Katy Begemann Email & Phone Number

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

GMR is an experience agency, built to make stories that become lasting memories. GMR pioneered experience marketing back in 1979, and we’re still leading the way. We embed brands into experiences leveraging shared passions. We create experiences that are founded on data, rooted in science, grounded in strategy, designed meticulously and executed flawlessly. Our passionate global team creates, consults and activates in more than 70 countries. We’re headquartered in the United States and are part of Omnicom Group Inc. Learn more at GMRMarketing.com.

Greater Milwaukee Area

Greater Milwaukee Area

VISIT Milwaukee is an award-winning Convention and Visitors Bureau, which helps to market the Greater Milwaukee area as a destination of choice for conventions, events and leisure travel, thereby increasing the economic impact of tourism. While at VISIT Milwaukee, I managed leisure media relations, internal communications, social media strategy and alternative marketing programs to elevate Milwaukee’s image as a leisure destination. • Cultivated relationships with national and international travel writers to secure placements in high-profile media outlets including USA Today, The Washington Post, Midwest Living, Travel & Leisure, CBS National News, The Boston Globe and the Lonely Planet. • Coordinated and executed both individual and large-scale press trips to showcase the city of Milwaukee. Worked with VISIT Milwaukee partners to develop new story pitches, plan trips and maximize budgets. • Worked within the convention sales space to pitch, budget and plan for media conferences and tradeshows considering Milwaukee as a destination. These efforts resulted in a group of 500 female bloggers choosing Milwaukee as the site for their 2017 conference. • Attended national and international tradeshows to increase brand awareness, vet new writers and meet and collaborate with other destination marketing organizations. • Crafted the strategy and content calendars for nine social media platforms and implemented branded promotions surrounding key marketing initiatives to increase followings. • Organized alternative marketing programs to align and integrate paid, earned and owned media. These programs include media stunts, public art installations and guerrilla marketing initiatives. • Acted as a media spokesperson for on-air appearances.

Greater Milwaukee Area

I previously worked with the world's largest manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment, to implement media relations, outreach and public relations activities. My main objective was to secure national and international public relations coverage, spotlighting the company's employees as industry experts. In an attempt to do so, I penned monthly byline articles on behalf of company experts for major laundry trade publications.In addition to organizing day-to-day media outreach, I created press kits for multiple international trade shows throughout the year, including the Clean Show and the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show. While in attendance, I worked with editors and booth staff to conduct interviews and manage media within the booth. Aside from my work on B2B brands, I helped one brand to organize and implement the launch of its first philanthropic initiative, including social media, point-of-purchase materials and digital branding. The initiative helped to dramatically increase the brand's Facebook presence and overall brand awareness. I worked with the brand to monitor Facebook and Twitter pages and provide recommendations for the use of lead generation on LinkedIn.

Greater Milwaukee Area

While at BVK, one the 25 largest independent agencies in the United States, I had the privilege of managing media relations and other integrated communications efforts for over six different clients simultaneously. I worked within budgets to achieve media coverage and helped to plan events for 20 college campuses, each located in different U.S. markets. Aside from media relations, I had the opportunity to create and implement strategic plans that integrated all aspects of marketing, including social media, traditional public relations, blogger outreach, event and athlete sponsorships and advertising. My clients, which ranged from an international petroleum corporation to a major for-profit education company, each presented new and challenging marketing goals that demanded out-of-the-box thinking. I was part of a team who helped to organize large-scale events and sponsorships to bring national attention to a client who choose not to support a national media buy. My media outreach surrounding these sponsorships helped to increase the brand's editorial placements by over 300 percent in one year. Luckily, I was not alone in these endeavors. I trained and worked with several interns who helped me with day-to-day activities. We worked to perfect their traditional writing skills and media relationship building.

Greater Milwaukee Area

I graduated a semester early from Indiana University in an attempt to beat the large number of recent grads who would flood the job market in May. My strategy worked and I started my career at BVK, where I produced and distributed press releases, coordinated press events for large product launches and generated media lists, clip reports and editorial calendars.

As one of my first internships, my position at the American Red Cross taught me a number of lessons and provided me with unparalleled experience. Due to staff changes at the time, I was given additional responsibility; I organized the marketing, public relations and media efforts surrounding the organization's main fundraising event, the Rubber Duck Regatta. While coordinating the event, I worked with multiple local media outlets and composed a media kit and timeline for all involved. In addition to my role in the Rubber Duck Regatta, I worked with the crisis communications team to composed press releases, crisis success stories, and created a media call-down list for crisis situations. I also edited and designed the chapter's bi-annual newsletter distributed to volunteers from around the state.

Greater Milwaukee Area

While spending my summers back in Milwaukee, I interned at the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation, a non-profit organization that continues to dedicate itself to advancing the quality of life of individuals and families affected by hemophilia and other blood disorders. While there, I served as both the graphic design and public relations intern. Due to the nature of most non-profits, I performed a wide variety of tasks, including creating promotional flyers and brochures, writing and distributing press materials and organizing donor events and the Foundation's Annual Bleeding Disorders Conference.

Many public relations professionals start in the journalism industry. As a freshmen, I first thought that my home was writing news and feature stories for newspapers, which led to my internship at the Peninsula Pulse. While an intern, I researched and authored news, profile, and lifestyle stories in addition to producing a weekly column for the "Green" section of the newspaper about being environmentally friendly. However, I found my true calling for public relations when I was assigned to edit and cut-down all of the press releases for Business and Community sections of the Newspaper. This job taught me the value of concise writing and an interesting lede.

Journalism, History, Public Relations, And Advertising

While a student at Indiana University, I was able to participate in a series of classes that helped to expand my experience outside.

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: "The Word" Student Newspaper, Swim TeamWhile in high school I worked on the student newspaper, eventually.