MESSIAH COLLEGE CHAPTER

Regional Conference 2015

Step by Step: Building PR Professionals, From
Logistics to Relationships
April 10, 2015- April 11, 2015

Event Timeline
Five months before event (Program coordinators)
o Think about theme
o Draft save the date postcards
o Set up Facebook page for PRSSA Conference event
o Set up Twitter hashtag for PRSSA Conference event
o #StepbyStep2015
Four months before event (Program coordinators)
o Send out Facebook Post 1 on December 2
o Send out Twitter Post 1 on December 15
o Contact hotels for pricing, distance from Messiah College, and
other logistical information
o Prepare hotel sheet for guests
o Research surrounding Mechanicsburg attractions for social event
o Also research for social excursion and lunch options
o Contact guest speakers about availability and pricing
o Write news release
o Create theme for event
o Research targeted audience
o Define objectives, goals, and purpose statement
o Acquire postage for save the date postcards
Three months before event (Program coordinators)
o Send out Facebook Post 2 on January 10
o Send out Twitter Post 2 on January 1
o Book two keynote speakers
o Continue searching for track session speakers if necessary
o Consult Messiah College catering for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
prices
o Research dietary alternatives for people with food allergies
o Send out news release
o Gather volunteers, tour guides, and a welcoming committee
o Designate technology-savvy volunteers to make post-session
podcasts
o Send out save the dates as people register

Two months before event (Program coordinators and volunteers)

o Send out Facebook Post 3 on February 5

o Send out Twitter Post 3 on February 17

o Contact sponsors in Harrisburg, PA area for contributions
o Gather contribution estimates
o Construct evaluation strategies
o Construct survey mechanism
o Prepare questions on website
o Send out save the dates as people still register

One month before event (Program coordinator and volunteers)

o Send out Facebook Post 4 on March 20
o Send out Twitter Post 4 on March 5
o E-mail friendly reminder about approaching March 9 registration
deadline
o Contact speakers to come a month in advance for rehearsal
o Contact job fair participants for the networking fair
o Creat FlickR gallery page, Step by Step 2015
One week before event (Program coordinators, volunteers, welcoming
committee, and tour guides)
o Send out Facebook Post 5 on April 1
o Send out Twitter Post 5 on April 1
o Set out 20 round tables in Hostetter Chapel
o Set out 160 chairs
o Put light blue tablecloths on tables
o Make parking passes
o Inform campus safety about event
o Make campus look presentable
o Consult landscaping services to mow, weed, plant, etc.

Event Formulary
Step by Step: Building PR Professionals,
From Logistics to Relationships
April 10, 2015
7:30 am
Auditorium

Program coordinators move 3 long tables into Brubaker

o Designate two volunteers per table
o Distribute lanyards to all volunteers with name tags

o Label each table with state and PRSSA chapter

o Place list of attendees with pens near beginning of table
o Place bin (1 per table) towards back end of table near exit
doors
o Containing packets
8 am - 9am

Greeting volunteers take positions

o One to stand outside of Eisenhower Campus circle doors
o One to stand by entrance doors to Brubaker Auditorium
o 6 total at check-in tables
o 2 per table
o 2 volunteers by back exit doors to point guests in right
direction as they leave Brubaker Auditorium
o Members to Lottie
o Student Leaders to Boyer Hall
o Student Advisors to Boyer Hall
9 am 10 am Program coordinators make sure that everything is running
smoothly in Lottie
o Restock food as necessary
o Direct guests to Hitchcock arena for Keynote opening
session
Some Program coordinators to be in Hitchcock around 9:45 am
to
ensure that technology/mics are working
10 am 11:30 am Program coordinators and volunteers walk around with
clipboards
o Observe guests nonverbals
o At end of session, one coordinator to interview
speaker
o Interview is recorded for momentum video
o Another coordinator/volunteer to speak with students
about the event so far
o Monitor Facebook posts
o Monitor Tweetwally
o Monitor FlickR
12 pm 1:30 pm
Program coordinators and volunteers watch for food
restocking
as necessary
1:45 pm 4 pm
Volunteers in Eisenhower board room monitor
Tweetwally for
comments about event
Program coordinators continue interviews with speakers
after each session concludes
o Take careful notes about peoples nonverbals

o Guide people to next session destination if needed

4:15 pm 5:15 pm
Program coordinators to restock food and make sure
that everyone
is okay
o Consult with chefs for food allergies
o Communicate with track session speakers to ensure
that everyone knows what is happening
5:15 pm 6:15 pm
Program coordinators and volunteers float around
during the
session with clipboards
o Coordinators and volunteers monitor Tweetwally
o Monitor Facebook posts
o Monitor FlickR
o Help guide people to destinations
6 pm
Contact bus drivers to make sure they are arriving on
time
6:15 pm
social event
6:30 pm

8 pm

8:30 pm
9 pm

Program coordinators help everyone board buses for

Arrive at Strawberry Square in Harrisburg, PA
One program coordinator reviews intructions
o Administers materials to participants
o Divides participants into teams
o 30 teams of 5
Volunteer at Messiah College prepares snacks for guests
o Take 11 lbs of chips to upper level of Larsen Student
Union
Board bus at Strawberry Square
Program coordinator to count that all guests are present
o 150 guests
Arrive back at Messiah College campus

9 pm 9:30 pm Program coordinator to lead discussion during debriefing

o Administer snacks to all guests
9:30 pm

Dismiss all guests to return to hotel rooms

9:45 pm
podcasts

Two technology-savvy volunteers to create post-session

o Post podcasts to Facebook page, Step by Step 2015
o Post podcast link to Twitter page, #StepbyStep2015

April 11, 2015

8 am

Program coordinators restock food during breakfast

o Inform guests about the basic direction for the day

8:30 am

Program coordinators
o Set up tables for job and networking fair
o Held in Hitchcock
o Assign companies to each designated spot
o Help companies set up poster boards if they have them

9 am 10 am

Volunteers to proctor session

Carry clipboards and take notes
Observe people
Interview speakers after the event
Discuss event and overall feelings about the conference
o Record to podcast to be posted to Facebook and
Twitter after all events
o Monitor Twitterwally
o Monitor Facebook
o Monitor FlickR
10 am 11:30 am Program coordinators and volunteers to provide
employers with
water from jugs
o Restock plastic cups and water when the
supplies run low
o Help employers break down tables and
presentation boards after the fair concludes
o Remove all tables from Hitchcock Arena
o Place back in storage areas
11:30 am 5 pm Program coordinators and volunteers be on call if
guests need
assistance with directions or other issues
o Work on Youtube social event video
o Work on post-session podcast production
o Post to Facebook
o Post to Twitter
3:30 pm
Make sure that there are 20 round tables in Hostetter
chapel
o Make sure that there are 160 chairs total
o Light blue tablecloths should be on tables
o
o
o
o

4 pm

o Test sound and video (if needed by speaker)

Program coordinators help set up long table for threecourse meal in
lobby outside of Hostetter Sanctuary
o Table should be 6 inches from left wall (when
walking in doors from parking lot side)

4:30 pm
Hostetter

Program coordinators and volunteers help transport food to

Chapel

5 pm-6:30 pm

7 pm
tables and

o Volunteers place food out out on table

o Temporarily store extra food in College
Ministries Office
o Restock as needed
Guests arrive from excursions
o Escort guests to Hostetter Sanctuary
o Program coordinators restock food
o Take notes while interacting with people
after speech
o Observe nonverbal behaviors and record
them
o Report any notes, observations, or new
insights to technology-savvy volunteers
for the podcast
Program coordinators and volunteers help break down
return to storage areas in Hostetter closets
o Return leftover food to Lottie Nelson kitchen
o Put tablecloths away
o Put chairs back in storage area
o Clean up any large messes
o Empty trash cans and take to dumpster

After Event
9 am
9:30 am

Send out Thank you notes to all guests

Clean up tables in Hostetter chapel
o Break down chairs and return to storage spaces
10 am
Make survey mechanism available online by April 12
10:30 am Post Youtube social event momentum video
11 am
Provide two keynote speakers with money via check

o $500 to each