PHL: A Great City to Work in
Rewind back to the month of May, when I was applying for internships. At that time, I pictured myself dashing around Philadelphia in a blazer and heels, running errands for my boss–four coffees in a Starbucks caddy along for the ride. Needless to say, I had many misconceptions about what interning would be like. (Does it sound like I got my visions straight from The Devil Wears Prada?)
Turns out I don’t have to be a lowly “gopher” but I can be a supportive team member. The place where I intern, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), acts partially as a hub for many of the businesses and congresses in the city, and they host several events for networking, fundraising, and business interacting. Devon Moyer recently posted about the new PHL marketing that has launched (“PHL: Modern Renaissance City“), and my first blog entry talks about some of that process as well. Exit, a design strategy agency in Philadelphia, took the lead, and collaborated with a sibling shop, BAJ Design. Totem, also based in Philadelphia, is handling Web site design along with MMGY Global. (More on that in this New York Times article.) I have been so fortunate to have been involved with this effort.
Recently I was asked to help at one of their largest networking events, the Annual PHLCVB Luncheon . The 2012 PHL Meetup, as it was called, was hosted at the Marriott in Center City and had around 1,200 attendees, all from different businesses from the area. It included a wide variety of people from places such as Mighty Engine, SEPTA, the Multicultural Affairs Congress, and even Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality. I helped to usher and register people, so I had the chance to interact with a lot of professionals! The set up was very impressive (an indoor food truck giving out tacos!) and everything from the walls to the escalators had “PHL” popping out. Jack Ferguson, the President & CEO made a speech about the launching of PHL, and they even had a few entertainers there.
Although my internship here is soon coming to an end, I will definitely look back fondly on the big events where everyone came together like the PHL Meetup. It is one of the opportunities I will remember most. I will also never forget the fun people I got to work alongside because they have made my first real internship a positive learning experience. (And… shout out to Nelly, the coolest boss ever!)
