A few of FPRA's Chapters have received some post-conference media coverage:
Public relations group named best in the state - Sarasota Herald-Tribune (August 24)
Dick Pope/Polk County FPRA Chapter Makes Mark on FPRA State Conference - PolkVoice.com (August 19)
People & Changes - Lakeland Ledger (August 11)
Polk FPRA wins pair of state awards - News Chief (August 9)
This morning marks one week since the 70th FPRA Annual Conference officially kicked off in Kissimmee. This post will be my final look at blog Web stats related to the conference.
Total unique visitors: 2,570
Total page views: 8,810
The average visitor stayed on this blog for 4 minutes, 52 seconds.
Compared to our 2007 conference blog coverage, these stats represent a 16 percent increase in unique visitors and a 24 percent increase in total page views.
This blog has allowed our Association to reach individuals we might not have reached otherwise. It has allowed us to share information about our growing profession with others living outside the state... and the country. Despite being one of 112.8 million blogs worldwide, the FPRA Blog found a niche and reeled in more than 2,500 unique visitors in one week.
Thanks, again, to our dedicated blog team who made it happen: Suzanne Dameron, Kelly Donovan, Melissa Filipkowski, Amanda Forbes, Chris Gent, Dr. Allen Moore, APR, Paul Ramey, APR. Special thanks to Paul Ramey, APR for championing the cause with FPRA's Executive Committee and to the FPRA State Office for assisting with promotion and logistics.
This blog enjoyed a steady stream of visitors throughout FPRA's annual conference on Aug. 3-6.
That trend continued Thursday -- one day after the conference -- when the blog drew an additional 266 unique visitors.
Here are the totaled stats since Monday:
Total unique visitors: 1,967
Total page views: 7,276
The average visitor stayed on this blog for 4 minutes, 50 seconds.
Working behind the scenes at this year's annual conference was a true public relations professional and marketing genius. I'm talking about Keith Salwoski, Director of Public Relations and Chief Storyteller at Gaylord Palms Resort.
Although we never saw Keith on stage or in the spotlight during the conference, he was making things happen to enhance our conference experience.
Things like donating all the food for Monday night's scholarship fundraiser. This allowed all auction and event proceeds to go directly to the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation. Without Keith's donation, the auction would have raised less than half of the $15,500 it made.
Keith also arranged the donation of an amazing Gaylord Palms ICE! package to the live auction. This item helped raise funds for ongoing educational and professional development programs for FPRA members.
Keith was the mastermind behind the ICE! certificates that were distributed to all conference attendees for donation to the local non-profit organization of their choosing. A nice touch and a great way to give back to our local communities.
He also served as a speaker at Tuesday afternoon's student track, sharing his many years of experience with the future leaders of our profession.
These are but a few examples of how Keith reached out to us during the conference. As a member of the Orlando Area Chapter, Keith continually gives back to FPRA and the public relations profession -- and for that we are all extremely grateful.
Thank you, Keith, and thank you to Michelle Smith at Gaylord who worked tirelessly throughout the conference to support Keith.
Last night's Foundation Funk-tion fundraiser grossed $15,500 for the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation. Foundation chair Lynn Schneider, APR, CPRC presented a check this morning to FPRA President Suzanne Sparling, APR.
Congratulations to the Orlando Area Chapter for planning and hosting this year's fundraiser.
FPRA Vice President of Chapter Services Wendy Crites Wacker, APR (pictured above) is offering a Chapter Leadership Forum today from 2-5 p.m. for incoming chapter leaders. The forum is designed to provide leadership tips and resources to make the coming year successful.
Let me be the first to welcome you to the 2008 annual conference of the Florida Public Relations Association. This year, we celebrate our association's 70th anniversary! Seven decades of leadership. Seven decades of building relationships. Seven decades of enhancing the profession.
This annual conference is FPRA's premier professional development event. Members of FPRA, as well as other PR professionals from around the region, will gather in Kissimmee today for three days of professional development, networking and fun. By offering experts on a variety of industry-related topics, it is our goal to present concepts and tactics that participants can immediately apply to their own jobs.
It's going to be a great conference, and we hope you will take full advantage of this conference blog.
On behalf of the conference blog team, welcome to Kissimmee!
Those registered for this year's FPRA Annual Conference will receive this complimentary FPRA tote.
The durable tote features a zippered main compartment, plus plenty of pockets: front slip pocket, front pen and business card pocket, mesh water bottle holder and side cell phone pocket.
The totes were sponsored by Kissimmee Utility Authority.
If you registered for the FPRA Annual Conference but didn't sign up for Monday night's optional Scholarship Fundraiser & Member Mingle, you might want to reconsider. FPRA's Orlando Area Chapter is promising a terrific Funk-tion.
The 70's-themed event will feature more than 90 silent and live auction items. You can also enjoy a cash bar and a wonderful culinary spread, featuring:
Cheese Display - Cheddar, Swiss, Bleu Cheese, Fruit Garnish
Cheese Fondue
Grilled Vegetable Platter
Beer Boiled Peel and Eat Shrimp
Macaroni and Cheese Au Gratin with toppings: Lobster, Chicken Marengo
Chef’s Selection of Desserts served from shooters (i.e. Banana Fosters Parfait, Strawberry Cheesecake)
Sound good so far?
You'll also enjoy a live DJ (not to be confused with a dead one) who'll be spinning familiar tunes from the 70's.
All proceeds benefit the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation which funds educational and professional development programs for FPRA members.
Here are a few famous phrases from the 70's to get you in the spirit:
- Can you dig it? [Do you understand? Can you dig it man?]
- Don't be such a spaz [A 'spaz' was someone that was accident prone, clutsy or just acting stupid]
- Far out [Cool]
- Good night, John-boy [popularized by The Waltons]
- Gag me with a spoon [something weird or disgusting]
- Cool Beans [reply to something that is cool, awesome]
- Keep On Truckin' [keep on doing what you're doing]
- Foxy Mama [hot chick, hot girl]
- Stone Fox [A "fox" was a really cute guy, but a "stone fox" was the ultimate cute guy!]
- May the force be with you [Star Wars]
One of the first questions asked by a conference attendee is "Where do I eat?"
The Gaylord Palms Resort offers a variety of dining options:
Villa de Flora - Casual dining buffet. European cuisine with a menu that changes daily: Monday is Italian, Tuesday is Spanish, Wednesday is French. Breakfast is served from 6:30 until 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served from 5:00 until 10:00 p.m.
Sunset Sam's Fish Camp - Casual dining. Floridian and Caribbean seafood. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Dinner follows from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Old Hickory Steakhouse - Fine dining. Gaylord's signature steakhouse. Dinner is served nightly from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.
H2O Sports Bar & Grille - poolside dining featuring hamburgers, sandwiches, flatbreads and salads. Open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.
Sora - Sushi bar featuring everything from lobster and sashimi rolls to saltwater prawn tempura and the wonka dynamite roll. Open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. and for dinner from 5 until 11 p.m.
For those with a sweet tooth, there's a Haagen-Dazs ice cream shoppe located in Emerald Plaza. It's open daily from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
In addition, restaurants located within 1 mile of the hotel include Logan's Roadhouse, Red Lobster, Boston Lobster Feast, Bennigan's (yes, this location is a franchise location and is still open), Denny's, Subway, Burger King and KFC. In addition, a Publix grocery store is located about 1/2 mile from the hotel.
FPRA has announced the locations of its 2009-2011 annual conferences.
The 2009 conference will be held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club on August 9-12.
The 2010 and 2011 conferences will be held at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.
To help you navigate your way around the FPRA Annual Conference, we are providing this facility map (click to enlarge). Most of the conference sessions and events will take place on the Ballroom Level of the convention center, which can be accessed via an indoor bridge that connects to the hotel. This includes the General Sessions on each day, most of the breakout sessions, the Scholarship Fundraiser and the Golden Image Awards.
The President's Welcome Reception on Sunday evening and the Power Networking Breakfast on Wednesday will take place in the Emerald Bay Plaza which is located on the atrium level of the hotel itself, not the convention center.
The student track on Tuesday will be held in St. George Street #108 which is also located in the hotel. A few of the Counselor's Network meetings will take place at various locations inside the hotel as well.
A hotel map will be provided in the conference notebook that you will receive upon check-in at the FPRA registration desk. The registration desk will be located directly outside of Osceola Ballroom C.
The registration desk will be open from 12:00 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Monday, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. - noon on Wednesday. All your conference questions can be answered by FPRA staff at this desk.
For those of you headed to the Gaylord Palms Resort on Sunday with your laptop or iPhone in tow, here's the skinny on the hotel Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi is included in your daily resort fee and is available to all registered hotel guests throughout your stay. The network can be accessed in guest rooms and in all public areas, including hotel lobbies, atrium, lounges, bars and pool areas. The Wi-Fi is not, however, available in the ballrooms and meeting rooms.
To access the network, you will need to enter your hotel room number as the username and your departure date as the password.
You don't have to attend FPRA's 70th Annual Conference next week to participate in the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation's Annual Fundraiser. This year's auction allows you to bid from work or home.
Early bidding ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 30. Click here to get started.
In the most recent edition of FPRA On Point I wrote an article seeking individuals interested in being part of the blog team for FPRA’s 70th Annual Conference in August. I am happy to report that we had some takers!
Throughout the three-day conference the members of this blog team will post their reactions to speakers, sessions and the conference in general. The blog will also feature podcasts as well as plenty of photographs... and maybe even a few surprises!
So without further adieu, let me introduce to you this year’s annual conference blog team:
SUZANNE DAMERON is a partner with Aspire Green Branding & Social Marketing, the first green PR & marketing firm in SW Florida. Suzanne has been a member of FPRA since 2004 and has served on the Central West Coast Chapter board for three years. As the first Director of Emerging Communications for her chapter, she recently created the 30 Days of Blogging social media initiative, cwcfprablog.typepad.com.
KELLY DONOVAN is a mass communication graduate student at the University of Florida and interns with the PR and marketing department at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Kelly has worked on advertising/public relations campaigns in community building, healthcare and youth risk prevention. She is excited to attend her first FPRA conference, thanks to a scholarship from the Gainesville chapter.
MELISSA FILIPKOWSKI is a public relations account executive at CAP, a full service marketing agency in Sarasota. She will be serving on the board of FPRA’s Central West Coast Chapter as Director of Administration this coming year. Filipkowski is new to the field, recently graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in public relations and a double master’s in management and international business.
AMANDA FORBES is an account executive for Fry Hammond Barr, a full-service advertising and public relations agency in Orlando, Fla. Amanda leads local and national public relations initiatives for clients in the government, residential and commercial real estate industries, to name a few. She has been an active member of FPRA since 2005 and currently serves as the Membership Chair for FPRA’s Orlando Area Chapter and has served on many of the Chapter's volunteer committees.
CHRIS GENT is vice president of corporate communications for Kissimmee Utility Authority. He has been a member of FPRA since 1994 and currently serves as the Webmaster of FPRA's Orlando Area Chapter. Chris has served five years on the FPRA State Board, including three years on the Executive Committee. He is a past president of the Orlando Area Chapter and winner of both the Doris Fleischman Award and the Dick Pope Grand All Golden Image Award.
DR. ALLEN MOORE, APR is the Public Information Officer for the Orange County Corrections Department in Orlando. As the primary spokesperson for one of the nation's largest jail systems, Allen handles media relations and acts as an advisor to the Chief of Corrections and the management team. Allen has 16 years of combined active duty and reserve military service in a public affairs capacity, as well as, private sector experience as a radio & TV news director, reporter and talk show host.
PAUL RAMEY, APR is assistant director in charge of marketing and public relations at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, where he has worked since 1999. He is a past president of FPRA's Gainesville Chapter and currently serves as Vice President of Technology on the FPRA Executive Committee. Ramey has more than 20 years of journalism, public relations and communications experience, including work in print, radio, healthcare and public schools.
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