NEWS: Student-Run PR Firm Partners with Film Festival - The Marist College Circle

By Aaryn Vaughan

March 27, 2014

As most students know, hands-on learning is one of the most popular ways to master one's craft. For public relations students at Marist, North Road Communications is the embodiment of this idea. A student-run public relations firm affiliated with the Marist College chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), North Road Communications has a dedicated staff of about 20 students and manages local Hudson Valley nonprofit clients including the Beacon Arts Council in Beacon, N.Y., the Joint Journalism and Communication History Conference (JJCHC), which is held at a rotation of colleges in Manhattan, N.Y., and Family Services right here in Poughkeepsie. Students in the firm assigned to these accounts work directly with the executives to carry out their needs and goals as a company.

North Road Communications has recently expanded its reach by partnering with the Beacon Independent Film Festival (BIFF). The festival aims to further cultivate an interest in filmmaking and provides an outlet for those who have passion for independent films by making them more accessible to the general public. BIFFs long-term goal is to see Beacon as a town that inspires the younger generations to pursue an interest in filmmaking, as BIFF holds various programs and workshops aimed at sparking an interest in local preteens and young adults. The first BIFF was held Sept. 13-15, 2013, and was well-received by Beacon and the surrounding community.

The Beacon Arts Council, another North Road Communications client, is the fiscal sponsor for the event. Students assigned to the BIFF account plan to work on research for the festival, promoting the festival and its initiatives and crafting press releases to inform the general public about the preparation for the 2nd Annual Beacon Independent Film Festival happening on Sept. 12-14, 2014.

Members of North Road Communications have previously worked with the Mid-Hudson chapter of the American Red Cross in 2011. They helped plan and promote its annual gala and golf tournament which gave students a chance to experience public relations in a corporate setting. This semester, members of the firm are assigned to work with the Beacon Arts Council, Family Services, JJCHC, BIFF, firm publicity, and a research project for nonprofit startup company called Catapultian.

Be sure to follow North Road Communications this semester, as all of the firm's clients have upcoming events to interest any audience. You can find North Road Communications on Twitter at @NorthRoadComm and on Facebook.