A Look Back at ICON 2025

By Mallory Cook and Toni Rebaldo

Highlights from Toni Rebaldo, UA PRSSA Vice President 

Attending the PRSA ICON conference in Washington, D.C., was one of those experiences that reminds you why getting out of your comfort zone is so important. This was my first time visiting the city, and between exploring the monuments, grabbing coffee with new friends and taking in the energy of a place so full of history, I felt inspired and recharged. Traveling for a professional conference made me realize how much seeing a new city can also open your mind to new ideas. 

The best part, though, was the people. ICON brought together so many incredible professionals from the communication and PR industry, and they were genuinely open to talking and sharing their stories. I left with several new contacts that I will stay in touch with as I prepare for my post-graduation journey. Making these connections felt like such a major step forward. 

And then there was the celebration! Our PRSSA chapter and Capstone Agency both received national awards, including the Service Award and the Large Agency Award. These awards meant a lot to me personally because they were tied to projects and roles I have been directly involved in throughout the 2024-2025 year. It was such a proud moment to see our work recognized on that kind of stage. 

If you are a graduate student thinking about joining PRSSA, I cannot recommend it enough. It is a great chance to meet amazing people from mentors to friends, learn new skills and build a network that goes beyond the classroom. ICON 2025 reminded me that community and connection really are at the heart of this field, and that is something worth traveling for. 

Highlights from Mallory Cook, UA PRSSA President 

ICON was an enriching experience that allowed me to get outside of the bubble of our PRSSA chapter. I attended a lunch with other PRSSA chapter presidents, where we got to build relationships with one another and swap ideas for growing and developing our PRSSA chapters. Throughout the conference, I met many other PRSSA students during social events, like the PRSSA Night at the Museum dinner. I am so grateful for the unique opportunity to meet and learn from students from universities across the country and around the globe.  

During ICON, I heard from incredible speakers. One of my favorite sessions was the keynote speaker, Lauren Graham, an award-winning actress, producer and New York Times bestselling author. Although not a PR professional, Graham had great advice for writing and storytelling—skills important to anyone in the PR or communications field—as well as advice for any student or young professional trying to define their career goals. Here are some of Graham’s words of wisdom: 

·       Give yourself permission to write something that isn’t perfect. You can worry about refining it once you get the initial ideas on the page, but if you worry too much about perfection, you’ll never be able to take the first step in a project.  

·       If you’re struggling to focus on a writing task, allow yourself to have two documents open: one for the writing project and another to jot down any unrelated thoughts or “to-do’s” that come to mind. This helps remove distractions, so you can focus on the task at hand.  

·       The most powerful stories begin with compelling relationships.  

·       When deciding whether to pursue a career path, consider what a day in that role will be like and whether that day seems appealing to you.  

Another highlight of the conference was the “Be Our Guest” session, led by Craig Dezern and Kent Landers, communications professionals at Hilton. This session highlighted some of Hilton’s notable communications campaigns and offered an inside view of the company’s communications strategy.  

·       Hampton by Hilton at 40: The campaign surrounding, Hampton by Hilton’s 40th birthday, highlighted Hampton’s beloved free, hot breakfast with limited-time waffle flavors and a social moment featuring Paris Hilton, earning widespread media coverage for the brand’s anniversary.  

·       Hilton Travel Trends Report: Hilton began releasing a yearly report on travel industry trends in 2021 to gain media coverage during a time when most reporters were unwilling to travel. Since then, the report has been an effective tool for securing earned media and explaining the state of the industry to investors.  

These campaigns, and many others, demonstrate Hilton’s 360-degree communications approach, where the company creates every campaign and communications plan with all internal and external audiences in mind. The company makes the most of any communications effort by bringing in elements that will appeal to groups ranging from customers to employees to financial investors.  

Overall, ICON was an unforgettable week full of learning, relationship-building and enjoying the nation’s capital. I highly recommend attending ICON for any member wanting to learn

more about the PR industry or meet fellow PRSSA students!