Students from the Murdoch University School of Arts will be helping to launch Perth Arena’s new Snapchat profile at the Harry Styles concert this weekend.

Nikki Hine and Laura McLean both completed internships with the Arena’s PR and Marketing department, as part of their Bachelor of Communication degree.

As part of their internship, the third-year students had the opportunity to put in to practice what they are learning through their studies.

“During my time at Perth Arena, I drafted a communications strategy, analysing the venue’s current digital media channels and then making recommendations on how to make them more effective and reach an even wider audience,” Ms Hine said.

“I suggested the venue start using Snapchat as a platform to engage with a younger demographic, allowing them to share their Perth Arena experience with their friends.”

Ms McLean then started her internship with the venue, with the responsibility to develop Perth Arena’s Snapchat profile in time to launch it at the sold-out Harry Styles show.

“It involved a lot of brainstorming and suggesting ideas as to the kind of content we could add to Snapchat – including exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, a preview of the merchandise and food options on the night, and promoting the privileges available to Murdoch students,” she said.

“It’s been great to use Snapchat to help build the hype around the Harry Styles concert and I think his Perth fans will be really excited about getting the information that will be posted on there.”

Murdoch University is a founding partner of the Perth Arena, and as part of this arrangement, students have access to priority queues, special offers and tickets, as well as work experience opportunities with the venue while they are studying.

Perth Arena Commercial Manager, David Humphreys said the partnership between the two organisations was mutually beneficial.

“Perth Arena’s partnership with Murdoch University has allowed us to engage with some very talented thinkers and creators,” he said.

“Working alongside our team they have been able to make some very real initiatives come to life. We have a diverse audience, so we really value their contributions and ideas and their high-quality work.”

Program Manager of Work Integrated Learning at Murdoch University, David Rowbottom said the University aimed to build collaborative partnerships that are of benefit to both the organisations and the students.

“Our aspiration is that our interns make a valuable contribution to the organisations that host them,” he said.

“We are delighted to see our students leaving a lasting legacy of their time spent at the Perth Arena.”