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Details

What is the Organization's purpose/product/service?

The Conference and Tourism unit in Baltimore County’s Department of Economic Development is a newly created team working to create a product and marketing strategy to increase business and leisure travel and tourism in Baltimore County.

Describe the intern's responsibilities.

My responsibilities varied, but included staffing the front desk of the Visitor Center, researching and creating a database of the tourism products in Baltimore County, inputting and analyzing primary and secondary data, writing original content for promotional pieces (e-newsletters, the web, and memos) attending county meetings, and assisting on special projects. One specific project was organizing the Crab Soup Cook Off, an event to highlight the restaurants and the waterfront on the East Side of Baltimore County. This included writing a marketing plan, which consisted of target audiences, promotions, collateral, and a press plan.


Why the internship was successful.

I was most apprehensive about fulfilling my requirements for the internship. When starting my internship, I was worried my supervisor would not be happy with the quality of my work. It’s intimidating to enter an environment where you are unaware of the expectations and standards.

I hoped to gain experience, knowledge, and connections in the tourism world. I also hoped to gain a feeling for what an office setting would be like after college. Baltimore County Conference and Tourism has given me everything I’d hoped for and more.

The challenging aspects of my internship were remembering important people and staying proactive at work. I attended many meetings with my supervisor and it was critical to remember each person’s face, position, and the company he or she represented. This was challenging because I was constantly meeting new people from different organizations. It was important for me to motivate myself everyday to do the best work and always offer to get involved in projects, meetings, and training.

The best advice is to be proactive. If you aren’t offered the opportunity to attend a meeting or training, ask to go. Also remember people you meet. Remembering a name or company the next time you run into someone will pay off in the future. Try and make the most out of your internship. You internship is only for a short time but can and will open many doors for your career after college.