ASU PRSSA at ICON: Lessons learned from the sandbox
Posted on Nov. 21, 2023 / Professional Development / Subscribe 0
“The only person stopping you is you.” These are the words that rang out as Scott Pansky finished up his talk to a filled room of PRSSA students at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center.
Pansky is the co-founder and senior partner of Allison, formerly Allison+Partners, and he was the last session at ICON on Oct. 15, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.
As a graduate student attending ICON, my biggest goal throughout the conference was to network as much as possible. It was important to me to socialize with people who worked in industries I was interested in such as travel, tourism, and hospitality. But in the first stages of networking, it’s easy to forget or overlook the importance of maintaining the relationships I’m set out to build.
Pansky’s session, “Lessons Learned from Playing in the Sandbox,” focused on the principles of networking and how best to keep that network alive and well. He shared some insights and perspectives on how he’s maintained his own network and shared some examples of what he wouldn’t recommend doing based on his experience.
The first takeaway of his session I’d like to share is that there is power in relationships. Throughout the conference, students like me would ask speakers or other professionals to share their career journeys with us and how they got to where they are. Funnily enough, all these speakers and professionals stated that it was through a mutual friend or someone they had met in their PR journey that had helped them get to where they were at. “It’s who you know,” was no longer just a saying to me by the end of this conference, but guidance for my journey as well.
One thing that Pansky repeatedly emphasized throughout his session was the importance of following up with the people you network with. This brings us to my next greatest takeaway…networking can only take you as far as you allow it.
It can feel daunting to reach out to someone and ask to connect with them after hearing them speak at a conference, but there is so much power in taking this step. As Pansky said, writing a handwritten note or sending a personable message can make all the difference. When you choose to network with someone, it is your responsibility to ensure you follow up. By following up, you open yourself up to more opportunities that you may have not initially thought of.
My last big takeaway: don’t be afraid to ask for an informational interview.
Before going into Pansky’s session, I felt uncomfortable asking the professionals I’d networked with to speak to me, let alone time for an interview. However, one thing Pansky shared that I think is extremely important to remember is that most of the people at conferences and networking events want to talk and get to know you. Oftentimes they’re looking for individuals interested and letting them know that you would like to know more about it, is something that they are going to want to hear! So, ask for informational interviews and come in well-researched and with questions. Who knows, they might be hiring or can share your name with another company that is.
By and large, networking is helpful, but it is only as helpful as you make it. I look back at the time I got to spend at ICON 2023 and am extremely grateful for the lessons learned both from the sandbox and from others. I look forward to taking what I’ve learned with me as I graduate with my master’s this spring and begin my own PR career journey.
By Gabriella Herran
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