Dare County, NC – College of The Albemarle (COA) – Dare proudly hosted the 2024 Public Relations, Information, and Marketing Association of North Carolina (PRIMA NC) Conference from October 2-4, 2024. The conference brought together communications and marketing professionals from North Carolina’s 58 community colleges, providing a platform for networking, sharing best practices, and celebrating achievements in higher education communications.
Mike Gavin, 2023-2024 Chair of PRIMA NC, stated, “The 2024 PRIMA NC Conference was an exceptional event, offering our members valuable learning opportunities and fostering collaboration across our state. This gathering reflects the innovation and dedication of marketing professionals who are committed to enhancing the visibility of North Carolina’s community colleges.”
Conference Sessions and Speakers:
- AI in Higher Education – Ardis Kaidu, Element451 CEO
- Inclusion in Marketing – Tiffany Skouby, NCCCS Student Life Director
- Connected TV in Outreach – Dan Verillo, Media Placement Services
- Equity in Design – Lauren Werner and Devin Purgason, Forsyth Tech
- Breaking Silos in Communication – Jaime Hunt, Solve Higher Ed Marketing
- CRM Best Practices – Jaime Moquin (Element451) with Kris Burris (COA), Carrie Pitts-Densmore (Johnston Community College), and Devin Purgason
- Presidential Panel – Dr. Jack Bagwell (COA), Dr. Tracy Mancini (Carteret CC), Dr. Pamela Senegal (Piedmont CC), Dr. Janet Spriggs (Forsyth Tech)
- NCCCS Update – Nathan Hardin, NCCCS Executive Director of Communications
- Student Panel – COA students Lauren Dashiell, Tevin Ford, Da`shanalyn Miller, Claire Montero, and Brandon Moore
Awards Ceremony: The PRIMA NC Awards, held during the closing session, recognized excellence in higher education marketing. Award recipients included:
- Institutional Website: Davidson-Davie Community College
- Videography: Cleveland Community College
- Best in Print: Piedmont Community College
- Best Digital Campaign: Brunswick Community College
- Best in Photography: Davidson-Davie Community College
- Excellence in Innovation: Davidson-Davie Community College
Tammy W. Sawyer, Eastern Director of PRIMA NC and Director of Communications & Marketing at COA, remarked, “College of The Albemarle was honored to host the 2024 PRIMA NC Conference. The event is an example of the commitment of our communications professionals, and we are excited to continue fostering this spirit of collaboration and innovation.”
The conference fell just after Hurricane Helene’s devastation, significantly impacting several of our community colleges in Western North Carolina. The NC Community College System implemented the Hurricane Helene Community College Response and Recovery Fund as a collective way to assist our fellow colleges. During the business meeting at the close of the conference, PRIMA NC approved the donation of $1,000 to the established fund to help where needed. To donate or for additional information on this fund, visit https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ncccf.
This year’s key conference sponsors included Element451, Media Placement Services (MPS), and Clarus/Carnegie.
For more information on PRIMA NC or the 2024 conference, visit PRIMA NC’s website.