The Gainesville Florida Annual ADDY American Advertising Awards helps raise funds for advertising educational programs and other public service campaigns across the country. Adbiz has been very involved with the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Gainesville, FL and has won numerous ADDYs helping local and state advertising students and other social causes.

Adbiz CEO and cancer survivor, Terry Chester, served on the board of directors for The American Cancer Society, Northeast Florida Division. Adbiz helped with fundraising and volunteered at annual events. The American Cancer Society supports the Gainesville, Florida community thru cancer research, education, advocacy and patient and family services

An integral part of Gainesville and Alachua County, the American Red Cross Northeast Florida Chapter offers disaster relief and training certifications for the community. Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, served on the Board of Directors and focused on sales strategies, coming up with creative fundraising ideas, getting new sponsors and marketing and advertising charity events.

CEO of Adbiz, Terry Chester, began his Gainesville business journey after joining forces with Dave Mays (a fellow PhD entomologist) to start an automotive repair shop in northeast Gainesville (1975). The partnership worked great with Terry handling the business side and Dave handling the diagnosis and repair side. This partnership led to a rapidly growing company able to provide livelihoods for some of the brightest mechanical minds in North Florida.

Being the General Manager of Dave Mays Automotive gave Terry Chester insight into how businesses operate and how marketing and advertising works. Running everything from customer service to bookkeeping, Terry Chester really got to know the Gainesville, Florida business community. He noticed a trend in consumer perception when it comes to mechanics and automotive repair shops in general. After further research, he realized this was mostly the same everywhere. The general public typically believed mechanics were not highly-skilled top-level technicians and that most car repair shops were dishonest and trying to rip people off.

In order to educate the Gainesville and surrounding communities and support local automotive businesses, he brought the Automotive Service Association to Gainesville and became its first president. This national organization’s mission statement says it all: “The Automotive Service Association (ASA) advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. Since 1951, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) has been the leading organization for owners and managers of automotive service businesses that strive to deliver excellence in service and repairs to consumers.”

The Alachua and Marion County chapter grew to many members from Gainesville, Ocala and the surrounding areas. Terry Chester contributed by organizing and scheduling meetings, recruiting new members, developing marketing and promotional strategies and planning and executing events. For example, to ensure our Gainesville roadways were safe, ASA offered free auto inspections at Gainesville High School available to the entire public. Bringing ASA to the area helped the entire Gainesville community stay informed and enhanced the professionalism of the industry.

Fulbright Scholar and Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, has always had a love for the natural world and earned a Masters at Yale studying entomology. With his background, Adbiz was the perfect creative advertising agency to help launch the Florida Museum of Natural History’s new exhibit, The Butterfly Rainforest. This Gainesville, FL attraction is a can’t-miss living exhibit that features hundreds of free-flying butterflies and birds from around the world. This habitat also houses an assortment of other animals including turtles and fish that visitors get to experience firsthand.

Adbiz contributed in many ways playing a major role in the initial pre-planning for the exhibit. This included branding and coming up with the name “Butterfly Rainforest.” Terry Chester also helped with general habitat and structural plans, as well as figuring out solutions that ensured guests could safely interact with the butterflies. As far as advertising and promotion, Adbiz helped create initial marketing campaigns that launched this important destination and major income source for both the town of Gainesville and the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The founders of the Climb for Cancer Foundation, Ron and Dianne Farb, came to Adbiz for help with a great idea for a nationwide climbing event. The concept was to have teams in each of the 50 states climbing to the highest peak in each state, all on the same day! Each team would be responsible for their own local fundraising efforts, and together, the event would raise a great deal of money to help fund cancer research and support cancer patients and their families.

We named the event “50-50-1.” The name stands for 50 states, 50 peaks, 1 goal. Adbiz developed the idea, the branding and the website strategy for the event. We also designed and produced promotional materials, t-shirts, banners, posters, etc.

Joining the board and partnering to build and launch this Climb for Cancer fundraising event was rewarding for the entire Adbiz team. One highlight was climbing to Florida’s highest peak at 348 feet (not many mountains here in Florida). We all had fun and enjoyed meeting great people, several of whom were cancer survivors. This was just one of many memorable experiences with the Climb for Cancer Foundation

The Exchange Club of Gainesville is a community organization and non-profit doing great things in the community for many years. After attending a meeting as a guest speaker to discuss local Gainesville marketing, business and web design, Terry Chester decided to become a member.

Over the years, Adbiz contributed in fundraising, selling, promoting, coordinating and managing civic activities, events and guest speakers. Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, served on the Board of Directors. On the board, Terry Chester helped with membership strategies. and fresh ideas for effectively marketing and advertising fundraising events.

Since Terry Chester’s love of science and the natural world is what orginally brought him to Gainesville, Florida, it was his pleasure to volunteer and become a board member at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Terry Chester, with the help of the Adbiz team, provided marketing strategy, sales and fundraising which resulted in an increase in museum attendance and community awareness.

As a full-service advertising agency in Gainesville, Florida, we understood that public relations is necessary to be successful in branding and marketing. Not only has Adbiz employed some top public relations specialists over the years, we also took part in the local public relations community and joined the Florida Public Relations Association, Gainesville Chapter.

The Florida Public Relations Association is the nation’s oldest association of public relations professionals. Today, the Gainesville Chapter has grown to be one of the largest groups in the state. Adbiz supported their mission of enhancing and promoting the local public relations profession and this valuable organization. FPRA advances advertising and marketing excellence and support in the Gainesville and Ocala region thus enhancing overall business growth and communication

A cornerstone of the Gainesville, Florida marketing community, the Florida Advertising Federation advances web design and advertising excellence in the local and surrounding areas. The organization does a great job in creating a sense of community among Gainesville, Florida advertising and marketing professionals. This comradory enhances business growth and communications for all of Gainesville. Adbiz always felt it was important to contribute and belong to this valuable organization and its annual ADDY Awards celebration.

Being a member of GAIN, an organization supporting entrepreneurship in Gainesville, Florida, was a great fit for Adbiz, especially with its science and business roots. Adbiz believes in the value of local innovation. As a member of GAIN, Terry Chester helped assist Gainesville, FL entrepreneurs and start-ups. These investments have been an excellent way to bring dollars to the community.

While a member of GAIN, Adbiz expanded to a new location just outside Gainesville at Progress Corporate Park, Alachua. One of the goals of this expansion was to create a marketing facility within a community of entrepreneurs, start-ups, engineers and scientists.

Adbiz made it a priority to support economic development through the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Adbiz team attended many of their mixers, ribbon cuttings and educational events.

Terry Chester rose up through the ranks and became an Ambassador, recruiting new members for the Chamber. He also helped with marketing strategies and collected data and feedback from the local business community.

When Adbiz was founded in 1997, the Hippodrome had already established itself for 25 years as one of the premier theaters in Florida.  We were proud to become one of their largest sponsors, working together for years as their “Partner in Art.”

As their creative Partner in Art, Adbiz helped with all aspects of their marketing, advertising and communications. We developed each play’s theme and designed each play’s marketing materials and playbill.

We appreciated the Hippodrome featuring a special Adbiz ad on the inside front cover of each playbill. Often fun, sometimes serious, each ad was designed to complement the theme of each play. The Adbiz team also attended each opening night. Going out for a night on the town to support the Hippodrome actors turned into an Adbiz tradition.

Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, was proud to be part of the 19th year of Leadership Gainesville. This 10-month community program was designed to educate and strengthen business leaders and develop economic opportunities in the Gainesville area.

Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, made a point to belong to a Rotary Club wherever we opened an office. Rotary International is over 100 years old and has more than a million members worldwide. This organization focuses on economic development and improving the health and well-being of local communities.

Terry Chester served as sergeant-at-arms and helped arrange guest speakers. He also acted as the marketing coordinator for most club events.

Adbiz partnered with Stop! Children’s Cancer, an organization committed to the prevention, control and cure of childhood cancers. The entire Adbiz team volunteered at their annual Gainesville events. Adbiz CEO, Terry Chester, also helped the board with strategy, ticket sales, marketing and fundraising ideas.

Being a cancer survivor, Terry Chester was not only involved in various cancer-related organizations, he had an idea to create, along with Adbiz staff, fundraisers where people could dance the night away without being subjected to second-hand cigarette smoke. At the time, it was virtually impossible to go out and dance at a smoke-free venue. Adbiz netted $35K for cancer research through these private jazz club events.

Earning his Master’s degree from the Yale School of the Environment (formerly the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies), Terry Chester has participated in activities Yale-related in the various cities Adbiz has had an office. He felt it important to connect with local leaders and business people as well as take part in charitable events.

#1 fastest growing female-owned business in the State of Florida

14th fastest-growing company in Florida

Business Ethics Award, The University of Florida Warrington College of Business