A publisher colleague of mine, noting my collection of gimme bags that now help me avoid the "paper or plastic question" at the grocery store, asked how many national conventions/conferences have passed in front of my eyes over the years in the newspaper industry.
Never thought of it that way, but let's say conservatively 40. Not seminars, not training sessions, not internal corporate meetings. But national or regional conferences, usually fitting one of several categories – news-focused, digital-focused, overall news industry-focused.
His second question: Was it worthwhile to attend that many, and why?
Answer: Yes, absolutely. Because the "good" conferences evolve and change, work hard to stay out of a rut, try to improve the educational programs each year, bring in a variety of vendors with new products and technologies and also try to make it affordable for people of all media backgrounds to attend and participate, regardless of size of the paper.
Like the newspaper industry itself, the convention business for newspapers is evolving, too. In the days of plentiful expense accounts, some companies sent 10, 20, 30 or more people to the same conference – but there also were huge multi-million dollar decisions being made there about equipment, services, vendors, partnerships etc. (I remember once during my corporate career picking up a tab for 37 employees and spouses at a New Orleans conference.)
Those big-dollar "heavy metal" (inserter machines, presses, etc.) conventions have faded somewhat, morphing to a smaller venue, and focused on digital solutions and technology,
And I say this from both sides of the fence – as a small business owner now who pays his own way, and as a former corporate attendee covered by the company bank account – attendees expect a significant return for their dollar.
One thing that has not changed in determining the quality of a newspaper industry gathering: who attends, quality of the program, and size and quality of the vendor field.
Just four years into it, the Mega-Conference, put together by three regional associations (Local Media Association, Inland Press Association and Southern Newspaper Publishers Association), is making a run at leading the field. First year, about 420 attendees; fourth year, almost 700. The vendor field is outstanding, and vendors are treated with respect and appreciation for the partnerships they bring while they, yes, make some money, too.
Next year it's in Atlanta, and interest and attendance will certainly grow, and attendees will expect even better programs and even more vendors. The price of success.
But for now, congrats to those who put on the Mega-Conference for providing a great solution for those of us looking for quality vendors, a good program and lots of similar folks working on the industry's issues.
And the third question from my publisher friend: after all these years, what do you avoid at these conferences?
"Shiny objects." And "bluster."
Glitzy solutions that seem too easy to be true usually are.
Slick PowerPoints that may have nothing underlying them, and presentations that are focused on brief spurts of rabid energy make me exit a conference hall as quickly as possible. The good news is there aren't many of those left; people realize it's all about hard work, not an easy fix.
It's a long road to recovery that the industry is on, but the path is smoothing out.
Media Solutions Partners offers both strategy and hands-on guidance to help media companies and the media support industry transition to a creative and innovative digital future. Contact John Reetz at (404) 316-4759 or john.reetz@mediasolutionspartners.com
