Members and non-members have until the end of the day tomorrow, Friday, June 25 to receive the early registration discount for AAN's 33rd Annual Convention in Toronto. The discounted rate for members and associate members is $325 per person, and the discounted rate for non-members is $425 per person. Both rates will increase by $50 per person after Friday night.

In addition, when three representatives from the same member paper sign up, that paper will get a fourth registration free of charge. This offer will remain valid after the early registration deadline.

Click here to register online.

As of today, June 24, the Hilton Toronto still has a very limited number of rooms available at AAN's discounted rate of $139.00 (CAD) per night. Click here to reserve a room at AAN's group rate and contact the AAN office if you encounter any difficulty obtaining the group rate through their site.

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Continue ReadingEarly Registration Deadline for Toronto Approaches

Ron Reason's recent redesign of Creative Loafing (Atlanta) was a bold articulation of the notion that any redesign effort should consider the question of revenue. His fresh treatment of alt-weekly mainstays such as the adult classifieds -- rebranded as "wink*" in Atlanta -- and use of creative advertising concepts like peel-away ads are just two examples of how a redesign can "give advertisers a reason to be excited about print again."

Can a similar approach work for your paper?

Reason will be in Toronto to provide a peek into the Atlanta alt-weekly's makeover and share tips on how to approach the overhaul of your print product, including the often overlooked task of incorporating your sales team into the process. Ron Reason is a visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute and a design consultant who has assisted a variety of newspapers and magazines across the globe in rethinking the visual aspects of advertising.

"I always advise clients: why just switch fonts? Why not redesign for growth?" Reason explained on his blog. His session will leave you with plenty of ideas on how to lure in new clients with innovative marketing offerings that blend seamlessly with editorial content to create a finished product that advertisers will want to be a part of.

Continue ReadingCan a Redesign Boost the Bottom Line?

Palo Alto Weekly was a big winner at the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club's annual awards dinner on Saturday. Competing in the Non-Daily division, the paper took home three first-place awards (General Excellence, Technology Story, Entertainment Review) and received nine honors overall. San Francisco Bay Guardian picked up two first-place awards (Editorial, News/Political Column) and four overall; and SF Weekly was also a first-place winner in two categories (Light Feature Story, Serious Feature Story).

Continue ReadingThree SF Bay Area AAN Papers Pick Up Awards

At a town hall meeting during AAN's Toronto Convention, members will discuss the possibility of allowing online-only publications to apply for AAN membership and give them a chance to prove they can pass the same rigorous screening that print publication applicants go through.

Such a change would require only a minor tweak in the organization’s bylaws, but it would nevertheless be a dramatic move for AAN.

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Continue ReadingShould AAN Allow Online-Only Publications to Become Members?

AAN members will have the opportunity to participate in an online webinar about smart phone apps for journalists in Tools for Mobile Journalists. In this webinar from Poynter's NewsU, you'll learn about the latest tools, apps and sites to help you report and publish your content. The first 25 AAN members to register will pay just $12.95 when using the discount code (you can find it here).

Continue ReadingDiscounted NewsU Webinar on Tools for Mobile Journalists Tomorrow