District Conference Preview: Next Gen: Smashing PRecedents (University of Rhode Island)

This article is part of our 2021 District Conference coverage series. For more information on PRSSA District Conferences, click here.

The University of Rhode Island’s PRSSA Chapter is thrilled to present our virtual District Conference Next Gen: Smashing PRecedents taking place March 12–13, 2021.

We arrived at this theme by reflecting on the ways public relations, and the world in general, has changed at a rapid pace this year due to the pandemic.,. Public relations is already an ever-changing and evolving field, but we are seeing a priority in corporate responsibility, social activism, and accountability that we haven’t seen before from companies large and small. Our conference attendees can expect to hear from speakers that will encourage them to remain true to  their values and assert themselves in the workforce despite being a young professional breaking into the industry.

Shelley Spector, co-founder of the Museum of Public Relations and Spector PR, will be kicking off the conference as our keynote speaker. Shelley will use her extensive knowledge on the history of PR, as well as the current climate, to tell us more about what we can expect for the  field in the future. This presentation will be the perfect balance between what PR has traditionally been and how PR will evolve. Attendees will not want to miss this presentation.

Though our conference will be conducted over Zoom, attendees will not have to worry about missing out on networking opportunities. We will have a networking session on March 13,  as well as a young professionals Q+A panel. A Slack channel has been created to connect attendees with professionals so that they can exchange LinkedIn profiles, share resumes, and ask questions that they did not have the opportunity to have answered at the conference. We have professionals across all areas of PR coming to network and they are eager to chat with all of our attendees.

Our attendees can make the most out of their conference experience by interacting with  our Instagram challenges throughout the conference days, coming prepared with questions, and  putting themselves out there to network. Until then, stay tuned on speaker announcements, confirmed topics, and more by following us on Instagram @nextgen_smashingprecedents. We can’t wait to see you there!


Cat Kalogeros is a sophomore communications and public relations double major pursuing double minors in English and writing and rhetoric. She currently serves as the Director of Events and District Conference Coordinator for URI’s Chapter of PRSSA. Outside of PRSSA, Kalogeros is the director of career and personal development for Chi Omega. She aspires to use her public relations skills in the entertainment industry.

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