Boston, Massachusetts – October 6-10, 2017

Submitted by: Haley Bethell, Public Relations Student Society of America Vice President

PRSSA 2017 National Conference is the largest meeting in the country of public relations students. This conference provides an opportunity for members to network and learn about the different areas of the public relations industry. Participants have an opportunity to listen to professionals in the field, and connect with other students studying public relations.

There were various guest speakers and topics, including: Judy Smith, Founder & President of Smith & Company, “Mitigating and Gladiating: Crisis Management,” Chris Bonelli, Coordinator Global Advanced Technology Communications, General Motors, “Taking the ‘Corporate’ Out of Corporate Communications”, Mike Fernandez, U.S. CEO, Burson-Marsteller, to name a few. For a complete program and list of speakers, visit the PRSSA website.

Overall, the conference provided career tours, resume critique sessions, workshops with opportunities to listen to keynote speakers providing valuable information on how to prepare for the future in public relations. Participants also had the opportunity to make lifelong connections with professionals and peers. They were able to give a real-world perspective of what it will actually be like to start working in the public relations field, and prepare members for what to expect once they start working.