PRestige January 2018

2017 Holiday Social

The 2017 Holiday Social was a great time of mixing an mingling! Although it was strictly social, we did learn a lot about making wine. Members even mixed up the batch that will be available at the 2018 mid-Florida Local Image Awards! Check out the photos of the fun on the FPRA Ocala Facebook page!

Don't Miss the Next Social

As our monthly meetings have grown, we are limited on introductions and announcements which help us build our networks. To offset that, a monthly FPRA (Friendly, Professional, Relaxed, Atmosphere) gathering allows members to meet in a more social setting. Join us this month at the new Katya Vineyards,  one of Ocala’s lovely downtown venues. This is a time to catch up and connect. If you have any questions, please reach out to Lauren Debick at 352-454-4264.

Wednesday, January 17 at Katya Vineyards (101 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite 102, Ocala)

From the PResident's Perspective

Happy New Year! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season. The new year is a time when many of us set goals for personal and professional improvement. Some of the best ways to help you achieve professional goals are easily accessible benefits of your FPRA membership.

1. Monthly webinars offered at no charge to FPRA members cover a wide variety of topics to help you strengthen your knowledge base.
2. Fifteen professional chapters throughout the state provide networking with peers in almost any industry.
3. Accreditation and certification are well recognized professional designations to establish you as a competent practitioner.
4. The Image Awards competition allows an opportunity to gain local recognition for outstanding PR tools and programs.

I have used my FPRA membership to network in other areas of the state throughout my career. In the past year, I have attended chapter meetings with Lake County and Gainesville. Fellow FPRA chapter members offer me advice that helps me in my current job. (Thank goodness, for peers who answer my calls and emails and do not charge me for their time!)

But one of the most significant and personal benefits of my FPRA membership has come in the way of leadership development. Some of the FPRA members I respect the most have encouraged me throughout my career – prompting me to accept leadership positions within the chapter. These volunteer roles have greatly enriched me personally and professionally.

In the coming weeks, I plan to start my Image Awards entry. It will be the first one I have completed independently in many years, so it feels like a BOLD PR move. I am looking forward to it because it will allow me to strengthen my PR work through the peer review process.

What projects have you worked on this year? I hope you will consider attending a workshop and learning more about entering some of your work in the Image Awards competition. It is a great learning opportunity and will help fine tune your skills. You can learn more about all this at this month’s luncheon when Heather Danenhower, APR, CPRC, speaks about her award-winning project.

Sincerely,

Lisa E. Varner, APR, CPRC

Kickstart Your Career in 2018

Want to advance your PR skills to the next level? Looking for a way to polish your professional style? Need a boost to invigorate your career? You should pursue APR, or Accreditation in Public Relations, for any of these reasons and more.

RIGHT BRAIN RED (AND OTHER CREATIVITY HACKS)

FPRA Webinars are free as part of your member benefits–$25 for non-members!

THURSDAY JANUARY 11, 2018 | 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.

Join author, game designer and filmmaker, Tim Walsh of The Playmakers, as he shares with FPRA members five ways to hack the creativity curve. Tim pulls the curtain back on the world of toy design and marketing in this fun and informative webinar.

Over an eclectic career spanning 27 years, Tim has played hard. His books (Timeless Toys Andrews-McMeel, 2005; WHAM-O Super-Book Chronicle Books, 2008; and Right Brain Red River Grove Books, 2016) have been praised by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and NPR and others. His games (TriBond, Blurt, Mad Gab, Link ‘Em, You’ve Been Framed, etc) have sold over 7 million copies in 13 countries. And the two documentary films he’s co-produced (Toyland and OPERATION: Operation, The Power of Play) have won 4 Best Documentary awards at US film festivals.

Tim will share two big ideas from the book he wrote with Reyn Guyer, one of the most successful, creative professionals of our time, and three other creativity hacks from his own research. Join us for an engaging and interactive presentation that promises to inspire anyone who wants to boost creative output.

Register now!

Learn From a Winner

Are You Ready for a PaRade?

It’s time to start thinking about this year’s Mid-Florida Local Image Awards and Wilton F. Martin Communicator of the Year Awards … PaRade of Excellence!

1. January 9- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Image Workshop at Medical Health Center- BYO brown bag lunch. We will share tips of the trade for the two-page summary and collateral material. If this is your first time entering, or you’re just wanting to learn more, this is the session for you!
2. Conference Call workshop from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
3. Two-page summary swap and critique will be Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13, so plan and be prepared. More details to follow next month for that event. Please RSVP for either of these workshops to Allison@AandACampbellGroup.com.

Nominations Are Open

The holidays are a great time to reflect upon the year. In January, the nomination process will be open for the Wilton F. Martin Communicator of the Year award. Begin thinking now about deserving nominees.

Thank You!

The 2017 Holiday Social was a fun evening of networking and catching up with dear FPRA friends. To make the evening more meaningful, members brought diapers and wipes to support the December Diaper Drive for the Marion County Early Learning Coalition. Thanks to Anita Winter, our community service chair, for helping us coordinate the effort.

Thanks to

Our Presenting Sponsor