ALEXA GANZEVELD, KNIGHTLIFE EDITOR
On Nov. 14, the Wartburg College chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, for an agency crawl.
The group visited different types of businesses to learn how public relations is used throughout. PRSSA is an organization intended for students interested in public relations and communications.
It also offers professional development opportunities. During the year, the Wartburg College chapter brought in speakers and held workshops to help students develop hard and soft skills. The Kansas City agency crawl gave students the chance to tour different businesses and gain a first-hand experience of what the public relations and marketing fields on an average day.
A variety of industries, although each was in the communication field, were toured. The first business the group toured was Page Communications, a full-service public relations and social media agency.
The agency had 10 employees and a few part-time interns. The group asked questions and viewed a public relations firm that served many clients. Some of the clients included the Raphael Hotel, United Healthcare and Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, according to pagecomms.com.
Apart from the tour, the group received advice on resumes, interviews and networking. The second stop was with the Kansas City Chiefs National Football League team.
Luke Shanno, a Wartburg alumni, provided a private tour of Arrowhead Stadium and other facilities used by the team. As corporate communications manager, Shanno his start with the Chiefs and the experience of working for a professional football team.
On Friday morning, the crawl continued at the American Heart Association in Overland Park, Kansas. Along with a tour of the facilities, DeEtta Lee, another Wartburg alum, explained public relations at a non-profit organization. The last business was Boulevard Brewery Company. The walking tour provided the background of the brewery and the growth of the business over the past few decades.
Overall, the Kansas City agency crawl was a great opportunity for students to explore various types of public relations and marketing fields and gain advice from working
professionals.
For more information about Wartburg’s PRSSA chapter, email prssa@wartburg.edu.
Knight Wire 
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