Let's be honest about the conditions: it was July in Austin, we were on a patio, and no amount of shade was going to change that. But PRSA Austin Connect: Brews & Bites went ahead Monday evening at Lazarus Brewing Co., and the picnic tables filled up anyway.

That turnout is the story. The crowd was a genuine mix — first-year pros and practitioners with decades behind them, agency and in-house, across just about every specialty this chapter covers. Everyone found a table, a drink, and someone worth talking to.

No panel, no presentation, no agenda. Just cold drinks, snacks, and conversation that stretched right up to the last minute. That's what these Connect events are for, and this one did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Thanks to everyone who came out and sat in the heat with us, and to Lazarus Brewing Co. for hosting.

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