2007 Super Conference features a stellar line-up of speakers

Be sure youÔÇÖre at the 2007 Super Conference, the 88th national convention of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association. In a session called ÔÇ£The Second Curve: Managing the Velocity of Change,ÔÇØ keynote speaker Ian Morrison, a futurist and author, will share his long-term forecasting on changing business environments and theorize on the evolution of the newspaper business model. Later in the day, you wonÔÇÖt want to miss David Wilkins, the American ambassador to Canada, as he discusses issues affecting U.S.-Canada relations. Both presentations take place May 9ÔÇöthe opening day of the conference.

On Thursday, May 10, meet Rob Curley, vice-president of product development for the Washington Post, an online innovator whose prior work at the Naples, Florida Daily News, the small market Lawrence Journal-World in Kansas, and with Morris Communications has made him a critically-acclaimed innovative legend at age 35. His creativity has changed traditional thinking about newspaper web sites, allowing for hyperlocal community web sites and multimedia features. In 2004, Editor & Publisher named the 19,000-circulation Lawrence Journal-World one of the ten newspapers in the U.S. that “do it right.”

On Friday, May 11, speakers Juan Antonio Giner, INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group and Andr├® Provencher, Gesca Ltd., will explore the trend towards free and compact newspapers, which is not only a European phenomenon, but has also emerged in North America. They will be followed by Leon Levitt, vice-president of digital media for Cox Newspapers, and others (TBA). In their session, they will address partnerships such as the one Yahoo! and several large U.S. newspaper companies have created, which are widely hailed as win-win for both organizations.

For further information, and to download the full program and registration form, visit www.communitynews.ca/convention/2007/.

Keep an eye on future editions of the Bulletin for information on the breakout sessions to be held at the Super Conference, and more.

If you have any questions, please contact Alisa Singh by email at asingh@ccna.ca or by phone at (877) 305-2262 x30.