In mid-October, myself and other members of the 1853 Executive Board traveled to sunny Orlando to attend ICON, a PRSA and PRSSA conference. What can I say about this experience, other than that it was amazing? I could also say it was inspirational, beneficial, and honestly just fun!
The PRSA ICON conference is the largest annual gathering for public relations, marketing, and communications professionals and students across the United States. ICON brings students and professionals together to learn from each other and build connections.
PRSA is the Public Relations Society of America, and PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America, is affiliated with it. Being a member of PRSSA provides opportunities to explore the industry and develop professional skills.
Going into ICON, I was honestly very nervous; I did not fully know what to expect or understand that there are so many other people who are interested in the same thing as me. It was an eye-opening experience, not only the sheer scale of attendees, but also because of the different backgrounds and perspectives these professionals and students had. I came back from the trip with something I like to call the PR bug; I feel more sure than ever about my future career and the places I want to go with the knowledge I gained.
The conference itself had an array of breakout sessions, luncheons, and keynote speakers to encourage attendees and impart personal insight into the industry. Personally, I loved the keynote speaker sessions, with speakers;
Tyler Gillum, the head coach of the Savannah Bananas;
Sally Hogshead, author of “The Fascination Factor: Authentically Communicate Who You Are at Your Best”;
Gaby Natale, giving a speech on being a pioneer and embracing your uniqueness, breaking barriers, and redefining what is possible.
I took a lot away from Sally Hogshead’s talk, which reminded us to not only be the best but to be different. It is ok to be bold, creative, and stand out! In public relations, creativity and finding ways to differentiate yourself are so important. Her message reminded me that we all have something unique to bring to the table, and not to be afraid of embracing that.
Overall, as I said, ICON was amazing! I enjoyed the time to learn not only from people speaking on a stage but from the conversations I had with professionals and students outside of the learning environment. It is important to connect and network with others in any field, but especially within this communications industry. I have made connections and already spoken with some professionals since coming back to Arcadia to further conversations already started at ICON. I cannot recommend ICON or any conference related to your chosen field enough; I am appreciative of my time there in Orlando and am excited for students to experience ICON 2027 in Chicago.