Endurance sports PR firm founder spotlighted among local female leaders in special issue
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. – Treat Public Relations Owner and CEO Meg Treat, APR, has been selected as a nominee for the 2024 Women in Business Awards, presented by the Orange County Business Journal. The leader of the award-winning public relations and strategic communications agency serving the endurance sports industry is highlighted in the journal’s annual Women in Business Awards special report that was published Monday.
Nominees will be celebrated and winners will be revealed at the 2024 Women in Business Awards Luncheon & Program on Oct. 30 at the Marriott Irvine. Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Brieane Olson, Chief Executive Officer of Pacsun. The event was created to recognize five outstanding professional women who have made significant contributions to their organizations, their professions and the Orange County community as determined by the publication’s judging panel.
“As a public relations professional, I’m more accustomed to helping place my clients in publications like the OCBJ. To see myself in these pages next to these other outstanding women is such an honor,” said Treat. “The luncheon next month will be an amazing opportunity to connect with this class of nominees and to celebrate Orange County’s fostering of female leadership in the community.”
Before founding Treat PR, Treat’s experience in public relations spanned the halls of agencies, corporations and higher education. In markets like Las Vegas and Honolulu, Treat held roles with local boutique agencies representing brands including Jamba Juice, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Bank of Hawaii and the Howard Hughes Corporation. In her last agency role, she held the position of director of public relations.
As an in-house PR professional, she gained experience with both small and large businesses. She was the sole public relations specialist for a multinational tech company, Bluebeam Software. Later, she was a public relations and communications manager for innovative endurance sports product manufacturer, ElliptiGO.
In 2016, Treat sought to combine her passion with her profession, launching her consultancy focused on products, services and events in the running industry. Since then, that consultancy has grown into a flourishing, award-winning agency representing some of the largest endurance sports events in the United States.
Treat PR represented nearly 20 events last year and is on track to eclipse that total this year. In 2023, Treat PR’s revenue grew by close to 250% and is projected to experience another year of vast growth in 2024. Under Treat’s leadership, Treat PR has earned multiple awards from the Orange County chapter of the Public Relations Society of America including two PROTOS and five Awards of Excellence.
Over the past three years, Treat was a limited-term lecturer at her alma mater Purdue University in the Brian Lamb School of Communication. She taught COM 257, a 16-week-long public relations writing course for as many as 40 junior and senior-level students. The curriculum included practical PR writing techniques that spanned media relations, content creation and brand messaging.
Treat has led the earning of nearly 5,000 media hits for her clients throughout her career, reaching millions of readers, viewers and listeners across the U.S. and the world. Some of her most notable pieces of coverage include features on ABC World News Tonight, in the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, Runner’s World and Outside Magazine.
Treat is currently serving as the President of the Orange County chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Prior to her presidency, she served as the membership chair, Public Relations Student Society of America liaison, the APR and ethics chair and president-elect for the chapter. During her years of service in Orange County, she also acted as her chapter’s National Assembly delegate. She is Accredited in Public Relations, an accolade she earned in 2020.
For more information on Treat Public Relations, visit www.treatpublicrelations.com and follow the agency on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
About Treat Public Relations
Treat Public Relations is an award-winning public relations and strategic communications agency serving the endurance sports industry. Treat PR carries out its mission to elevate authentic stories that showcase the fact that anything is possible by spotlighting the inspiring people and moments that define endurance. Based in Orange County, Calif., the firm represents endurance sports events, race organizers, as well as athletes and nonprofits across the United States. Treat PR’s key services include media relations, crisis communications, community relations, and strategic planning. For more information on Treat Public Relations, visit www.treatpublicrelations.com and follow the agency on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.