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Wingard Recognized Among Florida Trend’s “Best Companies to Work For in Florida”

August 11, 2022

Wingard was recently recognized as one of Florida Trend’s “Best Companies to Work For in Florida,” ranking #23 among the state’s best small companies.

While every award is a reason to celebrate, this one feels extra special. Maintaining a strong company culture is no small feat, especially throughout the challenges of the past two years. Like many of our peers across the industry, we transitioned to remote operations in March 2020 with no clue that the way we work — independently, collectively as a team, and collaboratively with our client partners — was about to permanently change.

Technology helped to smooth that transition. Our client partners reciprocated our commitment to being nimble as we all adjusted. But the real secret to our ability to pivot, adapt, and grow is no secret at all: our people.

Every team member plays a role in making Wingard a great place to work, regardless of where that work happens. In observance of this achievement, here are three strategies our leadership team credits with making Wingard’s culture one of the best in the Sunshine State.

Seek feedback — often.

Open lines of communication are crucial to maintaining a culture of trust. Here at Wingard, we use a mix of qualitative and quantitative tactics (like annual employee reviews, surveys, and one-on-one meetings) to capture feedback throughout the year. This approach has illuminated opportunities to improve processes, enhance benefits, and implement new ways of working. For example, this year we added more company-wide days off during the holiday season. After hearing this request from several team members, we looked at workload data to help us make an informed decision. We doubt anyone would have objected to more days off (for any reason), but knowing this change was driven by employee feedback made it an even more enjoyable update to share.

Lead with your values.

Our vision statement has three distinct pillars: our client partners, our community, and our people. Doing our best work on behalf of our client partners is an ever-present priority every day. When it comes to benefits for our people and our community engagement philosophy, this vision statement provides a clear guide for determining where to focus our efforts.

We have intentionally focused on adding benefits that support our team’s physical, financial, and mental health in recent years, while encouraging individuals to pursue professional development opportunities. Investing in our team’s resources has also paid off; in the past year alone, our staff grew by over 30% as we added new positions to bolster our staff’s collective potential for positive impact.

Our community commitment shows up in various ways: through volunteer outings, in-kind work with nonprofit partners, and two paid days per year for each member of the team to give back to a cause that matters to them.

Be creative (and consistent) with tried-and-true tactics.

Many companies celebrate an “employee of the month,” work anniversaries, and birthdays. In the “old days” (read: before the pandemic), we developed a monthly “Third Thursday” event where we could celebrate all three in a casual gathering.

And then, well… you know what happened.

During the pandemic, we shifted this tradition to a virtual format. Was it the same? No, of course not. But being able to connect in person at least once a month kept the tradition going. And now that we’re able to gather in person again, we can look back and appreciate the role that this small ritual has played in shaping our culture.

Our monthly Third Thursday gatherings are back to an in-person format, with a few team members joining by phone or FaceTime as necessary. Now that we’ve settled into a permanent hybrid workflow, these gatherings are even more joyful as we reconnect, celebrate, and unwind — together. Each month, we choose a destination or experience that can be enjoyed as a team. Recent highlights have included a St. Johns River Taxi tour of our client partners’ projects in Downtown and Riverside, and a team lunch followed by a volunteer service project at Rethreaded.

Like what you see? Then you’ll love working at Wingard.

We’re proud to be recognized among the state’s best employers. If Wingard sounds like the kind of place where you’d like to continue growing in your career, check out our current openings.

Jax Chamber Events
Why marketers should attend: These aren’t your average mixers. JAX Chamber events bring together small business owners, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs actively shaping the city's future. For marketers, that means staying in the know on local business trends, networking, and hearing what's shaping Jacksonville's growth.

Events to watch:
Chamber Council Mixers
Trustee Mixers
Annual “Meeting”

Marketing takeaway: Stay ahead of local trends and discover the search terms people are actually using to grow their businesses in Jacksonville.
Regional Chamber & Business Councils
Why marketers should attend: Beyond the JAX Chamber, Jacksonville is home to several neighborhood-based and industry-specific chambers of commerce. These tight-knit networks offer hyperlocal insights and relationship-building opportunities that can power your next local campaign.

Look into:

Clay County Chamber of Commerce
St. Johns County Chamber
Beaches Division of the JAX Chamber
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce

Marketing Takeaway: Hyperlocal campaigns often mean hyper-targeted results. These groups help you understand the nuances of each community you serve.
First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FCHCC)
Why marketers should attend: FCHCC events are rich with entrepreneurial energy, cultural perspective, and networking potential with Jacksonville’s vibrant Hispanic business community.

Events to explore:
Achieving the Dream Luncheon
Social Cafecito with the Chamber (networking series)

Marketing Takeaway: Discover new audience insights and partnership opportunities while learning how to communicate to diverse communities.
Jacksonville Chapter Events: Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)
Why marketers should attend: Public relations and marketing go hand in hand, and you can think of the North Florida PRSA and FPRA Jax as your go-to groups for communications insights, skill-building, and peer collaboration. For marketers who manage media, help shape public perception, and strengthen brand messaging, both organizations offer invaluable resources and a community of like-minded, local professionals.

Events to explore:
FPRA’s Annual Image Awards
PRSA North Florida’s Media Mashup
Professional development luncheons and mixers

Keep an eye out for the upcoming PRSA Sunshine District Conference, hosted this year in Jacksonville! Our Senior PR & Communications Manager, Ashley Williams, also serves as the PRSA Jacksonville Chapter President and is helping lead the planning efforts. This conference brings together industry leaders to share insights and explore the latest strategies in public relations, communications, and emerging technologies. The Wingard PR team looks forward to seeing you there!

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how to blend PR and marketing to craft campaigns that get attention and build trust with your community.
ULI North Florida: Real Estate + Development Talks
Why marketers should attend: If your clients include developers, real estate professionals, or civic organizations, ULI North Florida events are your inside scoop on what's next in Jacksonville. Think urban core revitalization, new project announcements, and commercial growth projections (which mean future content angles!).

Events to watch:
ULI Trends in Real Estate Conference (annual)
ULI North Florida - State of the Economy & Housing Market (annual)

Marketing Takeaway: Gain rich storytelling material and strategic context for real estate industry-related content.
Jacksonville Business Journal Events
Why marketers should attend: Get an insider look at Jacksonville’s movers and shakers. These events are great for building B2B connections and staying on top of industry shifts.

Notable series:
Tech Leaders of the Year
Fast 50
40 Under 40
Women of Influence

Marketing Takeaway: Stay on top of local happenings, network with community changemakers, and gain insight into business trends that matter locally!
JAXUSA Partnership Events
Why marketers should attend: JAXUSA Partnership is the economic development initiative of the JAX Chamber, and their events offer a high-level look at the forces shaping Northeast Florida's growth. Perfect for those working with clients in B2B, logistics, healthcare, or tech.

Key programming:
JAXUSA Luncheons

Marketing Takeaway: Use data-driven insights to inform your strategy and messaging!
Visit Jacksonville Industry Events
Why marketers should attend: As the city’s official tourism voice, Visit Jax knows destination marketing. Their events are ideal for content creators and marketers in food, travel, hospitality, and culture.

What to look for:
Partner Updates + Town Halls
Hospitality Nights
Collaboration Opportunities via their Partner Portal

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how to turn places into products. These sessions are masterclasses in lifestyle branding, SEO-driven content, and collaborative campaign building.
Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI) Events
Why marketers should attend: DVI knows how to bring life to a city block, and those activations are full of marketing lessons. DVI events center on placemaking and community-building in Downtown Jacksonville. You’ll see how visuals, street-level branding, and event marketing activate foot traffic.

Watch for:
First Wednesday Art Walk (monthly)
Stakeholder Meetings (quarterly)
Activation Workshops
Sip & Stroll (monthly—except June-August)
Annual #DTJAX Gala

Marketing Takeaway: Street-level engagement matters. Borrow these tactics for IRL campaigns, brand activations, and immersive experiences that foster brand loyalty and buzz.
The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida
Why marketers should attend: If you serve nonprofit clients, this is your front-row seat to what matters most in the mission-driven world. The Nonprofit Center hosts workshops, speaker series, and networking events, tailored specifically for nonprofit communicators, fundraisers, and leaders.

Programming highlights:
Annual Nonprofit Works Conference
Catalyst Convening Series Gatherings
Development + Communications Roundtables

Marketing Takeaway: Understand how to build campaigns around impact, empathy, and values, and how to communicate to donors, volunteers, and stakeholders.
Jessie Ball duPont Center Events
Why marketers should attend: The Jessie is the home base for many nonprofits and changemakers in Jacksonville. Their programming focuses on empowerment, civic innovation, and community impact — integral themes for mission-driven brands.

Events to attend:
Nonprofit Meetups
Civic Innovation Lunch & Learns
Community Open Houses

Marketing Takeaway: Learn how mission-driven organizations use storytelling, data, and empathy to build powerful movements.
TEDxJacksonville + Idea-Focused Conferences
Why marketers should attend: Learn from top-tier communicators and thought leaders who know how to distill big ideas into memorable messages. TEDx events and conferences like the upcoming 10X Jacksonville Summit (October 2025) are ideal for inspiration, community connections, and creative fuel.

Marketing Takeaway: Sharpen your narrative craft. Use speaker techniques — like pacing, metaphor, and audience-first language — to elevate your next pitch or brand message.
AIGA Jacksonville Events & Creative Meetups
Why marketers should attend: Design is the backbone of effective branding. AIGA’s events, like portfolio reviews and creative mixers, provide marketers a chance to collaborate with designers, scout talent, and explore the power of visual storytelling and user experience.

Great for:
Brand strategists
Content creators
UX-focused marketers

Marketing Takeaway: Improve your brand strategy by seeing how designers approach user experience, aesthetics, and storytelling. You’ll walk away with a stronger visual vocabulary and new creative partners.
Riverside Arts Market (RAM)
Why marketers should attend: RAM is more than handmade soaps and fresh veggies – it’s a front-row seat to the innovation of small business branding. Watch how vendors capture attention, share their stories, and build loyal audiences in real-time.

Marketing takeaway: Get inspired by grassroots marketing done well. Think: product storytelling, vendor displays, and niche audience engagement.
Creative Panels @ MOCA Jax, MOSH, and Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Why marketers should attend: These cultural institutions often host community-driven discussions, artist panels, book clubs, and storytelling events. Keep an eye out for exhibition openings and creative meetups for unique insights into how narratives drive engagement.

Explore Events for:
MOCA
MOSH
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

Marketing takeaway: Great marketing is about emotion and connection, which is exactly what these cultural institutions do best. Use their programming to recharge creatively and explore new ways to tell brand stories through art, history, and place.
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville Events
Why marketers should attend: Cultural Council events ignite the creative economy and shine a spotlight on public art, local creatives, and cultural impact. Perfect for marketers interested in placemaking or community engagement.

Top events:
Annual Arts Awards
Public Art Dedications

Marketing Takeaway: Cultural storytelling builds deeper connections. Use what you learn here to create campaigns that resonate with local values and celebrate community identity.

Turn Local Insights Into Local Impact

Tapping into local events is just one piece of the puzzle. If you're ready to turn that inspiration into real results — whether it’s leveling up your Local SEO, launching a new campaign, or giving your brand a creative refresh — Wingard is here to help. We understand Jacksonville, and we know how to help your business thrive here. Let’s make something great, together!

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Let’s turn your idea into realized potential.