Did you miss the Public Relations European School (PRES) event which took place last year between 23rd and 30th November in Poznań? Read this article and find out more insights about the project from the training manager, Zsófia Komáromi. We also talked to her about her overall impression of PRES, how it was like to be in the position of training manager as well as her future plans, personal hobbies and life outside AEGEE.
The AEGEEan: As the training manager, what was your overall impression of PRES? 
Zsófia: I am very happy about the outcomes of PRES. We had 25 great participants whose contribution made the event a success. I am also incredibly thankful to the trainers’ team (Inez, Ksenia, Mayri, Bálint and Gerar) and the organisers from Poznań. We worked well together as a team, and were able to develop a program for PRES that was challenging, but at the same time leaving room for creativity. We were focusing on topics where the knowledge gained by participants would be beneficial for their locals, as well as later on in their professional life. Just to highlight a few areas we covered: we dealt with social media, online marketing, presentation skills, media relations and video editing.
The event was also a good example of cooperation between NGOs, as we had several participants from other non-profit youth organisations. I have been part of two more PRES events (PRES2 Novi Sad in 2011 as a participant and PRES Nova Gorica in 2012 as a trainer), and can say that this one was the best so far – though I am probably very much biased. [she laughes]
Did you encounter any problems during the event? Which one did you consider to be the biggest challenge?
We had the usual challenges that many events face: last minute cancellations, difficulties in finding good training rooms etc. The biggest challenge for us trainers was to decide on which topics and sessions to include and which ones to leave out. One week might seem like a long time but once you start planning, you soon see that it is not nearly enough to accommodate all the topics you want to cover. We actually felt that the field of communications and PR would merit several individual events, and even had the idea of creating an Online Marketing European School – let’s see what the future holds for this.
How was the position of training manager? Do you intend to apply again for this position in the upcoming events?
It was a great experience! With our trainers’ team we have become good friends and we keep in touch even now, several months after PRES. I think that managing a European School is a very important step in the development of every trainer. It’s the next step after planning individual training sessions, and you can learn and experience how to design an impact-full one-week training course where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. It has been also extremely rewarding, as I received a lot of positive feedback from participants. Several of them have even become the PR responsible of locals and projects – it’s great to see that all the work we did has had an impact. So the answer is a yes, I would consider applying again for the position of training manager.
What piece of advice would you give to a training manager? 
Dream big! We had high hopes for PRES, and if during the process we realised that not everything can be implemented as we initially imagined, our goals still motivated and inspired us through the whole preparation phase and the event as well.
On a more practical level, I think it’s important to find out what each of your team members do best, and support them in pursuing those fields, because that’s how you will end up with great quality training sessions.
What other things did you do in AEGEE that are worth mentioning?
I have been active in AEGEE since 2009, I was a board member in my local, AEGEE-Budapest, Speaker of the Public Relations Committee (did you know I was one of the founders of The AEGEEan?), communications responsible of the first edition of Europe on Track, and CD assistant in 2012. These days I deliver training session as a member of the Academy, in the fields of PR, project management and teamwork.
What are your future plans in/out of AEGEE?
I am now working in the field of marketing for an airline, and communications is a field I am very passionate about, so I would like to keep pursuing that in the future. I am very happy to continue delivering training sessions to AEGEE members through the Academy and in Budapest, as I have learned and developed so much in this organisation, and it’s a great feeling to give back.
How is your life outside AEGEE? What are your hobbies? 
Coming from an AEGEE member it will sound like a cliché, but I do love traveling! When I’m not traveling, working, reading a book, or spending time with my friends, I like to think about starting my own company. One important thing that I have gained through the years is entrepreneurial spirit, and I can’t wait to put it to use!
Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București