At Auburn-Opelika Tourism, internships are not observational roles. Instead, they are working positions embedded in the destination marketing organization serving one of the Southeast’s most active sports markets.
Establishing the Criteria
Each semester, the Communications and Marketing team selects three to four interns from Auburn University. The application process is competitive, and students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA while demonstrating strong writing ability, social media fluency, on-campus involvement, strong references and professionalism. In return, they get direct involvement in promoting a destination that regularly hosts regional, state and national sporting events.
The Job Description
Interns are not assigned theoretical projects. They are integrated into staff meetings, planning sessions and event preparation, where they assist with content strategy, website updates, research, business development and on-site event support.
Along the way, participants in the internship program will create and publish short-form video, draft blogs and promotional text, maintain digital asset libraries that support ongoing campaigns and perform other tasks.
“We want our interns to leave here with confidence,” said Cat Bobo, director of communications and marketing for Auburn-Opelika Tourism. “That only happens when you trust them with meaningful work. From day one, they are part of our team.”
That philosophy shapes the structure of the internship, as students brainstorm, film and edit short form video content for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Playeasy and TikTok.
Interns are responsible for updating the website’s event calendar and partner listings to ensure accuracy for visitors and rights holders. They also assist with scheduling social media content, engaging with followers and tracking performance metrics.
Additionally, interns play a key role in helping to distribute printed materials and guest amenities during major events while conducting research that supports marketing and business development initiatives.
Working with Events
For travel sports, this work matters because it meets event needs in real time. When a youth baseball championship, swim meet or cycling event arrives in Auburn-Opelika, the internship team often supports content creation and digital promotion by documenting competition highlights, athlete experiences and family-friendly attractions around the community.
In other words, the work of the intern plays a key role in extending the reach of events beyond the venue and into the broader story of the destination.
Because interns may work 15 to 40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends, they gain firsthand experience in the pace and pressure of live sporting events. They interact with coaches, athletes, parents and facility managers, learning how to meet deadlines in real time and how to represent a destination professionally.
This hands-on model has earned the program a strong reputation on campus.
“Our students actively seek out the Auburn-Opelika Tourism internship because they know they will be challenged,” said Ric Smith, internship director for Auburn University’s School of Communication and Journalism. “It is not a resume-builder or a program where they participate in name only. It is real experience that prepares them for careers in communications, marketing and sports.”
Post-Internship Careers
The list of former interns, as well as the positions they now hold, can be seen as a direct reflection of the preparation they received while on staff at Auburn-Opelika.
Alumni have gone on to work at public relations agencies in Atlanta and Nashville, hospitality properties in Charleston, chambers of commerce across Alabama and corporate marketing departments throughout the Southeast.
Others have pursued graduate or law degrees, and many credit the internship with giving them portfolio-level work before graduation.
A Win/Win for Auburn-Opelika As Well
For Auburn-Opelika Tourism, the value runs both ways. Interns expand the organization’s ability to serve visiting rights holders, and with additional communications support on the ground, events benefit from consistent storytelling and amplification.
Social posts highlight not only the competition but also local restaurants, attractions and lodging options, which helps families attending tournaments gain a deeper understanding of the community.
An Organizational Culture of Collaboration
The internship program also reinforces a culture of collaboration. While it is housed within communications and marketing, interns work closely with the sales team and community partners as they assist with outreach, research and preparation tied to upcoming sporting events.
Additionally, interns are able to see firsthand the way facility managers, city officials and tourism staff coordinate to welcome visitors, and that exposure mirrors the way Auburn-Opelika Tourism approaches event hosting.
The organization positions itself as an extension of the rights holder’s staff, and that same mindset applies internally.
Interns are mentored by the entire team, rather than isolated within one department. They receive feedback on writing, guidance on content strategy and coaching on professional communication.
They are expected to contribute ideas and take initiative, which helps create a workforce pipeline grounded in practical experience and accountability.
Using the Internship as a Key Part of Quality Delivery
As sports travel continues to grow, destinations must provide more than facilities. They must deliver organization, responsiveness and authentic experiences for visiting teams, and the Auburn-Opelika Tourism internship program supports that effort by strengthening the communications work behind each event.
Interns help ensure that information is accurate online, that social media content reflects the energy of competition and that visiting families understand what the destination offers beyond the game.
For Auburn-Opelika Tourism, investing in students is not separate from investing in events. It is part of the same strategy. When rights holders bring tournaments, championships or meets to Auburn-Opelika, they encounter a team prepared to support them.
Behind that team stands a structured internship program that develops the next generation of communications professionals while enhancing current event delivery. Internships with value create destinations with value, and in Auburn-Opelika, that commitment extends from the classroom to the competition floor. SDM
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