The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County will honor women who have achieved top leadership roles at its 4th Annual 100 Outstanding Women gala on May 16^th at the Signature Grand in Davie. The event is presented by SG Resorts International.

Each year, the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding women who have influenced the county’s community, businesses and philanthropic fields. The event also features a dinner, fashion show, and live and silent auctions.

This year’s honorees include Davie Mayor, Judy Paul, and Katina Taylor of the Jason Taylor Foundation.

Event chairs are Gale Butler of AutoNation, Kim Sweers of Fastboats Marine Group and Ann D’Auria of Bank Atlantic.

With the New Year many companies are trying to enhance their business and create a stronger presence online.  You should too! According to a recent article in Open Forum, there are eight easy steps to boost your website on a budget.

The following are our top 5.

1. Maintaining a blog can do a lot for your business. They bring traffic to your website, stir discussion and keep the public interested.  Blogging is as easy as creating a free account on Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. If you already have a Website, your Webmaster or marketing firm can create a blog as part of your site.  Once the blogging tool is installed, just log in and start writing.

1. Don’t hesitate to register with a business-listing site.  Websites like Bing, Yahoo, Yelp and Google can help your business with website traffic through search engine optimization (SEO), and help increase the amount of times you are seen online.

1. Paying attention to key words helps with SEO.  The more precise your wording, the higher the probability of increasing traffic to your website, and prospectively more clients.  You can also use the Google Keywords Tool which allows you to check for searches that describe your business and will notify you with successful and unsuccessful keywords that resulted from the search.

1. Watching your analytics also helps with your online presence.  You can register with Google Analytics and search your blog posts to see which are faring well on your site and what specific keywords were used to accomplish it. This helps see which keywords work best and what types of information are read frequently on your website.

1. Adding social media tools should be a priority in today’s society.  Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Linked in are just a few of the names we hear on a daily basis in public relations.  These social media sites are very popular and effective tools in creating website presence.

To read more helpful tips, visit Open Forum’s website.

On January 13^th our client, Fitness 54 celebrated their greatly anticipated grand opening at the Weston Town Center. The highly attended party could be seen from miles away as huge rotating spot lights out front shot beams high into the sky. The fun started with a high-energy dance routine to LMFAO’s popular hit “Party Rock Anthem” and then continued inside Fitness 54 throughout the night. Waitresses walked around sampling the new Fit 54 food, while guests took personalized tours with trainers around the cutting edge facility.

For a recap of the night, watch the video here!

Fitness 54 trainers strike a pose outside the party

Fitness 54 is a revolutionary workout concept that is changing bodies, minds and turning the concept of fitness training on its ear…they are like no fitness club or gym you’ve ever been to. Created in the garage of a passionate fitness fanatic interested in more than what the typical fitness center could offer, Fitness 54 now offers up-tempo workouts in an exciting, energetic and engaging club setting.

Come join us this Friday at the Weston Town Center for food, fun, good friends and giveaways! Click the link below to add yourself to the Facebook invitation.

54 lucky guests will be chosen at random to win ONE WEEK of UNLIMITED Fitness 54 classes!

See you Friday!

With the holidays around the corner, most people are looking forward to spending time with their families and unwrapping presents.

However, not everyone gets to enjoy the holiday season with a plethora of gifts. Boardroom Communications client, JAFCO is partnering up with organizations in the community to try and bring some holiday spirit to the children of JAFCO.

“Synagogues, Jewish community centers and private individuals in the tri-county area have signed up to provide toys for Hanukkah for children in our programs,” said Sarah Franco, JAFCO executive director, in a recent article.

With the help of these generous organizations, JAFCO will be able to make Hanukkah wishes come true for more than 350 disadvantaged children.

To read the full article, click here.

Bal Harbour Shops was recently featured in the Miami Herald business section. Highlighted for their luxury retailers and exclusive shopping experience, Bal Harbour Shops is one of the country’s top shopping centers.

Bal Harbour operating partner, Matthew Wintman Lanzenby, took this excellent opportunity to speak about the recent changes and expansions Bal Harbour Shops is making. Visitors from around the world will find several new tenants opening their stores at Bal Harbour, including Balenciaga, Breguet, CH Carolina Herrera, Panerai, La Perla and Stella McCartney. And more are on the way including Moncler, Canali and Alexander McQueen.

“Invariably it will be our best year of all time,” Lazenby said. “Some tenants are up as much as 100 percent.”

Since its opening in 1965, Bal Harbour’s sales per square foot have increased every year – only exceptions were in 2001 after the 9-11 attacks and during the recession in 2009.

Looking to better brand your business and generate more buzz? Public relations, social media and advertising may work. But in the busy South Florida and national product marketing landscape, a brand ambassador has your back.

A “brand ambassador” is an advocate who represents a brand in a positive way, says GC Marketing services. The ambassador is charged with expressing the message of a company to consumers – or to anyone who would benefit from learning about the brand being promoted. This could be done via on-air messaging or print advertising, or by using “street teams” of people who spread the word – and possibly product samples – into the community of targeted prospects. Think of the brand ambassador concept as a public relations / human resources hybrid – someone who both educates consumers regarding the brand, and promotes it with traditional and new and social media.

This advocate can be an executive or employee with the firm, a paid spokesman, or – best of all – a customer or client who truly believes in the company or its products. Transforming company employees into brand ambassadors is a logical starting point. Educated in the benefits of the product or service, they’re sent into the marketplace to touch consumers and prospects. For example, if you market a product targeting young adults, a college campus is a goldmine that can expand your target audience in a big way.

Your team would scout out “popular” kids or leaders on campus. In fact, this has grown into a nation-wide trend. “Companies from Microsoft on down are increasingly seeking out the big men and women on campus to influence their peers,” notes the New York Times in “On Campus, It’s One Big Commercial.”

Tapping into the college network connects a brand with young people who know the ins-and-outs of social media and how to “be cool.” Simultaneously, they grant you access to their Facebook friends, twitter followers, Greek organizations, and other various networks on campus. Barnes and Noble has a national Campus Ambassadors campaign, as does Luna Bars, Red Bull, and Hewlett-Packard, among others.

Whether you look to your current staffers or the student union, seek out social, friendly, captivating people to spread the word about your brand. Having a great product simply isn’t enough. You need to actively educate people as to your existence and what you have to offer.

And brand ambassadors can help carry that marketing load.

Last week’s “Hollywood Welcomes the Stars” event marked another huge success for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. More than 400 people gathered at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hallandale Beach to raise money for after-school programs. In addition to a cocktail party, dinner, and silent and live auction items, attendees also had a chance to mingle with local celebs and enjoy an unpugged performance by Grammy Award Winner, Jon Secada.

Boardroom Account Executives also attended the event after months of preparing. We were able to secure pre- and  post event media coverage while putting the spotlight on the importance of The Boys & Girls Clubs in our communities.

Jim Dezell, owner of Flamingo Road and Farmers Market, was recently a guest on NBC’s morning show, Today in South Florida. Jim, along with Flamingo’s grill master Chef Dea, discussed simple and delicious recipes perfect for outdoor cooking. While Chef Dea grilled up some summertime favorites, including the Spicy Mango Tango Chicken Fajita, Jim showcased the nursery’s most popular citrus plants and discussed Flamingo Road’s upcoming Tropical Fruit Festival.

Mark your calendars for the National MS Society South Florida’s Whimsical Women’s Retreat on July 29th – 31st – an amazing and fun-filled weekend that focuses on giving participants the opportunity to share their stories and experiences with MS in an intimate setting. Women who attend will be able to participate in workshops such as color therapy and nutrition and cooking demos, as well as massages, games and giveaways.

Click on the image for more information! Hope to see you there!