FPRA’s 73rd Annual Conference will take place Aug. 7-10 at the Naples Grande Resort in Naples, Fla. Here’s some interesting facts about our host city:

• Naples is officially the county seat of Collier County.
• Collier County was named for Barron Collier, a New York City advertising mogul who had moved into Southwest Florida and established himself as a prominent land owner. He agreed to build the Tamiami Trail for what was then Lee County in exchange for favorable consideration with the state legislature to have a county named for him.
• In 2005, Naples was voted the best beach in America by the Travel Channel.
• With over 800 alumni living in Naples, the Ohio State University once established the nation’s biggest alumni club in the early 2000s (outside of Columbus, Ohio). This is most likely due in large part to the overwhelming amount of Midwesterners who have relocated to Naples.
• Among those who own homes in Naples: former astronaut Buzz Aldrin; former NBA player Larry Bird; Microsoft founder Bill Gates; former Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives Dick Gephardt; Papa John’s founder, chairman, and current CO-CEO John Schnatter, Florida Governor Rick Scott, and real estate developer Donald Trump.

Click here to learn more about Naples.

Golden Image Awards entries this year were up 25 percent over 2010, with a total of 175 entries received. The awards will be presented at a grand gala on Tuesday, Aug. 9 as part of FPRA’s 73rd Annual Conference in Naples, Fla.

A Golden Image Award is not easy to win, nor should it be. It is the highest accolade in the public relations industry in Florida. Join us as we honor the industry’s best campaigns, tools and tactics. Reserve your seat today.

We’ve had a tremendous response to this year’s FPRA Annual Conference and registrations continue to come in. You as a public relations professional may still be on the fence wondering what value attending the conference would bring to your personal and professional development. Here’s a 9-minute video that provides an overview of the conference, the sessions, the speakers, the special events, and more.

Complete conference details and registration can be found at http://fpra.org.

This year’s FPRA Annual Conference features a competition between the Association’s 15 professional chapters. Each chapter was asked to develop and record a chapter cheer to show their FPRA and hometown spirit. All the videos will be viewed during the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation fundraiser on Sunday, August 7 to kickoff the conference.

Here’s the Gainesville and Orlando Area chapter entries:

A new addition to the FPRA Annual Conference schedule this year is the FPRA Coffee Club… something special for you early risers!

Each morning between 6:00 – 7:00 am, interested participants can gather for fresh coffee and networking in the hotel lobby. Simply present your FPRA conference badge at Spressi, located in the lobby, to receive your complimentary cup of coffee or tea. Then find a comfortable place to relax and chat with your PR colleagues.

If you would rather start your day with a walk or run, the Naples Grande Resort is located near a beautiful nature preserve that offers miles of paved paths.

Another benefit that will be enjoyed by attendees of FPRA’s 73rd Annual Conference is our signature USB flash drive. This year’s 1GB drive comes preloaded with conference presentations as well as the conference program, hotel map, a directory of restaurants located near the conference hotel, and more.

The drive features a sliding cap which protects the drive and your files while not in use.

After the conference is over, you can use the drive at work and home while promoting your affiliation with FPRA. Simply plug the drive into the USB port of your Mac or PC and go.

This year’s FPRA conference blog has been optimized for smartphones. Those using an iPhone, Android or other mobile device will see a minimal, easy-to-read layout that loads at lightning speed. You’ll have full access to conference articles, photos and news… as it happens!

Want to find out which chapter is named Chapter of the Year? See it announced live on http://fprablog.org. Want to meet our Member of the Year? Meet him or her at http://fprablog.org. Want to find out who walks away with Golden Image Awards this year? Download a complete winner’s list at http://fprablog.org.

Join us for complete conference coverage, Aug. 7-10.

Did you know that each attendee at this year’s FPRA Annual Conference will receive a beautiful FPRA padfolio, compliments of Kissimmee Utility Authority. It’s true!

The padfolio comes complete with an 8½” x 11″ writing pad, a business card pocket, pen loop with matching pen, and a zippered pocket for personal items.

Just one more reason why you should attend this year’s conference!

Wear your collegiate colors/gear and network with your FPRA colleagues at a special university-themed bash to raise funds for our Florida Public Relations Education Foundation! Tailgate-style food, entertainment, and silent and live auction items will be available. This event is not included in the price of registration. Cost: $45 per person, which includes dinner and non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar available. Sponsored in part by the Gainesville Chapter.

The event runs from 7:00 – 9:30 pm on Sunday, Aug. 7 on the opening day of FPRA’s 73rd Annual Conference in Naples, Fla.

FPRA’s Annual Conference is one of the Association’s most anticipated professional development events of the year. For four days, FPRA members, as well as other PR professionals from around the region, join together for one common goal — to enhance their career through professional development seminars led by nationally recognized speakers and networking opportunities. By offering experts on a variety of industry-related topics, FPRA’s goal for Annual Conference is to present tools, tactics and strategies that its members can immediately apply and implement in their jobs.

This year, FPRA’s Annual Conference theme is “The Evolution of PR”.

Watch the promo video…

Download the conference brochure and register today.