Com PR Students Promote the Chicago Auto Show

02/09/2011 8:29 AM

For the ninth consecutive year, a group of Dr. Ron Koperski’s public relations students are interning at the Chicago Auto Show. During the week of February 7, journalism major Sarah Garfinkel ’11 and public relations major Dassie Rice ’11 will share their perspectives on this unique experience.

Driving media attention to the Auto Show

By Sarah Garfinkel ’11

Our first day at the Auto Show was not nearly as intimidating as we all thought it would be. While McCormick Place is gigantic, we only had to get lost a couple of times before figuring out where we were supposed to be.

Justine Harris ’11 and Bronson Good ’11 are two of seven Bradley students interning at the Chicago Auto Show this week.

We had the opportunity to tour show floor in the midst of construction. Each manufacturer has only one week to construct its display. This may seem like ample time, but it really comes down to the wire. The media previews begin tomorrow and there seems to be a lot of work left for the landscapers, designers and carpenters to complete before the press rolls in.

During our week here, each of the interns will be covering press conferences, handing out media credentials to journalists, as well as posting content to the Auto Show’s website.

Typically, the Auto Show Internship is open only to public relations majors at Bradley, but this year our group includes PR majors, two advertising majors and two journalism majors. We possess a broad set of skills that is already coming in handy. Regardless of major, this internship is a fantastic opportunity we wouldn’t have if not for Dr. Ron Koperski, whose strong industry connections have helped countless students get a leg up over the years.

It’s going to be a long week, but by the end of it we will have gained invaluable experience in what it takes to run a major event.