The 2006 convention is still more than a month away, but plans are already being made for next year. Keep June 14-16, 2007 clear on your calendar -- host paper Willamette Week is promising sunshine, pinot noir, and "a vigorous discussion about the future of independent journalism."
West Gold Editorial will help the association organize programming for its fall Web-publishing conference, which will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to the consulting work they handle for print publications and their Web sites, West Gold Editorial has experience in a similar, advisory role in connection with an annual Web-publishing workshop hosted by Stanford University. The firm's principals will also present two seminars at this year's annual convention in Little Rock.
To compete with Craigslist and other Web sites, AAN members are turning to different models of free online classifieds, most developed specifically for alt-weeklies. But what seems like a revenue loss can also be an advantage, publishers and marketers say. Some revenue can be gained from upselling and from the new business that a classifieds Web site attracts, and alt-weeklies are in a unique position to build online loyalty because they take their cues from the local communities that they serve.
There will be something for everyone in Little Rock, the just-announced seminar line-up reveals. Managers will find plenty of training to keep them busy, and a slew of Internet-publishing sessions should educate alt-weekly staffers of all job types. AAN has even made the registration process simpler with a new Web site enabling members to use their aan.org passwords to register for the convention. And, as if that's not enough meeting-related excitement: AAN will also be holding a Web-publishing conference in the fall.
Ciao! Would you like to see the Colosseum in Rome, or navigate a gondola through Venetian channels? The AAN CAN rep who sells the most new advertising between now and May 31, 2006, will be spending three nights in each of those cities. And Classified Managers have not been forgotten -- AAN has assembled a "mini" prize package as a souvenir for the winner's manager.
The editorial programming scored high with attendees of both conferences, but the advertising and design streams were rated uneven at best. And while Craig Newmark was a particular favorite among the speakers at AAN West, attendees gave higher marks overall to AAN East. Still, the overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that both of this year's regional conferences were a success.
For the second year in a row, AAN papers can qualify for up to two free registrations to the annual confab, which will be held June 15-17 in Little Rock, Ark. In addition to former President Bill Clinton, Arkansas natives Wesley Clark and Susan McDougal have already been confirmed as speakers. And for the first time ever, AAN members will be able to register for the convention over the Internet.
