In October 2023, the Illinois State University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) attended the ICON national conference in Nashville.
The annual conference is hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a nonprofit trade association for public relations professionals. PRSSA is a subset of PRSA and has student chapters worldwide, most notably in the United States, Argentina, Columbia, Peru, and Puerto Rico.
ICON brings together public relations students and professionals from diverse fields, backgrounds, interests, and locations. It provides participants with valuable opportunities to enhance their professional development and networking.
“The PRSA ICON conference gives students the opportunity to interact with professionals at all stages of their career development, from recent grads just starting out, to VPs of communication at major firms,” said Dr. Rebecca Hayes, professor and faculty advisor of PRSSA. “It also lets them see the concepts and skills they have been learning about in action, and also helps them identify what they may have yet to learn.”
Hosted by the University of Memphis chapter, ICON took place in the “city of music,” Nashville. The five-day conference consisted of panels, workshops, and networking opportunities across all areas of public relations. Six students from the School of Communication’s chapter of PRSSA attended and learned about best practices in the field of communication from industry professionals. These students included chapter President Meghan Smith, Vice President Sofia Santamaria, Treasurer Kylee Baxa, Secretary Emmalynne Shumard, Director of Community Engagement Shelby Hodel, and Director of PRogressive Image Gabriela Gomes.
“My experience at ICON was unforgettable,” said Santamaria. “Being at ICON motivated me even more to pursue my aspirations of working in the PR industry.”
ICON offered opportunities to network not only with professionals but with fellow members as well. The conference began with the Sweet and Salty social for members to socialize with other chapters from across the globe. The group went out in style with their matching PRSSA t-shirts and cowboy boots.
The conference consisted of sessions and panels that allowed members to learn from top professionals in the field. One of the most popular was, “From Barbie to the Eras Tour: The Power of Viral Movements” that provided an in-depth look into viral trends and social media. Most of these sessions were followed by a brief Q&A session for attendees to ask questions beyond the presentation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), social media, crisis communication, health communication, storytelling, along with the main strategies and tactics in public relations are some of the themes addressed at the insightful ICON sessions. Moreover, it included communication speakers from companies such as Amazon, Delta Airlines, Disney, ESPN, IBM, and Lyft—just to mention a few!
“ICON opened my eyes to so many amazing opportunities,” said Smith. “I am so grateful to have been able to go. If anyone ever wants to meet up and talk about it, please contact me because I would love to go into more detail.”
PRSSA is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communication. The organization advocates for rigorous academic standards for public relations education, the highest ethical principles, and diversity in the profession.
PRSSA meetings take place in Fell Hall, room 158 at 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday. To learn more about PRSSA, email prssa@IllinoisState.edu or follow @ilstuprssa on Instagram. The organization is not exclusive to students studying public relations.
