Name:
Ms. Tracy Rose Denham
E-mail address:
tdenham@kacp.com
Education Information
Undergraduate Major:
Public Relations
Degree Received:
BS
Graduation Year:
1997
Activities, student organizations, leadership roles, etc. in which I was
involved at UT:
Executive Officer in Zeta Tau Alpha
Member of Rho Lambda
Job Information
Employer Name:
Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership
Employer Web Site:
http://www.knoxvillechamber.com
Present Job Title:
Events Coordinator
Brief description of my job responsibilities, e.g. a typical week in my job:
I direct all events that are sponsored by the Knoxville Chamber, including golf
tournaments, networking events, political receptions and our annual business
expo. There is no such thing as a typical work week in my job. I am constantly
balancing the work that goes behind several of our approximately 40 events that
we hold each year. I have to be ready on a moment's notice to do anything from
putting together a reception for 200 people with 24-hour's notice to working
with the U.S. Secret Service for a visit from an unexpected guest like the Prime
Minister of a foreign country who is stopping by to visit with area business
leaders and elected officials.
Suggestions I would give to undergraduate students with regard to courses,
internships, and other means of preparation for my career field:
Do as many internships as you can. Don't wait to do the required 15 hours a
week your last semester. If you want to know what a job is really like, you
have to experience it. Plus employers love to see that you've really gotten to
know the field through actual experience, and not just classes.
My career path in getting to this position:
I realized by majoring in PR that I wanted to go into event planning, but the
actual jobs in that area were very few and far between – especially in
Knoxville. So I looked at similar jobs that would involve some event planning.
I started in fundraising right after college with a non-profit that did a few
big fundraiser events each year. Working there for three years gave me the
experience I needed to move toward an opening in actual event planning when one
became available.
Other advice for students interested in gaining entry into and pursuing a career
in this field:
Hard work is the best experience for the job. You can’t learn to do this job
well by taking a class or reading a book. Do lots of internships and get
experience anywhere you can – volunteering is a good way to gain experience if
you can’t find a paying job. This is the type of job that requires incredible
attention to detail, but at the same time, you have to realize that everything
cannot be perfect. You just have to do your best to make an event what you want
it to be and learn not to stress when the cook doesn’t show up and you’re the
one making and serving hotdogs in your business suit!
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