Stronger Together: Informa and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County 

When you think of Informa, a few things may come to mind: large-scale events like Comic Con through its FAN EXPO division, the Dubai Air Show, or—closer to home—the boat show at Marina Jack. 

At the Education Foundation, when we think of Informa, we think of something more enduring: a deep-rooted commitment to volunteerism that runs throughout this global company’s culture.

Everyone at Informa can take up to four days each year to volunteer with a charity or community organization of their choice, and we are fortunate that they often choose to support us.      

As one of the world’s leading publishers of academic research, advanced learning, and open research, Informa’s roots are embedded firmly in education.

And we’ve had the privilege of witnessing that commitment firsthand. 

For nearly a decade, Informa and the Education Foundation have enjoyed a partnership grounded in a shared commitment to supporting students and teachers. Informa volunteers have played an active role in our work—reviewing scholarship applications, evaluating teacher grants, and supporting community events like our Annual Ringling Bridge Run. 

This past fall, that commitment was on full display when more than 60 participants showed up to raise funds for the Education Foundation at Walk the World Sarasota.

Part of Informa’s global initiative, Walk the World events bring colleagues together across the globe to step away from the office, connect with one another, and raise funds for local causes that matter in their communities. 

For Debbie Bock, cash applications specialist at Informa, volunteering is personal. Her son graduated from Suncoast Polytechnical High School, so local education matters to her. “If you can read and understand, you can do anything. So much hinges on education, it’s important to support it and make sure the kids have the tools they need to succeed in the world because they’ll be taking care of us someday. It takes a village.” 

And yet it often can take just one person to make a difference. For Head of Talent Acquisition, Tracy Hildner, the return seems greater than the investment. “Mentoring was a great experience for me last year.  I was paired with a high potential student who wanted another opinion about how to best set herself up for admission into law school at the end of her bachelor’s degree. I did research, talked to many of my friends and colleagues who are attorneys and several parents of students that attended the same university. The last time we met, we picked out her first semester classes together over lunch.” 

Informa is fully engaged with us, our programs, and our students. They understand how to match opportunities to employees, whether it’s mentoring, sponsoring events, providing resources, or donating their invaluable time. We have learned that reviewing our student applications during scholarship season is a highly coveted volunteer role at Informa—one that is not only enjoyable, but gratifying.

“Scholarship reviews are very rewarding when you read through each student’s application and learn about their challenges and determination to go on to postsecondary education,” Hildner said.  “Some of the stories have brought me to tears, but then when that student was awarded the scholarship the tears became an expression of happiness and gratitude for my company’s part in raising money to fund the scholarships.” 

When a sponsor’s role goes beyond financial donations and individuals choose to give their time, energy, and expertise to education, it is both humbling and heartwarming. This longstanding relationship between the Education Foundation and Informa is etched in stone, and we look forward to the next decade of partnership—one that continues to open doors for students, strengthen teachers, and lift our entire community.