“Loving a Life in PR: 30 Years of Making Your Own Luck” was the keynote presentation by Paul Hicks, vice president of corporate communications for the NFL, at PR Day in Knoxville on Oct. 19. The biannual event was held at the University of Tennessee Conference Center and also included breakout panels on corporate and entertainment public relations.

Some 180 professionals, students and educators from throughout the region attended, including students and faculty from Lee University, Lipscomb University, Belmont University and Kennesaw State University.

Hicks discussed 10 ways you can improve your luck:

1. There’s no substitute for hard work.
2. Read. Read broadly.
3. Follow the money. Understand the business model.
4. Embrace adversity. He quoted Churchill: “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”
5. Be smart enough to know how to win and dumb enough to think that it’s important.
6. Find a mentor or mentors.
7. Attain broad knowledge with deep specialty expertise.
8. Telling the truth is a winning strategy.
9. Think like an owner (or how can you expect to be paid like an owner?).
10. Read Rule 1 again.

Corporate panel members included Cindy Dupree, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; Christopher Harvin, Sanitas International; Mark McNeely, MP&F Public Relations; and Gary Stroud, HGTV.

Entertainment panel members included Hunter Baddour, Allegiant Athletic Agency; Jimmy Buckner, Scarecrow Foundation; Matt Hendrickson, AC Entertainment; Jared Karnes, Allegiant Athletic Agency; and Hubert Smith, WUTK.

The theme of this year’s PR Day was “21st Century Public Relations: PRogression Among Our Profession.” The event was hosted by the University of Tennessee School of Advertising and Public Relations, the UT College of Communication and Information, the Public Relations Society of America Volunteer Chapter and the UT Sammie Lynn Puett Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Planning committee members were Dr. Lisa Fall, APR, Dr. Roxane Hovland, Jennifer Faddis, Becky Huckaby, APR, Ellen Liston, APR, Dr. Fritz Polite and Rachael Daughtrey.

Cathy Ackermann, president of Ackermann PR, introduced the keynote speaker. Mary Beth West, APR, made a presentation on behalf of Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, of a gift of $10,000 to the UT College of Communication and Information to support student and faculty professional development in public relations.