I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous starting my internship at Grifco. With its esteemed reputation as a boutique luxury travel PR agency, working with high-end clients and respected travel journalists, it was a little intimidating at first. But those nerves quickly faded the moment I met everyone, as they have been incredibly warm and welcoming from day one.
Being one of the eight summer interns at MMGY Global has been wonderful. It’s great to share the journey with others in similar positions across different parts of the company, which has helped me feel better connected to the wider organisation. Supreet, from HR, has made this transition even easier, organising new starter coffee mornings and monthly drinks trolleys, even though us interns came last in the quiz… Well, I suppose we still have a lot to learn.
As my first professional role in PR, joining Grifco has truly been a joy. From the start, I’ve felt supported by Kate, Natalie, Miranda, and Lois, and I quickly knew I was in good hands. My training has been professional yet personal; from step by step guides on how to find PR value to in-depth meetings on each of our clients, my progression is tracked and openly discussed, with feedback and my learning at the heart of the process. This commitment to training has meant that my introduction to PR has been exceptionally smooth, as before I knew it, I was writing media blasts, drafting pitches, and joining client calls, with the knowledge that my managers trust me to be there.
I love that Kate’s team manages such a diverse range of clients, from renowned architect Jean-Michel Gathy, to one of Europe’s leading spa hotels, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, and the major online travel agent Opodo, this variety makes every day (and sometimes every hour) feel refreshingly different. Even the wider team has been incredibly helpful. Scarlet patiently taught myself and Lucy how to create a mail merge, (which is super useful in PR as it saves a lot of time!). I know that having an intern can sometimes slow things down, which makes me even more appreciative of everybody’s patience. In particular, Lois, our Junior Account Executive, who is not only approachable and encouraging, but also gives me a clear example of where I could be in just a few months.
My favorite task so far has definitely been the magazine and newspaper meetings. Maybe it’s because it’s all so new to me, but seeing the stacks of papers laid out made me feel like I was in The Devil Wears Prada. The company meetings where we discuss how PR is evolving, explore client needs, and look for ways to support each other – albeit, I’m just soaking it in – really makes Grifco feel like one big family.
It’s still early days, but I’m genuinely excited for what the next two months will bring. I’m looking forward to pitching to journalists myself, attending an in-person client meeting at Town Hall Hotel, meeting journalists at Grifco’s annual press day and even going on lunchtime runs with Lilla. I can’t imagine how satisfying it would be to see one of my pitches featured in a roundup or article. To top it off, the team surprised me with a bottle of prosecco to celebrate my dissertation results. Thank you all!
