In-state Industry Tours

Today was our in-state firm trip for PRSSA. I signed up a couple of weeks ago, and the day had finally arrived. Our day started bright and early, as we had to leave campus at 6:15 a.m. to make it to Cincinnati for our first industry visit. I tried to go to bed at a reasonable time the night before so I could get a good night's sleep and wake up without issues. However, my alarm did not wake me up, so I ended up getting up at 5:55 a.m. and had to scramble to get ready in order for us to leave on time for the drive to Cincinnati.

The first company we met with was Dooley. They were a smaller team that manages social media for several businesses. While their presentation was engaging and informative, they faced the challenge of presenting to a crowd that was still waking up. Overall, I found it interesting, though it wasn't something I was particularly passionate about.

Next, we visited the Cincinnati Museum Center for our second tour of the day. This experience showed me that public relations (PR) is present in unexpected places; a museum might not be the first place one thinks of when considering PR. We met with the PR team for the museum, who seemed to have exciting jobs. They mentioned various exhibits they promoted and the creative content they developed. While it seemed enjoyable, I couldn’t fully envision myself in that role.

After lunch, we headed to the "surprise" client of the day, which turned out to be the Cincinnati Reds. This visit was my favorite, as sports PR is something I am very interested in. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to speak with the representative, but I plan to reach out for potential opportunities. He discussed the PR approach the team took following the death of Pete Rose, which provided an excellent real-life example of handling a significant situation.

Finally, we met with the team at Kings Island. This was particularly interesting to me, as I frequently visited Kings Island when I was younger and have fond memories of the park. The passion of the team was obvious, and it was clear how much they loved their work. We even got to tour the park while it was closed and see their new area, which was exciting.

Overall, it was a long and eventful day filled with unforgettable experiences and memories. I am grateful for the opportunities PRSSA has provided for me.