Student Learns Event-Planning Musts During Rusty Rail Internship
Thursday, September 29, 2016
A student from Williamsport is the first to complete a worksite internship via Pennsylvania College of Technology’s new degree in business administration: sport and event management concentration.
Alexandra M. Lehman hopes to use her degree to plan and manage conferences, fundraisers, celebrations and other such events for a large organization. She spent her summer months working with a team that does just that in the event department of the Rusty Rail Brewing Co. in Mifflinburg.
At the restaurant and event venue, she experienced firsthand the many pieces that must be coordinated to plan a successful large-scale event.
“I have had a lot of opportunities to observe and contribute to meetings with clients, vendors and other employees, which has helped me to understand how to interact with each group,” Lehman said.
She served as lead planner – until the end of her internship – for the company’s first wedding expo, to be held this winter. She researched vendors, drafted a letter to invite them to participate and created registration and exhibitor-agreement forms. She also helped to plan a related event to introduce the vendors to the Rusty Rail’s event facilities.
“I was very fortunate that the staff at the Rusty Rail provided me with many opportunities and experiences to learn about different aspects of event planning and management,” she said. “Being exposed to many different types of events including weddings, professional meetings and parties helped me to understand the challenges and differences in managing events of different sizes and contexts.”
Lehman gained experience using event-planning software to create proposals and invoices and input important client information. But not all her work was behind-the-scenes.
“I have worked several different events,” she said. “Working in the office has shown me what goes into all of the preparation and planning before an event to make sure everything goes smoothly. Similarly, working the events has given me a great view of what needs to be done during an event for it to be a success.”
Lehman, a junior in the bachelor-degree program, plans to return to the Rusty Rail to help with the wedding expo she planned. This semester, she is completing a second internship in the Penn College Student Activities Office, where she and Nicholas V. Walker, also a junior in business administration: sport and event management concentration, serve as event assistants. Walker is also from Williamsport.
Penn College’s major in business administration: sport and event management concentration includes a strong core of traditional business courses, including marketing, accounting, human resources and management, as well as coursework specific to sport and event management, including classes in sports economics, travel and tourism, sport marketing, event promotion and more.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
Alexandra M. Lehman hopes to use her degree to plan and manage conferences, fundraisers, celebrations and other such events for a large organization. She spent her summer months working with a team that does just that in the event department of the Rusty Rail Brewing Co. in Mifflinburg.
At the restaurant and event venue, she experienced firsthand the many pieces that must be coordinated to plan a successful large-scale event.“I have had a lot of opportunities to observe and contribute to meetings with clients, vendors and other employees, which has helped me to understand how to interact with each group,” Lehman said.
She served as lead planner – until the end of her internship – for the company’s first wedding expo, to be held this winter. She researched vendors, drafted a letter to invite them to participate and created registration and exhibitor-agreement forms. She also helped to plan a related event to introduce the vendors to the Rusty Rail’s event facilities.
“I was very fortunate that the staff at the Rusty Rail provided me with many opportunities and experiences to learn about different aspects of event planning and management,” she said. “Being exposed to many different types of events including weddings, professional meetings and parties helped me to understand the challenges and differences in managing events of different sizes and contexts.”
Lehman gained experience using event-planning software to create proposals and invoices and input important client information. But not all her work was behind-the-scenes.
“I have worked several different events,” she said. “Working in the office has shown me what goes into all of the preparation and planning before an event to make sure everything goes smoothly. Similarly, working the events has given me a great view of what needs to be done during an event for it to be a success.”
Lehman, a junior in the bachelor-degree program, plans to return to the Rusty Rail to help with the wedding expo she planned. This semester, she is completing a second internship in the Penn College Student Activities Office, where she and Nicholas V. Walker, also a junior in business administration: sport and event management concentration, serve as event assistants. Walker is also from Williamsport.
Penn College’s major in business administration: sport and event management concentration includes a strong core of traditional business courses, including marketing, accounting, human resources and management, as well as coursework specific to sport and event management, including classes in sports economics, travel and tourism, sport marketing, event promotion and more.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.