Event Planning Internship

After the graduation ceremony, I still had two courses to complete: One was a standard catalogue entry course but another, an internship had to be arranged. I did my coursework in two unrelated fields-- hospitality management, and nonprofit management. Initially, I had been unsure if an internship could be found that fit both, but after some searching, my Dad told me that the nonprofit he worked with, ORHF, was looking for an intern, to either write a grant or plan a volunteer appreciation event. Since an event is a hospitality aspect for a nonprofit, I chose the second option to fulfill both requirements.  When we returned from a vacation to the beach, the internship began.

The internship began with a one-on-one interview with the volunteer coordinator. After this, I had an initial meeting with the event committee, a group of ORHF volunteers and leaders who would be working with me on the project. We brainstormed ideas, and I was given an assignment to draft a couple of plans. 

Several different proposals were made including an Amtrak ride, a ride on a historic trolley, a dinner on a river cruise boat, or using a museum venue. Over the 120 hours of the internship most of these were weeded out. Some of these, such as a train ride at the beach were too far away. Others such as the river cruise, or the Amtrak ride exceeded our budget. We finally decided on the trolley, and began to work on the details of this. In order to get my internship hours, a lot of this was done alone. When I expressed interest in the trolley. I was invited to the trolley motorman’s meeting, where I was told about a park rental that might help our project. I was then put in touch with Lake Oswego, and I arranged for the trolley rental, and the park rental. After this, I rode the trolley myself to see what ORHF volunteers would be getting from the experience. I was pleased by what I found. The trolley motormen were very kind, and it seemed perfect. The event is scheduled for September, but most of the details are lined up.

The internship has been fun and very informative. At times it was stressful. Communication within the organization was at times difficult, but it has been an informative experience. Much like writing the business plan, event planning is a skill a hospitality management major will find useful in the future. 

The fireplace at Millennium Plaza Park in Lake Oswego. This is part of the pergola, which has been rented for ORHF’s Volunteer Appreciation Event

The Interior of the Willamette Shore Trolley, a ride that will be featured as apart of ORHF's appreciation event in September.