I will be attending my first PRSSA National Conference this October from the 10th-14th and words cannot describe my excitement. I am looking forward to the workshops, free agency tours on the first day, learning more about PR, making new relationships, and, of course, all this taking place in our nation's capitol is a big bonus: a city with a huge PR sector.
I was recently elected as Special Events Coordinator for the PRSSA chapter at Fresno State, and a major part of my duties this fall semester is organizing our D.C. trip. There is a lot to plan and I figured I would share with you a National Conference check-list for yourself or maybe for your own PRSSA chapter.
1.) REGISTRATION: The registration deadline is Sept 9, 2014. To register for the whole conference, the membership rate is $300. To register for a single day with a membership rate is $175.
2.) TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Make sure you book your flight and hotel rooms. The conference is being hosted by Omni Shoreham Hotel and the hotel is offering a PRSSA discount rate for their rooms. The discounted rate is $219 per room, per night. My fellow PRSSA members and myself will stay at this hotel. It's convenient and right in the middle of everything. I looked up other hotel rates in the same area and the discount rate is a good price.
I was recently elected as Special Events Coordinator for the PRSSA chapter at Fresno State, and a major part of my duties this fall semester is organizing our D.C. trip. There is a lot to plan and I figured I would share with you a National Conference check-list for yourself or maybe for your own PRSSA chapter.
1.) REGISTRATION: The registration deadline is Sept 9, 2014. To register for the whole conference, the membership rate is $300. To register for a single day with a membership rate is $175.
2.) TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Make sure you book your flight and hotel rooms. The conference is being hosted by Omni Shoreham Hotel and the hotel is offering a PRSSA discount rate for their rooms. The discounted rate is $219 per room, per night. My fellow PRSSA members and myself will stay at this hotel. It's convenient and right in the middle of everything. I looked up other hotel rates in the same area and the discount rate is a good price.
For flights, right now is probably the best time to start looking and booking your flight. Keep in mind, the flight is going to be long, and depending which area of the country you're from, be smart about when you're planning to leave. My chapter is flying out from California, and even if we leave around 6:00AM on Thursday, some flights expect us to arrive in Washington D.C. around 8:00-10:00PM Thursday night and then the next day is Friday when the Conference begins. Also, it may be smart to arrive at the Reagan National Airport, which is the closest airport to the Omni Shoreham. That could save you money because no one wants to pay a taxi a ridiculous amount in meter fees. Once you arrive at the airport, have your transportation worked out. How are you going to get to your hotel: metro? taxi? car service? hotel shuttle service? Look up all your options.
3.) FUNDS: For some, like myself, this is going to be a very expensive trip. So look to see which options you have available that can help ease this burden. For example, PRSSA is an academic-based organization. Does your school offer funds for professional-related trips so you can be reimbursed? Have you thought about sponsorships? My chapter is currently in the process of writing a sponsorship letter and hopefully we can receive some funds from local businesses.
4.) TIME-OFF: If you're like me, you try to plan everything out. You're going to be gone for almost a week when you leave for the conference. So, have everything planned out with school, work, and/or internships. I plan on requesting time off from my job at the beginning of September so that way I am guaranteed the time off and also plan on giving my professors some type of notice around the same time as well.
5.) START SAVING: This really doesn't need a huge description. You're going to be taking a huge trip! So start saving for spending money and start saving for new clothes. This is going to be a huge event and of course you want to look your best.
Of course these are the general basics of the check-list. I will probably come across more a week after posting this! Have fun planning this trip and start getting excited. If you want some more information about the hotel, program, or who to contact for questions about the conference, look up the PRSSA National Conference website. Who's attending this conference? What are some items on your check-list? Let me know! Until then, keep dreaming!
~Selina
3.) FUNDS: For some, like myself, this is going to be a very expensive trip. So look to see which options you have available that can help ease this burden. For example, PRSSA is an academic-based organization. Does your school offer funds for professional-related trips so you can be reimbursed? Have you thought about sponsorships? My chapter is currently in the process of writing a sponsorship letter and hopefully we can receive some funds from local businesses.
4.) TIME-OFF: If you're like me, you try to plan everything out. You're going to be gone for almost a week when you leave for the conference. So, have everything planned out with school, work, and/or internships. I plan on requesting time off from my job at the beginning of September so that way I am guaranteed the time off and also plan on giving my professors some type of notice around the same time as well.
5.) START SAVING: This really doesn't need a huge description. You're going to be taking a huge trip! So start saving for spending money and start saving for new clothes. This is going to be a huge event and of course you want to look your best.
Of course these are the general basics of the check-list. I will probably come across more a week after posting this! Have fun planning this trip and start getting excited. If you want some more information about the hotel, program, or who to contact for questions about the conference, look up the PRSSA National Conference website. Who's attending this conference? What are some items on your check-list? Let me know! Until then, keep dreaming!
~Selina