Posted by Chris Gent on June 19, 2008 at 12:32 PM
We have received the go-ahead from FPRA's Executive Committee to offer live blogging of this year's FPRA Annual Conference in Kissimmee. Last year's conference blog was a tremendous success, and we even picked up a few awards along the way for our efforts.
The conference blog will feature session recaps, photos and interviews, as well as posts that provide an insider's look at an FPRA conference.
We have a couple of bloggers who have expressed an interest, but we could use one or two more. Are you interested?
All you need is a laptop computer and the ability to write. Don't worry about the blogging part... we'll show you how the blogging software works and get you set up with a Wi-Fi account at the hotel.
If you are interested, please contact Chris Gent at cgent@kua.com or 407-933-9836.
Posted by Chris Gent on January 14, 2008 at 10:31 PM
This month's Orlando Area Chapter luncheon will feature Dale A. Brill, Ph.D., Director of the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. The program theme is "Courage to Let the Consumer Have Control."
Dr. Brill will seek to assure us that content is still king, but the tables have turned on who controls it. Kick off your shoes with Dale as he guides us through VISIT FLORIDA's recently released web project known as Open Florida. Learn from the trials and tribulations of navigating in a world where the consumer's control has never been greater.
The luncheon will take place on Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater at Loch Haven Park, 812 E. Rollins St. in Orlando. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch and program begin at noon.
Register online at www.fpra-orlando.org.
Posted by Chris Gent on November 30, 2007 at 06:05 AM
The Orlando Area Chapter of FPRA scored the equivalent of a touchdown on Nov. 29 with its Backstage Pass tour of Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, home of the University of Central Florida Knights.
More than 60 public relations professionals -- including members of the Space Coast and Ocala Chapters -- gathered at the 45,301-seat stadium for a VIP tour. The tour included stops at the recruiting club, home locker room, digital production studios, press room, luxury suites and presidential suite.
At lunch, the group gathered inside the 4,200 square-foot Club Lounge where a panel of UCF employees shared the strategies, experiences and challenges of opening a new football stadium.
The panel included Cynthia Sucher, Associate VP for Community Relations; Joe Hornstein, Assoc. AD for Athletics Communications; Grant Heston, Assistant VP for News and Information; and Fred Kittinger, Associate VP & Director of State and Local Government Affairs. The panel discussion was moderated by Brian Craven, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Bright House Networks.
Also during the lunch, Dr. Bob Davis, APR, CPRC, ABC presented six FPRA Roast & Toast scholarships to the following UCF students enrolled in the university's Nicholson School of Communications: Tabitha Bernabe, Matt Harper, Jason Holic, Melissa Patterson. Allie Schwartz and Juliann Whitebread.
Congratulations to these deserving students and thanks to everyone who participated in the Backstage Pass event!
Click here to view the complete photo set from Thursday's event.
Photos: Chris Gent
Posted by Chris Gent on November 20, 2007 at 03:58 PM
Make plans to attend the Orlando Area Chapter's backstage tour of the Bright House Networks Stadium, the new home of the University of Central Florida Knights.
Dave Hansen, UCF's Senior Associate Athletics Director, will give us a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, including the Knights' locker room, recruiting lounge, and then to Roth Tower where we'll enjoy lunch and experience the club seats, suites and operational areas. Dave will also discuss the public relations strategies used to open the stadium.
Double click the arrows to preview the event video teasers. Video 1 (2:56), Video 2 (:51)
The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 29 at Bright House Networks Stadium. Click here for directions.
Register online at www.fpra-orlando.org.
Posted by Chris Gent on September 28, 2007 at 09:51 PM
Nearly 300 bloggers and blog enthusiasts from throughout Florida and across the nation gathered at Rollins College in Winter Park today for BlogOrlando.
Sponsored by the Orlando Area Chapter of FPRA, the day kicked off with a keynote presentation by social media expert Shel Israel of Silicon Valley, Calif. The remainder of the day's sessions were divided up into four separate tracks: Public Relations/Communications, Media, Technology and Life/Local.
The day concluded with a presentaton by blogger Chris Heuer of San Francisco, Calif.
Visit the BlogOrlando account on Flickr to see images of the day.
Thanks to FPRA's own Josh Hallett who coordinated this informative and engaging event!
Posted by Chris Gent on September 17, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Over a thousand canceled flights. Hundreds of stranded passengers. Millions of dollars in lost revenue. What would you do if you were an airline in this situation?
Find out at this year’s FPRA Professional Development Workshop on Thursday, October 25 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
Jenny Dervin, director of corporate communications at JetBlue Airways, will share how her company dealt with the winter storms crisis and how they came out the other side as a stronger airline.
Additional breakout sessions will include: preparing your company’s crises plan, pitching to opinion editorials and alternative outlets, creating creativity in PR and more.
Make sure to mark your calendar for this half-day workshop and luncheon. Stay tuned for details!
Posted by Chris Gent on August 5, 2007 at 07:31 AM
Let me be the first to welcome you to the 69th annual conference of the Florida Public Relations Association. This year's theme: PR: The Convergence of Art & Science.
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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota!
Posted by Chris Gent on July 26, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Today is the annual Central Florida Media Roundtable, hosted by the Orlando chapters of the Florida Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of America.
More than 140 public relations professionals are gathered at the Orlando Marriott Downtown (see photo above).
Those representing media organizations today include:
Christi Ashby, Editor/Publisher - Orlando Leisure/Orlando CEO
Cindy Barth, Editor - Orlando Business Journal
Sarah Clarke, Business Reporter - Orlando Sentinel
John Cutter, Senior Editor, Online News - OrlandoSentinel.com
Jack DeMarco, Booking Producer - The Daily Buzz
Jose Dieppa, Producer - WVEN-TV Univision 26
Raquel Alysia Giorggio, Managing Editor - WKMG Channel 6 (CBS)
Steve Helling, Contributing Reporter - People Magazine
Peter King, Correspondent - CBS News
Sean McNamara, News Director - Central Florida News 13
Kent Morton, Managing Editor - WESH Channel 2 (NBC)
Rafael Palacio, Editor - El Sentinel
Jean Patteson, Features Reporter - Orlando Sentinel
Hernando Ramirez, Information Chief - El Nuevo Dia
Tara Russakov Menedez, Planning/Special Projects Producer - WOFL 35 (Fox)
Frank Samandari, Anchor/Reporter/Producer/Web Producer - WDBO 580 AM
Dave Seanor, Editor/Vice President - Golf Week/Turnstile Publishing
Diane Sears, Travel/Tourism Editor - Florida Trend
Judith Smelser, Radio News Director - WMFE 90.7 (PBS)
Julie Szulczewski, Sr. Executive Producer - WFTV Channel 9 (ABC)
Our luncheon speaker today will be Barbara Maushard, News Director for WESH-TV/WKCF-TV Channel 2 (NBC) and Channel 18 (The CW).
Thanks to our sponsor: BusinessWire.
Posted by Chris Gent on July 24, 2007 at 08:59 AM
I posted an article back on June 25 seeking individuals interested in being part of the blog team for FPRA’s Annual Conference in August. I am happy to report that we had some takers!
Throughout the three-day conference these individuals 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:
DONNA FOSTER is the communications manager for the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center. She has been an active member of FPRA since 2006 and currently serves as the Electronic Media Director for FPRA's Gainesville Chapter. She will also serve in this role on next year’s board. As a first-timer to the FPRA Annual Conference, Donna was chosen as the recipient of her chapter's Annual Conference Scholarship.
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.
JOSH HALLETT is owner of Hyku, LLC, a social media consulting firm based in Winter Haven, Fla. Josh has been a member of FPRA since 1996, and has always been an advocate of technology's role in public relations. This included developing the first statewide Web site for FPRA in 1996 and FPRA Blog Week in 2006. Josh is currently a member of FPRA's Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter and blogs frequently about the impact of social media on public relations and traditional media.
VALERIE NORMAN currently serves as president of FPRA’s Tallahassee Student Chapter. She works as a PR assistant at CoreMessage, Inc. where she has displayed her talent in aggressive media outreach, helping her company earn a FPRA Image Award for pro bono work with the Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals. She was also awarded a conference scholarship by FPRA's Capital Chapter. Valerie will be blogging the student sessions at this year’s conference.
PAUL RAMEY, APR is assistant director in charge of marketing and public relations at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. He is a past president of FPRA's Gainesville Chapter and will be serving on the FPRA Executive Committee this coming year as Vice President of Technology. Ramey has more than 19 years of journalism, public relations and communications experience, including work in print, radio, health care and public schools before being hired on by the museum in 1999.
Posted by Chris Gent on July 17, 2007 at 04:34 PM
Have you registered for FPRA's Annual Conference? Why you ask? Because more than 200 of your fellow public relations professionals already have!
To date, we have surpassed last year's total number of conference participants and we're still adding names to the list. Will your name be one of them?
Don't miss your opportunity to join with hundreds of other PR practioners from throughout Florida for the largest annual gathering of public relations professionals in the state.
Click here to download the conference brochure and registration form. Register today!
Posted by Chris Gent on July 2, 2007 at 10:18 AM
Wouldn't it be great to question the reporter for a change? Well here's your chance!
Interact with members of the local and statewide media in a casual exchange at the 2007 Central Florida Media Roundtable & Luncheon. Come gain insightful sources to help with future story development.
Confirmed and invited media guests include WESH Channel 2 (NBC), Univision, CBS Radio, Central Florida News 13, WFTV Channel 9 (ABC), People Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel Online, Associated Press, Florida Trend, WDBO Radio and WMFE Radio.
The luncheon speaker will be WESH News Director Barbara Maushard.
Click here for more information.
Posted by Chris Gent on June 25, 2007 at 05:55 AM
We have received the go-ahead from FPRA's Executive Committee to offer blogging of this year's FPRA Annual Conference in Sarasota. Last year's first-ever conference blog was a tremendous success, and we even picked up a few awards along the way for our efforts.
The conference blog will feature recaps, photos and speakers’ presentations, as well as providing a feel for the atmosphere inside the conference.
We have a couple of bloggers already lined up, but we could use one or two more. Are you interested?
All you need is a laptop computer and the ability to write. Don't worry about the blogging part... we'll show you how the blogging software works and get you set up with a Wi-Fi account at the hotel.
If you are interested, please contact Chris Gent at cgentATkua.com or 407-933-9836.
Posted by Chris Gent on April 26, 2007 at 12:44 PM
At last week's Image Awards gala hosted by FPRA's Orlando Area and Volusia County Chapters, the FPRA 2006 Annual Conference Blog was honored with an Image Award and a Judges' Award.
In 2006, a volunteer blog team -- Chris Gent, Josh Hallett, Bob O'Malley, APR and Jennifer Wakefield -- came together to produce the first-ever blog of an FPRA Annual Conference. The blog enjoyed tremendous success, drawing 1,264 unique visitors during the 3-day conference that generated 4,775 page views. The blog also boasted 69 posted articles, 82 visitor comments, 363 photos and 11 hallway interview podcasts.
Thanks to the vision of FPRA Immediate Past President Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC and the staff of the FPRA state office for supporting and encouraging this endeavor!
Posted by Chris Gent on December 9, 2006 at 08:50 PM
Space Shuttle Discovery lit up the darkened sky at Kennedy Space Center this evening as the spacecraft blazed off the launch pad for the first nighttime liftoff in four years.
The crew of seven astronauts lifted off from Launch Pad 39B right on time at 8:47 p.m. The illumination from the shuttle's engines and booster rockets turned night into day at the press site.
After a scrubbed attempt on Thursday night, tonight's launch was cause for celebration. FPRA and its volunteers have once again contributed to the success of the nation's manned space program!
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 10:18 PM
The next launch attempt for Space Shuttle Discovery will be at 8:47 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. Friday's weather forecast is predicted to be a 90 percent chance of "no go" so NASA officials moved the next attempt to Saturday.
That's the latest news LIVE from the Kennedy Space Center. Signing off for now...
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 09:36 PM
There will be no launch today. A low cloud ceiling and thick clouds over KSC did us in.
NASA could try launching again as early as 9:13 p.m. tomorrow, but weather conditions are expected to be worse on Friday.
Stay tuned...
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 09:31 PM
They can only hold here for 4 minutes, 40 seconds. After that point, the launch window for today will close and a launch will no longer be possible.
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 09:27 PM
The countdown clock has restarted, but the weather at KSC is a "no go" at this point. Mission managers are going to take it down to 5 minutes and make a decision at that point...
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 08:41 PM
We've begun the 46-minute hold. We'll come out of this hold at 9:27 p.m.
Countdown clock: T-minus 9 minutes and holding.
(left to right) Bryan Beaty, executive assistant to the president for Indian River Community College; Cynthia Lambert, public relations specialist for METROPLAN ORLANDO and Linda Herridge, public affairs writer for InDyne, Inc.
Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at night with media satellite trucks in foreground.
(left to right) Chris Gent, manager of corporate communications for Kissimmee Utility Authority; Bill Randolph, CPSM, JCR Consulting.
Space Shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39B. Photos by Chris Gent, KUA.
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 08:30 PM
The countdown clock has resumed and will count down to the 9-minute mark. At that point the clock will stop for 46 minutes while the launch director, mission management team and NASA test director conduct final polls for "go/no go" to launch...
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 08:20 PM
We've just begun a planned 10 minute hold in the countdown. Weather is looking better...
Posted by Chris Gent on December 7, 2006 at 06:44 PM
(left to right) John Harris, director of outcome management at Early Learning Coalition of Orange County; Jessica Rye, APR, public affairs officer for NASA and FPRA State President; and Bill Randolph, CPSM, JCR Consulting.
Media gathered inside the NASA News Center covering the story. Photos by Chris Gent, KUA.
FPRA is well represented here at Kennedy Space Center as STS-116 crew members begin taking their seats inside Space Shuttle Discovery as the vehicle awaits liftoff at 9:35 p.m. EST. Weather at this point appears to be the only obstacle to a successful liftoff.
A cold front moving through the Central Florida area is producing a blanket of clouds, gusting winds and isolated light rain. The NASA launch team will press on with the countdown for now, in case the weather cooperates after all. Currently, there is only a 40 percent chance of acceptable weather.
Among those FPRA members working so far this launch include Sharon Arnold, Bryan Beaty, Chrysten Burzio, Helena Finnegan, Chris Gent, John Harris, Jennifer Hobbic, Cynthia Lambert, Andrea Meyer, APR, Karen Plunkett, APR, Bill Randolph and Laurel Smith, APR.
The STS-116 mission is the 33rd for Discovery and the 117th space shuttle flight. During the 12-day mission, the crew will continue construction on the International Space Station, rewiring the orbiting laboratory and adding a segment to its integrated truss structure.
We're LIVE from the Kennedy Space Center....
Posted by Chris Gent on October 31, 2006 at 02:02 PM
What does it take to promote one of the nation's largest indoor ice displays? What kind of public relations research and planning is employed to ensure a favorable guest experience and positive return on investment?
These questions and more will be answered later this month when FPRA's Orlando Area Chapter hosts an exclusive Backstage Pass tour of Gaylord Palm Resort's ICE! attraction.
The 18,000-square-foot attraction has been carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. The talented artisans have spent nearly an entire month in Kissimmee creating this one-of-a-kind experience. Harbin is best known for its annual International Ice and Snow Festival.
The ICE! attraction features a walk-through holiday train depot with locomotive, a Victorian holiday home with a life-sized horse-drawn carriage you can sit in, a whimsical Santa's Toyland, a breathtaking life-size nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice and three fantastic ice slides amid a towering Christmas Castle.
The attraction is kept at a brisk 9 degrees Fahrenheit, so guests will be issued a calf-length, hooded parka to keep warm.
After the tour, we'll settle in for a warm lunch and hear the tactics used by the Gaylord Palms public relations team to promote this signature Central Florida event.
The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. Admission is just $25 for FPRA members, which includes the tour, lunch and self parking – a tremendous value!
Come to the “coolest” FPRA event of the season! Click here to register. Space is limited.
Posted by Olivia Orth on October 30, 2006 at 10:28 AM
Topic: “Lights-Camera-Action: The Ins and Outs of Broadcast PR”
Tuesday, Nov. 14
11:30-1:00
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Fort Myers
Register by Nov. 8 at www.fpraswfl.org.
Sue Stauffer, representing Roycom Communications, an Orlando-based video production company, will discuss the use of broadcast PR, including tips for both pro-active and re-active use of the broadcast medium. This exciting multi-media presentation will utilize interesting case studies and video clips of work Roycom has done for companies such as Universal Studios in Orlando, as well as the Golden Image Award-winning Builder’s Care video produced locally by Priority Marketing. Whether you’re seeking 15 minutes of fame, or you find yourself with 15 minutes notice before the TV news crew arrives, this program will help you achieve your broadcast PR goals!
Stauffer, who started her career at WINK TV in Southwest Florida, has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations – including internal posts with The Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios. She serves the local Southwest Florida market, as a team member of Priority Marketing. She is also an active field producer serving NBC Network News with work seen on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News and MSNBC.
Posted by Chris Gent on October 26, 2006 at 02:01 PM
The Orlando Area Chapter wrapped up its annual Professional Development Workshop today in downtown Orlando. Printed surveys distributed at the end of the day confirm that the day was a resounding success!
Of the 30 evaluation surveys returned, 100 percent of the respondents rated the workshop as either 'excellent' or 'very good.'
Special thanks to Dana Johnson of Curley & Pynn and Jeff Stanford of the Orlando Science Center who chaired this year's event, and to our sponsors: Bright House Networks Public Affairs, Kissimmee Utility Authority and MindComet.
Here are some additional survey comments:
This was the BEST professional development workshop EVER and John Moore was awesome!
Very useful for personal and professional development.
The workshops were very informative and I left with lots of new knowledge.
Posted by Mike Pynn on October 26, 2006 at 01:29 PM
The presentations to this point were full of valuable information. The luncheon keynote speaker, John Moore, gave a presentation entitled "Tribal Knowledge: Lessons Learned From Working Inside Starbucks."
John says that Tribal Knowledge is the information you learn while you work for a company that is never written down, but simply becomes common knowledge among those inside. Here are some of the important points from his presentation:
Continue reading "FPRA Orlando: Conducting a Brand Autopsy" »
Posted by Mike Pynn on October 26, 2006 at 11:19 AM
Scott Allen of MindComet is presenting the considerations and specifics of viral marketing:
The hope for viral marketing is that each person who sees your message will deliver it to more people.
"Anything can be viral."
"Viral", Scott explained, refers to how the message spreads, not what sort of message you deliver. So anything can be viral, whether it's a blog, a video or anything else. As long as people spread it, it can be viral.
According to Scott, viral marketing can be used for several purposes. Internal communications, community tools, downloadable resources, promotions, brand awareness, and sales drives are all purposes that can be served with viral marketing.
Continue reading "FPRA Orlando: Meet Viral Marketing" »
Posted by Mike Pynn on October 26, 2006 at 10:30 AM
Lori Cuonze comes to us from PUSH Advertising. Lori's presentation deals with mobile marketing, and how important it is to the new media.
She suggested that mobile media, (iPod's, mobile phones, PDA's, etc.) are becoming the primary means of receiving information for many people. She calls this the "new new media." Marketing communications are no longer "transactional," she says. The new media is changing that, requiring broader thinking. Social media will bring about major shifts in communications.
Those who fall behind are going to be left behind.
Lori explained that many companies are afraid of the shift because it requires a more youthful team. It is vital, though, to utilize the new media effectively. The younger generations are the ones using these services the most.
Continue reading "FPRA Orlando: Mobile Media Messaging" »
Posted by Chris Gent on October 26, 2006 at 10:15 AM
One of the topics on today's agenda is viral marketing. UCF student and fellow blogger Mike Pynn will offer a synopsis of that presentation shortly, but I've put together a short list of some effective viral marketing campaigns:
The Subservient Chicken - a promotion of Burger King's line of chicken sandwiches and their "Have it Your Way" campaign. (see photo above)
ilovebees.com - This was a clever viral marketing for the video game Halo 2.
Hotmail - Very effective! Promoted largely by links at the bottoms of emails sent by its users. Gmail does the same thing.
Posted by Mike Pynn on October 26, 2006 at 10:00 AM
This is my first post of the day, and I'm very glad to be at the FPRA Professional Development Workshop. Many thanks to Susan Ennis for the introduction and opportunity.
Jeff Rubenstein authors the Control Freak blog for the Orlando Sentinel, and he's giving a presentation to introduce attendees to blogs and the culture of bloggers. Here are some of the more important points he's made:
He's explained that bloggers who post frequently can change search results. This, he says, can also change the information people first receive. There is, needless to say, a great deal of gatekeeping power available to bloggers who often post.
He's also mentioned the importance of portal sites (Digg, Fark) in blogs getting attention. These sites allow users to give positive or negative feedback to specific blogs. "The Internet empowers the meek," as Jeff explained. Positive feedback on some of these sites can increase a blog's visibility "more than exponentially."
"Statistically, not even one percent" of readers comment on blogs, he says. If a blog has a large volume of reader comments, it's number of readers is likely much larger. Essentially, watching the comments on a blog is a great way to measure how popular or influential a blog can be. This is true of watching comments on the portals, as well.
Continue reading "FPRA Orlando: Dial B for Blog" »
Posted by Chris Gent on October 26, 2006 at 09:30 AM
A wiki is a type of website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove and otherwise edit and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration.
I’m sitting in a session featuring Matt Thompson, a professor at the University of Central Florida.
His topic is wikis. He kicked things off by talking about the benefits and pitfalls of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a Web-based free content encyclopedia project. The name Wikipedia is a blend of the words wiki and encyclopedia. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing most articles to be changed by almost anyone with access to the website. Little known fact: Wikipedia's main servers are located right here Florida – Tampa to be exact.
He talked about the recent rise in wiki vandalism – any addition, deletion, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. The most common type of vandalism is the replacement of existing text with obscenities, page blanking, or the insertion of bad jokes or other nonsense. Fortunately, this kind of vandalism is usually easy to spot and is quickly deleted or changed.
Continue reading "FPRA Orlando: The Wonderful World of Wikis" »
Posted by Josh Hallett on October 23, 2006 at 10:40 PM
Did that headline spark your interest? Well nothing super-exciting :-) I was at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota for the Arthur W. Page Society Annual Conference today and snapped a photo of the hotel. The Ritz in Sarasota is the home of the 2007 FPRA Annual Conference.
If you haven't been there it's the standard Ritz quality and service. Looking forward to conference next year!
Posted by Jeff Nall, APR on October 20, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Reporting in on the event. It went really well and all the bosses felt very appreciated. We had 15 bosses attend. Many of them had no previous personal interaction with FPRA, so it was a good opportunity to educate them on what FPRA can do for their practitioner(s) and their organization. Hopefully, it will help with renewals as well. Great turn out and great feedback. If your chapter does not do a bosses appreciation event, I'd certainly suggest doing one.
Posted by Jeff Nall, APR on October 18, 2006 at 02:08 PM
The Pensacola Chapter is turning the October chapter meeting on Thursday, October 19 into our first Bosses Appreciation Luncheon. With October 16 being National Bosses Day, we have a special luncheon planned to recognize them and their support of FPRA and the professional development of their practitioner(s). We also want to thank them for allowing their practitioner(s) to represent their organization in the best professionial organization in the area.
Members have been encouraged to treat their boss to lunch and a special presentation geared to bosses titled "The rise of internal PR: How to turn your greatest expense into your greatest profit." Our presenter, Chief People Officer Greg Mercer of American LubeFast, and the company's first CPO, is responsible for overseeing the Chaplain program, initializing a mentoring program and managing employee retention and relations.
Continue reading "Bosses Appreciation Day" »
Posted by Susan Ennis, APR on October 6, 2006 at 04:31 PM
The Orlando Area Chapter of FPRA has partnered for several years with other area organizations to put on a networking program that brings together professionals in all areas of communications - advertising, marketing and public relations. This year's Ultimate Mixer should be one to remember.
Scheduled for the evening of of Wednesday, October 25, the mixer is being held at the City Arts Factory. This is a new venue for the event and will add a special flavor to the evening. The facility is new to the downtown area so you'll definitely want to take this opportunity to check it out.
For more information and to register for the Ultimate Mixer - http://www.prsaorlando.org/events/
Posted by Chris Gent on August 9, 2006 at 12:10 PM
The 68th conference of the Florida Public Relations Association has wrapped up in Amelia Island, Fla.
Lots of great sessions, networking, awards, fun... and even a few surprises. It's been fun. Thanks, Suzanne Sparling, APR for all your hard work in pulling this conference off.
We've also had lots of fun with this conference blog. Thanks to those of you who visited, who commented and sent nice notes along the way. We tried our best to convey to you the look, feel and flavor of an FPRA annual conference. I hope we succeeded.
We hope that those of you who visited will make plans now to attend next year's conference in Sarasota. The investment will pay huge dividends for both your current employer and your career as a public relations professional.
In closing, we wanted to share the final Web stats for the entire three days conference. The event may be over, but the information shared these past few days will remain on this blog for you to refer back to in the future.
Total unique visitors: 1,264
Total page views: 4,775
And to borrow a line from a recent Green Day song:
"It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
hope you had the time of your life."
We hope you did.
Posted by Josh Hallett on August 9, 2006 at 11:55 AM
The 68th Annual Conference has come to an end. A fitting way to wrap things up online was to talk with outgoing State Association President Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC. Click here to listen to the interview: AdrienneMoore.mp3.
Posted by Josh Hallett on August 9, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Mark Ziegler is an Associate in Communications, College of Communication at Florida State University. Mark is a very energetic speaker to say the least. His style is very engaging. He opened his session with a quick story about an FPRA conference he attended almost 10 years ago in Boca. His credit card had been stolen during the event, so when he thinks about FPRA he always checks his wallet :-)
Mark had intended to go to medical school, but he saw the signs when he was studying. During gross anatomy he had trouble opening the chest cavity. He said, "this is a sign."
Continue reading "FPRA Annual Conference: Thoughts on Communications, Life and PR" »
Posted by Chris Gent on August 9, 2006 at 10:30 AM
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, made a visit to the FPRA annual conference this morning. Well, not the REAL Mark Twain... but an actor named Bob Valentine from Murray State University who shared Clemen's humor and wit.
Mark Twain was born in Florida... Florida, Missouri that is.
Here's some of his most memorable quotes from today's presentation:
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.
Posted by Josh Hallett on August 9, 2006 at 09:47 AM
FPRA's 68th Annual Conference is almost over and it has been a wonderful experience, with some great surprises. Work has already begun on next year's conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla. Erin McLeod is the incoming Vice President of Annual Conference and is responsible for planning the event. I spoke with Erin about next year's event and what she has in store for us. Click here to listen to the interview: ErinMcLeod.mp3.
Posted by Josh Hallett on August 9, 2006 at 08:24 AM
Listed below is the schedule for Day 3 - Wednesday, August 9 , 2006 of the FPRA Annual Conference.
7:30 am - 12:00 pm: Registration Open
8:00 am - 9:15 am: Power Networking Breakfast
8:15 am - 9:15 am: Counselors' Network Business Meeting
9:25 am - 9:30 am: Announcements
9:30 am - 10:35 am: It's a Blast from the Past
10:45 am - 11:50 am: Thoughts on Communications, Life and PR
11:50 am - 12:00 pm: Conference Finale
Posted by Chris Gent on August 8, 2006 at 11:59 PM
We've wrapped up another busy day at the FPRA annual conference. Here are the Web stats for Tuesday, Aug. 8:
Total unique visitors: 351
Total page views: 1,723
The average visitor on Tuesday stayed on this blog for 4 minutes, 27 seconds
Thanks to those of you who visited us today. We'll have more stuff for you on Wednesday as we wrap up this year's conference.
Posted by Chris Gent on August 8, 2006 at 10:30 PM
The final individual award given out tonight was the John W. Dillin Award.
The John W. Dillin Professional Award for service to the Florida Public Relations Association has been established as the highest, most prestigious award of the Association. The award honors the spirit and dedication of FPRA’s first president and founder, Lt. Col. John W. Dillin, and his lifetime of service to and support of the Association.
The purpose of the annual award is to recognize an FPRA member for his/her outstanding contribution to the Association and the field of public relations.
Drum roll, please... the winner of the 2006 John W. Dillin Award is:
LYNN SCHNEIDER, APR, CPRC
- Public Relations Director, Shell Point Retirement Community - Member, Southwest Chapter
Click here to send Lynn a congratulatory note.
Posted by Chris Gent on August 8, 2006 at 10:21 PM
The next individual award given out tonight was Member of the Year Award.
This award is intended to recognize one member who has made a significant contribution to the Association through outstanding leadership, demonstrated enthusiasm, extraordinary involvement and loyal support. The rec
