Time To Be Renewed!

It is hard to believe that it is the time of year where fall is upon it, and our “season” is about to kick into high gear. As PR Professionals, we all have so many things to remember with all the events and holidays right around the corner. But there is one other thing you don’t want to forget…to renew your FPRA membership! All Members should have received your renewal notice in the mail by now, and if not, it should be on its way. But did you know that there is another way to renew where you don’t have to wait for your form in the mail? You can actually handle it all online by visiting http://www.fpra.org/. If you have questions about membership or renewals, you can contact the president-elect and membership chair, Jessica Clark, APR at (239) 454-2071 or jessicaclark@shellpoint.org.

As a bonus, all members who renew by October 31 will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant. So not only do you get all the great perks of membership, but you have the chance to win “dinner on FPRA” too!

Membership Scholarships
Worried about the Cost of Membership or Renewals? Don’t panic!

We know that many individuals and organizations have had to make budget cuts or limit participation in many professional organizations. Because of this, the Southwest Chapter of FPRA has a limited number of membership scholarship opportunities available. If you are interested in a memberships scholarship, please send two to three paragraphs outlining your financial need, involvement in chapter activities, your commitment to professional development and how your participating in FPRA will benefit the chapter and your professional career to Jessica Clark, APR.

Call for Auction Items

On Friday, December 9, the Southwest Florida FPRA chapter will host a member mixer from 5- 8 p.m. This will replace the regular monthly luncheon. The event will feature a beer tasting provided by JJ Taylor and a silent auction to raise funds for the many professional development opportunities our Chapter hosts. We are asking members to help coordinate auction items, so please reach out to the community and your clients and help make this a wonderful event. Contact Carla Ulakovic.with any questions.

PR Pro Bono Day- Session 3

Social Media For the Short-Staffed
Kerri Goldsmith of HBK Sorce Financial presented some tips and pointers for people to get the most bang for their social media efforts.
Social media is particularly important for nonprofits because internet users, especially social networkers, are more likely to be active in volunteer associations.

But how can you do it right?  Goldsmith offers four basic suggestions for starting your social media efforts:

• Define your goals (awareness? donations? volunteers? events?)
• Identify your resources (yourself? volunteers? an agency? your audience/supporters?)
• Know your target audience (and in particular, what social media platform are they most likely to gravitate to?)
• Start small and grow into social media

Once you've analyzed your situation, she offers more suggestions:

• Don't be overwhelmed by your options.  Pick the medium you think will be most effective for your message and audience, and start there.
• Use time-saving tools such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, or Seesmic.  You can also utilize these tools on your smartphone.
• Plan ahead!  Schedule your messages in advance.
• On Twitter, keep messages to under 120 characters so you can be easily retweeted.  Make sure to shorten URLs, and utilize hashtag/keywords to make it searchable
• On Facebook, take advantage of static content, post longer messages, and use photos or video whenever possible.
• Remember, communication works two ways.  Reply, comment, and thank your audience.
• Build "lists" of people to follow... media, constituents, organizations with complimentary missions, so you can more easily communicate with them.
• Measure your results by tracking links, clickthroughs, retweets, mentions, etc.

PR Pro Bono Day - Session 1

Events: How to Bring in the Cash
Ginny Cooper of The Cooper Group opened PR Pro Bono Day with a presentation on her area of expertise: Events.
In Lee County, there are more than 2,100 nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations, with another 1,800+ operating in Collier County.  Clearly, there is a lot of competition for donor dollars.
A quick look at the Gulfshore Life charity register reveals 326 major fundraisers in our area, most of which are held during the high season months, all battling for the attention of donors.
How to compete?
Be daring, be different, and be diligent.

Be Daring: Don't be afraid to strike out and do something our area has never seen. 

• The Red Cross "Star Struck" dance competition was the first of its kind in our area, and has been duplicated many times.  Cooper helped the Red Cross create "star" themed silent auction packages, and the creative merchandising of the packages brought in 30% more profit. 
• The PACE Grand Dames Tea was another new, one-of-a-kind event. Cooper suggests that the event itself shouldn't be the only fundraiser, and that you should continue the opportunities for giving beyond the event.
• Another PACE event, Love That Dress, allows people to create ownership in the event by donating dresses and by hosting dress donation parties. 

Be Different:  Make your event stand out. 

• Take a different approach.  Even though more than 10% of our local fundraisers listed in the Charity Register are Golf Tournaments, it's possible to make even a common-sounding event stand out. Several years ago, the Lifetime Family Center started a Golf Marathon, which allowed people to play as many holes as possible and take pledges from supporters to raise funds.
• Use a different theme.  The golf marathon was during the peak of the series "Survivor," and the tournament was branded using a "Survivor" theme, with mini events and challenges, survival-themed gifts, and even a million-dollar hole in one competition.
• Find a way to stand out.  Eleven years ago, when VHS tapes were the medium of choice, the Edison Ford Gala was the talk of the town by issuing their invitations on videotape.

Be Diligent: Success is in the details.

• Never assign yourself an event duty.  Instead, delegate responsibilities, and allow yourself to check in to make sure things are being accomplished the way you want.
• Plan everything way in advance.  Prepare your timeline by starting with the event date and working backwards.  For example, know when you need the number of guests for the caterer, and set your RSVP date at least a full week before that.  Make sure guests receive their invitations at least 3-4 weeks before the RSVP date.  Prepare the rest of your timeline accordingly.  
• Know that there will be problems. (and just hope that they're ones that your guests won't notice)
• Never run out of food and drink (and chances are, your guests won't notice the problems if they're still well-fed).

Cooper also offered a few more tips to help your event run smoothly-- and also to get as much value as possible from your event:
Sponsorships: Sponsors get involved for one of three reasons- either for cause marketing, for image building, or because they're devoted to their communities.
The sponsors have three primary expectations.  First, they expect to get a 3-to-1 return on their investment.  Second they don't require (and often don't want) tickets to the event.  Third, they do want proof of performance after the event, in the form of testimonials, photos, screenshots, copies of ads and articles, and more.
Caterers: When you're shopping for a caterer, make sure you're comparing apples to apples.  In other words, present them with a menu and a budget, and see what they're able to do with it.  If everyone is presenting you with different menus and different prices, you'll never truly know which is the best value.
Event Management: Cooper reminds to not forget permits and codes when preparing your event-- especially if you're in a nontraditional location.  You don't want the fire marshal shutting down your event.  In addition, she cautions to write everything down, because you have a lot to remember, not only for this year's event but for future events.  Also, remember to budget carefully and always allow a 10% contingency.

Thanks to Ginny Cooper of The Cooper Group for helping our guests learn how to make the most of their events at PR Pro Bono Day!

President's Word: A New Year, Beyond Words

As we embark on another FPRA year we welcome a new slate of board members and leadership chairs to the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA and strive to go Beyond Words.

We are living in a time where the economic challenges are changing business landscapes and organizations are doing more with less. The communications frontier is in a state of flux as the culture, strategies, and tactics of public relations begin to change on the rise of the social media wave. With the continued diversification of tools and technologies, some argue that “specialists’’ are fading. All the while, we must stay on the cutting edge of emerging trends while staying true to the traditions and core principles that make public relations what it's all about: relationships, planning and strategy, ethics and beyond.

In 2011-2012, SWFL FPRA will go Beyond Words to continue to build strong community ties; create more opportunities for member engagement; and offer a diverse array of programming rooted in public relations core principals and emerging trends.

I’d like to thank each of these volunteers for making a commitment to FPRA; it is their talent and dedication that will make 2011-12 a successful year for our chapter. A big thanks also goes out to Immediate Past President, Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC and her 2010-2011 board for all of their hard work. We have big shoes to fill, but I know this year’s board is up to the challenge!

Our complete list of board members and leadership chairs can be found below. Please feel free to contact any of us with questions about the chapter or how you can get more from your membership.

Our chapter will always welcome ideas for luncheon program topics and speakers. If you have a topic in mind or know of a dynamic speaker, please don’t hesitate to offer your ideas to myself or our programs chair, Merrilu Bennet.

The full Fall Calendar of events is now posted and ready for you to register! I hope you will join us on October 11 for our first luncheon program of 2011.

It is an honor to serve as your President for 2011-2012. I look forward to seeing you at our luncheons and social events and hearing your ideas on making FPRA an important part of your professional development.

September Luncheon: New Leadership Team Installed



Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC installs new president Carla Ulakovic

 A new leadership team is in charge of the SWFL FPRA.  Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC installed the new the new team led by President Carla Ulakovic.  Below is a list of the 2011-2012 leadership:


President: Carla Ulakovic
President-Elect: Jessica Clark, APR
Immediate Past President: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC
Secretary: Laura Puerto
Treasurer: Michelle Nagel
VP Communications: Kirsten O'Donnell
VP Member Relations: Melissa Simontis, APR
VP Community Relations: Tiffany Esposito
VP Professional Development: Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC
 

Also at the luncheon, the SWFL FPRA scholarship winners to this year's Annual Conference shared their experiences.  Some of the highlights were the incredible key note speakers, break out sessions on building an image your way, advance social media and crisis communications.
 
Next month's luncheon is October 11 at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater 11:15 a.m. - 1 p.m.  Click here to register.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

The Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA has revitalized its sponsorship package to include an array of opportunities, from monthly luncheon sponsorships, to individual professional development seminars and annual sponsorships.

For the nominal fee, your business or organization can be recognized at FPRA and reach more than 85 public relations professional who represent businesses across Lee, Hendry and Collier counties. Sponsorships help connect members and the organizations they represent to businesses and organizations in the local community; educating an influential segment of the community about your business offerings. In addition, sponsorship contributions will help FPRA to support our FGCU student chapter’s scholarships, professional scholarships and community professional development series. To inquire, please contact our Carla Ulakovic.