306 attend Midwinter Conference

Judging by the numbers the 56th Midwinter Conference & Trade Show was a success! In all, 306 members attended the event Jan. 16-18 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving.

TexSCAN member newspapers again received a free conference registration and free two nights hotel and 155 network newspapers sent at least one representative. Ten non-TexSCAN newspapers and 13 associate member firms also were represented at the conference.

The event also included 53 exhibitors firms and 103 exhibitors displaying the latest products for the newspaper industry.

Approximately 34 first-timers attended the conference and were recognized at the Friday luncheon.

The 4th annual Texas Newspaper Foundation Silent Auction proved a hit with more than 120 items available for bidding. Members and guests spent more than $9,000 to raise money for the foundation’s continuing education programs for community journalists.

The conference theme was “Stock Up on Ideas” and attendees did just that with informative and entertaining programs all three days.

Banquet keynote speaker Lee Cullum got rave reviews for her topic “The Age of Beginning Again.” Members gathered around Cullum after the speech to meet the international affairs and political commentator whose work has appeared in The Dallas Morning News and on National Public Radio.

The Friday luncheon keynote speaker Matt Baron showed the importance of numbers in reporting with his “Go Figure” program.

Newspaper Association of America President William Dean Singleton also spoke during the luncheon and talked about his Texas ties and the national industry perspective. Legislative Advisory Committee chairman Donnis Baggett also gave a preview of possible open government legislation this session.

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Clay Bennett had some attendees laughing and others groaning at a series of his editorial cartoons he displayed during the concluding Saturday, Jan. 18 brunch. Bennett won the 2002 Pulitzer for a collection of about 20 cartoons done with the Christian Science Monitor. He was finalist for the coveted prize the three previous years.

Friday afternoon included a mock senate hearing and a session by attorney James Griffin of Jackson Walker L.L.P. on the state of 401(k) programs since the Enron scandal.

The Saturday, Jan. 18 sessions included an advertising idea exchange lead by Mike Coggins, publisher of the Stephenville Empire-Tribune, and a business office roundtable by Mark Henry, of the Zapata County News, and Richard Stone of Milam County Newspapers. Wayne Smith of the OSHCON informed publishers of the importance of workplace safety.

Tech guru Russell Viers kept the audience in stitches with an earlybird session on digital photography Thursday afternoon, Jan. 16 and three rotating technology question and answer sessions Saturday morning.