinate the Bethanie Medallion 2014. Bethanie is one of Devahasdin’s largest clients –the company currently stands as WA’s largest aged care provider and we at Devahasdin, are in charge of taking care of the media and public relations aspects of the organization.

The Bethanie Medallion is an annual awards ceremony that honors individuals or organisations that actively contribute to the delivery of exceptional service within the aged care sector in WA.

The Bethanie Medallion 2014

The entire conceptualization of the event is indeed a tiring but eventful one. Planning an event is never an easy task. The amount of effort and planning that goes into planning an event is enormous! Talk about the running sheets, the emcee notes, event task lists to RSVP lists, the list just goes on and on.

The one thing that I have learnt about planning an event is to always envision that there will be some element of it that will fail on the actual day. I’m not trying to be negative here but having the possibility of the event failing at the back of your head allows you to plan and have measures in place for contingencies to counteract the possibility of a unforeseen screw-up. Tiny details such as having a back-up wireless microphone on standby or having the powerpoint slides for the awards ceremony in a flash drive might seem like minor things but these seemingly little setbacks can definitely ruin an event.

During the actual day, I was given the incredible task of coordinating the entire event from the back-end, controlling all technical aspects of it from the slideshows that is to be projected up, to the coordination of the music with the audiovisual expert. I know some of you might think that this is a minor task but let me tell you it is incredibly stressful for I had to be attentive and be in synchronization with the emcee to change the slides shown accordingly. I was glad that everything went well without a hiccup and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment and pride seeing all the happy faces of the audience who commended the event – saying that it was extremely fun and well organized.

So I hope in the future, always take my little tip of paying attention even to the smallest of detail and contingency planning is extremely IMPORTANT for any event in order for it to be a success – be it large scaled or small. Happy event planning in the future!

My Little Technical AV Workstation

The Bethanie Medallion in action! 

Nicholas Cross

ps. did I mention that it was covered by Channel 7 and Home in WA? Do check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI_wvjJHNGA to get a glimpse of the event! 

It’s October! Engage in the Walk Over October Campaign!

4th October 2014

Did you know that something as simple as walking is associated with a number of health benefits?

Well, walking helps to reduce the risks of

• Heart disease by 30 to 50%;

• Type 2 diabetes by 30%; and

• Breast and colon cancer by 20%.

The list of benefits is an enormous one but it seems that most of us take walking or exercising for granted – me included.

You can describe me as a couch potato actually – the idea of spending the weekend with a pizza in hand and watching the latest episode of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is what I would describe as nirvana. Even when I’m at my Devahasdin, I have the habit of lazing in the outdoor porch whilst having lunch, basking in the rays of the sun and enjoying the start of summer.

I guess my Account Director noticed that I pretty much lead a sedentary lifestyle for she tasked me to draft a media release for ‘Walk Over October’. Firstly, I had no clue what the campaign was about and secondly how ‘fitting’ for a couch potato like me to write a media release about exercising and walking!

So what is the ‘Walk Over October’ (WOO) campaign you might ask? WOO is a month-long campaign that runs during the month of October and is organized by the Heart Foundation in conjunction with Healthier Workplace Western Australia (HWWA). The aim of the campaign is to encourage membes of the public to ditch private transportation and engage in walking activities that boasts a multitude of health and environmental benefits.

I was tasked to draft a media release for WOO’s campaign – Lace up for Lunch.

The ‘Lace up for Lunch’ initiative encourages workers to break the habit of eating lunch at their desks and aims to encourage a short walk during their lunch hour. Having lunch at the desks contributes to sedentary behavior, which is a main contributor of cardiovascular diseases.

I can say, there is indeed a large difference in writing a media release for a school assignment against writing an actual one that is to be disseminated to the Western Australian media. Extensive research is much needed with the correct factual data and relevant quotes as well as the language and tone has to be appropriate – proofreading is a must!

So the quest for building up the media release began. It’s not as simple as it seems! I firstly had to identify the angle of the story – which was that of Human Interest as it’s a health topic that pertains to individuals. I also had to look at my intended media placement strategy. Where do I intend to place the article – community or state newspapers? How am I going to pitch the story to garner coverage?

What we have learnt in Curtin was indeed beneficial due to the fact that it armed me with the necessary experience for me to build a media placement strategy and I was confident in looking at how I could pitch these articles to the press. So it’s really a case of putting all that I have learnt into synergy and using the tools that I have learnt to assist me in what is required of me. I am pleased to announce that as of writing – 3 media outlets have agreed to cover the story!

So a closing thought for this article is that when drafting a media release to pitch to the media – always associate it with a strategy where you have to look at the right research being done, the right content and the right outlet for dissemination. I hope these tips do help!

Nicholas Cross

The Search for a Placement

29th August 2014 

Have you ever had the time to read J.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of The Rings’ series or watch the trilogy film adaptation by Peter Jackson?

Well, if you have not, here’s a quick synopsis:

The story revolves around the main protagonist, Frodo and his endeavor to reach Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring that threatened the fate of mankind. Well definitely, the journey to Middle Earth was an arduous and tedious one -  burdened and fraught with many challenges and setbacks along the way.

But like in all fictional stories, we see the light at the end of the tunnel when the hero manages to overcome any encumbrance with favorable results – sometimes to the point of ridiculousness where we question ourselves, ‘That is too much of a dream come true!’ or ‘Are you sure that is even humanly possible?’

Now, there is an underlying purpose in why I’m sharing the story of ‘The Lord of The Rings’ with you. I’m not a geek or nerd (well some say I am, but I subconsciously deny the obvious fact), I find the story of LOTR akin to my journey in finding a company for my placement – Arduous, tedious and fraught with many setbacks.

Now let me share something with you. Prior to embarking on my educational journey at Curtin, I was employed in Gucci Singapore as a Communications Intern in the Public Relations department – I can only say that I was extremely fortunate for the opportunity for the competition for that position was extremely high – imagine the prestige or ‘wow’ factor in working for a world-renowned company and the fashion industry - the glitz and glamour associated with the fashion industry is enough to blind anyone like pixie dust.

The 11 months that I spent with Gucci was indeed rewarding. I had the chance to coordinate a range of activities from photo-shoots, liaising with the media, pitching stories and even coordinating a large-scale fashion show – activities that are synonymous with the functions of Public Relations. It was indeed a good learning ground for me but I’m sure you would agree that knowledge and experience is never enough for any individual.

So you might ask, if you claim to have that much experience and skills, why was it hard to find a placement? Well I have only myself and my ego to blame for this actually – I’m somewhat like a picky eater, I want a placement that reflects my personal values and ambitions that I have set for myself in my path to a successful career in Public Relations. The standards that I have set for myself are extremely high because I believe that I encompass the necessary experience or expertise in the field. That coupled with the fact that in all the previous internships that I have embarked on – I have never had the experience or chance to work in a consultancy firm. I have always been exposed to working in an in-house public relations role within a dedicated industry, but have never been exposed to working in a firm that deals with multiple industries.

This is why the journey was tough. I wanted that exposure in a consultancy firm, but unfortunately the desire to find a placement in a consultancy did not match positions that are available. It was really a tough and tedious process – at times, I did feel a little depressed with each rejection on the lack of capacity for an internship position.

So what do I do now? Withdraw out of the unit? Try my luck next semester? The answer is no. Drawing back on my experience in PR, especially when dealing with the media – you have to be able to deal with rejection and grow stronger.

Take for instance; you have this amazing story angle that you wish to pitch to the newspapers. You are confident that the angle for the story fits what the editor or writer is looking for. You have drafted out the most detailed press release, you have all your quotes and photo opportunities in place. You pick up the phone and make a call to the editor, pitching the idea in your most enthused voice ever, oozing with confidence that you are going to garner a full-page coverage or at least a half-page. And what does the editor/writer tell you? ‘That sounds like a good angle or story, but we are tight with deadlines and we might have to give the story a miss. Buzz me up the next time you have something along these lines as well.’  You put down the phone, lamenting on the missed opportunity. What a waste, you would think. There’s always that other window of opportunity in the future – you just have to not give up and be resilient in finding that opportunity to get that article published.

The same can be said for me. Coupled with divine intervention through daily night prayers (promising that I’ll be a good boy. I believe that I kept up to that promise) and networking with Curtin tutors on my desire to do my internship in a consultancy for I wanted that much needed exposure, I found a place in Devahsdin Public Relations.

Now this is shaping up to be a fairytale come true. Devashasdin PR? THE Devahasdin PR? The boutique PR consultancy that many tutors have been raving about, that has an excellent reputation as a leading consultancy in Perth?

I really couldn’t believe that I was granted this opportunity – the opportunity to work in a firm that deals with high-profile government and private clients. This is what I was looking for all the time!

Running through the interview process gave me more confidence that Devahasdin is where I want to be and that the organisation is able to arm me with the necessary exposure and skills that I am seeking for in a consultancy firm. I am ready for the challenges that lie ahead and I am motivated for it.

Therefore everyone, wish me luck! I start next week and like I said – the important qualities that all aspiring PR practitioners should always have is patience, endurance and a never-say-die attitude. This mirrors your personality in life as well. Never ever give up.

Like me, what might be impossible will be possible for you if you dedicate enough effort and time in it. In the case of your professional career in PR, it can be said to be the same. Never let the rejection of media coverage pull you down. The more you maintain that relationship with the media and consistent pitching of stories, the higher your chances are with the publishing of your story! You’ll never know! It might just get a front-page cover spread!

So everyone, do stay tuned for more as I share with you my incredible and first-time journey in a consultancy firm - Devahasdin! I’m excited!

Nicholas Cross