Biography

Alan Byrd founded Alan Byrd & Associates in 2009. The goal was to provide a different level of service for businesses, organizations and political figures, one where the agency was part of the team, not just a hired gun or consultant. Since its inception, Alan Byrd & Associates has worked with hundreds of clients to help develop and grow their brand through public relations, marketing, public affairs and business development.

Award-winning reporting

For over a decade, Alan Byrd worked for Orlando Business Journal and covered tourism, transportation and sports business – one of the first reporters in the country to cover the business side of sports. These beats gave Alan a unique perspective on a wide variety of industries and businesses. His “Tourism World” column on page 3 of OBJ was one of the best-read sections of the paper.

During the next nine years, Alan won dozens of local, state, regional and national awards for his stories. In 1998, his reporting of the Moscow Circus was named the best business story in the United States by the Society of Business Editors and Writers. His work also included writing for Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal as its Central Florida correspondent. He led the magazine’s national coverage of the United States’ bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Award-winning marketing

In 2001, Alan left the comfort of reporting to try a new adventure – sales and marketing. As director of marketing for Orlando Business Journal, Alan oversaw the newspaper’s events and its growth in circulation. Of 41 newspapers in the American City Business Journals chain, OBJ was one of only a couple of newspapers to exceed its sales goals every year. In 2004, the company gave Alan its highest honor, an Eagle Award for Circulation Excellence.

During this time, Alan led the foundation of Orlando Business Journal’s Executive Advisory Board Exchange. This group helped mid-level businesses create a volunteer advisory board to help their companies grow. Alan moderated the meetings of every board meeting, giving him even more of an education on all facets of business.

Sales, Marketing and Public Relations

In 2006, one of Alan’s good friends, Michael Waldrop, was called to duty by his country. At the time, Alan and Michael were studying The Purpose Driven Life, and God put it on Alan’s heart to join McCree to handle all sales, marketing and public relations. At McCree, Alan was responsible for a complete redesign of the company’s website and all marketing collateral.

In the Community

Since leaving reporting, Alan Byrd has been in a leadership position on more than a dozen community boards. One of his biggest accomplishments is his fund raising for charities. In 2005, he started an annual deep-sea fishing trip, which raised nearly $12,000 to be used for a women and children’s shelter for the Salvation Army and $16,000 for the Valencia Community College Foundation. He also chaired the Coastal Conservation Association’s annual Orlando banquet, which netted nearly $95,000 to help preserve marine resources throughout the state. One of his musical endeavors, Barefoot Underground, has held several benefit concerts for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, raising $5,000 for the charity.

He is a past chair of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce and he currently serves as the chair of the Valencia Foundation board of directors.

Featured Author

In 2004, Alan Byrd authored his first book, Florida Spring Training: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League. The nationally published book features travel tips and fan-friendly details of every spring training facility in Florida. The book

was featured in many major magazines and newspapers, including Money, Newsweek, USAirways Attache, The Boston Globe and the Houston Chronicle. During the book’s promotion, Alan Byrd provided dozens of radio and television interviews in the United States and Canada.

Featured Speaker

Throughout his career, Alan Byrd has been a sought-after speaker, talking on a multitude of subjects to groups small and large. His subject matter has included topics from baseball and fishing regulations to how to use the media for sales and how to maximize your community relations to grow your bottom line.

At Home

Alan married Orange County School Board member Melissa Byrd in 1998 and the two of them have two daughters, Abigail, 20 and Madeline, 17. During his free time, Alan enjoys fishing and hunting and plays guitar and sings with several local groups and solo. He spends too much of his money rebuilding the record collection of his youth and on concerts throughout the state.