Project Ethos Intern Experience

If you are looking for an internship that is exciting, challenging, and improves your communication skills, Project Ethos is the place to be! I am a Communication major with an emphasis on Advertising and found myself learning about all sorts of integrated marketing. I have been in charge of contracting sponsors for the VIP bags. While it may seem that getting free stuff is easy, it’s not in this economy. Yet after rigorous training and mock calls I found companies that were more than willing to donate. If I may say so myself it was a great feeling to know that all my hard work paid off and was able to see it all come together during the LA Fashion Week kick off. I was able to share the Ethos vision to other companies and implement marketing strategies that would benefit both parties. Yes I was able to receive 500 pieces of FREE merchandise from companies throughout the country and highlight significant products. This involved researching companies, researching their merchandise and analyzing how they could benefit our VIP attendees. After it was all said and done I was truly proud of myself and excited to showcase such fabulous products.

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

The anticipation for the extravagant LA Fashion Week kick off at the House of Blues on Sunset was underway and everyone was putting the final touches for the unforgettable night. When we arrived to the venue everyone was excited to see Pete Wentz’s band the Black Cards perform, Will. I. Am’s clothing line preview and the live art show. Yet before all of our hard work paid off and we could claim success, we had to wait for our assigned task to assure a smooth show. I was part of the curator team and VIP seating overflow on the day of the show which involved me making sure that the seating arrangement was settled. Little did I know that I would also be involved in multiple tasks, like setting up the VIP chairs according to seating arrangements and organizing the VIP bags. One might consider seating arrangements an easy task yet overflowing crowds that turn restless became a constant struggle.

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