More than 20 students are sponsored to attend the 22nd annual PR University seminar “Climbing the PR Ladder,” which is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport located at 9931 Interstate Commerce Drive in Fort Myers.

“Thanks to our generous sponsors, speakers and association members, we were able to provide a record number of scholarships for students interested in public relations, marketing and communications,” said Angeli Chin, PRU event co-chair. “We still encourage any interested students to take advantage of this opportunity and the student discount rate to learn more about the industry of public relations and professionals in our area.”

Organized by the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, the award-winning PR University seminar was developed for local association members and public relations professionals to obtain valuable information about the industry while learning more about current trends from expert leaders.

This year’s theme, “Climbing the PR Ladder,” focuses on developing and enhancing skills, as guest speakers offer their expertise in strategic planning, social media and engagement, conflict management, diversity, focus and motivation, and more.

The lineup of speakers and their topics include:

The Five W’s of Research with Lynn Schneider, APR, CPR, director of marketing and business development for Park Royal Hospital

How to Reach the Hispanic Market, Demographics and Market Trends with Mayela Rosales, executive vice president of Media Vista Group, LLC

How To Manage Conflict and Avoid Unhappy Clients with Keith Grossman, attorney and Family and Circuit Civil mediator by the Florida Supreme Court of Florida

Fully Engaged with Chief Stephanie Spell, member of Sheriff Kevin Rambosk’s executive command staff

Storytelling Marketing: How to ethically persuade with the written word with Erik Stafford, creative director at ISOOSI Marketing Agency

Picasso & PR: Career Lessons from the Master withSusan Bennett, APR, CPRC, president of Susan Bennett Marketing & Media

The Power of Focus: How Changing One Thing in Your Life Changes Everything with David Essel, M.S.

Open to the public, the seminar will begin at 7:30 a.m. with registration check-in and a continental breakfast followed by each speaker’s 45-minute presentation beginning at 8 am. Lunch and refreshments will also be served.

Registration fees are $95 for FPRA and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members, and $125 for nonmembers. All students are $35 each. Registration is now open at www.fpraswfl.org/event-registration.

Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available from $250 to $1,000. For more information or to become a sponsor, contact co-chairs Angeli Chin at 239-313-3995 or angeli.chin@me.com, or Kylee Pitts at 239-293-1110 or kyleeap@gmail.com.

The Florida Public Relations Association was founded in 1938 and is the oldest public relations organization in the United States. FPRA is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida. The Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA is dedicated to programs and activities for public relations professionals in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. For additional information on FPRA or PR University, please visit the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA website at www.fpraswfl.org or Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FPRASWFL.