Web Focus Programming
This is a guide to Web-related programming found throughout all convention tracks. Schedule is subject to change. Shaded areas indicate concurrent sessions.
Thursday, June 15
3 to 4:15 pm
2006 Outlook: Real Estate Advertising
The Internet is rapidly changing the way Realtors market themselves. Are you prepared to capture their new ad spending? This session will look at ad spending figures for alternative newsweeklies and their Web sites. Various strategies, the competition and the future of Web and print advertising will be discussed.
Presenter: Peter Conti, Borrell Associates Inc.
4:45 to 6 pm
Internet Advertising Best Practices
Speaker Mike Blinder will pre-audit a number of alt-weekly Web sites and present our best, most innovative ad practices as well as offer new ideas on how alt-weeklies can increase revenue and market share in this not-to-be-missed session.
Presenter: Mike Blinder, The Blinder Group
Friday, June 16
10 to 11:15 am
Flash for Print Journalists
Publishing interactive content for your news Web site doesn't have to be difficult. Learn the important essentials to solid interactive storytelling, and find out about some of the tools available to make creating this content easy.
Presenter: R. Scott Horner, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
11:45 am to 1 pm
More Flash for Journalists
Find ways to go beyond simple slideshows. Here you'll learn how to create
interactive experiences for your site. Also, show us examples of your online
interactive work or pick the brain of one of the best multimedia news
producers around.
Presenter: R. Scott Horner, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
11:45 am to 1 pm
Where Journalism Meets the Cell Phone: An Introduction to Mobile Content
An introductory look at the exploding industry of so-called "mobile content" -- information presented on cell phones, smart phones, PDAs and other mobile devices. Former AAN member Bruce Dobie will look at the industry, its players and emerging revenue models. In addition, he will discuss ways that some newspapers are taking advantage of this new distribution platform to enhance their readership, brands and bottom lines.
Presenter: Bruce Dobie, Dobie Media LLC
3 to 4:15 pm
Goof-Proof Your Web Site: Avoiding Critical Mistakes
How to avoid--or undo--the critical mistakes that trip up most Web sites, from “the phony front door” to “buried treasure.” Editorial consultants Michael Gold and Susan West review best practices in Web publishing. Following this talk, they will examine volunteers' sites for problems that need to be fixed
Presenters: Michael Gold, Susan West, West Gold Editorial
4:45 to 6 pm
The 10-Minute Web Site Remake
Building on the discussion of best practices in the preceding session, consultants Gold and West will conduct public critiques and "instant make-overs" of several volunteer sites.
Presenters: Michael Gold, Susan West, West Gold Editorial
4:45 to 6 pm
Managing the 'New' Classified Department
The new highly-competitive classified environment demands new strategies from alt-weekly sales managers. With new Web-based systems in place, how should we re-direct staff and resources? What impact will these online systems have on recruitment, training, compensation, new product development and marketing? Join us for a lively conversation about the future of our classified departments.
Moderator: Penelope Huston-Baer, Santa Barbara Independent. Panel: Molly Zanone, The Memphis Flyer; Cassidy Frazier, Austin Chronicle; Sarah Billingsley, Sacramento News and Review; and Robby Robbins, Independent Weekly.
4:45 to 6 pm
The Odd Couple
As the number of connected households in the country grows, the pairing of effective Web and print advertising has never been more important. And with more and more small, local businesses looking to expand their traditional advertising spend, the opportunity to enhance campaigns with online components is growing exponentially. Join the team at Clutch Creative as they walk though their process and best practices in developing print and Web campaigns. They will talk technology, usability design, and creative and discuss tracking techniques.
Saturday, June 17
10 to 11:15 am
How Blogs Changed My Paper*
Many AAN papers are investing a lot of energy in blogging. But is it worth
it? Does anyone read them? Is anyone advertising? Are blogs a meaningful
addition to our arsenal or just a costly diversion that cannibalizes
editorial and IT resources without contributing to the paper – or the bottom
line. Two editors and two publishers from papers that have embraced blogging
will discuss the medium's pros and cons with one non-blogging skeptic. At
the very least, we'll find out why Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee shut the
Arkansas Times out of the state capitol.
Moderator: Stephen Buel, East Bay Express. Panel: Mark Bartel, City Pages;
Max Brantley, Arkansas Times; Tim Keck, The Stranger; and Donna Ladd,
Jackson Free Press.
11:45 am to 1 pm
Free Online Classifieds: Do They Work?*
About half of the papers in AAN have launched free-classifieds Web sites to help stem the loss of readers and advertisers to other online products. How are these sites working? Are they generating incremental revenue? We’ll hear from a panel of AAN members who will talk about the impact the sites have had on their papers.
Moderator: Shane Goodman, Cityview. Panel: Carl Ferrer, Backpage.com; Marc Brancaccio, Avenews and Salt Lake City Weekly; Rob Jiranek, Portico Publications; Carol Flagg, Austin Chronicle; and Howie Rosen, San Diego Reader
