With Pop Tarts, Ramen noodles, antibacterial hand sanitizer and paper in hand, members of the Public Relations Council of Alabama came together in Auburn, Ala., for the annual state conference themed “New Thinking in and Old School.”

The East Alabama Chapter of PRCA planned the state conference this year. The public relations faculty at the university are members of PRCA and are actively involved with the organization. The conference was able to showcase PR practitioners and programs in East Alabama, as well as Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery and more.

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The Department of Communication and Journalism chose to sponsor a student program this year. “We felt strongly that the student programs would be of great benefit to all of the students who attended the meeting,”Dr. Margaret Fitch-Hauser, Auburn instructor, said.

President of Edelman Digital in Chicago, Ill., Rick Murray, was the guest speaker at the student-sponsored session. Murray sits on the public relations academic program advisory board at the university, and he is considered an honorary member of the Auburn Family.

During his session, Murray spoke to students about how to stand out in today’s job market.

“Students always seem to learn a great deal from him and he enjoys talking with Auburn students,” Fitch-Hauser said of Murray.

The Department also chose to sponsor this session to give undergraduate students a chance to learn more about the graduate program in communication.

More than 40 students from different colleges throughout Alabama attended the state conference along with over 100 public relations professionals and chapter members.

Academic Advisor for the Auburn University Public Relations Council of Alabama (AUPRCA) and university instructor, Jessie King said,

“I think the conference is a great way for our students and our professional members to be exposed to other people throughout the country, either regionally or nationally, that have so much experience doing the same things that we do and then taking it on either a smaller or larger level, but still in the context in which we practice as public relations professionals.”

The PRCA state conference included lectures on social media, budgets and public relations challenges.

Along with the lectures there were two awards luncheons. The first luncheon was the “Student Awards Lunch” dedicated to recognizing real college students for there work. More than 10 Auburn students received recognition and awards for their work in multiple categories.

The second luncheon was the “Medallion Awards and Luncheon” dedicated to recognizing the public relations professionals and chapters. The East Alabama Chapter received First Place in Community Service, First Place in Membership and Third Place in Accreditation.