March APR Trivia

Q: Is the APR good for the life of the PR professional who earns it?

A: Yes; however every three years, APRs must meet maintenance requirements and submit documentation.

February Lunch Recap: The Future of the Newspaper

By Brian Hamman
brian.d.hamman@centurylink.com

Payson Gaddis packed the house at February's FPRA luncheon.  He discussed the future of the newspaper business in front of a crowd that included several publishers who were visiting from up north. 

Gaddis says within 5 years most daily papers will only print once a week.  He believes they'll continue to publish local content daily, but it will only be available online.

Gaddis says at some point obituaries, stocks, TV listings, comics and classifieds will all be dropped from the local papers.  Many of those "old stand-by's" are already being replaced by more popular and efficient applications online.

But the "game changer" is the tablet according to Gaddis.  He says because you can recline and read, people will spend more time consuming content online.

What will the technological evolution mean to your wallet?  Well, enjoy today's free online news while you can, Gaddis says, in the future you'll have to pay for it.

FPRE Foundations Launches its Every Member Campaign

By Carla Ulakovic
carla.ulakovic@gmail.com

The Florida Public Relations Education Foundation (FPREF) has launched its 2012 “Every Member Campaign” over the weekend and is asking that its members show their support and help the Foundation reach its $25,000 goal by May 1.

What is FPREF?  It is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization which awards scholarships to deserving college students, who through academic achievement, extracurricular activities and involvement in FPRA, demonstrate their commitment to professional development.

Likewise, the Foundation offers its professional members Annual Conference scholarships and other professional development opportunities including helping to underwrite a portion of the costs for those members seeking their APR.

Funding for the Foundation comes from the Annual Scholarship Fundraiser held each year during FPRA’s Annual Conference, as well as through donations from members, interested companies and individuals. All donations are tax deductible.

Image – A Winning Tradition

By Carla Ulakovic
carla.ulakovic@gmail.com

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Local Image Awards are held annually and recognize the best public relations, communications and marketing efforts in Southwest Florida during the past year.  Image Awards have become a standard of excellence and demonstrate the very best of innovation, planning and design.

You can show your support of Image by attending the event, submitting an entry or by committing to sponsor the event.

Take a moment to review the Call for Entries for the 2012 Local Image Awards , to find out which categories you are eligible to enter in!
Sponsorship Opportunities offer a unique opportunity to reach an influential target audience – people who use and recommend services, purchase and promote products every day. Your sponsorship will help our Chapter recognize the hard work our members do each day to improve our community.

Image dates to remember:

Thursday, March 8 – Entries must be to the Lee County Port Authority by 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 10 – The annual Image Awards Banquet will be held at Art of the Olympians Museum in downtown Fort Myers. This will replace our regular monthly luncheon.

Image Workshop Recap

By Carla Ulakovic
carla.ulakovic@gmail.com

On January 24, several Chapter members offered there help in decoding the Image entry process during a free workshop for our members.

Some tips from our local Image pros:

• Be sure to review the Call for Entries carefully - there are some changes to categories this year.
• Remember the devil is in the details - be sure to use the checklist and proofread your work.
• Don't be shy - ask for help!

Web Site Revamp

By Carla Ulakovic
carla.ulakovic@gmail.com

The Southwest Florida Chapter is making the most of its technology resources and will be undertaking web site redesign later this year. The goal is to provide a simple, sleek interface that is easy to navigate and that can provide additional education resources to our members. If you have suggestions for the new web site, please email V.P. of Communications Kirsten O’Donnell.