109: How Much Creativity is Required: a look at the worlds of Event Management and Public Relations

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 12 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.

As we begin to wind down the season, we start today’s episode with an intriguing interview featuring Montana Golin. Montana is the events producer at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University and she speaks with Iliana Nordenso about her career trajectory, starting with her education at Southern Methodist University in Texas. The pair examine the world of event management including Montana's various experiences as a general event planner with non-entertainment events such as weddings, corporate events, and ceremonies. They also discuss the path to her current position, and what the day-to-day looks like as an events producer. Montana elaborates on some of her accomplishments that she feels most proud of, and they conclude by revealing some interesting misconceptions about event planning and what Montana wishes aspiring event planners knew about events.

Our second episode of the week delves into the world of Las Vegas, and what it is like to be the Public Relations Coordinator for one of the most world-renowned Casino/Resorts on the famous Vegas Strip. Sammy Baloch sits down with Chapman University Alumna, Haley Ben Moshe’22, to talk about her role in PR with MGM Resorts International. Moshe lays out what her journey has been since graduation, touching on the atmosphere and culture of work in the area of content creation / Influencing in Los Angeles, and how that experience guided her to make a move back to Nevada, where she has found a better fit with MGM. They talk about the details and responsibilities that she faces in the position, and what she finds to be her favorite parts of the job. Before signing off, Moshe reflects on what she has found to be the most rewarding aspects of her career journey thus far, and shares with Baloch some personal advice for current students or recent grads that are just starting their own journeys.