Montana Newspaper Association 2023 Annual Convention

2301 Colonial Drive,Helena MT 59601

16 June, 2023

Description

2023 Annual Convention Agenda Friday 6/16/23 9 am – 10:30 am MNA / MNAS Combined Board Meeting Combined MNA / MNAS Board Meeting will be held at the Delta Colonial Hotel 11 am Golf Scramble Golf Scramble and lunch. More details to come. 11 am Breweries & Brothels Walking Tour Provided by Foundation for Montana History – Can accommodate up to 25 people. Approximately 90-minute tour – 1.5 miles guided. Difficulty: mild Explore the colorful history of Helena’s prominent brewery scene and historic red-light district during this downtown walking tour beginning at legendary Reeder’s Alley. Stories of entrepreneurial Brewmeisters and madams divulge the rise and fall of Helena’s underworld that will excite, surprise, and inform a forgotten history of the capital. 11:30 am LUNCH - On your own 1 pm Last Chance Tour Train – Downtown Helena Marvel at the Cathedral of St. Helena with its dramatic 230-foot spires (about 20 stories). Cruise by Reeder’s Alley, a charming, restored miners’ village from gold rush days. See the authentic pioneer cabin built in 1864, one of the last remaining structures that represents Helena’s early days. Catch a glimpse of The Old Fire Tower. Built in 1876, it’s one of the few remaining historic fire towers in the United States. Enjoy the unique downtown architecture along Last Chance Gulch, including buildings embellished with giant lizards, thumbprints, and gargoyles. View the Greek Renaissance architecture of Montana’s impressive State Capitol. Constructed of native Columbus sandstone and crowned with a massive copper dome, the Capitol had its cornerstone laid in 1899. Construction of this impressive structure was completed and dedicated in 1902. See the opulent mansion district, featuring the dream homes of Helena’s mining millionaires. Roll right by our governor’s homes, old and new. You’ll see the Victorian beauty that served as the home of Montana’s governors from 1913 to 1959, as well as the newer home where the governor resides. 3 pm Depart for Gates of the Mountains Boat Tour The 120-minute cruise starts at the Gates of the Mountains Marina, 3 miles off Interstate 15 in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains between Helena and Great Falls. Aboard a comfortable open-air boat (covered in case of rain), you’ll glide through magnificent country Meriwether Lewis would still recognize if he could return. Great towering walls of limestone still stand guard over the river. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats scamper in the rocks high above the water. Ospreys, eagles (bald and golden), vultures and falcons (peregrine and prairie) still soar on the updrafts. The canyon is also home to otters, deer, squirrels, ermine, beaver, mountain lions, black bears and other wild creatures. The life list for bird species is more than 120. From the vessel you can see Mann Gulch, the site of the raging forest fire that killed 13 smokejumpers, August 5, 1949. This tragedy was the main subject matter of Norman Maclean’s book “Young Men and Fire”. The tragic story of Mann Gulch is retold by the guide and pilot. Near Mann Gulch the pilot will hug the shoreline to give you a look at Indian pictographs painted on the rock wall. Proof that indigenous people lived here long before Meriwether named it the Gates of the Mountains. The tour’s main attraction, though, is the inexhaustible scenery – wooded slopes, rugged rock formations, and the placid beauty of the timeless Missouri. 7:30 pm MAJOR AWARDS DINNER Presentation of major awards in the Ballroom of the Delta Colonial Hotel Saturday 6/17/22 9 am Montana Newspaper Foundation Annual Meeting Annual Meeting of the Montana Newspaper Foundation held in the Delta Colonial Hotel 10 am – 11 am BRIGHT IDEAS ROUNDTABLE Prizes for best ideas Who knows the Montana market better than our own MNA members? This popular session is back. We ask our members to bring their best new revenue ideas to share with their colleagues. This session is sure to give attendees some ideas to take back to give their revenue a fresh bump for the second half of the year. Bring your ideas and your energy for lively discussion. Prizes will be given for the top ideas offered at the session. 11 am – 12 pm TRAINING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Training and developing staff is always a challenge and this session outlines some MNA resources that have been added to make that task easier in 2023. Representatives of Earn Your Press Pass and On Campus will join us to discuss how our members can get the most out of their training modules. Earn Your Press was designed for smaller papers that, in this tight job market, often hire staffers with little or no journalism training. Earn Your Press Pass offers a series of sessions that will train new staffers in journalism basics. On Campus takes a broader look, offering a complete library of training sessions in advertising, marketing, circulation and news. Coming off the MNA’s successful April news training day, Brian Allfrey and Jim Strauss also will solicit ideas for the coming fall advertising training day and for other future MNA training sessions. 12 pm – 1 pm Past President’s Lunch All MNA Past President’s are invited to join us for lunch at the Delta Colonial Hotel. 1 pm – 1:30 pm MNA / MNAS ANNUAL MEETING Annual Meeting and election of officers. 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm DIGITAL WITHOUT DISTRACTION Embracing digital doesn’t mean abandoning print. News and sales attendees will uncover digital growth opportunities within reach by identifying opportunities to enhance their digital portfolios while maintaining a strong focus on print publishing. Discover how to navigate emerging and established trends, gaining valuable insights for small and medium publishers. Uncover actionable strategies and best practices that can be implemented this summer, including content strategy, effective utilization of paywalls, optimizing newsletters and social media, and leveraging readership data. Don't miss this opportunity to strike the perfect balance between digital expansion and print excellence. Session presenter will be Kyle Rickhoff, digital architect with Align Simple. Kyle is a driven and passionate leader with an entrepreneurial mindset known for optimizing efficiency and big-picture thinking. 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm BREAK 2:45 pm – 4 pm HOW TO SELL MORE OF WHAT YOU HAVE Driving digital revenue does not always mean introducing new products, services, or widgets. In this seminar, we will discuss how to empower your sales strategy by focusing on your basic tools and assets to increase sales. So, join us as we explore turning your typical digital inventory into increased digital revenue opportunities and community partnerships. But what is a seminar without action? At the end of the seminar, we will equip you with key next steps to take back to your team. Session presenter will be Arcadea Scott of Align Simple. Arcadea is a sales and communication strategist with experience leading local and national sales teams. She brings seasoned knowledge and innovation to sales departments to create new revenue streams and activate strategic partners. 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Social Hour Join us for Social Hour prior to the Awards Dinner for Drinks and Fun 6:30 pm – 9 pm BNC Awards Dinner – Presentation of the BNC Awards in the Banquet Room of the Delta Colonial Hotel.