ICON 2025 - the place to be.

By: Emily Sawyer

Anyone who knows of PRSA knows how iconic ICON truly is. A bustling week invites some of

the greatest PR, communications, and marketing professionals and students from around the

country to come together for one week a year to offer networking, professional development

advice, and informational sessions on industry trends. It is an exciting annual event that is

designed to bring together professionals and students for career advancement, but also to just meet great and inspiring people within the field.

Open to members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and its student

organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), attendees can

participate in a variety of activities throughout the week, including keynote addresses, breakout sessions on a variety of topics, networking events, and awards ceremonies.

This year's ICON took place in Washington, DC, from October 28 to October 30, and our very own PRSSA chapter at UD sent our amazing executive board members, Kaylee Louima,

Aubrey Hill, Allie Briggs, Cat Corrado, Laila Broussard, Emma Schneider, Taylor Mitchell, Lucy

Taylor, and Gianna Furth! They had a great time meeting impressive professionals including our very own UD alum, Grace Leong, the CEO of Hunter PR, and one of many women paving the way for the future of PR.

Grace joined a panel of other incredible female CEOs titled "She Built It: Women Founders on Leading, Growing, and Reimagining the PR Industry,” which ended up being one of the favorite events from the week. The conversation explored bold decisions, barriers broken, and lessons learned about leadership and resilience. Their empowering advice reminded attendees about the importance of relationships and being vulnerable with one another and doing everything with integrity.

In my opinion, the coolest event at this year’s ICON was the keynote speaker Lauren Graham: star of the award-winning comedy drama TV show, Gilmore Girls (aka my all-time favorite show). Kaylee, our president, was also excited to hear from Ms. Graham - as she expressed in our most recent PRSSA chapter meeting - how exciting it was to be in the presence of such a legend, and how she spoke about the importance of storytelling and human connection.

Award ceremonies also took place, where Grace Leong received the Gold Anvil Award, PRSA’s highest individual honor. It celebrates exceptional contributions to the communications profession and recognizes those who have truly elevated the industry, so it's pretty cool that one of our very own achieved such an honor. Additionally, our very own president, Ms. Kaylee Louima, won the Robert M. Urbanski Memorial Scholarship and the ICON Travel Grant - she is a total rockstar.

Some of the key takeaways other members also received from the week were:

1) Trust the Process. If you work hard and persevere, you will succeed. There is no

perfect path to take, or the right way for things to play out - as long as you put the work

in, you will go far.

2) Be confident. No matter who you are or what room you are standing in, there will

always be room for you at the table. Never let anyone make you feel small or quiet,

because we all have something unique to bring to the table. Always remember your

strengths, and be loud about them.

3) Be curious. There is so much that goes on in the PR world constantly, and continuously

asking questions and doing research will only help you go farther. Moreover, take

interest in different areas of PR and shadow them in order to find the best fit for you.

4) Be flexible. We hear it all the time, but the world of PR is constantly changing, and the

best skill that any of us can have is to stay on the swivel and be open to change. A

person who can learn to adapt quickly will go much farther than someone who sticks to

routine.

5) Show up as the person you want to be. We all have our off days, but the motto “fake it

till you make it” can really reign true at times. Instead of waiting for the right time or

opportunity to be the “ideal” version of you, just start now! Things will start to become a

habit, and before you know it, you’re everything you ever wanted and more. It also

leaves a lasting impression on the people around you.

6) Practice elevating your language now. Speaking intelligently and choosing words

purposefully leaves profound impressions on those around you, and overall elevates you

as a person and your quality by tenfold. Even in casual conversations, practice speaking

without filler words, because pursuing a higher mind impacts your performance and

energy!

Our Executive Board had an overall amazing experience speaking with and listening to some of the best in the field, and we cannot be more grateful for such an incredible experience!