I had a similar experience with the baseball team also with a cause related to hospitals. Every holiday season we would visit kids in the hospital and gave out toys with the players – many of these families had come to games as well. Seeing the end result of what the campaign was for really hits home.

From the PR side, there were some days where the media would not want to come, however after one experienced it, it tugged at the heartsrtings of the other journos. This made it a grassroots turned good if you would.

You do make a good point though on how we lose focus at times. Seeing people in action can be humbling but good for us.

I recently went on my first business trip as well and was refreshed to see and hear first-hand the reaction of those who are affected by the media placements that drive so much of our work.

I agree that sometimes direct interaction is exactly what's needed, especially with the growing use of and interest in social media from both our clients and the public.

Glad you had such a great first business trip!

I find that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that it's not the media, but who “consumes” the media that we're ultimately trying to reach–be it print, radio, tv, online, etc.

Even better, I think it's great to get the chance to step out and by-pass the media and connect directly with consumers.

Great to hear about how positive an experience it was for you, because there's actually a possibility that I'll have a similar opportunity this summer with a new client.