FFEA to host sponsorship and social media workshop in Leesburg for event and tourism industry

LEESBURG — The Florida Festival and Events Association (FFEA) will host a workshop for event planners focused on increasing event revenues through sponsorships and social media. The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Leesburg Center for the Arts, located at 429 W. Magnolia St. in Leesburg.

The workshop includes talks from industry experts Cinde Martin, Marketing Consultant and Terra Spero, CEO of RealTime Marketing Group, and will highlight ways to recruit and retain year-round partnerships and proven methods to integrate social media into sponsorship efforts.

Registration must be received by Wednesday, Jan. 9. The cost to register is $49 for FFEA members and Lake County businesses and $79 for non-members, and includes lunch. For more information about the workshop, or to register, contact Suzanne Neve at 407-347-8570 or email [email protected].

Martin currently co-owns C4 Party Rental in West Palm Beach Florida, and is a veteran professional with over 25 years’ experience in marketing and event management. Her expertise is in media relations and revenue generation. She has worked for properties, venues, Cox-owned newspapers, Clear Channel Radio and as a respected consultant. In addition, Cinde is currently a Trainer for Plan Ahead Events, the world's largest and fastest growing Event Management Company where she conducts modules on scope of services, negotiation, event revenue, sponsorships, calculating return on investment and media relations.

Spero is the co-founder and CEO of RealTime Marketing Group, a boutique digital media agency that focuses on leveraging social media to amplify businesses’ current marketing and increase revenue. She is backed by a team of social media strategists and developers who collectively manage a social reach of 15 million users on a monthly basis. Spero has been a featured speaker at both local and national conferences, as well as collaborating as a social media expert for classes at Florida Atlantic University. She has conducted workshops for many national organizations, was nominated as a Mobile Woman to Watch and has been featured as a Florida Trendsetter for her work in social media.

The Florida Festivals and Events Association is a not-for-profit organization whose nearly 350 members represent more than 1,500 events and suppliers throughout Florida. Its continuing mission is to promote and strengthen the festival, event and fair industry in Florida through education, networking, dissemination of information, and the cultivation of high standards for the industry.