Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC, president of Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, will speak at the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association’s (FPRA) 22nd annual PR University seminar “Climbing the PR Ladder,” to be held 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 as one of seven dynamic featured presenters.

During her presentation, Bennett will share lessons learned from legendary artist Pablo Picasso and how to apply them in your own creative journey. She will also share the four roles of public relations professionals and conduct a self-test to determine where you are on your career ladder. Attendees will learn how to position themselves and their job with Bennett’s 10 tips to climb the ladder of success while learning the salary ranges for each stage in their career.

Bennett is a public relations veteran with more than 35 years experience in helping her clients succeed. Her career has included executive positions with Gannett Co., where she served on the launch team of USA TODAY and as marketing director of the The News-Press in Fort Myers. She is among Florida’s most honored public relations professionals with more than 200 awards for her work including special commendations from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Bennett’s firm works with businesses, both large and small, as well as nonprofit organizations to help them accomplish their marketing goals through innovative, creative solutions. She has served as a trustee of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation for 28 years, is a past chairman of the Board of Trustees for the foundation and now is Trustee Emeritus.

Open to the public, the award-winning PR University seminar was developed for local association members and public relations professionals to obtain valuable information about public relations and marketing while learning more about current trends in the field from expert leaders. This year’s theme, “Climbing the PR Ladder,” focuses on developing and enhancing skills in public relations and marketing, as guest speakers offer their expertise in strategic planning, social media and engagement, conflict management, diversity, focus and motivation, and more.

Other seminar speakers include Lynn Schneider, APR, CPRC, Mayela and Orlando Rosales, Keith Grossman, Erik Stafford, Chief Stephanie Spell and David Essel.

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.Register today at https://www.fpraswfl.org/event-registration/. Prices are $95 for FPRA and PRSA members and $125 for nonmembers.

Students interested in applying for a scholarship can access the online application tool at https://www.fpraswfl.org/fpra-events/pr-university/. Upon selection of scholarship, students will receive a free full-day admission the to event. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The application deadline is Saturday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. Student tickets for full-day admission are also available for $35 each should a student not be selected for a scholarship.

Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available from $250 to $1,000. Student sponsorships will also be available for $35 each for those interested in sponsoring a student to partake in the full-day seminar. 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 HYPERLINK “https://www.fpraswfl.org/”www.fpraswfl.org or Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FPRASWFL.