When it comes to homecoming, Virginia Tech knows how to deliver. From spirit rallies hosted by the Student Alumni Association to the election of homecoming king and queen, the whole student body comes together to participate in one of Tech’s proudest traditions. But, how does the university go about bringing together all of Hokie Nation? Public Relations. The website made specifically for homecoming, www.vthomecoming.org.vt.edu, is the central hub for all things homecoming happening on our campus. On the website, you can find schedules, updates, tailgating information, and even information about the homecoming board itself. At a university defined by an overwhelming amount of school spirit, it’s only right that we have a homecoming that lives up to that standard. The challenge presented to the homecoming board is to generate interest and excitement within the student body, essentially getting all 36,000 hokies amped up for the big homecoming game. They did just that through the use of social media outlets, email blasts, marketing throughout campus, and of course, the spirit rally. These tactics are all forms of Public Relations, maintaining a two-way communication between the university and the student body in regards to homecoming festivities. Virginia Tech wants to create engagement between the students and the university, generating attendance at their planned homecoming events. For example, the Juicy J concert hosted by the Virginia Tech Union and the Black Student Alliance used Public Relations to get the word out about the concert. Facebook and Twitter were blowing up with excitement over the concert, creating buzz in the social media realm surrounding Virginia Tech. This was a great example of how the university created and maintained a two-way communication between the student body and themselves. The outcome of course, being students had a blast at the concert and were excited for the remainder of the week’s homecoming activities. Overall, homecoming was deemed a success. From all levels whether administration or students, the university was united by our overwhelming amount of school pride and Hokie spirit. Not to mention, we won our homecoming game! Whether people realized it or not, Public Relations facilitated the week’s events, uniting us hokies through a common theme: our love of Virginia Tech. Until next year’s homecoming! Edited by Katharina Elberti, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2014-2015
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Are you detail-oriented, organized and able to work under pressure? You may be interested in using your public relations skills to be a special event planner. PR and event planning naturally go hand-in-hand; companies and organizations hold special events to generate awareness and excitement about their causes, products, projects or ideas. To take an event to the next level, corporate PR is an essential component of ensuring that there’s enough attendance and media attention. Using PR in event planning goes beyond making a guest list and decorating; it’s a strategic process that requires great attention to detail. Just as a well-planned, highly publicized event can bring funds and attention to your company, a poorly organized one reflects badly on you. I am on the Fundraising Committee for Virginia Tech Relay for Life, the world’s #1 collegiate Relay that raises more than half a million dollars annually for the American Cancer Society. A big part of what makes VT Relay so successful is how we use PR to publicize our fundraising and recruitment events. Recently, from March 24-April 1, we held our annual “10 for 10” event. This is a huge push for VT Relay; we hold events and promotions for 10 days that each aim to raise $10,000 for the ACS. Here are some tips I picked up while helping to plan 10 for 10. Hopefully, you can use some of these strategies to bring PR into your future event planning.
For more tips on how to incorporate PR into your event planning, specifically via social media, check out this article and infographic on Our Social Times. Relay for Life of Virginia Tech takes place on Friday, April 25, 2014 at 5 p.m. on the Drillfield. For more information, visit their website here. Edited by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014 |
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