ABOUT THE TRI-STATE SESSIONS AND SPEAKERS

Economic Road to Recovery
The tri-state governors discuss the economic road to recovery and the common challenges our states face. Invited to appear: Gov. Mike Beebe (D–Arkansas), Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Mississippi) and Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-Tennessee). Questions from the floor will be solicited prior to the start of this panel discussion. Moderated by Tom Griscom, publisher, Chattanooga Times Free Press.

26 Ideas for Growing Circulation
This information-packed session offers over two dozen ideas for growing circulation at your community newspaper. Marketing, promotions and more. Presented by Max Heath, postal consultant for Landmark Community Newspapers and Publishing Group of America.

60 Revenue Ideas in 60 Minutes
This fast-paced session has been a big hit on the newspaper convention scene over the past year. Grab your notepads and be ready to see some creative ideas that you can quickly take back and implement. From large newspaper company to small, you can definitely pay for your convention trip with this session alone. Presented by Jason Taylor, president, Chattanooga Times Free Press.

A Call to Action
Newspapers are facing a myriad of challenges, but service to their local communities remains their core strength. Readers will pay for content they value, and they continue to support local newspapers that are providing what no other medium does in communities across the country. Keynote address by Charles Overby, Chairman and CEO of the Newseum and Freedom Forum.

Breaking News Postal Update for Newspapers
Max Heath will share the latest issues, such as the possible end of six-day delivery, threat to the “Basic carrier route rate” that NNA won for DU-entered mail, mandatory address locations, Intelligent Mail Barcodes, “Move Update,” FSS, SOX and PBV (attend to understand these strange acronyms and how they may affect you). Will include a handout package to keep for reference.

Max Heath will be available by appointment on Friday, June 25, to review your postal statements. Please bring a copy of your postal forms (Periodicals form 3541 or Standard Mail form 3602-R) and sign up at the registration desk for a 20-minute one-on-one session. Max has saved members in the tri-state region thousands of dollars annually by reviewing their paperwork!

From Columnist to Commentator: Reflections on a Career in Media
Keynote address by Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist, author, speaker and FOX News Commentator.

Jump-Starting your Sales Culture for 2010 and Beyond
This session will explore specific, tangible changes you can make with your sales force to increase revenue and performance in these ever-changing times. These ideas are not consultant advice, but real ideas that can work in your market. These points are just the boost you need to re-start your revenue engine. Presented by Jason Taylor, president of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The Latest in Finding and Fixing PDF Problems
This is your opportunity to learn from the PDF guru himself. Kevin will spend a fast-paced 90 minutes going over steps to find and fix the most common problems in those PDF files you receive from advertisers and others. Good for users of any version of Acrobat, both Mac and PC. Presented by Kevin Slimp, director, Institute of Newspaper Technology.

Nobody Ever Reads Paragraph 2
A discussion of writing story ledes presented by Jim Stasiowski, writing coach, Dolan Media.

Our Curse: Looking for Stories in All the Wrong Places
Presented by Jim Stasiowski, writing coach, Dolan Media.

Our Future in Print and Beyond
Newspapers have a bright future in both print and online but must realize some of the sacred cows of old no longer apply. See first hand what newspapers and publications both at home and abroad are doing to maintain relevance to readers and to innovate our industry. Presented by Dr. Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi and former chair of the Department of Journalism.

                     Paid vs. Free Website Model
                     A panel discussion moderated by Tim Kalich, publisher of The Greenwood Commonwealth.

Photo Editing & Color Correction Tips in Photoshop
This session is perfect for the newspaper designer or photographer that wants to improve the quality of their photos in print. Kevin will go over tools available in Photoshop CS through CS5 that will make your pictures pop off the page! Good for both Mac and PC users. Don’t miss this chance to make your color and grayscale photos look even better. Presented by Kevin Slimp, director, Institute of Newspaper Technology.

Public Notice: It’s about Record and Readership
States legislatures from Maine to Hawaii are looking for fast ways to cut deficits, and unfortunately printed public notices are quick to come to the chopping block in lieu of placing them on government-run or private websites. The newspaper industry maintains that public notice in print —combined with statewide or individual newspaper sites — is the best way to make public notice accessible to the greatest percentage of our citizens. Newspaper notices are independent, verifiable, archivable, and not subject to alteration, tampering or inaccessibility due to power, server or other failure. Recent surveys have shown that most people do not visit government websites on a regular basis, and many rural-dwelling and senior residents do not have reliable Internet access at all and are not likely to in coming years. Come hear what your newspaper can do to support state and national efforts to educate readers on the importance of public notice and to help fight their removal from newspapers. Presented by Tonda Rush, president, American PressWorks.