From Kitchen to Cellar to Table

Entry Details

Access by Design is FLCMAA’s statewide approach to making professional education easier to discover, register for, attend, and return to throughout the year.

Across a state as large as Florida, distance, travel costs, demanding schedules, career stages, and learning preferences can limit participation. FLCMAA addressed those barriers by building a single connection that integrates registration for virtual programs, regional education, statewide conferences, CMI workshops, and specialized professional communities.

Members can discover opportunities through FLCMAA News, the chapter website, email, and the mobile app, then register through direct links. More than 115 education credits are available annually at no additional cost, expanding access while providing multiple formats that meet members where they are.

The result is not simply more education. It is a clearer and more accessible path from awareness to participation and continued engagement.

Implementation

FLCMAA designed access across the complete education journey:

1. Members discover opportunities through coordinated chapter communications.
2. Direct registration links simplify the sign-up process.
3. Members choose among virtual, regional, statewide, CMI, and specialized learning pathways.
4. Education is delivered across four Florida regions and through flexible online formats.
5. Year-round programming gives members consistent opportunities to return.

Across 66 tracked programs, FLCMAA documented 3,256 participations from more than 1,300 individual members. Approximately 40% returned for additional education. The broader learning system generated 1,560 virtual participations and 2,970 in-person participations.

The response demonstrates that access is not simply determined by the amount of education offered. Participation increases when programs are easy to find, simple to register for, available in multiple formats, and relevant enough to bring members back.