SARASOTA, Fla. – The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) will present the professional development event, “Navigating Your Audience through Multicultural Communications,” on Wednesday, June 21, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The event – which is open to members and guests – takes place at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime (821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota).
During the program, Mercedes Soler – co-owner and president of Solmart Media – will discuss how her professional experience has prepared her for all mediums in communications, and what her career has taught her about being a multicultural media representative. She will also provide insights about the Hispanic community in the nine counties served by her company.
Solmart Media is a Spanish radio and digital media company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. The company’s core mission is to entertain, inform, educate, and elevate its underserved community. Its two FM and one AM radio stations reach nine counties and about half a million Hispanics. Soler oversees the editorial content, outreach, advocacy, marketing, public relations, productions for nonprofits, internships, and mentoring.
Prior to this, she spent 25 years as a Spanish-language international correspondent with Univisión and an anchor for CNN Español. She also wrote weekly columns for El Nuevo Herald and co-authored the book “Dish & Tell: Life, Love, and Secrets” (HarperCollins). The book was adapted to the stage as a musical. In addition, Soler taught journalism to international Spanish language students through the University of Miami and coached media and press strategies to U.S. diplomats based in Latin America as a subcontractor for the U.S. State Department.
“As public relations and marketing professionals work on behalf of increasingly diverse organizations and communities, they need to be sensitive to and better understand other cultures as well as their media consumption tendencies,” says Sheryl Vieira, president of CWC-FPRA. “With Mercedes’ deep experience and expertise, marketing and PR professionals at all levels should benefit from her presentation.”
Tickets are $30/members, $40/future members; cost includes lunch. To register, visit cwcfpra.com/events.
CWC-FPRA’s annual corporate sponsors are Caldwell Trust Company and Next-Mark, with additional financial support courtesy of Joe Curley, APR, CPRC. Sir Speedy and The Bazaar at Apricot & Lime have graciously donated services and spaces as in-kind sponsors.
CWC-FPRA meets monthly for professional development luncheons and networking. These events are designed to expose attendees to current public relations practices and developments in the communications industry. Visit cwcfpra.com for more information.
About The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association
The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) is a network of public relations, marketing and communications professionals from Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties who come together for professional development and to build a network of peers. As an active part of the oldest statewide public relations organization in our country, CWC-FPRA takes pride in being the largest chapter in the state and in having a 56-plus-year history of presenting stimulating programs and advancing the professional growth of its members. The Florida Public Relations Association is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida. For more about CWC-FPRA, visit cwcfpra.com.