My First Year at Wonacott: A Trip Down Memory Lane…

by Nathalie Nourian

If you ask me, there’s no better time to start a new job at a company than right as they’re about to take a week-long paid break. So, when I was hired at Wonacott Communications as an Account Executive on the interactive entertainment team a mere two and a half weeks before the holidays, I had definitely hit the jackpot. Just a quick, but intense, couple of weeks and I was home-free until the New Year. So what happened next? Well, a lot. Following the wise advice of El Jefe Jason Wonacott and for ease of reading, I present the highlights of my year at Wonacott, in bullet form:

- Our company Holiday party took place at the Gas Lite, a bar and restaurant which boasts a terrific atmosphere, as well as “world-famous” karaoke. Let’s just say, I was two weeks into the job and was singing this Evanescence song with the CEO. ‘Nuff said.

- Jason threatened to employ Anybots technology to be in both suites 435 and 465 simultaneously. We were not amused.

- Game Developers Conference, or as we gaming folk refer to it, GDC! GDC marked the first out-of-town tradeshow that I staffed, and it was great. While the client, Kill3rCombo, did not have a booth on the show floor, we recommended they have a nearby hotel suite in which we could show their first game, Elsword, to press. From booking the hotel, to booking media briefings, to staffing the appointments, GDC afforded me to opportunity to be super hands-on during the entire process, which was an invaluable learning experience (and we got some great press coverage out of it, too!).

- Wonacott coordinated a toga party / game launch for Gods and Heroes, a Roman mythology inspired online game. Please imagine full-grown adults coming to a venue, disrobing, donning white sheets and golden leaf halos and playing computer games. It was awesome and you’re welcome.

- I worked on a Dirty Dancing Facebook game! (In Chandler voice) Could there be a more perfect campaign for me? I think not. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!”

- Anime Expo: Where do I begin? Cosplay everywhere, people masquerading as cartoons, men in drag, women in drag, men and women dressed as robots, cats, inanimate objects, a myriad or Pokeman characters, anything imaginable. At Anime Expo anything goes, and no one will judge you if you decide to show up looking like an obscure Japanese manga character. You will, however, get some sideways glances if you turn up to staff the event in a regular old dress, cardigan and cute, but comfy flats. Trust me on this one.

- Every year, just like an old friend, E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, rolls around. And every year, I get all kinds of giddy and excited to be in the massive Los Angeles Convention Center working, and taking in the sights and sounds. There are very few feelings that are cooler than putting on that fresh “exhibitor” badge and walking into the South Hall before anyone else, and this year was no exception. Of course, along with all the awesomeness, there are huge amounts of work, and late nights and crises averted. But at the end, everything is worth it because it’s the one time of year that we, as PR professionals, not only get to work and bond with the client on a personal level, but also get to meet all the press we’ve been emailing and speaking to for years. Putting faces to email addresses and making a connection is the most priceless part of E3.

Thanks Wonacott for providing a year of valuable work experience, and life experiences, and some pretty amazing stories. Here’s to another year!

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