During the actual show, I was considered a runner. Literally it meant I was running across the whole venue at all times in five inch heels, another task I believed to be impossible. Yet lo and behold it was very possible and great exercise for my calves! I was in charge of escorting VIPs to their designated areas, which meant networking. I met everyone from radio representatives to the Princess of Denmark to Miss Regional California and enjoyed every second of it. Overall it was amazing to see the whole Ethos community come together and create such an unforgettable event.
-Vanessa Vega
One major part of this public relations internship is learning! If you are willing to learn, Project Ethos will truly teach you diverse techniques that apply to several areas of the work field. As a public relations intern on the media team, I was in charge of creating and sending out pitch letters to different media outlets, placing phone calls, and drafting up fact sheets for some of the participants during LA Fashion Week. The most exciting part of my internship is being an active part of the clients' PR efforts. Here at Project Ethos you really get to be hands on with various aspects of the event. On the day of the event you can expect to be doing a little bit of everything from setting up chairs to preparing VIP bags. Overall, you will get to see the venue come to life from scratch. The night of the event I checked in press and talent; one of the cool things with that is being able to see the media you contacted attend the show. Seeing all your efforts come together the night of the event is so rewarding. To sum it up it is an incredible experience. I would recommend an internship like this to everyone!
-Yodiet Habteab
Now, before the show I was in charge of contacting art galleries to search for emerging artists and also invited art galleries to our show. As a Business major that minored in Marketing Promotion and International Business, I was excited to see the success of all of our marketing and promotions strategies on the night of the show. Another cool factor was researching various companies before contacting them and learning how to communicate/network with clients even when they were out of state. What’s so great about contacting sponsors or talking to companies about our show is that we get to practice and improve our business communication skills and eloquence. Overall I felt beyond satisfied to work on this show because I learned how to throw an amazing event through hands on experience, not a manual.
-Sergio Sanchez
I started interning with Project Ethos about a month before one of their biggest events, LA Fashion Week 2011. With so little time to go, there was still so much to do in preparation for the show. Being a part of the media and promotion team, I was working with Public Relations to spread the word about our event. While Project Ethos has only been around since 2005, they have already gained a certain reputation for showcasing some of the hottest emerging talent in fashion, music, and art. I contacted multiple media outlets, pitched our show and invited them to experience Ethos as a VIP guest. I was also assigned to create fact sheets for some of the participants in the show. It was great insight to see how different artists are inspired by various elements.
The day of the show came, and I was very excited to see what went on behind the scenes with production. I saw artists set up their galleries, designers sewing last minute garments, and the models rehearsing up and down the runway. Each intern had a specific assignment for the night and I was assigned to check in VIP guests on the runway. When the doors opened, it was a little nerve racking dealing with all the people. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, minor chaos, and I was ready to soak it in. Once everyone on my list was checked in, I was able to go inside and help out with productions behind the scenes which allowed me to enjoy the show from a whole new perspective.
-Andrea Mendez