As summer 2025 comes to a close, so does our internship with GoRockford. Over the past three months, we-Kyra, Hailey, and Katie-have had the amazing opportunity to work alongside the incredible team at GoRockford.
Throughout our time here, we’ve not only gained valuable skills to carry into our future careers, but also witnessed firsthand what a positive, collaborative, and supportive work culture looks like. The team here has truly made an impact on us.
What We Worked On
Over the course of the internship, each of us took on individual research projects where we analyzed how other visitor bureaus across the country promote their cities. We then presented ideas on what we could bring to Rockford to help the city continue to grow and shine.
We also each wrote three blog posts highlighting unique and exciting aspects of Rockford that we felt deserved more attention. From hidden gems to local favorites, it was a great way to dive deeper into our community.
Another key part of our internship was creating content for GoRockford’s social media, including Reels and other promotional materials. We loved being part of the creative process and helping to tell Rockford’s story in fun, engaging ways.
Special Projects & Events
In addition to our ongoing summer projects, we were lucky to be involved in a variety of exciting community events and initiatives:
- IRONMAN Illinois: As part of the marketing team, we worked on promotional materials, community outreach, sat in on press conferences, and helped staff the GoRockford booth on race weekend.
- Beats & Bites: Every Thursday, we helped organize this free community event with the River District team. The days were filled with food trucks, music, games, and fun prizes!
- Sales & Servicing Team: We sat in on meetings and client calls, created marketing materials, and helped prepare welcome gift bags for visiting groups and events.
- Destination Development Team: We learned all about the planning and effort behind Stroll on State, Rockford’s largest community event that draws over 80,000 attendees each year. We assisted with Forest City Beautiful, contributing to efforts that enhance the visual appeal of our city. We also got to observe how public art-like sculptures-get installed, from permits to artist communication.
- Made for Rockford: We participated in tours for potential new residents, helped at the New Resident Mixer, and shared what makes Rockford a great place to live.
- Community Involvement: We assisted with golf outings, providing complimentary snacks and drinks to participants as a thank-you from GoRockford. We also attended Fiesta Hispana, where we handed out prizes, ran activities for kids, and gave out information about things to do in Rockford.
Lasting Thoughts
These three months flew by, and we are so thankful for everything we’ve learned and experienced. Even though we’ve lived in Rockford our whole lives, this internship showed us just how much more there is to discover and appreciate about our hometown.
A big thank you to the GoRockford staff for being such a welcoming, supportive team and for giving us the chance to be part of something meaningful this summer. We’re excited to take everything we’ve learned here into the next chapter of our careers-and we'll always carry a little bit of Rockford pride with us wherever we go.
- Kyra, Hailey, & Katie
