Day in the Life of #ChamberInterns: NATO Industry Defense Forum in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Chamber Communications Interns are halfway through their summer internship! As part of our larger #ChamberInterns feature, we asked them to detail what it was like to work during our first-ever NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum.

More than a dozen interns participated in the July 9 event, which featured high-ranking NATO officials, U.S. government leaders, and defense executives signing ambitious production deals and discussing security issues concerning land warfare, AI, and more. The Forum occurred alongside the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., marking 75 years of the alliance.

We began the day with breakfast with our colleagues and grabbing our special nametags for the day. Here’s brief breakdown about how we helped the NATO Forum come together.

Danielle Wheeler: Before the event, we photographed and filmed the empty venue gearing up to host hundreds of high-level officials and their delegations. From the moment the Chamber opened the doors, bustling activity filled every corner. The catering team worked hard to ensure everyone had coffee, tea, and food throughout the day—both for staff working behind-the-scenes and for our attendees. Once the Forum began, we documented key moments from the speeches and discussions including a Transatlantic CEO Perspective Discussion panel that was particularly insightful. I was able to listen in on the collaboration of our world’s most intelligent leaders and CEOs and capture moments throughout the day that could represent the significance of the Forum.

Lilly Chase: As communications interns, we helped greet, check in, and manage all the press coming to the event. Due to the large scale of the Forum, it was all-hands-on-deck ensuring that all press were accounted for and found their correct locations. I got to meet so many reporters from various outlets like POLITICO and The Wall Street Journal. I also had the privilege of listening to Jake Sullivan, Jens Stoltenberg, and the Honorable Kathleen Hicks give their remarks on the significance of NATO and the importance of united defense.

The Forum perfectly exemplifies how the Chamber executes these large-scale events, thanks to the collaboration and professionalism of all staff. There were interviews, signing ceremonies, and breakout rooms going on all over multiple floors of the Chamber; from an external point of view, you would have never known all the microscopic details required to make the day flow seamlessly. This was one of my favorite experiences I’ve had at the Chamber, and I look forward to what else is in store during our last month here.

Martha Lewand: As an International Studies major with a focus in security, I enthusiastically volunteered to help with all-things-NATO when I learned that the Chamber would be hosting such an esteemed event. In the weeks leading up to the NATO Forum, I assisted my manager with the press relations, social media and editorial content, and event planning required for the unprecedented day.

The morning of the Forum, I communicated with the press about the in-person and virtual details of the event. Right before the Forum started, I assisted with greeting and ushering members of the press, NATO, U.S. government and defense industry alongside Lilly and Danielle.

Once the event began, I attended all the panels and speeches from various European Defense Ministers, industry executives, NATO officials like Jens Stoltenberg and more – recording, taking notes and prepping editorial content for the Chamber’s blog. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to mingle with my colleagues and high-ranking officials from all over the world.

I never thought that a summer internship would grant me such an unparalleled opportunity to immerse myself with some of the most influential people in the defense sector and to learn more about defense, diplomacy and global security. This once-in-a-lifetime experience demonstrated the significance of the Chamber’s immense convening power, and I am grateful that my fellow interns and I were able to be a part of it.

READ: NATO Forum: Business, Government Discuss Making World Safer

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