Unedited Interview

Lee Ann Antuna unedited transcript

BJ [INTERVIEWER Bob Joe]

Now, I know you worked directly under the Dade City Center for the Arts Event Director? What does his title entail and how did you assist him?

LA [Lee Ann Antuna]

Dade City Center for the Arts controls all of the art related functions within the Dade City area, mostly downtown. The Event Director oversees all of it. He does it all honestly. He writes press releases, create events, networks with up and coming artists, hosts events, etc. I would say I helped him by being a mini Event Director. I did everything he did but on a smaller scale.

BJ:

Aren’t internships only supposed to consist of getting coffee and running errands? [LAUGHS]

LA [Lee Ann Antuna]:

I thought the same thing![LAUGHS] But, I was in for an awakening. I was literally put into an event managing position. I created two of my own events, I wrote for local newspapers and I even worked with graphic design in creating my own flyers.

BJ:

Created your own events? Can you tell me about that?

LA [Lee Ann Antuna]:

I created an event that allowed Saint Leo University students to showcase their talents. Whether it be their own band, art work or spoken word. The event took place within the Downtown art gallery in Dade City. It was called “SLU: Showcase your Art. My second event was a Christmas Edition of the event, it was cute.

BJ:

You started from scratch? Where did you begin?

LA [Lee Ann Antuna]:

I began with an idea. I wanted to create an event that brought students together in a different way. Students usually get together for sports events or partying. This is different. Then I made social networks so I could get the event’s name out there. I wrote press releases that were featured in local newspapers. And, I made flyers to find talent at SLU. The hard part was finding talent. Luckily, many students wanted to showcase their hidden gifts. We had one band, four spoken word artists; we had painters and one photographer.

BJ:

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into event planning?

LA [Lee Ann Antuna]:

It’s hard work. I would say really educate yourself on the position before that becomes your number one career choice. It is also very stressful. It was rewarding but I am not sure if it’s the number one career choice for me. So, I would say get an internship in event planning and take classes! Make sure it’s what you want. If it is what you want, remember to always be creative and make a lot of friends. Creativity is what draws people into events. But, without networking you won’t get too far.