where the visual meets communication

When the time came for me to apply to post-graduate programs last year, I had a lot to think about.

Having graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2008, I had already spent plenty of time searching for employment. I was well aware of how tough the job market was (and unfortunately still is), and I wanted a program that complimented the skills I already possessed while teaching me much, much more.

One of the many reasons why I was attracted to the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Centennial College is because it offered such a diverse array of courses. I felt excited about the subject material and was eager to begin developing skills that would set me apart in the job market.

Today I find myself halfway done the program and almost one month into the second semester already, and not once have I regretted pursuing the CC&PR program. In only four months I have learned so much. For example, I now possess a sharper eye for copy editing. I have developed my writing skills and taken a glimpse into the world of media relations. But that’s only the beginning.

Event management. It was something I had briefly been a part of while working as a Communications Assistant for Laurier’s Department of Athletics and Recreation. During that time I would play roles in some of the event managing process, but usually this involved setting up venues, working on specific tasks throughout the event and putting everything away once it came to a close. I had very little idea of how much work went into it because I had never been a part of the overall planning or decision making.

That was until the day when our teams were chosen in Event Management class in the CC&PR program.

The months of September, October and November were a complete blur. Ayesha, Patti, Cailin, Karen and I found ourselves immersed in every little detail imaginable. Writing proposals, drafting budgets and laying everything out in critical paths were quite new to us. Oh, and the decisions! What should the decor look like? What will our guests eat? How will we keep them entertained? For someone like me, who was quite new to event planning, this was a hectic time. However, it taught me a wealth of truly invaluable knowledge and if I were asked to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.

All of the planning and hard work resulted in Come Fly With Us, an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and travel-themed entertainment benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Specifically, we were raising funds to grant the wish of Tyler, a five-year old boy from Burlington who is currently undergoing treatments for a life-threatening condition. He wanted to go to Disney World and we wanted to make that happen.

The event occurred on Nov. 24, 2009 at The Local Company, a resto-bar located on the Danforth. Ours was the first of all seven events to take place and needless to say, this was quite a nerve-wracking time for the entire team. Thankfully, the evening went very well. Our guests were able to learn about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Tyler while they munched on delicious food and sipped our signature drink cleverly named The Red Eye. Surrounded by Local’s modern lounge setting, black and white travel photos were projected onto the wall while silver accents and glowing candles set a classy mood. We were proud of the details we thought of, including wrapped candies and pretzels for our guests, gift bags spreading awareness and silver planes set around the venue that we constructed ourselves.

As for activities, we kept our guests busy throughout the evening with a variety of options. Seven fantastic prizes made up our raffle offerings, including an unbelievable round-trip voucher from Porter Airlines. Our balloon pop game was a huge crowd pleaser and sold out almost immediately. At the mid-way point of the event, a travel trivia game took place which resulted in guests excitedly racing to submit their answer cards first. We received many compliments on the event as a whole and in the end we exceeded our objective of raising $2,000 for Tyler’s wish.

In total, Come Fly With Us raised $2,770 for Tyler and since then we’ve received word that the granting of his wish will take place once his treatments are complete!

Planning an event takes a lot of time, patience and the ability to make things work. My team and I could not have pulled off such a successful event without the strength and dedication from one another as well as the support from local businesses and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, Come Fly With Us would have never existed if it weren’t for the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Centennial College. Now that the event is over, Tyler’s wish can come true and we can feel confident in the skills we gained from the experience.