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Sept. 24–27, 2009
Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
64 South Water St.
Mobile, AL

Pub Aux articles

Showing its colors: NNA convention steeped in tradition

Originally published in Publishers' Auxiliary, June 2009

© TAD DENSON - MYSHOTZ.COM
MOBILE’S NIGHT SKYLINE: Attendees of the National Newspaper Association 123rd Annual Convention and Trade Show will have the opportunity to learn how to improve their newspaper operations, save on costs and find new revenue streams. They will also have the opportunity to visit some of the sights in downtown Mobile, AL.

On Friday, Sept. 25, the National Newspaper Association will kick off the official program of the 123rd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Mobile, AL. The program will open with the presentation of the flags—an NNA tradition. This ceremony features member representatives carrying flags from each of the states. The state colors will line the general session room at the conclusion of the ceremony. The keynote speaker for the morning is Harvey H. “Hardy” Jackson III, scholar in history at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Jackson’s articles on Alabama history have appeared in newspapers throughout the state. His most recent work “Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State” won the C.J. Coley Award given by the Alabama Historical Society. He has long been a fan of community newspapers and frequently references his hometown paper and others in his columns. He also is a fan of historical obits and has been the judge for NNA’s obituary writing category in BNC for the past seven years.

Saturday sessions

The Saturday general session is one of the most popular during the convention—Great Idea Exchange. Jerry Bellune, publisher of the Lexington (SC) County Chronicle and the Dispatch News, will Jump Start Innovative Thinking to Survive the 21st Century and then Robert M. Williams Jr., chair and publisher of Southfire Newspaper Group, will take over to moderate the exchange of ideas. Bring your ideas and any samples of them to share and leave behind so we can add them to the NNA Great Idea Database, located in the resources area of NNA’s web site. Here are a few of the comments attendees had to say about last year’s Great Idea Exchange:

–The best session of every convention. –Money in the bank. Super. –Hat in ring. –Loved it. Will take this list and distribute to all our papers. –Ideas were wonderful. Advertising and readership boosters.

The Community Building Symposium has selected 12 excellent papers with research you can use and learn from. This program is co-sponsored each year by the Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media and the National Newspaper Association Foundation. The Silent Auction, which is held during convention each year, helps to support programs such as the Community Building Symposium. We hope you will donate an item and help support the foundation’s program. Contact Sara Dickson at saradickson@nna.org for more information on donations or see the ad on Page 25. And after you arrive for convention, check out all the great items up for bid. You will discover some great deals.

—Great discussions –Lots of Insight –Could spend all day in these –Fascinating –Wow.

Your Convention Committee has recruited six facilitators for roundtable discussions. They have experienced success and will share their knowledge in Charging for Reader Content, Special Sections, How to do More With Less in the Economy and E-editions. Max Heath, chair for NNA’s Postal Committee, will also be on hand to give you the latest on the U.S. Postal Service, and address your mailing concerns. If you are considering selling your newspaper, Jeff Potts, owner of the newspaper brokerage company, JP Media Partners, will address your questions about positioning your newspaper for sale to maximize value in a down market. Be sure to bring your own success stories to these interactive sessions so you may share them with your peers.

—This session alone was worth the registration price –Outstanding –Raised a lot of questions to answer when I return –Great community building ideas –Great presenters.

There will be eight informative, breakout programs from which to choose. Hear how to keep your newspaper out of court and receive a 5 percent discount on your Walterry Libel Insurance just for attending the annual libel session. An special panel has been recruited to tell you on their digital success stories and let you know what is needed to succeed. This is a two-part session so there will be plenty of question and answer time for attendees. Other sessions will include Circulation Building, Selling Advertising in a Down Market, Workforce Willies on changes in human resource laws and regulations and tips on creating compelling columns.

Your full registration brochure is included this year as part of Publishers’ Auxiliary on pages 15 and 16. You can photocopy the registration brochure printed there or download one at www.nna.org, where continuous updates on the convention will be posted.

—Money in the bank –Came away with more ideas this year than ever before! –Good ideas were presented, it’s a shame more don’t take advantage of this opportunity –It exceeded my expectations for an economy like this.

Can you afford not to invest in a convention registration? Think of it as your one-stop shop for great ideas to produce a Great newspaper in a Great location.

See you in Mobile!