Gold Coast PR Council

What Gold Coast PR Council does

Gold Coast PR Council, Inc. is an independent nonprofit professional association headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida (mailing address Boca Raton area), serving public relations, marketing, and communications professionals across four South Florida counties: Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, and Dade. Founded in 2003, it describes itself as the largest independent group of PR professionals in South Florida and operates a community-led go-to-market model anchored on membership, recurring programming, and an annual recognition program.

The organization's core offerings are three tiers of annual membership (Individual at $50/year, Premier at $100/year with promotional and branding benefits, and Group at $150/year covering up to four people from a single organization) plus a programming calendar of monthly luncheons and webinars featuring media leaders from regional newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Since 2005 it has presented the Bernays Awards — an annual recognition program honoring excellence in PR campaigns, marketing programs, and media coverage across categories including nonprofit projects, social media, crisis communications, and special events. The 20th Annual Bernays Awards is scheduled for July 23, 2026 at the Airport Hilton West Palm Beach. Ancillary services include the PR YAK-YAK networking series co-hosted with PRSA Palm Beach Chapter and a free job listings board for member organizations.

The business model is a hybrid of subscription recurring revenue (annual dues, January 1 through December 31) and transaction/event-based revenue (meeting fees of $25-$40, Bernays Awards tickets at $50-$60, and awards luncheon sponsorships ranging from $500 for ancillary components to $5,000-$10,000 for main event tiers). Distribution is self-serve via the goldcoastprcouncil.com website with PayPal payment processing, supplemented by email outreach to a 900+ professional list and in-person event registration across multiple South Florida venues. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors under co-presidents Sandy Collier and Melissa Perlman, with no parent company, external ownership, or funding rounds disclosed in the source material.

Name

Gold Coast PR Council

Legal name

Gold Coast PR Council, Inc.

Website

https://goldcoastprcouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gold Coast PR Council is an independent nonprofit professional association serving PR, marketing, and communications professionals across South Florida's Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, and Dade counties via annual memberships, monthly networking events, and the Bernays Awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer/User Conferences & Client Advisory Boards (THAHAMAD)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Public relations networking
• Communications membership programs
• Industry awards programs
• Professional development events

Headquarters

HQ city

Delray Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Individual ($50), Premier ($100), and Group ($150) members provide recurring annual revenue. Membership runs January 1 through December 31.
2. Bernays Awards Luncheon: Annual awards ceremony with ticket sales ($50-60 per person), sponsorship packages ($500-$10,000), and advertising bundles. Submission fees for award nominations ($10-60 depending on membership level).
3. Monthly Meeting Fees: Monthly luncheon and webinar events charge $25-35 for members and $30-40 for non-members. Some events include breakfast meetings at $25-30 per person.
4. Award Nomination Fees: Nomination submissions for Bernays Awards charged at $10 per entry for Individual members, free for first entries on Premier/Group tiers, and $60 for non-members (includes membership).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gold Coast PR Council is a nonprofit professional association that sells annual memberships to PR, marketing, and communications professionals across South Florida. Its core offerings include three membership tiers (Individual, Premier, Group), monthly luncheon meetings and webinars featuring regional media leaders, the annual Bernays Awards program for PR campaign recognition, PR YAK-YAK networking events, and a job listings board.

Product overview

Gold Coast PR Council is a professional association providing networking, education, and recognition for PR, marketing, and communications professionals in South Florida. The organization operates a three-tiered membership structure (Individual at $50/year, Premier at $100/year, and Group at $150/year for up to four people), offers monthly meetings and webinars featuring media professionals, hosts the annual Bernays Awards program recognizing excellence in PR and marketing campaigns since 2005, and coordinates PR YAK-YAK networking events co-hosted with PRSA – Palm Beach Chapter. The organization also provides a job listings service for members and the broader professional community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership for individual PR professionals at $50/year, including voting rights, ability to chair committees, hold office, and participate in all organization functions.
• Premier Membership Enhanced annual membership at $100/year with benefits including one promotional announcement to the 900+ GCPRC email list, free first Bernays Award nomination, website link, logo usage on member's website and social media, and priority meeting sponsorship opportunities.
• Group Membership Annual corporate/organizational membership at $150/year covering up to four members from a single PR firm, corporation, or nonprofit organization, with full voting rights and participation privileges.
• Monthly Meetings and Luncheons Monthly in-person and virtual meetings featuring presentations from South Florida media and PR leaders from top newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV stations, allowing members to network and stay current with industry trends at $25–$40 per event.
• Bernays Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing excellence in local public relations campaigns, marketing programs, and media coverage across competitive categories including nonprofit projects, PR campaigns, social media, crisis communications, special events, and marketing materials. Includes nomination fees ($10–$60), event tickets ($50–$60), and sponsorship packages ($500–$10,000).
• PR YAK-YAK Networking Events Co-hosted informal networking events with PRSA – Palm Beach Chapter providing meet-and-greet opportunities for local PR and marketing professionals, media representatives, and community activists.
• Job Listings Board Online employment board featuring job postings for marketing, communications, and public relations positions in the South Florida region, including roles from member organizations and partner companies.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PRSA Palm Beach ChaptercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts PR YAK-YAK networking events with PRSA Palm Beach Chapter, combining two major PR professional organizations for joint social and networking opportunities.
• Business WireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Bernays Award luncheons. Business Wire provides press release distribution services and event sponsorship.
• Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated professional organization with joint membership and networking activities among Florida PR professionals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA): Statewide professional association for Florida PR professionals with local chapters and annual conference. Listed as a GCPRC partner, directly comparable as a Florida-based PR membership organization with chapter-based networking and awards.
• National Speakers Association (NSA): U.S. professional association for speakers with local chapters, annual conventions, and member events. Comparable to GCPRC structurally (membership tiers, monthly meetings, annual awards, geographic chapters) though serving speakers rather than PR professionals.
• PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association): UK-based professional body for PR and communications professionals offering membership, awards (PRCA Awards), and training. Directly comparable as a membership-based PR association with annual awards programs; differs geographically.

Broad incumbents

• PRSA (Public Relations Society of America): National professional association for PR practitioners with chapters across the U.S., including the Palm Beach Chapter that co-hosts events with GCPRC. Directly comparable as a membership-based PR professional association, but operates at scale with paid staff and national programming.
• American Marketing Association (AMA): National professional association for marketing professionals with local chapters, events, and resources. Comparable to GCPRC as a membership-based professional association serving marketing and communications professionals in overlapping categories.
• IABC (International Association of Business Communicators): Global membership association for business communicators offering networking, professional development, and awards (Gold Quill). Comparable to GCPRC as a member-driven professional association serving communications professionals with events and recognition programs.
• International PR Association (IPRA): Global membership organization for PR professionals with awards programs and networking events. Comparable to GCPRC in mission and structure (membership-based, awards, networking) but operates internationally rather than hyper-regionally.

Others

• Ragan's PR Daily Awards: Industry recognition program for PR, marketing, and communications professionals. Comparable to GCPRC's Bernays Awards as a competitive program honoring PR campaigns, but operates nationally and is media-led rather than association-led.
• PRWeek Awards: Industry awards program (not a membership association) recognizing PR excellence. Comparable to GCPRC's Bernays Awards as a competitive recognition program for PR campaigns, but operates at a national/international level rather than regional.

Emerging players

• Social Media Club: Global volunteer-based community organization for social media professionals with local chapters and events. Comparable to GCPRC as a community-led, volunteer-run professional organization offering networking and recognition for communications professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gcprc
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoldCoastPRCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gold Coast PR Council