You registered, reserved your room, updated your LinkedIn, and ordered your business cards. Now comes the fun part – packing! Conference Director, Kristen Cuaresma, wrote a blog post for the PRSSA National blog, Progressions, about this topic.
San Diego is known for its bright, sunny beach weather. In the fall, the city tends to hover around 80 degrees, but it’s important to remember the sea breeze. Despite the hotter temperature, being near the ocean brings a cool breeze, so be prepared with a light sweater. This, along with several other items mentioned below, should help you pack for Conference this fall.
There is a variety of Conference programming where you’ll need to be dressed in business attire, but being in California, it’s also important to pack some comfortable casual attire.
Conference Panels and Networking Event Attire:
Throughout the Conference, there will be countless learning opportunities through panels and sessions. It is encouraged that attendees dress in business casual or business professional attire. This may include slacks, button-downs, ties, pant-suits, dresses, skirts or blouses. Although the attire is professional, don’t hesitate to add your style to your Conference look book. Be bold and be confident in your attire and this will speak volumes to your professional persona.
California Bonfire Mixer Attire:
The mixer is one of the most highly anticipated parts of the Conference. This is the time when members from different Chapters get to know each other in a more relaxed setting. In true SoCal fashion, we will be kicking off the Conference with a bonfire-themed mixer. The evening will be full of burning flames as the sounds of waves and smell of the ocean drown out your other senses. As Californian’s, we usually spend these types of nights dressed in sweats, shorts, hoodies or anything that will keep us warm and comfortable. So we invite all attendees to stay casual. Dress up in your college hoodies and enjoy the excellent company.
Awards Dinner Attire:
If you’ve attended Conference before, you’ll know that the Awards Dinner is often a night to remember. There we celebrate PRSSA, its members and the accomplishments of our Society. Since this is a more professional evening, we recommend wearing suits and dresses.
Post-Conference Attire:
Although Conference is jam-packed with fantastic programming, we highly encourage our attendees to explore “The Finest City in America.” Aside from your blazers, don’t forget to pack some casual clothes. Pack a light jacket since it gets breezy, and some of your coolest sneakers.
These are some of our suggestions on what to pack for Conference. However, to ensure you’re prepared, be sure to follow us on social media for more Conference updates.