PRU: October 8th - Featured Speakers

Are you registered for PR Unversity yet? If not, you won't want to miss it! It's right around the corner, on October 8th from 8 AM to 4 PM at the Holiday Inn Ft. Myers Airport - Town Center.

There is a fantastic line-up of featured speakers and topics which include:

• Josh Hallet of VOCE Communications: "Social Media in the Trenches"
• Butch Ward, Managing Director of Poynter Institute: "Writing and Editing in the New Media Age"
• Andy Robinson, Executive Coach: "The Importance of Personal Relationships"
• Homer Gaines, Sr. Flash Developer, Chico's FAS, Inc.
• Greta Schulz, Schulz Training & Consulting: "Stop Selling and Start Building"
• Suzanne Willis: "The Art of Making Meetings Pay Off"

Register today by clicking here!

Job Bank Posting: Medical Marketing Representative

A freestanding outpatient radiology imaging center with two locations in SW FL is looking for a marketing rep to call on physician offices in Ft. Myers and Cape Coral.

Candidate must be experienced, dependable, energetic, and self motivated.

This is a salaried position and includes a cell phone, mileage reimbursement, marketing budget/allowance, health/life insurance, vacation.

Contact : Mike Curry by emailing mcurry@aria-images.com or calling 239-333-2742.

Advanced Radiology Imaging Associates, LLC

President's Word: PR Surge

By Pam Nulman, APR,CPRC

It may be a little premature to strike up the band and celebrate the return of a robust hiring market for PR pros, but indications point to at least picking up the baton and warming up the horn section. 

The University of Southern California’s sixth Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) Study indicates 2010 will be a stronger year for hiring as respondents forecast increased communication budgets and a move to increase internal hiring. 

Advertising Age recently stated that the Public Relations sector is not just surviving, it’s thriving.  Citing a recent study conducted by the Council of PR Firms, which found the majority of agency CEOs and CFOs surveyed said they are expecting revenue growth in 2010 and that the new-business pipeline is stronger than ever, prospects for the industry are strong with spending on PR expected to hit $3.4 billion this year, an increase of 3% over 2009.    

The New York Times on September 8^th ran an article on the “Growing Appreciation for P.R. on Madison Avenue” focusing on the emerging trend of heretofore traditional advertising agencies acquiring public relations agencies. 

What does this mean for today’s PR pro?  Opportunities are coming down the pike and those who will be able to capitalize on a rejuvenated job market are those armed with the latest skills and knowledge to best serve their clients and organizations. 

Start Today! 

1.      Get involved and renew your FPRA membership.  Engage with other professionals, expand your knowledge and energize your career.  Attend FPRA monthly luncheon meetings and special events throughout the year.

2.      Jolt your career by attending PR University on October 8.  This action-packed day of professional development is designed to propel your career forward and prepare you for the inevitable changes and opportunities ahead. 

3.      Connect – not just through social media – but face-to-face with other PR professionals and business and community leaders.  Focus on building and sustaining relationships.  After all, isn’t that what we do best in public relations?

-Pam

“More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time.”  - Peter Drucker

Registration now available for Public Relations University Oct. 8th

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) is hosting its annual one-day professional development seminar, PR University (PRU) on Friday, October 8. This year “PRU: Putting the Relations Back in PR” focuses on the importance of building relationships through successful communication.

The event boasts national and local speakers on topics such as the importance of personal relationships; social media monitoring, measurement and branding; the importance of building relationships with sponsors; and tips from area graphic designers. Representatives from VOCE Communications and the Poynter Institute are among the list of speakers.

Founded in 1975, the Poynter Institute is dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. A recognized leader in industry best-practices, Poynter promotes excellence and integrity in journalism and in the practical leadership of successful businesses.

One of the seminar’s keynote speakers, Josh Hallett, serves as Director, Voce Connect at Voce Communications, providing social media consulting and development work with brands such as Disney Parks, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Yahoo, eBay and a number of B2B/B2C firms.

For more than fifteen years, Hallett and Voce Communications have been working with emerging internet communication technologies and works closely with public relations practitioners and corporate communicators to integrate these tools into an organization's public and media relations strategies.

For a complete line-up of this year’s PRU speakers, visit http://www.fpraswfl.org/.

The seminar will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, October 8th in the new Holiday Inn Airport at Town Center off Alico Road in south Fort Myers.

Full-day registration is $90 for non-members, $75 for members, and student registration is $35. Register at http://www.fpraswfl.org/ by Friday, Oct.1.

Our thanks to PRU sponsors Briggs and Rogers Marketing and Public Relations; Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and Public Relations; LCEC; Nulman PR & Marketing and the News-Press Media Group.

Non-profit scholarships offered for PRU

For the second year, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation is offering ten half-scholarships to attend PRU available for representatives of non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations interested in applying should send a 50-word summary to Carolyn@briggsrogers.com. Only one member per organization can apply. Scholarships are on a first-come first-served basis.

Trick or Treat: Membership Renewals Due on Halloween

Sunday, October 31st is not just Halloween, it’s the deadline to renew your FPRA membership. It promises to be downright scary if you forget to renew and end up paying a late fee or, talk about drop dead frightening, get axed from the membership roster. Luckily, there’s a treat in store this year. It is now easier than ever to renew online on the state FPRA website at http://www.fpra.org/. You also can choose to renew by snail mail using the application you received in the mail earlier this month. Questions about membership and renewals? Contact Carla Ulakovic, president-elect and membership chair.

Membership scholarships available

A limited number of membership scholarships will be available again this year for renewing or new members. If you’re interested in a membership scholarship, please submit two or three paragraphs outlining your financial need, involvement in chapter activities, commitment to professional development and how your participation in FPRA will benefit the chapter and your professional career. Submit your scholarship request to Carla Ulakovic, president-elect and membership chair.

Tidbits

Have a PR Tip to Share?

Whether you’ve been in the public relations field for one year or 30; you have a resource tip that is invaluable. Generally it is a website, but it may be a free application; a social media group, page, or hint; a book or other resource. We would like share one or two tips a month with members in “Tidbits”. Send your tidbits to Kate Gooderham and please mark that they are tidbits.

Tidbit 1 - Submitted by Carolyn Rogers, APR, CPRC

If you are a freelancer or small agency struggling to accurately track the time you spend on client tasks, try Harvest. It’s an online time-tracking system that is free for single users and inexpensive for multiple users. You can track your time spent on multiple clients and projects, get comprehensive reports on how you’ve spent your time and it even has an invoicing system. It’s easy to set up and to manage. For more info, go to http://www.goharvest.com/.

Tidbit 2 - Submitted by Mary Briggs, APR, CPRC

iCyte is a free add-on to your browser that helps you organize your favorite websites. You can highlight text, add notes and keep complex projects organized. It’s like Bookmarks on steroids. To add a website to your Cyte, you just click one button so it’s easy to use, and it can be retrieved from any computer even if the original web page has been deleted or changed. Also, you can share your Cytes with others working on your project, so it enhances collaboration, too. Go to http://www.icyte.com/ to learn more.

Job Spotlight:

There is an opening for a Community & Communications Manager at South Seas Island Resort. To submit your resume for this position, please visit: South Seas Island Resort.

New Board of Directors for 2010-2011 Installed / Nulman Named Chapter President

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) has installed its new board of directors for 2010-2011. Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC, will serve as the organization’s president for the next twelve months.

Nulman is the President of Nulman PR & Marketing and has been an FPRA member since 2002. She is a past member of the board of directors for the Southwest Florida affiliate of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, where she was part of the founding team for the Southwest Florida Komen Race for the Cure which has raised more than $3 million in the fight to end breast cancer. She is also a volunteer for the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida and provides pro bono public relations services to numerous non-profits in the area.

Rounding out the board of directors for the coming year are:  Past President Kathleen Taylor, APR; President-Elect and Membership Chair Carla Ulakovic; Secretary Laura Puerto; Treasurer Erin Comerford; Vice President of Member Relations Julia Babair, APR, CPRC; Vice President of Professional Development Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC; Vice President of Communications Jessica Clark, APR; and Vice President of Community Relations Tiffany Esposito.

Members of the expanded leadership team for the 2010-2011 year were also recognized.  Serving as program chairs for critical chapter functions, the leadership team is a vital part of the organization's annual programming and services to members.  Leadership team members include:  Mary Briggs, APR, CPRC, and Kara Winton, APR, CPRC, credentialing co-chairs; Phyllis Ershowsky, APR, CPRC, education chair; Kerri Goldsmith, emerging communications chair; Kirsten O'Donnell, media relations chair; Diana Sabino, newsletter chair; Danielle Flood, website chair; Michelle Meier, hospitality chair; and Melissa Simontis, special projects chair.

The offices of the FPRA Southwest Florida board of directors are filled annually through a nomination and election process.