Let’s say your school is going to celebrate a special anniversary, maybe
25 or 50 years. The superintendent appoints a committee to plan the
event. The first thing the committee members will do is research other
anniversaries and special events to see how they have been observed.
They’ll research schedules and calendars to find an appropriate date.
They’ll ask what special things the superintendent wants. After evaluat-
ing their research, they’ll recommend a plan of action.
Once they have a plan, the committee members will appoint sub-
committees and assign tasks. They’ll get a calendar and, working back-
ward from the date of the event to the present date, they’ll set times
for each step to be completed.
They’ll communicate with the honored guests and speakers, write
introductions and speeches for guest speakers, and make sure the
media know about the event. They’ll send invitations and have pro-
grams printed. They’ll plan a seating arrangement and figure out how
to get the cake cut to provide the best photo opportunity—a conve-
nient way for photographers to get a good picture—for the media.
On the day of the anniversary celebration, the committee members
will check to see that the right number of chairs are set up, test the
microphone and greet the guests. They’ll know who is going to clean
up after the event. They’ll have a plan for evaluating the success of the
event. Finally, they’ll make notes about what worked and what could
have been improved to put in the file for future committees.
Technical Skills in Public Relations
Writing tops the list of technical skills the public relations profes-
sional needs. Virtually every phase of public relations requires some
writing, so being proficient with the mechanics of English is a must.
Experience with journalistic style and editing techniques is especially
helpful in writing news releases and producing company newsletters
and magazines.
PUBLIC RELATIONS 489
If you find out in advance
how an event is planned, you can
create your own photo opportunity.
A photographer positioned the
camera where the Special Olympics
torch bearers would light the Special
Olympics Flame of Hope during
opening ceremonies.photo opportunity
an event staged or ar ranged
in such a way that photog-
raphers can take the best
possible photographs; photo
opportunities may feature
persons as well as events