Monday, September 22
1:45-2:30 p.m. M801
12 Strategies for Creating Reader Engagement
Speakers: Boyce Thompson, Editorial Director, Hanley Wood
Daniel Verdon, Editor-in-Chief, DVM Newsmagazine
You know how to write and edit, but in today's short-attention-span media environment, you need to think outside the copy box and create multiple entry points that attract attention and draw your readers to your content. In this session, you'll learn creative ways to hook them by using a range of techniques, including heds and deks, pullquotes, timelines, infographics, charts and sidebars, as well as how to think visually when writing and editing your copy. This session is geared towards writers, editors, art directors, and anyone interested in creating a compelling editorial package with every submission.
2:45-3:30 p.m. M802
The Essential Elements to Making Your Stories Must-Reads
Speakers: Tim Appenzeller, Executive Editor, National Geographic
Richard Gallageher, Editor and Publisher, The Scientist
Accurately conveying the facts of a story is the foundation of good reporting. But great writers and editors go beyond the facts to provide context, a point of view, and a voice that makes their copy not only sing, but also makes the writer a "brand." This session is for mid- to senior-level writers and editors, or those with aspirations, who want to take their skills to the next level. You'll learn the elements of context, how to add editorial value to a story that's being covered elsewhere, and how to put your unique stamp on your work in a way that makes it -- and you -- stand out.
3:45-4:30 p.m. M803
From Content Creator to Brand Ambassador: The 6 Essential Skills You Need to Get Out of Your Cave
Speaker: Loren Kruse, Editor-in-Chief, Successful Farming & Agriculture Online
Today's superstar editors are being recognized for doing more than creating great content and getting magazines out on time. To truly move up the ranks, you need to be the emcee for your brand, which requires public speaking, customer relations, brainstorming business ideas, Web savvy and other skills that may be outside of your comfort zone. In this session, you'll learn the essential skills you need to up your SQ (Success Quotient) and how to find opportunities to improve your value and your contributions to your company.
Tuesday, September 23
9:45-10:45 a.m. T811
Creating a Workable Print/Web Content Strategy
Speakers: Richard Babcock, Editor, Chicago Magazine
Kim Werker, Editor, Interweave Crochet
Successful editors are writing and packaging content for multiple media. But what works in one medium doesn't necessarily translate to another. In this session you'll learn how to produce content for print vs. online, how to create workflow processes, how to position your print brand's content against your online efforts, the differences in reader "consumption" habits in each medium and how to adjust your content strategy accordingly, and how to deploy your resources to maximize productivity and keep your core brand strong and relevant.
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. T812
Understanding the Business Side
Speaker: Laura Jeanne Hammond, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, NextStep Magazine
Editors are about content, but if you want to move up the ladder, you need an understanding of the business side too. Laura Jeanne Hammond joined NextStep as a high school intern and worked her way up to not just editor-in-chief, but also publisher and vice president. In this session, Hammond will show what editors need to know about the business side to keep their career path on track, from planning freelance and production budgets to larger operational issues and corporate finance.
2:45-3:30 p.m. T813
How to Manage Multiple Products and Create More Productive Teams
Speakers: Edward Adams, Editor and Publisher, ABA Journal
Bryan Monroe, VP and Editorial Director, Johnson Publishing Company
Doing more with less is today's media mantra and editors are being challenged with managing multiple products with stretched staffs. Attend this session and you'll learn the strategies and best practices for managing content across multiple magazines and content products. You'll hear from those who've mastered multi-product editorial management, including how to create teams, delegate responsibility, develop and manage the org chart, and train and develop your people to take ownership of your magazine/Web site and boost their creativity levels.
4:45-5:30 p.m. T814
Boosting Reader Engagement Online
Speakers: Frank Chloupek, Web Development Director, IndustryWeek
Scott Havens, Director, Business Development, Portfolio.com
Technology, combined with readers’ migration online, has opened up entirely new opportunities for editors to create reader engagement and elicit feedback and response to their content. In this session you’ll learn the ins and outs of blogs, RSS, podcasts, wikis, and video, and how and where you can use them to amplify your content and resonate with new audiences. You’ll learn what they are, how to deploy them successfully, and how to measure response.
Wednesday, September 24
9:15-10:00 a.m. W821
Ready for Your Close-Up? Creating Compelling Video Content
Speakers: Caleb Silver, Executive Producer, Video, CNNMoney.com
Randy Vance, Editor-in-Chief, Boating Life Magazine
Video is the next frontier in extending your content online, and writers and editors are poised to enhance their value and contributions by incorporating video elements into their content mix. In this session, you'll learn the best approaches for gathering and producing video content for your Web sites, including tips and techniques for video interviews, how to package your work, how to get it done, what you'll need to make it happen, and how much it'll cost.
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. W822
Content Outsourcing Strategies
Speaker: Paul Gerbino, Publisher, ThomasNet Industrial Newsroom
One of the first publishers to embrace a digital-only strategy, ThomasNet has devoted much time and expense to training its former print staff to take on digital responsibilities. It also turned to freelancers to develop much of its online content. In this session, ThomasNet publisher Paul Gerbino shows how to run an efficient (and profitable) content machine through outsourcing, including working with freelancers and developing contracts that enable you to use content across platforms.
12:30-1:15 p.m. W823
Creating Killer Covers
Speaker: Zach Frechette, Editor-in-Chief, GOOD Magazine
Designers may get the glory but you know the cover is an editorial responsibility. Hear what editors need to know about planning covers that grab readers and jump off newsstands, key design elements that should be part of your knowledge base and the art of writing cover lines. Also, how to distinguish your covers from the competition and how to push the limits of cover design without losing editorial focus.
