Chattanooga State Community College hosted the spring conference of the Tennessee College Public Relations Association, May 18 – 20, 2011. Public relations professionals from across the state converged on the scenic city to share and compare the latest trends in writing press releases, media relations, social media and graphic design.

Highlights of the conference included sessions on Crisis Communications: When You Are the Headline! presented by Larry Smith, president, Institute for Crisis Management, Louisville, KY; Co-Marketing with Large Corporations presented by Tim McGhee, dean, Engineering Technology Division, Chattanooga State Community College, Liana Wallace, community relations representative, Hemlock Semiconductor, L.L.C., and Bill Persinger, executive director, Public Relations and Marketing, Austin Peay State University; What You Can Say, What You Can’t Say, presented by Kae Carpenter, associate general counsel, Tennessee Board of Regents, Nashville, TN, and We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Press Release! presented by Kivi Leroux Miller, author of “The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause.”

Conference attendees also enjoyed a sunset dinner cruise on the Tennessee River aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat. The evening featured live entertainment and old-time steam pipe music. The conference concluded with the election of new officers and the awards luncheon. The majority of conference activities were held in Chattanooga State’s high-tech Health Science Center that opened in fall 2009.