Saturday, May 17

(Times and sessions subject to change)

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Registration at the Naples Grande Beach Resort

Sunday, May 18

(Times and sessions subject to change)

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Registration at the Naples Grande Beach Resort

7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Activity: Counselors Academy Golf Tournament
Tickets are required for all pre-conference activities and seminars. Consult registration form for pricing information.

A longstanding tradition at Spring Conference, this year’s golf tournament will be held at the Naples Grande Golf Club, designed by Golf Digest-ranked architect Rees Jones. Tee off for 18 holes of competition and camaraderie with your fellow Counselors.

7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Seminar: New Media Communications Boot Camp

Tickets are required for all pre-conference activities and seminars. Consult registration form for pricing information.

Blogs, podcasts, vidcasts, RSS, Technorati, del.icio.us, MySpace — through a series of lectures, live demonstrations and exercises, case study presentations and discussions, learn how to integrate these channels into mainstream public relations practices. Also learn how to use popular Web 2.0 tools and services to get the job done.

In this seminar, you will learn:

• Blogging: when to comment, when to listen.

• Social networking and MySpace.

• Podcasts, webcasts and vidcasts in online pressrooms.

• The importance of authenticity when joining an online conversation.

• The basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

• The process of matching new media initiatives to objectives.

• The tangible benefits of engaging consumers via social media.

We recommend that pre-conference seminar attendees bring their own laptops. Wireless Internet access will be available for this session.

Presented by:

Eric Schwartzman, founder and chairman of iPressroom, managing director of Schwartzman & Associates and executive producer of the award-winning PR Podcast “On the Record … Online,” has nearly 20 years of experience as a marketer and public relations practitioner and specializes in integrating all aspects of Web-based communications into mainstream public relations, corporate communications and marketing campaigns.

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Activity: Tennis Anyone?
Tickets are required for all pre-conference activities and seminars. Consult registration form for pricing information.

After a long hiatus, tennis returns to the Counselors Academy Spring Conference. Don’t worry if you haven’t picked up a racket in years — or even never played — this year’s tournament will be accessible to all skill levels, with some friendly competition to spice things up

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Activity: Everglades Eco-Safari
Tickets are required for all pre-conference activities and seminars. Consult registration form for pricing information.

Begin your Florida Conference experience with a comprehensive tour of the Everglades. From Everglades City, you will board an airboat that will wind through the 10,000 islands with its plethora of Florida wildlife, including alligators and manatees. You will also have the opportunity to tour Big Cypress National Preserve, a vast swampland home to many endangered species, including the elusive Florida panther.

*If there is insufficient interest in a private tour, we will continue on the public tour, which will take place between 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

QuickConnect Orientation and Reception

If you’re a first-time Spring Conference attendee, QuickConnect activities will help you get the most out of your Conference experience. And if you’re a Conference veteran willing to show the ropes to a first-time attendee, be sure to indicate you’re willing to be a QuickConnect counselor on the registration form.

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Starlight Reception

Kick off the 2008 Spring Conference with an evening of lively entertainment, as well as tasty food and cocktails, all while watching the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Mexico

Monday, May 19>

Click here to download the full conference brochure. (.pdf)

Questions?: Contact Carolyn Marr at carolyn.marr@prsa.org or 212-460-1420.

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