My career in public relations takes me out of the office for the occasional trade show, client meeting, new business lunch, media interview or video shoot. In other cases, my job takes me to Alaska where I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing clients. I’m not talking about just Anchorage, I’m talking the Northwest Arctic in rural Alaska or the “bush”. This is not your average business travel.
We take things like water, sewer, fuel, transportation, Internet and phone for granted – things that are highly prized in the bush. Part of PR is getting to know your audience, and this trip was a great opportunity. I went with our client GCI to talk to the Northwest Arctic villages of Buckland, Selawik, Kiana and Noorvik about plans to bring high speed broadband to rural villages. We took several different modes of transportation from charter plane to snow machine, a sled and an ice road.
It was interesting to hear their stories about how they use the Internet to stay connected with family, search for new pets and purchase goods, since these villages are off the road system.
Story telling is part of the reason I love PR. I get to meet amazing people, hear inspirational stories and celebrate different cultures.
