I have said this many times, but I am forever grateful to the vast opportunities social media offers to students, professors, and professionals. I particularly have found Twitter to be my #1 resource for networking, and it has allowed me to be able to meet and connect with some amazing people.
One of the people I have had a chance to correspond and now work with is a truly amazing sports and PR professional (and also the PRSA Entertainment & Sports Section Chair): Natalie Mikolich.
I actually first connected with Natalie in the most common forum for sports, social media, and public relations professionals: Twitter. 🙂 We started chatting and over the summer, we had a chance to chat on the phone and it seemed like we knew each other for years! This is what is so great about the sports PR community – you get a chance to meet some amazing professionals in the business who are always willing to connect, learn, and help others!
Which brings me to sharing with you all some exciting news and I have to thank Natalie for this great opportunity:
I am excited to be part of the executive committee for PRSA’s Entertainment and Sports section for this year. I am both thrilled and honored to be part of this group of amazing professionals who are working in both the sports and entertainment industry.
You may be asking – what are some of the benefits of being part of this section of PRSA? Well, that’s what I want to share with you. Here are some reasons why you may want to join this section:
Amazing network of leading professionals in PR: When you look at where people are coming from in this section of PRSA, it’s super impressive. We have major teams represented as well as some high profile entertainment brands and agencies.
Fellow professors – this is a big one. One of the things I have heard over the past few months is the fact that students are asking for more opportunities, classes, networking opportunities, and case studies involving both of these individuals. We need to acknowledge this and try to incorporate these into our classes as well as expand our network to include these amazing professionals.
I know there are some universities (ex. USC) who offer Entertainment PR and Sports PR classes, and others cover these examples and cases in other PR classes. Let’s expand this and invite these wonderful professionals into our classes for guest speaking engagements and participating in class Twitter chat sessions to name a few ideas.
Great education programming and services: Like other sections of PRSA, the PRSA Entertainment and Sports Section offers a range of programming for their members as well as those who are part of PRSA. For example, I am excited to be doing a webinar next month for the section – thank you again Natalie for this great opportunity.
Also, for my friends who are active PRSSA members, you may want to keep in mind that this section is also open to students as well – and we will have some great sessions and speakers for the upcoming conference next year. Keep your eyes out for these!
Community of mentors and leading thought leaders: I had my first conference call with the committee this past week and I was really amazed with the work, ideas, and perspectives everyone was sharing from their experiences in PR and what we can do to mentor and help others in the industry, profession, students, and even professors.
One of the other things I have found REALLY unique about this section is that they are extremely welcoming and actively engaged in conversation, mentorship, and delightful conversations with not only those in entertainment and sports, but others as well. They are welcoming to new members across the board and you really feel part of a great, dynamic, and energetic committee. Plus, everyone is a fan of coffee, so that may explain a lot! 🙂
Networking with innovators of the field: I have said this on multiple occasions, but I think if you want to see who is leading the charge in certain areas like social media, it’s the sports and entertainment industry. We will be covering current, innovative, and exciting new trends happening specifically in the entertainment and sports industry that could be strategically applied in other fields and specializations within PR.
So, you may be asking: How do I find out more information about PRSA Entertainment & Sports Section and how could I join/be part of the community?
That’s easy! You will want to check out the PRSA Entertainment and Sport Section’s website for more information of course as well as follow them on Twitter at @PRSAEntSports. Here’s where you can join the section and see the opportunities available for those who are part of this great section of professionals.
I am thrilled and really excited about the upcoming year in being part of the PRSA Entertainment and Sports Section Executive Committee! If you have any questions, please let me know and I’d be more than happy to answer them.
Have a great day!
Best Wishes,
