2020 Convention marks 140th anniversary

The 2020 Texas Press Association Convention and Trade Show in Galveston Jan. 16-18 will be a mega event celebrating the organization’s 140th year.
Moody Gardens Hotel, Convention Center and Spa in Galveston is headquarters for the event.
Following a membership vote and board action calling for one convention per year, the 2020 convention will combine activities previously held during the midwinter conference and summer retreat meetings, including the annual membership meeting, installation of new officers, presentation of TPA awards, Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and the Texas Better Newspaper Contest awards presentation.
Officers installed at the final summer meeting held in 2018 are serving through the 18-month transition period. New officers installed at the January convention will serve for the year 2020, until the January 2021 meeting.
The 2020 convention will also feature informative sessions and member discussion groups on various topics as well as keynote speakers. 
The annual trade show will highlight the event, along with the annual Silent Auction benefiting the Texas Newspaper Foundation.
Registration forms will be available online soon.
TPA AWARDS
Nominations are sought for TPA awards, including:
• The TPA Golden 50 Award, honoring men and women who have displayed exemplary service and selfless contributions to journalism for 50 or more years. 
• The Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership, awarded annually to a publisher or newspaper executive who contributed most significantly to the industry and his or her community over the past year.
• The Fred Hartman Award for Excellence in Sports Writing, which will be presented this year to a writer for a newspaper of more than 10,000 circulation. Presented in conjunction with Hartman Newspapers, this award carries a cash prize. 
Deadline for all nominations is Oct. 15. Nomination forms for all awards are available on the TPA website, www.texaspress.com. For more information, contact Mike Hodges at 512-477-6755 or mhodges@texaspress.com. 
TNF HALL OF FAME
Nominations for the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame are also due by Oct. 15. Established in 2006 by the Texas Newspaper Foundation, the Hall of Fame honors visionaries, innovators and community builders of all eras who have made significant contributions to journalism and to their communities while serving as a mentor and inspiration to other journalists. Nomination form is available on the foundation website, www.newspaperhalloffame.org.
TRADE SHOW
Vendors are already signing up for trade show booths. The annual show features dozens of vendors and agencies offering products and services to the newspaper industry. The trade show gives members an opportunity to learn more about products they may already use and/or find ideas for new services. The trade show opens on the first night of the convention, Thursday, Jan. 16, with a reception. The show is open Friday, Jan. 17, from 7:30 until 11:30 a.m. in the Moody Gardens Exposition room.
SILENT AUCTION
The annual silent auction benefiting the Texas Newspaper Foundation will be on display near the trade show in the Moody Gardens Exposition Room and opens with the trade show reception Thursday evening. 
Auction items will be on display and bidding will be open during the reception Thursday evening and again Friday from 7:30 until 11:45 a.m., when bidding ends and winners will claim their items.
Donating and purchasing items at the auction helps support the Texas Newspaper Foundation’s primary mission: mid-career training for newspaper journalists and designers, often in conjunction with the Texas Center for Community Journalism. Everyone’s support is needed.
Members may send their auction item donations to Executive Director Mike Hodges (shipping/mailing address is 8800 Business Park Drive, Suite 100, Austin Texas 78759) or bring them to the conference on Thursday, Jan. 16. 
TEXAS BNC
Results of the 2018-19 Texas Better Newspaper Contest will be announced at the convention in Galveston.
Due to the transition to one meeting per year, the contest period for the 2019-20 Texas Better Newspaper Contest will cover 20 months. Participants may choose entries from material published between Jan 1, 2018 through Aug, 31, 2019. 
Participants are reminded if eligibility requirements for the contest: Newspapers must be TPA members in good standing (dues paid) and have been members throughout the contest period, January 2018 through Aug. 31, 2019.
The entry period opens Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 4. Participants will upload entries on the BetterBNC platform. Members of the Tennessee Press Association will judge the entries in October and November. Awards will be presented at the convention closing brunch Saturday, Jan. 18.
For more information about the contest, visit the TPA website www.texaspress.com/bnc, where a rulebook is available, or contact Candace Velvin, contest coordinator, at 512-477-6755 or cvelvin@texaspress.com.