NBG Signature Event: Trust is Currency: How PR, Brand & Relationships Build Business Growth with Eleni Gates (PLUS Networking)

Description

Visibility is nice, but trust builds businesses. Public relations is not just press releases, media coverage, or getting quoted in an article. At its core, PR is about building credibility, trust, reputation, and goodwill with the people who matter most to your business. In this session, Eleni Gates will explain how branding, marketing, PR, and networking work together, and how entrepreneurs can use intentional relationships to create visibility, referrals, partnerships, and long-term growth. ======================================= Eleni Gates, MBA, APR is an award-winning strategic communications leader, founder, and sought-after speaker known for helping brands and leaders communicate with clarity, credibility, and impact. With strong career roots in the hospitality industry, Eleni has led national communications strategy for both private and publicly traded companies, including First Watch Restaurants and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Her expertise spans executive visibility, crisis communications, brand strategy, and consumer public relations, guiding organizations through high-stakes moments while building trust and long-term brand equity. Today, as founder of Gatehouse Communications Strategies, Eleni partners with companies and executives to elevate their voices, strengthen their positioning, and turn communications into a true business driver. Her work is grounded in a simple belief: how you communicate shapes how you lead and how you succeed. Eleni is deeply committed to developing the next generation of leaders and advancing the industry. She serves on the advisory board for Women in Restaurant Leadership, is part of the leadership team for Charlotte-based Network Build Grow, a strategic collaborative for business owners and entrepreneurs, and she mentors emerging leaders through the GLEAM program. She previously served as president of the Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and remains an active advisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida, earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2020, and received her Executive MBA from Emory University in 2024. ======================== PLUS OUR SIGNATURE NETWORKING TIME COFFEE AND MORNING SNACKS PROVIDED BY: Fidelity Bank