GRIP, Internships Abroad A Day’s Work

Agent99 - Sydney, Australia

One of the many incredible elements that come with working in a public relations firm is the ability to work with a number of different and unique clients on their projects. My time at Agent99 has been no exception to this trend and by far one of the most memorable experiences I have had in this regard came only a few short weeks ago.

BBC World News happens to be one of the many clients that Agent99 is privileged to work with, and as their public relations firm, we handle all of the logistics, planning, and marketing of any projects they take on that are satellites to Australia. One such event came a few weeks ago when a renowned, respected BBC reporter came to Australia to conduct a new segment of a BBC regular program, “Global Questions.” Essentially, this segment revolves around forming a panel of experts and professionals to discuss a singular subject that is threatening or confronting the world at large; every edition of the program is different, with varying guests and diverging degrees of impact. This edition’s subject matter asked the question, “Is multiculturalism working?” On the panel sat a member of the Australian parliament, a Muslim comedian-turned-activist, a political figure who represented a populist party in Australian politics, and a grassroots liberal organizer for an Australian NGO.

As a member of the PR team for this project, not only was I tasked with ensuring that the logistics of the event were properly handled for our client beforehand, but also that there were no issues that could arise throughout the duration of the program. The event was held in the Sydney Opera House; I arrived early in the morning with the rest of my team, decorated the ballroom that the reception was being held in, coordinated with Opera House staff to ensure logistical details were under control, liaised with the client representative on site to make any last-second changes, and coordinated the progression of the guests from the panel being held across the street to the reception in the Opera House after its conclusion.

This was a truly incredible experience for me; not only did I have the opportunity to help plan, execute, and direct an event project from conception to conclusion with the Agent99 team, but I also learned tremendous lessons applicable to the business world that related to being flexible to changing circumstances and being thorough in preparation for an event of such magnitude. Following the conclusion of the panel, which was recorded and later broadcasted on the BBC [international audiences can listen to a recording], I was fortunate enough to attend the reception, meet the panelists and moderator of the event, and partake in some incredibly fascinating conversation. I even got a picture with the moderator and the rest of my team during the event, which was an absolute highlight for me.

Such an event proved to me that this is something I could see myself adapting into my future in the long-term; I found every moment of this experience to be action-packed and filled with the possibility of learning and expanding my understanding of the business world. I got to attend a riveting panel and think about multiculturalism to an entirely new degree, met accomplished professionals respected in their fields, and gained vital skills that I may apply readily to the remainder of my internship and business career. Not bad for a day’s work.