The IUP’s PRSSA chapter traveled to Point Park Friday to take part in the “Forge Your Future” conference. The conference had seven incredible speakers. They shared how they got to where they are today. The speakers gave words of advice, wisdom, and encouragement. They helped strip the stereotypes of what public relations is and expressed how they are redefining the possibilities that the realm of PR can offer.
Miles Ritenour, the Director of Marketing Communication at Anheuser - Busch discussed the work that he does with Bud Lite. He dove into how they ran with an idea for a slogan, “Dilly Dilly.” That two-word phrase snowballed into a whole campaign for the sports industry.
Jennifer Bullano Ridgley, the Senior Director of Communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is a female role model for women who want to shatter the glass ceiling in PR. She talked about her involvement with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bullano Ridgley is responsible for protecting the reputation of the organization. She has built trustful relationships with the players on the team. Ridgley talked about how she has learned how to balance her career alongside “repping” the title of being a mom.
Ben Butler, founder and Client Services Director at Top Hat. Butler got his company started with an ingenious campaign of saying “Will work for beer.” That hit hard with the brewing industry. It set him apart from other competitors. He now has eighteen clients in his portfolio to help grow his business even more.
The PRSSA wants to thank Point Park for hosting a spectacular day of speakers. The members of this chapter also would like to thank Ben Butler for sponsoring our trip to the conference. We all got an opportunity to network, learn, and connect with new people.