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Join the Great Lakes Economic Development Council (Great Lakes EDC) for the latest installment of our Be Greater! digital learning series.
How do you prepare for a public meeting? What about a media interview? As economic development staff members, what are you doing to prepare your execs and build their confidence before large conferences, board meetings or presentation opportunities? Are you worried you will be misquoted or say the wrong thing when out in public forums? What happens if you get a "gotcha" question in a meeting? Are you too nervous to attend events and speak neutrally during volatile political times?
As economic development pros, we should all hone our skills and “think like a spokesperson”, no matter the venue or external audience we may encounter. Leveraging a combined 40+ years of communications consulting experience, Violet PR President April Mason and Senior Account Manager Amanda Ferraro will:
- Share best practices for how economic development teams can maximize their public-facing opportunities through clear communication and specific message preparation approaches.
- Discuss the changing communication landscape of today, and tips and tricks for delivering on economic development messaging goals in a variety of forums.
- Speak to the art of the sound bite and the pivot, and how these tools can be valuable to all of us.
- Offer insights into how economic developers can achieve political neutrality in their language in meetings or in interviews.
You'll come away from this webinar session with a basic understanding of how to arm yourselves and your colleagues for a variety of speaking opportunities. They’ll also provide useful tips to make sure your economic development organization's key messages are successfully incorporated into any external-facing situation. Learn more about Violet PR at www.violetpr.com.
Our Presenters:
April Mason
President & Founder
Violet PR
With 30 years of experience marketing places and a talent for crafting compelling narratives, April founded Violet PR in 2010. Passionate about working with civic leaders, economic developers and entrepreneurs, she is dedicated to helping communities thrive and grow. An expert in economic and real estate development, April has led public relations campaigns for states including New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Georgia and North Carolina, as well as metro areas such as Newark, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Savannah and Kansas City. She has orchestrated hundreds of media interviews for governors, mayors, CEOs and industry leaders, elevating the profiles of cities, states, developments and organizations. Most recently, she is proud to have earned the 2024 PRSA Silver Anvil Award for the nation’s Best Boutique Agency. April holds an M.A. in journalism/marketing communications from the University of Kansas and lives in South Orange, NJ.
Amanda Ferraro
Senior Account Manager
Amanda is a seasoned storyteller with over 15 years of experience in public relations and marketing. She’s built several successful campaigns for a broad range of economic development and real estate clients, securing coverage in top-tier publications like Bloomberg, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal. Amanda is particularly savvy in the real estate landscape, supporting clients like the Connell Company, Lincoln Equities Group, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Dresdner Robin, Newark Alliance and Invest Newark. Amanda holds a B.A. in communications from Seton Hall University.
Great Lakes Local! events are held across the Great Lakes to provide members small in-person networking opportunities. Great Lakes Local offers members and prospective members the opportunity to discuss issues impacting the Great Lakes. At Great Lakes Local events participants can connect, build relationships and share knowledge with their local networks of economic development professionals. Anticipated attendance is 25 at each event.