Except for frequent readers of this blog, not many people know that the School of Mass Communication has a new course in event planning. CMMN A335, Strategic Event Planning & Promotions, looks at the reasons for and steps in creating effective events, usually as a means to raising awareness – and possibly funds – for organizations.

Nonprofits live and die by their events, most of which are fundraisers. For-profit companies use events as well to congratulate hard-working employees, introduce new products, celebrate milestones or just have a good time.

As any member of the A335 class can tell you, movies like “The Wedding Planner” don’t do justice to the huge amount of work that goes into putting on a successful event. And they can also tell you that they’ll do more than walk around with walkie-talkies and clipboards (or iPhones) as they host Tuesday’s Networking Night at Loyola, an opportunity for students and professionals to meet, greet, eat and talk about internship opportunities.

Using the 10 Ps of event planning, an outline of necessary decisions required for executing strategic events, the class members have generated publicity, solicited donations, diagrammed set-ups and arranged decorations for this year’s social/business occasion, the theme of which is “SCORE the perfect internship.”

For those who want to meet and mingle, you’ll get the chance to talk with representatives of these local organizations seeking interns in mass media and communication:

• Bond PR & Brand Strategy
• Brain Injury Association of La.
• Career Development Center
• City Business
• Davillier Photography and Graphic
• Deveney Communication
• Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles
• Ehrhardt Group
• Hyatt Regency New Orleans
• Jambalaya News
• JeffCAPP
• Louisiana Justice Institute
• Mudbug Media
• New Orleans Outreach
• neworleans.com
• New Orleans VooDoo Arena Football
• Nola Vie
• Offbeat magazine
• St. Charles Ave Magazine/New Orleans Bride Magazine
• St. Tammany Outreach for the Prevention of Suicide
• Tales of the Cocktail
• United Way
• WWL-TV

And you’ll get to enjoy delicious goodies from these restaurants, who have so generously donated to this event:

• 5 Happiness
• McAllister’s Deli
• Mona’s
• LA Fresh
• Louisiana Pizza Kitchen
• Loyola Sunday Cook Day
• Starbucks

If you’re looking for a spring or summer internship in advertising, journalism, media studies, photography or public relations, drop by Studio A (4th floor, Communications/Music complex) on Tuesday, Nov. 9 between 6 and 8 p.m. You’ll pass a good time, and you might find that internship of your dreams. Look for details on Facebook.