Date: Friday, Feb. 25, 2022
Time: 8:30-9 a.m. registration; program 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Location: Florida SouthWestern State College, Building AA, Room 177, 8099 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919

Registration cost: $99 members, $139 future members, $49 students. Registration includes breakfast and lunch.

APR continuing education credits: 2

Event description:
The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) brings its annual one-day professional development seminar to Florida SouthWestern State College. This year’s event, “Mission: Liftoff – PR Strategies to Ignite Your Brand,” will include presentations on effective storytelling, increasing earned media, creating award-winning campaigns and more.

PR University showcases industry-leading professionals in business, education, healthcare, media and more, all sharing their best practices, takeaways and case studies on how to take your brand to the next dimension.

Open to the public, this event provides seasoned and young professionals, business owners, and anyone who communicates to internal or external audiences, real-world tools they can use in their daily work.

PR University offers valuable education, professional development, and networking opportunities with presentations from a lineup of dynamic speakers.

Our Speakers: 

Brand Stand Out – Media Relations Best Practices

Presented by: Darrel Lieze-Adams, Vice President and Station Manager at Waterman Broadcasting (ABC7 and NBC2) | View Darrel’s Bio

  • Winning press release for guaranteed media attention
  • Tips and tricks to increase chances of getting earned media
  • Best practices on building relationships with journalists

Branding and Executive Leadership – Public Relations’ Seat at the Executive Table

Presented by:
Lucienne Pears, VP of Economic and Business Development, Babcock Ranch/Kitson and Partners, Punta Gorda

Lisa Hall, APR, CPRC, President and CEO, Hall+ Media Strategies, Inc

  • PR strategies Kitson and Partners used early on with Babcock Ranch
  • Hear from the always-PR-savvy strategies of Babcock Ranch and the importance of giving public relations a seat at the executive table

Brand, Camera, Action – Using Video to Tell Compelling Stories

Presented by:
Mike Haley, Owner at M&M Multimedia | View Mike’s Bio

Dave Cintron, Lead Lead Multimedia Producer at M&M Multimedia | View Dave’s Bio

  • How to properly tell a story and make it interesting
  • The art of storytelling
  • Incorporate statistics, but make it interesting

Personal Branding on Social Media – Creating a Social Network

Presented by: Dr. Nancy Richmond, Marketing Professor at Florida International University | View Nancy’s Bio

  • Strengthen your personal brand on social media
  • Social organization by social networking with colleagues

Brand Refresh – How to Make a Good Brand Better

Presented by: Carlos Collazos, CFO and Owner at C+8 Design | View Carlos’ Bio

  • Case study on how to make a good brand even better
  • Before and after examples of a brand refresh

Get Your Brand Recognized – The Importance of Awards

Presented by:
Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations at Priority Marketing | View Holly’s Bio

Emily Golden, Public Relations Manager at Priority Marketing | View Emily’s Bio

  • Why awards are important, both professional and personal
  • How to create an award-winning campaign
  • Tips to find award opportunities and how to put together a winning entry

Communicating Through Crisis – COVID-19 Brand Standouts Healthcare Panel

Presented by:
Mary Briggs, APR, CPRC, System Director, Strategic Communications & Public Relations at Lee Health | View Mary’s Bio

April Donahue, Executive Director at Collier County Medical Society | View April’s Bio

Kristine Hollingsworth, Assistant to the Administrator and Public Information Officer at Florida Department of Health, Collier County | View Kristine’s Bio

Alejandro Perez-Trepichio, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and COVID-19 Subject Matter Expert, Millennium Physician Group

  • Communicating through COVID-19
  • The importance of segmenting audiences
  • Media relations and transparency limitations

Public Relations University is an annual, daylong professional development seminar that attracts PR and marketing professionals from across Southwest Florida, hosted by the Southwest Florida chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.

Event Sponsors:


  • PR University - PR Strategies to Ignite Your Brand
     February 25, 2022
     8:30 am - 4:30 pm
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