PRSSA Spring Agenda Takes a Look Ahead
By Summer Allgyer, junior, public relations
Many are wondering where public relations is headed. The Austin chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America intends to find out.
This spring, PRSSA's agenda is organized around the theme "Where are We Headed?" and will include speakers from top agencies leading PR's charge into the digital future.
"With the economy in a decline, and the rapid integration of media, PR students should expect to experience a new type of industry post graduation, " said Christine Denham, president of the Alan Scott Chapter of PRSSA, one of the nations’ nine original chapters.
The goal of PRSSA is to help students stay abreast of industry trends, while offering professional networking events, resume workshops and office tours.
PRSSA's spring speakers represent such agencies as Cohn and Wolfe, Waggener Edstrom, Ridgewood Associates, T3 and Apogee Search. They will discuss everything from social media to search engine optimization.
"We encourage everyone interested in public relations to come out and learn from local PR professionals about how they got where they are, and where they see their industry heading," said Sally Bage, who serves as the Austin chapter's national liaison.
Brooke Hovey, vice president of social media at Cohn and Wolfe, a global public relations firm with an office in Austin, spoke at the first meeting Tuesday, Feb. 3. Hovey discussed how public relations has changed in the past several years and how important social media has become.
"I thought it was really interesting how Brooke spoke about Facebook as a new media channel for clients," said Sean Drobeck, public relations major and PRSSA member. "I've always been on the 'other side' of the operation and now I'm taking this knowledge and applying it to my current internship"”
Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday in PHR 2.110. Students can visit the Texas PRSSA Web site for information.