2006 National Conference Prepares for Ascent

Adam Denison

As school starts again, memories of barbecues, pool parties, the beach and summer romances may fill student’s minds with a longing to go back to those lazy summer days. But then PRSSA members remember that there is just a little more than a month left until the PRSSA 2006 National Conference in Salt Lake City, and those back-to-school blues quickly start fading away.

The National Conference Committee, hailing from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, hopes you are preparing to “Make the Ascent” by “Turning Opportunity into Reality,” November 10-14.

The annual PRSSA National Conference is a chance for public relations students to gather together to network, socialize, improve and learn. New to PRSSA? National Conference will give you the opportunity to learn from peers and industry professionals what public relations is all about. What options exist for students who are so close to graduation and a professional public relations career? Conference gives you the chance to learn from and more importantly network with the professionals who may be your future employers. There is something for everyone at National Conference this year.
Speakers and Workshops

The National Conference Committee is excited to present a stellar line-up of public relations professionals who will be addressing attendees throughout Conference.

The Committee is also pleased to announce that Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman Public Relations, will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Conference. Edelman’s current assignments include public relations work for pharmaceutical giant Schering-Plough, financial services provider Swiss Re and Gap.

This year’s professional development workshops will cover a wide variety of topics pertinent to budding public relations professionals. Some of the exciting workshops scheduled include nonprofit public relations, sports public relations, corporate public relations, crisis communication, strategic planning, event planning, research and measurement and many more.
Speed Networking

If you saw the 2005 smash movie Hitch, you were introduced to the exciting and fast-paced world of speeddating. The National Conference Committee has taken this concept and applied it to networking at this year’s Conference. This year it’s not just networking, it’s Speed Networking!

Several PRSA professionals from all around the nation are scheduled to participate in this one-of-a-kind event. Groups of three to five participants will have the opportunity to sit down with these professionals to get advice and information on different aspects of public relations in five eight-minute sessions. Following the networking rounds, both the participants and professionals are invited to a dinner. This will give Speed Networking participants the opportunity to meet other professionals or to continue unfinished conversations from the networking rounds.

Networking is not only a time for students to seek out potential jobs or internships, but also to build relationships, develop contacts and learn more about the profession and experiences therein. So come with business cards in hand. You never know - you may meet the person that can put you in your dream public relations job.

General Motors Corporation has agreed to sponsor Speed Networking and the first 150 students to sign up get free registration for the event.
Socials and Other
Exciting Features

In addition to all the opportunities to learn and grow at National Conference, attendees will also have the chance to relax and enjoy themselves at socials throughout the Conference. The “Cool as Ice” event and the Polar Bear Brunch are just two of this year’s many socials.

There will also be a Resume Enhancement Session, an annual event at National Conference. This is a chance for attendees to have public relations professionals review current resumes and give tips on how to enhance it and build a professional portfolio.

Visitors to Salt Lake City can’t go far without seeing something that reminds them that the city was home to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. To keep the Olympic spirit alive among Conference-attendees, there will be an Olympic-themed award ceremony complete with medals and a three-tiered medal stand. The awards ceremony is on the last full-day of Conference and will be in the ballroom of the luxurious five-star Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.

The deadline to register for the PRSSA 2006 National Conference is Oct. 9, so go to and register today!