Bradenton/Anna Maria Island/Longboat Key

With a spacious convention center, hotels, and other meeting spaces suitable for groups of all sizes, including unique waterfront venues, the Bradenton Area does more than suit your needs. Centrally located on Florida’s West Coast and served by Tampa International Airport and the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, getting to the Bradenton Area and nearby attractions is a breeze. This beautiful destination offers serene island beaches, sprawling nature preserves, incredible Gulf-fresh seafood, luxury accommodations, and so much more. When your meeting is over, your attendees will enjoy plenty of outdoor adventures and interesting activities throughout the destination, including galleries, museums, and parks. And because health and safety are as important to us as they are to you, all hotels, attractions, restaurants, venues, and businesses are following strict CDC sanitation and safety guidelines.

FSAE is seeking locations for our 2021 events - including our Central Florida Power Luncheons, Roundtables and Think Tank. This is a great opportunity to bring association executives to your property/location to experience it first hand, especially if you've undergone a recent renovation, are a new property or have something new to show off. Please download our 2021 Event RFP (Word Doc) to see if we're a good fit to assist you in your goals for booking association business.

As a hosting event sponsor, FSAE features your property/location in all event-related marketing and communications promotions and event attendees gain firsthand exposure to your property/location - which can result in additional business opportunities for you!

FSAE recently conducted a survey of FSAE Executive Members regarding membership renewals. We gathered data on what accomodations, if any, organizations are offering and what they see the biggest struggle for renewals to be.

This survey provides insightful data on membership for the association industry, so we are sharing the results. Hopefully this helps you as you move forward with your renewal plans.

View Survey Results

Educate Association Executives for the Next Era in Association Management

Submission Deadline: Friday, Oct 2

FSAE recently conducted a survey of FSAE Executive Members regarding in-person meetings. We gathered data on when organizations will hold meetings, if they are including a virtual component, what their challenges are, and what they need in order to plan successful meetings.

This survey provides insightful data on the meetings atmosphere for the association industry, so we are sharing the results. Hopefully this helps you as you move forward with your future in-person meetings.

View Survey Results

FSAE presented its most prestigious leadership awards at its recent Pivot 2020: FSAE Virtual meeting. The Executive of the Year Award honors an association executive who has displayed the highest commitment to professional growth and dedication to advancing the association management profession. The Associate of the Year Award honors an association supplier whose dedication and leadership also advances the industry. FSAE’s Rising Star Award honors an association professional and/or supplier member who contribute significant time and talent to ensure FSAE’s continued success. FSAE also recognized an associate organization that supports the association industry and local communities. Our Supporting Associate Organization of the Year awardhonors an organization that demonstrates outstanding efforts, excellence and innovation.

FSAE 2020 Award Winners:

Executive of the Year: Marsha Kiner, MS, CAE
Interim Executive Director, Association of Florida Colleges, Tallahassee, FL
Marsha Kiner, MS, CAE has worked in association leadership for over 15 years. She currently serves as Interim Executive Director for the Association of Florida Colleges, a professional association for the employees of the Florida College System. A member of FSAE since 2007, Marsha has served on the FSAE Board of Directors, FSAE Foundation Board, and chaired numerous FSAE Committees.

FSAE announces the installation of its 2020-21 Board of Directors in conjunction with its Pivot 2020: FSAE Virtual meeting in July. The FSAE Board is comprised of some of Florida’s top leaders in association management and supporting industries.

FSAE Board Officers:

The FSAE Foundation 2020 Auction was held online only on July 21 - 31. Proceeds from the Auction go directly towards funding professional development grants for FSAE members and providing funds to enhance education offered at the FSAE Annual Conference and other events. Thank you to all our Donors and Participants for making this a success!

Auction Highlights:

• TOTAL Money Raised: $26,555
• Donations Received: 165
• Click here to see Auction Donors and Patrons
• Total Bids Placed: 689
• Top Donation Solicitors: Christy Gandy, Stephanie Thomas, Kathy Masterson, Tondra Matthews, Ann Marie Vibbert
• Top 6 Items: (Received the most bids)
  • 3 Day/ 2 Night Stay at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa
  • 3 Day/ 2 Night Stay at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa
  • $500 Home Depot Gift Card
  • $500 Target Gift Card
  • 3 Day/ 2 Night Stay at The Iconic Don CeSar, St. Pete Beach
  • 3 Day/ 2 Night stay at Guy Harvey Resort, St. Augustine
  • Weeklong Mountain Getaway to Sapphire, North Carolina
• Top 6 Highest Yielding Items: (brought in the actual value or higher)
• • Toffee from Toffee To Go
  • 2 Tickets to Wild Florida Airboat Tour
  • Bob the Key Fob from Rethreaded
  • $100 Best Buy Gift Card
  • Time for Tea Gift Basket
  • $100 American Express Gift Card
  • We hope you win a LOTTO - Starfish Management Solutions

Thank You To All Our Auction Donors and Participants!

FSAE is partnering with the Michigan Society (MSAE) to offer virtual prep sessions for the Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exams. 

CAE Prep Course

 15 Hours - Learn more about CAE Certification

A Message from the FSAE Board of Directors:

The recent death of George Floyd has sparked a renewed and intense call for social justice. It is our hope that this movement is loud and strong enough to compel government and institutional leaders to make substantive changes to policies and practices. Changes that will ensure all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, especially those in black communities who have suffered fundamental inequalities for far too long. Although a good starting point, systemic change begins with us, in our own hearts. It is nurtured in our families and cultivated in our organizations, our communities, and our country.

Thank you for participating in our 2020 FSAE Board Elections. We are pleased to announce our 2020-21 Board of Directors:

OFFICERS

With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and Florida’s reopening, the FSAE Board of Directors has voted to move the Annual Conference to a fully virtual event.

This was a difficult decision for everyone, with the health and safety of our attendees, FSAE staff and hotel employees paramount in the Board’s decision.

The FSAE Foundation is proud to announce its 2020 Grant Recipients. Thanks to our generous corporate partners and member contributions, we’ve awarded 32 grants totaling $18,930 for professional development funding. Thank you to all our contributors that make this possible!

Hilton Diversity & Inclusion Grant

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and others are leading an effort to make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to allow for more flexibility for use of the funds. Next week the House is also expected to vote on the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) to make changes to loan forgiveness in the current PPP. As of now, both of those efforts do not include associations. Help us send the message to Congress: don’t leave associations behind in any modifications of the PPP.

We need your help to weigh in with Congress to include 501(c)(6) nonprofit associations. ASAE and other association advocates have reached out to ask for associations to be included, but we know Congress needs to hear from more voices. We are asking association professionals to reach out to any contacts in the House or Senate your organization may have, or call your representatives, and ask for associations to be included in the Paycheck Protection Program. View sample text for the House and Senate to share via email with your contacts or over the phone. (Word doc)

The FSAE Board of Directors currently has three (3) At-Large positions to be filled by election of the FSAE Executive Membership, and one (1) Associate At-Large position to be filled by election of the FSAE Associate Membership. Voting Ends Tuesday, May 26 at Midnight.

VIEW CANDIDATES & VOTE

Last week we sent out a survey to our executive and associate members to gauge where members are in regards to your own conferences as well as your comfort level on attending any conferences or meetings, including the FSAE Annual Conference this July. We had 350 participate and we want to thank everyone who gave us feedback!

What we learned from the survey is that members are pretty comfortable (29%), not sure (20%) or nervous about the idea (29%) of attending FSAE20. The biggest concerns are the safety measures that will be in place onsite as well as what happens as the state begins to re-open. Safety is our biggest concern too. We are working closely with the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek staff to ensure social distancing and minimal contact policies are in place, so provided the state is in Phase 3 of re-opening, we will have Annual Conference this July. Register Now

FSAE President & CEO Frank Rudd was recently featured on the Fluent in Floridian podcast, produced by SalterMitchell PR. In the podcast, Frank discusses the importance of associations - especially in these difficult times, as well as how FSAE is helping our members. Check it out:

For several years, the FSAE Young & Emerging Professionals Committee has hosted a food drive to support local food banks around the state at our May events. Just because our events are now virtual, they didn't want to cancel the drives - especially now that food banks are used more than ever to support families affected by the economy and schools not meeting in-person. Please join us for the FSAE YEP Virtual Event - Virtual Food Drive to donate to your local food bank.

VIRTUAL EVENT - VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVE
Hosted by the FSAE Young & Emerging Professionals Committee

Nominate your peers to be recognized for their service and commitment to FSAE and the association industry.

Deadline: May 8

 FSAE is partnering with our members from the Emergency Medicine Learning & Resource Center/Florida College of Emergency Physicians to help make sure emergency room doctors, nurses and first responders throughout the state have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to safely do their jobs and take care of us. Our goal is to connect our members’ members/contacts (your members) with their staff to coordinate local donations of supplies of any masks, gloves, face shields, gowns, shoe/head covers, eye protection, etc. that your members may have that aren’t currently being used. 

Donate Smarter has also joined the campaign accepting monetary donations to help facilities buy PPE supplies with their Every Hero Needs a Mask campaign.