Named “’I ❤️ PR”, North Carolina State University hosts PRSSA’s Southeast District Conference, aimed to celebrate the world of public relations and allow students to explore their passion and carve their path in an inspiring and immersive experience. Our conference will be held in person, on February 27, 2025 in the Talley Student Union at North Carolina State University. Our professional guest speaker lineup has been handpicked to highlight ‘dream jobs’ in the communication and public relations field, in hopes that students in attendance will be one step closer to securing a dream role of their own after graduation.
Featuring speakers from a multitude of relevant industries in North Carolina such as technology, healthcare, tourism and fashion, students will have the opportunity to interact with experts from their area of interest. We want to celebrate how boundless public relations can be and how young professionals have the opportunity to merge their interests with their career in communications.
Attendees can expect to gain strategic skills to set them apart from other applicants, tips to use when connecting with professionals, and connections to their favored industry in North Carolina. Our conference will feature four breakout room sessions focused on providing advice to emerging public relations talent. In the breakout sessions, they will learn tactical skills from seasoned professionals that they will be able to use in their professional career. These sessions currently include “Emerging PR Professionals Tips & Tricks” hosted by Philip Tate; President of Philip Tate Strategic Communications and “Negotiating a Salary Package That Wins” hosted by Mikaya Thurmond; CEO of Milan Public Relations. These breakout sessions will teach attendees important expertise and inspire them about the exciting field of PR.
Afterwards, lunch and a keynote presentation will be provided, featuring Alex Podlogar from Pinehurst who will deliver an engaging speech about handling the hosting of the U.S Open. It’s exciting that we will get to hear about the details surrounding a large professional sports event, such as press coverage, event coordination and execution. Alex will also detail his career experience and journey, giving advice to the students in attendance.
Afterwards, we will host a panel discussion featuring professionals from a multitude of industries, like technology, fashion, healthcare, agency-life, interior design and tourism, who will touch on topics such as AI, navigating misinformation, their career journeys, and their advice on landing dream roles in the industry. Speakers include Virginia Ford from Lenovo, Courtney Wilson from Peter Millar, Phil Bridges from UNC Health, Quinn Novels from Q.E.N. Strategic Consulting, Molly Schoneveld from The Storied Group and Jessica Holt from Visit Raleigh. These panelists are so excited to use their experience and insight towards aiding the next generation of practitioners.
As the world evolves and develops, it is important to identify the value that young professionals entering the workforce bring to the table. Being a generation to grow up in a digitally integrated society, Gen Z offers insights and skills that are unmatched. Connecting these emerging graduates with specialists in public relations is our organization’s purpose and goal. We hope to use this conference to highlight how many dream roles are attainable in the profession and give our students the chance to get a head start before entering the workforce.
Tickets for the I ❤️ PR District Conference are available for purchase here. For the latest updates and information, visit the District Conference Chapter’s website and follow NC State PRSSA on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Grace Arz is a senior at North Carolina State University, where she is majoring in communications with a concentration in public relations. She currently serves on the executive board of her University’s PRSSA as the vice president. Set to graduate in Spring of 2025, Grace hopes to pursue a career in public relations and is excited to use her experience from previous internships to become a strategic and ethical professional.