First Choice has come a long way since 1997 when we started with a team of four and a manual record system. As such, it has become increasingly important for us to connect with various associations and companies that we believe will help us increase our reach across the nation, and thus, grow our business. Some events we sponsor or participate in are for professional or marketing purposes. We do it because it comes down to having a presence; allowing the various constituencies get to know our players, and giving us the precious face-to-face time that you cannot get from an email or a phone call. Also, participating in these conferences aligns us with like-minded individuals and companies, and opens the door to cross- marketing opportunities, while giving us the chance to support the organizations that support us. Some of our events are about community; as a company, we have not forgotten where we came from, and giving back to our community is an integral part of who we are and what our mission is. After all, what fun is life if you cannot pay it forward?
We wanted you to know exactly where we have been – and where we are going this year. Below is our “events rewind” and “fast forward.” I can tell you that we are grateful for our opportunities, and we are looking forward to meeting you at our upcoming events!
November 2011:
Kozyak Minority Mentoring Picnic
First Choice sponsored this amazing outdoor picnic in its eighth year in Miami. For the past seventeen years, John W. Kozyak and the law firm he co-founded, Kozyak, Tropin & Throckmorton, have played a major role in the promotion of minority law school students in the community. The Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation provides minority students the opportunity to be mentored by some of
the best and most respected lawyers in the mentee’s field of interest. The foundation hosts several networking events. The 7th Minority Mentoring Picnic attracted more than 3,000 judges, attorneys, guests and minority students from every law school in Florida – and some from as far away as California and New York.
December 2011:
Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association Holiday Party
We had a great time with all of our friends at the Citrus Club in Downtown Orlando for the CFTLA holiday party. We had great appetizers, enjoyed a few drinks, and listened to great music by the Buzz Cats. The CFTLA was also supporting Toys for Tots at this event! The CFTLA is a nonprofit organization of lawyers dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system.
January 2012:
Hispanic Bar Association Installation Dinner
First Choice was there to support the HBACF as they ushered in their 21st anniversary! It was a fun and high- end event held at the Disney hotel, the Contemporary. We enjoyed drinks and a nice sit- down dinner, and lots of great music for dancing. We have some great photos from this event on our First Choice Facebook page. The HBACF mission is to serve as the local voice for the concerns and opinions of Hispanics in the community generally, and in the legal profession in particular.
February 2012:
Claims and Litigation Management Premises Liability Conference
Team First Choice was an attendee and sponsor at this very informative event at the Orlando Science Center and Orlando Sheraton Hotel. We had the opportunity to not only meet and mingle with many interesting people, but also had to chance to listen to excellent breakouts that featured “topic experts” in areas such as Medicare and social media. The keynote speaker was Daniel Mullin from the National Baseball League – he gave a very funny and engaging speech. As usual, the CLM put on a very well organized and topically relevant event. The CLM is an inclusive, collaborative organization that promotes and furthers the highest standards of claims and litigation management and brings together the intellectual leaders in both industries. CLM’s Members and Fellows include risk and
litigation managers, insurance and claims professionals, corporate counsel, outside counsel and third-party vendors. The CLM sponsors educational programs, provides resources and fosters communication among all in the industry.
National Court Reporters Association Firm Owners Conference
On February 5-7 our owners, Kirsty and Krystal took a trip down to Palm Beach to attend this by invitation-only event. Special seminars included a keynote presentation from David Pogue, a tech reviewer for The New York Times; breakout sessions, where firm owners discussed topics such as marketing, customer service, quality control of transcripts, and recruitment; and lots of breaks so they could meet and catch up with other firm owners. Another important topic included the Second Annual Firm Owners Economic Benchmark Survey. In 2010, nearly 400 court reporting firms participated in the inaugural benchmark economic survey, and this second seminar included a Q&A session, and offered firm owners a hard copy of the survey results and analysis.
March 2012:
Cornhole for a Cause
Presented by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay
First Choice will be providing Silver Sponsorship for this fun event for a great cause in Tampa. The Annual Cornhole for a Cause tournament is an exciting fundraiser benefiting our mentoring programs for at-risk children. This bean-bag toss tournament is a great way to have fun and raise the funds needed to help kids in Tampa Bay reach their potential.
Buoniconti Golf Tournament
First Choice is a proud sponsor of the Buniconti Fund Golf Tournament being held in Orlando Florida. In 1985, Barth A. Green, MD and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti helped found The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick’s son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Today, the Miami Project is the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center, housed in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Miami Project’s international team of more than 250 scientists and clinicians take innovative approaches to the challenge of spinal
cord injury. Committed to finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again, the Buoniconti family established The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in 1992, as a non-profit organization devoted to assisting The Miami Project achieve its national and international goals.
May 2012
West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Conference
First Choice is a proud Gold Sponsor of the 19th annual West Coast Casualty Seminar, the largest seminar of its kind worldwide focusing on all of the elements of the prosecution, defense, coverage and technologies of construction defect claims and litigation from a national perspective. West Coast Casualty’s Construction Defect Seminar series has enjoyed attendance averaging in the 1,500 to 1,650 range for the last five years, and attendees come from as far west as the Hawaiian Islands and east as the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Participation from US states exceeds 30 states, the majority being from the western region although east coast participation is significantly up in past years because of increased construction defect activity there.
