What I Did Last Summer
It might sound like a 3rd-grade assignment to test out cursive skills, but I’m flipping the script. This was my first summer of work after graduating university, and I’d like to share my experiences with you.
Over the past four months, I’ve interned here at Pro Motion, Inc, an experiential marketing agency in St. Louis, MO. I basically grew up here, as my mom’s been on the team for 18 years, building and running street teams, event marketing, and mobile marketing tours. After subscribing to Event Marketer magazine and setting Google Alerts for industry news, I jumped into my daily admin work and learning about Pro Motion’s past and current clients.
Our “work as a team, win as a team” ethic had me sitting in on new business brainstorms, and adding valuable ideas to the discussions…even with no practical experience in the field! By my second week, I participated in our new business acquisition process when we won the opportunity to create a mobile outreach tour for our client, KaBOOM!— the national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America.. The tour itself (powered by Disney Parks) would promote families coming together for some fun “playtime” and developing problem solving skills as a team.
Part of the Team
In the following weeks, I became a legitimate member of the team, sitting in on brainstorms and client calls as we created the outdoor events that would bring fun and free family bonding events to urban areas in California to Chicago to Atlanta to Florida. I spent a good portion of my time researching possible site locations and vendors that corresponded with the clients’ vision for the mobile tour.
Six weeks into the internship, I was promoted to Project Coordinator for what became titled the “KaBOOM! Play Together Tour powered by Disney Parks.”
So what does a Project Coordinator do?
In my case, a little bit of everything.
Ever had 50 messages beeping on your phone at one time?
Vendors from Anaheim to Chicago to Atlanta blowing up your phone?
Part of my role on this mobile event tour entailed countless time spent on event production phone calls and emails with vendors in all six markets…plus a lot of Google searching.
I was charged with finding the best services and prices for event site barricades, security, EMS, waste management, hydration services, volunteers, tent rentals, and many other miscellaneous aspects. I became highly attuned to the needs of the field team, the account team, and the clients on a daily basis.
The Payoff
In early August, our field and office teams loaded up two 26-foot box trucks that would travel across the country. These branded vehicles boasted graphics with an uplifting blue, clouded sky and pictures of playful families accompanying the KaBOOM! and Disney Parks logos.
Even before the events started, I had become a part of something gratifying and worthwhile. My summer had almost just begun, but I was already doing something important with a group of Brand Ambassadors that I helped to build and train.