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17th Annual Convention and Trade Show Program

2011 Convention Schedule At A Glance

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

10:00 am - 6:30 pm
Registration

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Exhibitor Set-Up

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Social Networking Boot Camp
(Beginning to Intermediate Social Media Marketing)
Presenter:    Bonnie Upright , APR, President, Upright Public Relations, Orange Park, FL

Stop the insanity! Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. Google+. LinkedIn. QR Codes. What does it all mean? How does it work? Do I have to do it? Am I a bad person if I don't? What if someone says something negative? Does anyone really care? These questions and more will be answered in this hands-on workshop for beginner to intermediate social media users. Bring your laptops, tablets and smart phones for this interactive session on all things social. We'll look at best practices, live-critique existing pages and sites and get you up and running on the networks that make the most sense for YOU. *Hint You don't have to use them all!

Google Places, Video Marketing, and Text Message Marketing
Presenter:    David Sprague, Real Strategic Inc., Jupiter, FL

This three-hour, fast paced half-day session, will cover the following three areas of mobile marketing and provide proven mobile marketing “how to” strategies that you can implement immediately to gain more attendees and/or customers:




1. Mobile Marketing with Google Places
   How to be the 1st to come up on a mobile phone
   How to use mobile coupons to generate leads
2. Mobile Marketing with Video
   How to create videos that drive more traffic
   How to create video testimonial that convert
3. Mobile Marketing with Text Messaging
   How to use text message marketing to get more leads
   How to capture names, phone numbers and emails via text
   Mistakes 90% of companies make with text marketing

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
First Timer's Event
Host:    Suzanne Neve, Vice President,
             Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, Jupiter, FL

First time attending the FFEA Convention? Join us for a welcome reception where you will have the opportunity to meet other first-timers during a fast-paced and fun networking experience. The event's unique "speed dating" style format guarantees you will meet at least 10 FFEA Convention participants. Enjoy 5 minutes with each new contact before you Do-Si-Do to the next attendee. Don't miss this opportunity to build relationships with attendees before the convention even opens!

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Opening Reception
Featuring Trade Show Exhibitors
The Opening Reception is a great opportunity to mosey on down to the trade show floor and get to know 30 exhibitors showing their latest and greatest products and services. You'll find marketing sources, equipment to rent, insurance companies to compare, ATM's for your events' big bucks, radios to use, entertainment and talent for all ages, flags to fly, beads to wear, tickets to take, fabulous fireworks, outdoor movies (and screens) to rent, golf carts to consider, innovative consultants to help you succeed, evaluations and research tools to try, videos and sounds to make your senses stand up and take note, added values for sponsors, and even beer and port-a- lets (in that order).

Food stations/soda/water included in registration fee. Cash bar.

Guest tickets may be purchased for spouses and guests. Adult tickets are $35 and tickets for children under 12 are $17.50.

Buy Guest Tickets

Entertainment:
The Living Statues, Living Topiaries & Ancient Warriors, Stone Legend Comes Alive
James Changefield, Magical Entertainer

Sponsored by:

8:00 pm - 9:45 pm
Entertainment Showcase

8:00 – 8:20       The Rhythm Room
8:25 – 8:45       Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band
8:50 – 9:15       Don Schiltz
9:20 – 9:40       Leoma Lovegrove

Complimentary Soda/water included in registration fee. Cash bar.

Sponsored by:

10:00 pm - 12 midnight
Late Night Hospitality Hours
If you're a Night Rider don't forget to stop by our saloon, open ‘til Midnight. It's a great opportunity to meet up with fellow ladies, gentlemen, cowboys, and city slickers. So circle the wagons, who knows what new partners you'll wrangle up.

Complimentary soda/water and snacks included in registration fee. Cash bar.

Sponsored by:

Thursday, August 11, 2011

8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Registration

7:30 am - 8:15 am
Breakfast and Learning Round Tables
Host:    Brandy Upright-Truex, President, Upright Marketing Solutions, Boca Raton, FL

Take part in roundtables facilitated by speakers who will share ideas and take questions on specified topics. Breakfast roundtables will start at 7:30 am and attendees will rotate to another topic/table after 20 minutes. This is a relaxed breakfast - if you come down late, join in when you arrive.

8:30 am - 9:45 am

Non-Traditional Sponsorship Benefits:
How logos and listings aren't enough anymore?
Presenter:    Stacey Halpin, Sponsorship Manager, SunFest of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, FL

Sponsors are demanding more from your sponsorship. Everyone wants to offer a “once in a lifetime” experience. From activation weeks prior to social media benefits, sponsors want to engage your festival audience with a customized program. Help your client sell their “story” through sponsorship of your property.

planning & operating an outdoor festival
Presenter:    Bobby Rodriguez, President, Bobby Rodriguez Productions, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL

This workshop will cover the basic "do's and don'ts" of creating, planning and operating an outdoor festival including:

• Budgeting
• Sponsorship
• Logisitics
• Marketing
• Promotions
• Volunteers
• Entertainment

Get the Best Media Results
Presenter:    Bonnie Upright , APR, President, Upright Public Relations, Orange Park, FL

Shrinking newspapers, reduced ad budgets, and messages being blasted through dozens of mediums makes it that much more difficult to pitch a story. Creativity is king - and a news release isn't always the best answer. In fact, writing and distributing news releases with no strategy can be worse than not sending one at all. In this session, we will discuss how to think strategically, in addition to how to marry traditional and emerging media tactics, to get the best media results possible.

Volunteer Program - Recruit - Retain - Recognize!
Presenter:    Karen Shostak, Director of Sales, Friends of the Festival, Inc., Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga, TN

This presentation will take you through the three R’s of a successful volunteer program:

• RECRUIT – “The Masses”
• RETAIN – “The Right People for the Right Jobs”
• RECOGNIZE – “The Best!”

9:45 am - 10:00 am
Beverage Break
Wet your whistle with complimentary coffee, soda and water included in the registration fee.

Sponsored by: Coconut Grove Arts Festival

10:00 am - 11:15 am

Touchdown Tips on Winning Sponsorship Points
Presenter:    Frank Supovitz, Senior Vice President, Events, National Football League, New York, NY

This session will cover five components of the changing world of sponsorship.

• The Shifting Model of Event Sponsorship
  Discuss how sponsorship has evolved from a signage opportunity to more broad branding opportunities.
  
• The Improved Toolbox
  Identify what event components to sell, how to bundle assets and how to activate sponsorships year-round.
  
• The New Toolbox
  Discuss using social media, digital marketing and event apps add value to your sponsorships.
  
• Ambushes
  Sponsors expectations and ambushes. What is realistic to control around your event.
  
• Re-Thinking Old Paradigms
  Re-visit sponsor categories and entitlements and how to add media programming to reach new masses.

Planning the Perfect Parade
Presenter:    Karen Ellis, Executive Director, Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee, FL

Learn the A, B, C’s of planning the perfect parade from Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade experts, who draw 70,000 viewers each year. Proper planning equals success! Areas that will be discussed are sponsorship acquisition and fulfillment, volunteer recruitment, entry solicitation and selection that will result in a high quality production, staging and line-up, and parade day logistics and operations.

BEING REALLY GREEN
HOW TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN EFFECTIVE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM
Presenter:    Brian Hill, Executive Director, Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Dunwoody Music Festival and Owner, Oktober Productions, Atlanta, GA

Many festivals have claimed to be “going green” but are they really? In this session you will hear from an award winning, industry leading festival on how to partner with other organizations to develop a meaningful eco-program. Attendees will explore the challenges of requiring vendors to use only recyclable and/or compostable supplies and what to do with your compostables, recyclables and solid waste once it is recovered. The session will cover topics including capturing food grease to create bio-diesel for use in generators, creating an Eco-Village to feature companies with sustainable initiatives and products and developing education centers to make the program useful and interesting. The session will also offer insight into how to tell your story to your audience in a way that will impact them long after they have left your event.

Temperaments
Presenter:    Dr. Althea Pemsel, Procurement Official, City of West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL

Have you ever wondered why the Accountant has to know every detail before he releases even a penny? Have you pondered how marketing folks get anything done because it seems they are always socializing or having fun? Have you looked at some managers and staff members in your organization and thought "Does this guy have a heart? Have you marveled at the calm and collective approach the software designer has in technology management? Temperaments are going to explain why we are the way we really are and how vital the individual styles are in today’s working environment. Once you harness and understand the differences, you will be able to celebrate them as well as come to value their role and input. Remember too, you are going to be learning about yourself as well. This will be a fun-filled evening of learning and gaining understanding.

11:15 am - 1:15 pm
Trade show tour and lunch
Featuring the Trade Show Exhibitors

Whoa Nellie! We got a Trade Show with more vendors than you can shake a stick at. You'll be seated with vendors for lunch and be treated to a short montage about all of the exhibiting vendors. Following that, FFEA will be having its Business Meeting, giving the chance for each committee to update you on its yearly progress.

Lunch included in registration fee.

Guest tickets may be purchased for spouses and guests. Adult tickets are $32 and tickets for children under 12 are $16.

Buy Guest Tickets

Sponsored by:

A company of Southern Waste Systems, LLC

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm

Party Til the Cows Come Home
Presenter:    Mary Pinak, Community Events Manager, City of West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL

Hosting more than 225 events annually, the new Waterfront opens up Downtown West Palm Beach for non-stop entertainment. How is the City creating additional hoopla and reinvigorating classic events, such as the WPB GreenMarket and Clematis by Night? See examples of simple ideas that had big results and "can't miss" concepts...that did! How does the City handle the operational challenges of an uber-active event calendar? How can you keep the creativity flowing with so much to do, so little time and so little staff?

Practical Strategies and Tactics for A+ Media Interviews: How to Become a Newsmaker and Secure Publicity that Supports Your Business Goals
Presenter:    Jolie Balido, President and Co-founder, Roar Media, Miami, FL

Positive media coverage can be priceless in terms of supporting branding, generating awareness and driving business goals. In this informative, interactive presentation, attendees will learn strategies and tactics that will help them conduct A+ media interviews and learn how to become newsmakers rather than merely answering reporters' questions. Jolie will share real-world case studies, examples and anecdotes to help attendees learn to secure publicity in top-tier media outlets that accurately tells their story, the way they want it told. She will help attendees learn the critical difference between superficial publicity that does little to support their goals, and meaningful publicity that has deep messaging and truly motivates target audiences to take the desired actions. Attendees will come away with practical tips they can begin to use immediately not only when communicating with the media but also when speaking with almost anyone in order to become effective, persuasive storytellers.

Alcohol Training
Presenter:    Anheuser-Busch

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm
Beverage Break
Wet your whistle with complimentary coffee, soda and water included in the registration fee.

Sponsored by: Coconut Grove Arts Festival

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Your website is ugly!
Presenter:    Ceci Dadisman, President & Creative Director, CeciCreative, West Palm Beach, FL

Many organizations struggle with a website that they can't update themselves or is difficult to manage. Re-building the site with user-friendly and inexpensive CMS tools can not only improve the visual characteristics of the site, but also allow anyone on staff (whether or not they have HTML knowledge) to easily update the site and provide fresh content. Hear how these quick-to-learn tools can change how you use your website to keep your audience informed and engaged. You will be a web manager pro in no time!

Plan for the Future Today: Utilizing Youth in a Meaningful Way
Presenter:    Meryl Rorer, Volunteer Coordinator, Collier County Parks and Recreation, Naples, FL

Many organizations recruit high school and college students to volunteer at their events but give them little responsibility and virtually no input into the planning process. Consequently, very few of them engage in the organization beyond the specific event and even fewer remain involved to further your mission. This session will introduce ways to utilize this population in a meaningful way and maximize the potential for all players. This can lead to more success projects and help our future leaders learn skills to advance their personal passions and possibly partner with your organization for the long haul.

Creating Sponsorship Proposals That Sell
Presenter:    Patrick Armstrong, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Development, Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., Louisville, KY

The Kentucky Derby Festival offers a wide variety of sponsorship options including Event Sponsorships, Official Products, Pegasus Pin Opportunities, Sampling/Display, Parade Entries, Balloon Event entries, Hospitality, and Customized Promotions. This session will examine the mechanics of sponsorship proposals for several different sponsorship options. We will discuss valuable tips on putting together effective and unique sponsor benefit packages for a variety of different clients at different investment levels.

6:00 pm - 9:45 pm
Thursday Night Social
Silent Auction Ends at 7:00 pm

Dinner included in registration fee. Cash bar.

Guest tickets may be purchased for spouses and guests. Adult tickets are $45 and tickets for children under 12 are $22.50.

Entertainment:
DiVie
James Changefield, Magical Entertainer

Buy Guest Tickets

Sponsored by:

10:00 pm - 12 midnight
Late Night Hospitality Hours
Whiskey for Me, Beer For my Horse

Hitch up your horses and come on down to the Saloon for some good 'ol Southern Hospitality.

Complimentary beverages (lots) and snacks included in the registration fee.

Sponored by:

Friday, August 12, 2011

8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Registration

7:30 am - 8:15 am
Breakfast and Learning Roundtables
Host: Brandy Upright-Truex, President, Upright Marketing Solutions, Boca Raton, FL

Take part in roundtables facilitated by speakers who will share ideas and take questions on specified topics. Breakfast roundtables will start at 7:30 am and attendees will rotate to another topic/table after 20 minutes. This is a relaxed breakfast - if you come down late, join in when you arrive.

8:30 am - 9:45 am

Social Media, T-Shirts and Unicorns
Presenter:    Jason Sadler, Founder/CEO/Shirt Wearer, IWearYourShirt.com, Jacksonville, FL

You, too, can monetize the social media world! Learn the story of how Jason built IWearYourShirt.com from nothing, and how, using grassroots marketing only, got noticed by the CBS Evening News, CNN and FOX, just to name a few. Jason will share how his use of popular and effective social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Ustream and Flickr, can work for your event or business. There is also a little unicorn flare thrown in for good measure! This session is good for both the basic and advanced social media audience.

VOLUNTEERING IS MANADATORY!
HOW TO GET VOLUNTEERS, PUT THEM TO USE AND KEEP THEM COMING BACK
Presenter:    Brian Hill, Executive Director, Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Dunwoody Music Festival, and Owner, Oktober Productions, Atlanta, GA

As contradictory as the saying may seem, we all know that “volunteering is mandatory for a successful event”. Without them our festivals might not happen. A few key questions are faced time and again by people coordinating the volunteer programs. Questions such as “Where and how do we attract volunteers”, “We found them, now how do we best utilize them to get the most out of their time?”. This session will take an interactive approach to the topics of training, directing, motivating and, at times, controlling your volunteers. It will address how to reward them and how to keep them coming back. Attendees will have the opportunity to have their specific concerns addressed and find suggestions drawn from the vast knowledge of their peers to establish best practices. The session will offer ideas on what is needed for a successful volunteer program and what attendees might do to improve existing ones.

REVENUE GENERATORS
Presenter:    Dan Goode, Event Manager, SunFest of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, FL

This will be an interactive session that will explore alternative ways to generate revenue through both traditional and non-traditional sources. The following topics will be discussed:

• Upgrades
• Food & Beverage
• Promotions
• Merchandise

Happiness-based Leadership™ and The Law of the Garbage Truck™
Presenter:    David J. Pollay, Founder of The Momentum Project, LLC, Author of The Law of the Garbage Truck, Boca Raton, FL

“The message will stay with you for decades to come.”
- Tom Rath, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of How Full Is Your Bucket, and bestsellers StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Well-Being

Join millions of others and learn David J. Pollay’s solution for happiness, success, and civility. Learn about the science of happiness, and how The Law of the Garbage Truck (Sterling Publishing) is revolutionizing the way people relate to each other personally and professionally. This program is a must-attend for all festival and event planners! David’s Happiness-based Leadership™ and The Law of the Garbage Truck™ have been endorsed by psychologists, educators, athletes, entertainers, business and spiritual leaders. Experience for yourself why people from more than 100 countries have taken The No Garbage Trucks! Pledge™. If you want to increase your effectiveness as a leader in your community, this is a program you do not want to miss.

9:45 am - 10:00 am
Beverage Break
Wet your whistle with complimentary coffee, soda and water included in the registration fee.

Sponsored by: Coconut Grove Arts Festival

10:00 am - 11:15 am

Don't Let Your Social Media Marketing Efforts Consume Your Day
Presenter:    Sharon McAllister, Executive Director, ArtFest Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL

Is keeping up with your Social Media consuming your day? Does this sound familiar... you get to the office, turn on your computer and bring up your social media accounts…you start posting, reviewing comments, responding to comments and suddenly its lunchtime! You can allow Facebook and Twitter to take a big bite out of your day - or you can choose to control it! Believe me…it is possible to complete your social media responsibilities each day in about 20 minutes with easy tools that organize and automate much of the process. If you know Word and Excel - then controlling your Social Media platforms is simple! Learn how ArtFest Fort Myers, with a staff of two, did it - utilizing easy tools to organize and automate their posts.

What Can Creating a Theme do for your Event?
Presenter:    Amy Tancig, Executive Director, Miami Design Preservation League | Art Deco Weekend, Miami Beach, FL

Is your annual event in need of sprucing? Is each event a carbon copy of the last? Are you losing marketing momentum? Look to themes as a creative solution. If you utilize your event’s same image each year can be a marketing challenge. Themes offer an excellent outlet for rebranding your event’s image, expanding programming options and drawing new demographics. For more than 35 years Miami Design Preservation League has hosted Art Deco Weekend, a free three-day festival along twelve blocks of Ocean Drive celebrating the art and architecture of the historic district. Each year the festival takes a different theme allowing for programatic and marketing flexibility. In this session, you will learn how annual event themes can help your organization make the difference in assuring relevance and providing an ever-changing platform for marketing and collaborations.

Police Partnerships
Presenter:    Captain Richard Walterman, Miami Police Department, Miami, FL

Learn the key elements of working with your City’s Police Department to make it a successful partnership. How can the Police Department become your event’s best advocates? How can you work with your Police Department to ensure that there is enough security, but not too much? Who is ultimately responsible for that decision? Where can private agencies be utilized and who supervises them? What is the best chain of communications in an event emergency?

11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Trade show tour
Trade Show Open

You've heard all about them at the Trade Show Lunch and you have partied with them throughout the night, now it is time to make your last rounds of the trade show and talk business, one-on-one.

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
SUNsational Awards Luncheon
Featuring the SUNsational Award Winners
Bring your cowboys on down to raise a ruckus for our 2011 SUNsational Award entries and see the presentation of awards to the winners.

Lunch included in registration fee.

Guest tickets may be purchased for spouses and guests. Adult tickets are $32 and tickets for children under 12 are $16.

Buy Guest Tickets

1:45 pm - 3:00 pm

social media and roi calculation: theory and practice
Presenter:    Scott Merselis, Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Florida State Fair Authority, Tampa, FL

For the marketer or executive that really want to know how to measure this difficult and somewhat confusing factor of their marketing budgets. Explore the different ways of how and why we should attempt to measure Social Media ROI; and how we can use it to our advantage in our marketing plans and tactical plans. Eighty four percent of companies don't analyze their social media ROI because it is just too difficult, or they don't understand it. Get over this hurdle with tips on tools, and a mathematical explanation of solutions in this session.

Run It Like a Business: The Keys to Successful Event Financial Management
Presenter:    Dan Goode, Event Manager, SunFest of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, FL
                    Pam Sartory, Business Manager, SunFest of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, FL

In a turbulent economy, it’s more important now than ever to focus on the bottom line. Whether you are a for-profit, non-profit or government business/event, it’s time to look at your budgets, revenues and expenses and work towards reaching a number that is “in the black”, not “in the red!” From savvy expense cutting to creative revenue generation, we will explore the “business” aspect of event management.

Building Public and Private Partnerships, Rewards Programs
Presenter:    Karen Shostak, Director of Sales, Friends of the Festival, Inc., Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga, TN

This presentation details a new and innovative approach towards sponsorship programs. In this interactive session you will discover a program model that can:

• Court local and national sponsorships – everyone is welcome!
• Build bridges within your local business community
• Reward event loyalists and patrons with Elite Status courtesy of the program and its partners
• Showcase local businesses and national partnerships
      º An extension of sponsor branding
      º Share in spreading your sponsor’s messages using a program that drives tangible results and achieves more brand exposure
• Draw annual attention to your event and its valuable sponsors

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Exhibitor Break-Down

3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Beverage Break
Wet your whistle with complimentary coffee, soda and water included in the registration fee.

Sponsored by: Coconut Grove Arts Festival

3:15 pm - 4:30 pm

MAKE A RHINO SIZED IMPACT IN THE MARKET WITHOUT SPENDING A TON
Presenter:    Jennifer Berthiaume, PR/Marketing Director, Lion Country Safari, West Palm Beach, FL

In this session, get "TONS" of creative tips for marketing your event or facility. From cross promotions, community partnerships, social marketing, internet advertising and event strategies - we've got you covered! Learn how to grow your "HERD (customer base)" and make a BIG impression.

Leading Change Management
Presenter:    Betsy Allen, Chief Change Officer, Gaining Results Inc., Ft. Myers, FL

Ever had a boss that stripped you of inspiration? Destroyed ideas? Demotivated? Make sure that is never you by following Leadership Rule #6: Leverage the power of shining eyes and avoid the downward spiral to take your organization to the next level. Eliminate scarcity thinking while you surface the best in others. Join this highly interactive, content-rich session to contribute and connect with others wishing to be more of all they can be. We will enjoy the power of Hollywood to tap into a fresh perspective on some familiar and new ideas. Most importantly, we will leave the conference ready to adapt our favorite ideas, adopt new behaviors and apply our best takeaways.

Case Studies: Sponsorship Success Stories from Kentucky Derby Festival and Florida Festivals and Events Association
Presenter:    Patrick Armstrong, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Development, Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc. Louisville, KY

This session is designed to be presented in a client case study format featuring success stories from clients large and small. Sponsorships featuring national sponsors such as McDonald’s, Chase, MillerCoors, Kroger, PNC, and Papa John’s will be discussed as well as local and regional businesses. Client objectives that lead to successful sponsorship activation will be discussed. Most of the ideas can be transferred to your market area and/or your community! This interactive session will also include your sponsorship success stories within the Florida Festivals and Events industry and ample time for Q & A

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday Night Dinner and Social
You have permission to raise a ruckus at this shindig!
Dinner/soda included in registration fee. Cash bar.

Guest tickets may be purchased for spouses and guests. Adult tickets are $30 and tickets for children under 12 are $15.

Entertainment:
The Kazoobie Kazoo Show with Rick Hubbard
The Game Show
Elsten Torres

Buy Guest Tickets

Sponsored by:

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Those staying over Friday Night have the opportunity to join the "Poolside Pals". Poolside Pals will gather round the pool for a day of sun and fun.