The Media Breakfast on June 13 was another great success. Big kudos go out to the special events committee members who coordinated this program, and worked with local sponsors to offset any costs. Thank you to Pushing The Envelope and Edison State College for their sponsorship of the event, and LCPA for providing programs and support to the event itself.
The panel of experts included Steve McQuilkin with the News-Press, Krista Fogelsong with NBC-2, Jean Gruss with Business Observer, Waddy Padilla with Florida Weekly, and Amy Tardif with WGCU. Vicki Moreland with the LCPA served as the event moderator, and helped to manage the flow of questions that were submitted to the panelists. Attendees were able to write questions on the note cards provided at their tables, or they could ask questions live throughout the event. All panelists offered great tips to members, and were very engaging before, during, and after the presentation.
Some of the tips included getting to know the reporters for various organizations as well as their ‘beats’, creating and email headline that is brief and relays the story so when reporters receive the message they know what to expect, going straight to the point in a news release, learning about editorial calendars for publications as well as the deadlines, and more.
The event was held at the Holiday Inn and more than 70 people attended the buffet-style breakfast, with several guests in the mix. And many of those guests have already submitted membership applications, or started the process of learning more about FPRA membership. This truly was a great event for all who attended!