Let’s connect in 2025 - member meetups make networking easy

Posted by admin on Feb. 5, 2025  /  Subscribe 0

By Chantal Boeckman, 2025 President-elect

The first definition we learn when studying for an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) is the industry definition of public relations. 

Do you know what it is? Before reading on, take a minute and think about how you define public relations.

What is public relations?
Public relations is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.

Given the complexities of PR and that it is often misunderstood by business leaders and many times our own practitioners, I appreciate this definition because it reminds us why our profession is important. The most critical word in that definition is relationships – no one can achieve success (or happiness) without relationships.

How much time do you spend building your relationships?
As PR professionals, we help our organizations and their leaders build, strengthen and maintain relationships every day. But how much time do we spend doing that for ourselves?

Many of us are very good at it, but for the majority of us, I’ll venture to say that our own personal networking is in the same bucket as exercising – we all know it’s really good for us, but it tends to fall to the bottom of the list with all the other investments in our personal growth and wellness, right there with professional development.

Let’s do this together
So here’s what I’m thinking, friends.

2025 is the year that we prioritize our own connections and expand our networks in at least the DFW PR, communications and marketing community.

With PRSA Dallas alone, you can connect with professionals at every career stage, from corporations, agencies and nonprofits, not to mention a number of founders and self-employed practitioners who can share the ins and outs of starting their own business.

We also have the PRSA Southwest District as a resource. Dallas is one of 15 chapters in six states, all of which have members who would love to connect and answer questions, share experiences and make recommendations. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] for guidance on how to do this, but you can also go straight to the chapters.

And there is of course the national PRSA network at our fingertips via MyPRSA. From MyPRSA Communities to the Membership Directory to Mentor Connect, there are countless ways to get the most out of our national membership.

So, where do we start?

Our Programs Committee has exceptional monthly programs planned for the year, so watch out for those as they are posted. Programs are great for education, hearing from local leaders and networking. If your company or manager provides ways for you to track your professional development as you prepare for the next step in your career, be sure to count our programming among your development hours.

Join our Member Meetups!
Near and dear to my heart are our PR Power Hour Member Meetups. These are smaller, member-only events focused on creating connections and building and strengthening relationships among our members.

This year, our Member Meetups will be bi-monthly on third Wednesdays starting in February. They’ll alternate between lunches and happy hours, and we’ll always have a discussion topic or icebreaker, so we’ll use this time to talk about topics that you’re facing at work or hot topics in our industry. We welcome topic suggestions, so feel free to email [email protected] with your suggestions.

These are relaxed, no-pressure gatherings where you’ll walk away from each event with new contacts. One person you’ll hopefully have a chance to meet is Blake Smith, who joined PRSA Dallas last summer. As soon as he joined the chapter, he registered for our first meetup. See what he has to say about the value of this time together.

If you’re interested in volunteering to host a member meetup so that we can have more than six this year, feel free to reach out. This may be of interest to those of you who live farther out from the city center who want to connect with people in your area, and we can help you make those connections. Contact [email protected] with interest and/or questions.

Mark your calendars
Always look at our events page for member meetup details and registration, but here are some key dates and times to mark on your calendars. Member meetups are usually limited to 10-15 people on a first come basis. Additionally, to keep the gatherings simple and cost-effective, we charge a nominal fee to reserve your spot and attendees are responsible for paying for their own food and beverages.

This year’s meetups will be on the following dates. Please note that the dates are subject to change: February 19 | April 16 | June 18 | August 20 | October 15 | December 17. Registration is open for our first 2025 meetup on Wed, Feb 19, 4PM - 7PM at Sidecar Social in Addison. Click here to register.

We look forward to seeing you at a Power Hour in 2025!

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