October Program Recap

 

Tools for the Frugal PR Pro with Headshot Fair
Friday, October 18, 2019 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship

Presented in Partnership with The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship

Top Takeaways

  • It isn’t necessary to be a trained designer to produce professional graphics and video.
  • Free or affordable online tools such as Vyond, Squarespace and Canva can enhance your work product.
  • Technology seems to travel at the speed of light, so sharing knowledge of new tools with communications colleagues is a must.

Recap

Those of us in the communications industry are often asked to perform miracles – to make masterpieces out of thin air. While we generally succeed somehow, as it is our nature, introductions to tools that make our job easier are valuable and welcomed.

At the FPRA Capital Chapter’s October 18th program, Tools for the Frugal PR Pro, chapter members demonstrated the use of several free or affordable programs such as Vyond, Canva and Squarespace.

Drew Piers, a long-time member of FPRA and Director of Campaigns at Sachs Media Group, presented the chapter with various types of online animation and video production software, including Vyond, which is built for professionals of all skill levels in all industries and requires no video experience. But we still have options. Other comparable software includes Biteable, notable for its ease of use, Keynote, an option for Mac users, and After Effects, the most advanced but customizable of the bunch.

Next, members were introduced to tools for easy and affordable web design by another FPRA member, Allison Aubuchon of Allison Aubuchon Communications. Primarily discussed was Squarespace, an all-in-one solution for building an online presence, whether it be a simple splash page, a multi-page website or even a complex site for e-commerce.

Finally, Alexis Franco, a Capitol Chapter member as well as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator at the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, demonstrated the many benefits of Canva and Canva Free, two versions of a simplified graphic design online tool. It uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to photographs, vector images, graphics, and fonts, and is widely used by non-designers as well as professionals for both web and print design.

Alongside the October lunch program, the Capital Chapter also offered a special opportunity to have headshots taken by photography legend, Dave Barfield of The Lonely Fox.

For photos of the event, check out our Facebook page.

– Jessie Werner, Florida Ports Council (Member Since 2018)