“Uncover the Best of PR” at the 2012 FPRA Image Awards Banquet

You are cordially invited to “Uncover the Best of PR” at the 2012 FPRA Image Awards!

Wednesday, April 18 6 – 9 p.m. Orlando Science Center 777 E. Princeton Street, Orlando

The hard part is over. You’ve submitted your Image Awards entries, and now you’re ready to have some fun. Join the FPRA Orlando Area Chapter on Wednesday, April 18 as we celebrate our craft and colleagues at the 2012 Image Awards Gala. REGISTER HERE.

Scott Fais, host of Central Florida News 13’s Florida on a Tankful, will serve as the evening’s emcee, digging up the best PR programs from this year and helping honor the 2012 Central Florida PR Professional of the Year for Career Excellence, Sara Brady, President of Sara Brady Public Relations, Inc.

Cost: FPRA & PRSA members – $50 Non-members – $60 FPRA student members – $30 Student non-members – $35 Corporate tables of 8 – $375

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, April 10

To reserve a corporate table or for more information, please contact Kerry Martin at kmartin@thestrategicfirm.com or Alayna Rivera at alaynar@floridamilk.com.

The Image Awards banquet will celebrate FPRA-OAC members whose submissions demonstrate the very best examples of innovation, planning and design.

The 2012 FPRA Image Awards is sponsored by:

Bright House Networks

Kissimmee Utility Authority

Florida Dairy Farmers

With support from:

Spectrum Printing

Lee Gonzalez Photography

Trivia night! Get in the game with MERGE

Did you know all polar bears are left handed or that the human head weighs 8 lbs?  If so, join FPRA Orlando Area Chapter for the next MERGE networking and fundraising event! MERGE Trivia Night will be held at Caddy Shanks in Baldwin Park on May 2nd.  Cost is $10 PER PERSON and includes one free drink ticket. Sign in and registration begins at 6:30 p.m. with trivia to start at 7:30 sharp. Prizes will be awarded to the top 5 winners, so play as a team or as an individual and quiz your knowledge for this  awesome cause.  For more information visit FPRA Orlando Area Chapter on Facebook!

All proceeds will benefit the UCF Nicholson School of Communication’s Roast & Toast scholarship and the Organizational Communication Program of the Hamilton School of Rollins College.

Non-profits members attend social media roundtable

By: Gabrielle Davis

Three panelists well versed in social media presented “Taking Social Media to the Next Level”, a non-profit roundtable event held on March 21st at the Adult Literacy League. The presenters addressed how non-profits can effectively leverage their social media outlets. Joshua Johnson, NextZen Media; Lindsay Mays, Young Nonprofit Professional Network Orlando; and Jessica Schwendeman,  Hands on Orlando, shared their insights and successes during the roundtable – co-sponsored by FPRA Orlando Area Chapter and YNPN Orlando – on using Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for various non-profit organizations.

Here are just some of the helpful tips and resources they shared:

·        There should be a different tones / conversations for each social media platform  (i.e. Facebook and Twitter)

·        Your first goal for your organization’s social media page should NOT be focused on fundraising. Rather establish a relationship with your fans

·        Once established, 80 percent of the information shared on your organization’s platform should be informative, leaving the remaining 20 percent for fundraising.

·        Use your organization’s mission to connect with relevant current events to keep your fans engaged with your platforms

·         Make sure your website can be pinned before you create a Pinterest account for your organization.  When engaging on Pinterest, make sure your organization’s website is visible at all time so users can connect back to your website.

Chapter Rewind: Backstage Pass at lululemon

FPRA-OAC hosted 36 public relations professionals at a Backstage Pass event at the new lululemon athletica store in Orlando, Fla. featuring guest speaker and Area Community Manager, Amanda Casgar. Lululemon athletica is a unique global brand in that instead of relying on advertising and traditional marketing tactics to drive store sales, it takes a completely opposite approach and puts its efforts into grassroots community involvement to carry it through and carry through it has. Just this month, the fitness apparel chain reported earnings rose 34 percent in the fourth quarter on a 26 percent comparable store gain.

Approaching each store as its own business, lululemon athletica works with a half dozen brand ambassadors – fitness instructors at area yoga studios or gyms – to help spread the word about the brand. No traditional advertising is used and even when the brand does support local events, it’s not through a named sponsorship, but rather as a magical elf assisting with manpower, fitness expertise or simply to provide yoga mats.

More powerful than its approach to marketing is its approach to employee wellness. Amanda Casgar, Area Community Manager for lululemon athletica’s Eastern U.S. Region and store manager (head coach) Brandon Bernard shared with the group lululemon’s powerful goal-setting program. After explaining the thought process behind the goal-setting initiative, Brandon led the group through our own exercise – first envisioning how we picture our lives in 10 years with nothing holding us back and then putting that vision to work in 1-year, 5-year and 10-year goals that focused on career, health and personal ambitions. Everyone left motivated and empowered to tackle the world.

View photos from the Backstage Pass at lululemon.

Calls for Nominations: Dillon & Fleischman Awards

John Dillin Award

The John 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 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. The award is presented at FPRA’s Annual Conference.

Procedure: Every professional member of the Florida Public Relations Association who meets the award criteria and whose membership is active as of the nomination deadline is eligible to be nominated with the exception of members of the current Executive Committee, Award Selection Committee and State Board of Director(s).

The Award Selection Committee will present a recommendation to FPRA’s Board of Director(s) for a vote at the May State Board Meeting. A nomination must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the FPRA’s Board of Director(s) at which a quorum is present.

Nominations must be made in a double-spaced, typewritten format including specific rationale addressing why the nominee should receive this award according to the following award criteria:

• Nominee must have been an FPRA member for  a minimum of ten years;
• Nominee must have made outstanding and long lasting contribution to FPRA and to the public relations profession in ways other than as an FPRA officer;
• Nominee does not have to have served as an officer of FPRA.

The award recipient will be notified by mail by the Award Selection Committee Chair following the May State Board Meeting in order to give the recipient sufficient notice to receive his/her award at the Annual Conference.

Doris Fleischman Award

The Doris Fleischman Award is intended to honor the heretofore-unrecognized contributions an individual FPRA member has made to the public relations profession and/or to FPRA. In essence, this is an “unsung” hero award intended to reward that individual who consistently provides support and assistance to the Association.

The award was established to honor the achievements and contributions of Doris Fleischman, business partner and wife of Edward L. Bernays, the “father” of public relations. It honors those FPRA members who, like Ms. Fleischman, make contributions to the field of public relations through consistent, tireless efforts. It is meant to honor a member for his/her “behind the scenes” work and FPRA volunteer efforts that go unnoticed by chapter members and are not recognized by other awards programs.

Procedure: Every professional member of FPRA who meets the award criteria and whose membership is active as of the nomination deadline is eligible with the exception of members of the Executive Committee, the State Board and the Award Selection Committee.

Nomination information will be sent to FPRA chapter leaders or any FPRA member requesting a form. The completed forms are to be returned to the Immediate Past President of FPRA who is responsible for establishing a Selection Committee to review the applications and select a finalist.

Nominations must include a double-spaced, typewritten rationale with specific examples addressing why the nominee should receive the award.

Nominees must be a current member of the chapter and a member of FPRA for a minimum of two years prior to nomination. Nominations should spell out the role the chapter member has played in serving on committees, developing programs, handling activities, serving as a Board member, etc. An FPRA summary of activities should be included with the nomination.

All nominations and a recommendation will be presented to the FPRA Board of Director(s) at the May State Board Meeting. Nominations must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the State Board at which a quorum is present.

 ****Nominations for the John Dillin and Doris Fleischman awards are due to Immediate Past President Jennifer Moss, APR, CPRC by April 6th. Email your nominations to jennifermossapr@yahoo.com or your may fax your nomination to 941-906-1556.

Member Profile

Jamie Floer, APR, CPRC

Senior Account Executive, Wragg & Casas Public Relations – Central Florida Office 

Years in FPRA: 10+

Favorite FPRA Event: Roast and Toast will ALWAYS be my favorite because it benefited scholarships, and was always a labor of love that I hope returns one day.

Favorite Benefit of FPRA Membership: I would have to say the CPRC because I just completed that process last year, and it was very worthwhile for those considering it.

Explanation of your job: I am a Senior Account Executive who manages all types of professional services accounts for our statewide firm, which has offices in Orlando, Miami and Naples.

Exciting Achievement: I just led the NBA All-Star 2012 PR team that coordinated media relations for nine events including the All-Star Jam Session at the Orange County Convention Center, a 500,000-square-foot interactive fan experience that attracted nearly 100,000 people in four days. Special thanks to my colleagues including FPRA 2011 Member of the Year Stefanie Macfarlane, APR, who led media credentials for nearly 300 media outlets from around the world including China (who wanted to cover NBA sensation Jeremy Lin).

More on Jamie: I think our Central Florida community is an amazing network of professionals who help each other, and I hope that never changes. I really believe each of us should  take the time and effort to “pay it forward,” and I always try to remember that motto. For anyone who does not know, I am always willing to share job leads and information through the grassroots effort #HAPPO on Twitter or www.helpaprproout.com

Contact info: jfloer@wraggcasas.com and on Twitter/FB @jamiefloer