This is a BIG year for the Polk County Advertising Federation – we’ve decided to kick it up a notch and focus on bringing our members more value-added content and networking opportunities. Not only have we created our very first News page on the website and monthly email newsletter – but we are also focusing on four key initiatives.
Before we get into the changes, let’s dive into how we got here and the history behind the American Advertising Federation.
Where We Started
The American Advertising Federation (AAF) or AdFed is one of the oldest and largest national advertising trade associations in the United States with over 200 local federations representing over 40,000 advertising professionals. The federation also has over 200 college chapters representing over 6,500 student members! The Imperial Polk Advertising Federation (IPAF) or otherwise known as AAF Polk County is part of the 4th District American Advertising Federation comprised of 21 clubs in the state of Florida and the Caribbean.
The federation was created to bring together advertisers, media companies, and advertising agencies to provide its members valuable insights in the field of advertising, connect members with networking and job opportunities, and to enhance professional development and leadership skills. The ADDY Awards competition – where you enter your advertising work for creative recognition at the regional, state, and national level – is the icing on the cake when it comes to membership benefits.
Where We Are Going
The advertising industry pre and post pandemic looks very different and the advertising strategies that worked back then, no longer work as well today. The AAF Polk County club along with its leadership understands that this evolution in advertising and the way we communicate with audiences trickles down into every market and industry.
With this in mind, we are finding more ways to enhance membership value and with these four initiatives we are hoping to do more networking, provide more learning opportunities, and offer more ways to celebrate and highlight advertising work.
How We Are Governed
Our bylaws are what govern the federation and determines how we function as a federation club. After many years, we decided it was time to update those bylaws to fill the needs of our current membership today. The major changes included limiting the restrictions on who can be a member and left it more open to encompass more professionals working in advertising and/or sales promotion – and eliminating the membership types of Associate, Special, and Honorary. All members now pay for one type of membership at the same cost.
AAF Polk Leadership
Along with a new year, comes a new leadership group composed of eleven members of which six will represent our main officers. Meet your 2022-2023 leadership group:
- Nick Stone, President – Hall Communications
- Gus Palas, Immediate Past President – GV Palas Properties
- Ryan DelliVeniri, First Vice President – Image Depot Express
- Allen Reed, Second Vice President – MADE
- Shelby Poling, Secretary – AgAmerica Lending
- Yvonne Bradley, Treasurer – AAF – Polk County
- Donovan Tinsley, Director – Tinsley Creative
- Veronica Rodriguez, Director – AgAmerica Lending
- Danielle Harris, Director – Bank of Central Florida
- Mark Nielsen, Director – Publix Super Markets
- Tyler Auerbacher, Director – Thryve-Media.com
Taking Action
This year we have outlined four main committees that will help drive brand awareness, advertising strategies, and membership recruitment and engagement for AAF Polk County.
- Membership + Programs: this committee is responsible for recruiting new members into the federation, as well as planning monthly programs to drive membership engagement.
Are you ready to get out and engage with the world again? Or do you want to play a role in bringing our community of advertising professionals together? Join this committee today and help build our membership. - Communications: the responsibility of spreading the message and connecting our members to valuable content and insights begins here. The communications committee is responsible for content development, advertising, and creative campaign strategies for the federation.
If you love helping to share the news, bringing advertising insights to the table, and have a passion for writing, join the Communications Committee today! - Events: our two signature annual events the ADDYS and the now our NEW event The Creative Social will be coordinated and planned through the Events Committee.
Are you a planner? Do you love networking and social events? We want you! - Creative: this committee does what we know best, bringing our ideas to life! The committee will be responsible for all the federation’s branding assets through graphic design, photography, videography and any other creative work that the federation needs.
If you love bringing ideas to life, join the Creative Committee and show us your skills.
Creative Couch Event
As part of an initial rebrand strategy we are undertaking this year, we have added a new annual signature event – The Creative Couch. We saw a need for a networking social that will allow our members the opportunity to dress up and connect outside of the ADDYS, hear valuable content from a keynote speaker in the creative industry, and allow the club to fundraise.
Save the date! More details on sponsorships and registration coming soon:
- When: Thursday, September 29, 2022
- Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- Where: Lake Crago – 525 Lake Crago Dr, Lakeland, FL 33805
We look forward to what this year will bring, the connections we will make, and the new members we welcome to the club. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, message us at info@aaf-polk.org.