TIZIANA ROCCA

Going to parties?

It’s all work and no play

Text by Francesca Lombardo

She can be seen in photos with VIPs and celebrities, attending the most glamorous parties in Italy, posing alongside George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Keira Knightley. This is Tiziana Rocca, the Italian queen of public relations, whose events draw the most famous names from the film and fashion industry, as well as popular culture and politics. She must live a life where all that glitters is gold – at least this is what a lot of people might think, especially those young people who think of a career in publicity as a doorway into this magical celebrity world.

Nothing could be further from the truth. More often than not Tiziana plays the role of “the PR and not the guest”. She emphasises: “We are here to do a job and to make people feel special.” For those wishing to follow in her footsteps and achieve results, Rocca provides some words of advice: “You should be very patient, be prepared to make sacrifices and above all take it upon yourself to rise through the ranks. It took me years to become Tiziana Rocca.”

How did you begin your career?
I was very young, only 22 years old. I started organising charity events and was involved in everything from sponsorship to invitations to the venues. By 24 I learnt that this could turn into a permanent job and I founded TRC [her PR agency].

You are primarily known for grand events with famous people. What else does your career involve?
I don’t like to be labelled. I work on marketing strategies for companies, and the events are an important activity for creating huge advertising results, especially if the companies in question give charity donations, which happens at all my events. This is something which I hold very dear. The event is an important time for expanding a company’s image, a meeting point where all encounters are always more complex and effective, and it’s a chance to talk about yourself. I was the first in Italy to introduce events as a marketing opportunity. The important thing is to create original situations which the media can talk about. I organise really large events such as the Venice Festival and Rome Festival, but I also work with smaller companies to launch a product, or to organise cultural events and social initiatives.

Do you only work in Italy?
I have some good contacts in the United States where I export the Made in Italy brand, which is appreciated by both parties. I organise everything from the smallest details to events for celebrities and very important people in the country.

What are the key tributes for someone in this field?
I teach a communications course at Cinecittà Campus, and I tell my students to give it 100%. This is a job which gives you huge satisfaction, but it also requires dedication, sacrifices and a lot of stress! Forget about going to the gym – sometimes we work 15 hours a day. And most importantly I tell them not to expect immediate results. Today it is hard for a young person starting out, but if you have started out with next to nothing and you develop a professionalism learnt on the job, the results will come. My advice is to not think about success for yourself but to take your job seriously.

And how do you keep yourself afloat?
Competition is very tough. In today’s world everything has speeded up, and stress rates are higher. There is a kind of natural selection where the most determined survive. Personally I don’t ever take any event for granted. I face it as if it were my first time, and take care of every little detail, although having a team I can trust is fundamental. I try to predict what could go wrong and to hold problems in check before they can happen.

Tiziana Rocca at
the 2007 Venice
Film Festival with
Keira Knightley Which is the event you are most proud of?
They are all my babies, but it is definitely an event which brought in a good 2 billion lira for creating a department in the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome. It’s something which will stay with me forever.

How do you fit in time for your family?
I have to juggle everything. I have three children, and I love to follow everything they do on a personal level, and to do this I must constantly manage my time. My organisational skills certainly help me!

It must be hard finding time for yourself…
I have to confess, I love going to the supermarket and going shopping. In that moment I completely detach myself, I stop thinking about work and I can truly relax. I go at least three times a week.

Communicating Success: Public Relations with an Italian Flair by Tiziana Rocca is published by Sperling & Kupfer, priced at €16
For further information regarding public relations, email Communicating Success: Public Relations with an Italian Flair by Tiziana Rocca is published by Sperling & Kupfer, priced at €16

For further information regarding public relations, email press@tizianarocca.it

TIZIANA ROCCA

Going to parties?

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