Community Newspapers – Hear Them Roar

Have you all read the article by Jim Rosenberg of Editor & Publisher about the lack of attendance at Newspaper Associatioin of America’s (NAA’s) Capital Conference / NEXPO? If not , go here:

I was there, and yes, there were times when I felt like I was walking the floors nearly alone – especially in the morning and especially on the trade show floor. Two folks mentioned they had heard 450 attendees total – I don’t have a way to confirm accuracy on that number and according to Rosenberg NAA won’t say until it’s over.

Certainly I understand why newspaper executives stayed away – money, downsizing, busy trying to do everything back at the office that they can to save their core and at the same time evolve. But I don’t see it as a wise decision. At first glance cutting “superfluous” items out of your newspaper budget might make obvious the decision to not attend NEXPO/Capital Conference. But what you’ve done when you do that is cut out the opportunity to learn from those who’ve succeeded with digital, with social, with motivating reps to sell multimedia, with turning print journalists into MoJos, etc. etc. etc. You’ve also cut out the opportunity to talk with vendors whose products might help you pare down costs, work more efficiently and bring in incremental revenue. And you’ve cut out the opportunity to network with your peers in other markets who just might help you – and you them.

I have a couple of suggestions, and I welcome feedback. First, when I attend conferences that are not “ours” – in other words, when I am going to a non-SNA conference as SNA, and I don’t have responsibility for any of its administration, I stay somewhere other than the conference hotel. I save a LOT of money doing that. Conference hotels are expensive. Their food is expensive, their rooms are expensive. Walk a few blocks and save hundreds of dollars. And, if you’re driving you can stay a few miles away. I’m headed to the NAA Smaller Markets Symposium in Denver and because I’ll be visiting papers in other parts of the state I’m renting a car. So my hotel is 6.9 miles from the one day conference. Why not? I have a car (a compact, by the way.) I am saving over $300 doing that. (please note that after I posted this, one person pointed out to me the error of my thinking on this. Please read the comment.)

Next year, as you consider heading to NAA NEXPO/Marketing Conference (I believe they may together, right? )plan way ahead. Before you say you can’t afford to go, see what sessions are on the schedule for when. If you must, work with another paper or two (yours or someone else’s) and divvy up the trip. “I’ll go Sunday through Tuesday, You go Tuesday through Thursday. We’ll share notes when we get back.” And visit ALL the vendors. You just don’t know what they might have that can help you. Don’t let budget keep you away.

I have to say that no matter how good the sessions, how great the presenters, and how valuable the products I find out about in the exhibit hall, almost inevitably the best idea or ideas I walk away from someone else’s conference with come from a conversation with a fellow attendee.

While I know in this digital age there is much to be said about videoconferencing, IM’ng, commenting on sites, and so forth, there is a still immense value in coming together face to face. Newspapers should not write that out of their budget.

For more details on the various topics at NEXPO, watch the SNA site and its Suburban Publisher newsletter. I’ll be detailing it more there.