What happens when you combine dedicated sports professionals and a passionate PR team? You get one touchdown of an event! We were so grateful to be contacted by Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization for the State of Florida, to coordinate and execute their largest event of the year, the Annual Sports Summit. The Foundation’s staff arrived at the conference with their game faces on, ready to share everything about the thriving Florida sports industry and environment, they work diligently to maintain. This conference coincidentally took place at The Henderson, on May 20th and 21st with one hundred of Florida`s leading sports facilitators in attendance.
Kicking off with day one, guests enjoyed the blue skies and cool breeze while playing volleyball on the beach only steps away from The Henderson Park Inn. The players experienced friendly competition and caught some rays while serving up some fun. With beach volleyball underway, another group of attendees headed to the beautiful Kelly Plantation Golf Club for a round of golf. After playing the 18 holes, the guests made their way back to The Henderson to grab a jam-packed boxed lunch filled with different combinations of sandwiches, drinks, and sweet treats. Later in the afternoon, guests took part in two seminars that were overflowing with helpful and interesting information: CSEE Certification by Eric Barreras and an Industry Partner Welcome. The first day came to a close with a welcome reception on The Henderson rooftop. Proffitt PR special ordered the picture-perfect weather along with customized cups and napkins by our favorites at Frillseekers Gifts, and all attendees basked in sunset view of the beach, tasty drinks and delightful food by Primrose, The Henderson’s signature restaurant. Guests kicked back, relaxed, and listened to the musical stylings of Destin’s very own, Matt Lyons.
The last day of the conference kicked off with the Marketplace 1-on-1 Appointments that spanned the entire Crystal Ballroom at The Henderson. This gave everyone the opportunity to talk, mingle, and gain insight from different Sport Commissioners which were set up along the perimeter of the room. After a morning full of networking, there was a highly anticipated keynote luncheon. Sports legend and now Destin local, Tommy Bowden, was the keynote speaker. Special thanks to Nathan Abbott for helping facilitate Bowden to speak. Following lunch, the International Panel Discussion began with Sport Accord- Malcolm Hardman, Why Sports Matters- John Siner, and IS&HA Americas- Jose Rodriguez. This environment gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions and continue gaining education in the field they are so passionately involved in. That evening, we traded our blazers in for our cocktail dresses to enjoy the conference Cocktail Party on The Henderson’s Sunset Terrace. This was the perfect way to kick off the Larry Pendleton Award & Closing Dinner. Nashville singer/songwriter, Sarah Anne Davidson, played during intermission which made for a special night. Nothing but smiling faces appeared in the crowd as everyone, watched the presentation of awards and listened to the man who started it all, Larry Pendleton. As Pendleton captured the audience with stories of the Foundation’s history, he also invited on stage Destin Mayor, Gary Jarvis and State Representative, Mel Ponder to discuss the importance of sports in Florida’s communities, local and statewide.
What an incredible, busy two days they were as we got to closely work with the dedicated team from the Florida Sports Foundation. Proffitt PR was so blessed to be the boots on the ground for the two-day conference. We are so grateful they trusted us with their most important event, and we can confidently say it was a TOUCHDOWN!
