February 4-6, 2010
Sheraton & Reed Center in Midwest City, Oklahoma
All convention sessions and events will be held at the Reed Center, adjacent to the Sheraton. The Sheraton is connected to the Reed Center by an indoor walkway.
QUESTIONS? Call (405) 499-0026, 1-888-815-2672 (toll-free in Okla.) or e-mail registrations@okpress.com.
CONVENTION SPONSORS
Gold Level
Silver Level
Bronze Level
To request information about convention sponsorships, call Member Services Director Lisa Potts at (405) 499-0026, or 1-888-815-2672 (toll-free in Okla.), or e-mail lpotts@okpress.com.
HOTEL INFORMATION
SHERATON HOTEL
5750 Will Rogers Road, Midwest City, OK 73110
Front Desk: (405) 455-1800
Click for directions from your location
OPA Room Rate: $94 per night
Reserve your room by January 27 (date extended!) to guarantee rate and availability.
Online Reservations: www.starwoodmeeting.com
This website is specifically for OPA's Mid-Winter Convention, Feb. 4-6.
Phone Reservations: 1-888-627-8566
Tell reservationist that you are with Oklahoma Press Association to receive the group room rate.
Parking is free. Wireless high-speed internet access is available for $5.95 per day. A small business center is also available in the Sheraton lobby.
All educational sessions are sponsored by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
THURSDAY, FEB. 4
11:00 a.m. OPA/OPS Board Meeting
2:00 p.m. ONF Board Meeting
2:00 p.m. OPA Registration Desk Opens
3:00 p.m. Hotel Check-In Available
4:00 p.m. Social Media Strategy for Newspapers
Social media sites – such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs – have become useful journalistic and marketing tools in the information age. A panel of OPA members will discuss how they use these sites to find news and sources and engage readers.
Panelists: Jason Alexander, Shawnee News-Star; Jason Clarke, The Norman Transcript; Yvette Walker, The Oklahoman; Faith Wylie, Oologah Lake Leader. Moderated by Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County Times.
5:15 p.m. OPA Business Meeting
Election of 2010-11 OPA Officers and Directors, Treasurer’s Report, Necrology Report
6:00 p.m. Free Time
7:00 p.m. Welcome Reception & Entertainment
Enjoy a dinner buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres followed by an entertaining look at “Outhouses: A Passing Americana.” BILLY CRYNES from the University of Oklahoma will present a light, lively presentation about the history of outhouses. Some interesting pictures are shown from around the area and the country. Tell your friends this is a scholarly lecture on history, architecture and geography. Truth is, it’s a lot of fun.
Sponsored by Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association
FRIDAY, FEB. 5
8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet available until 9:15 a.m.
9:30 a.m. How Much Content Are You Giving Away?
Newspapers are looking at whether charging for their online content will increase circulation of the print product. How much content should you share for free and how much should you charge for? Hear what this panel of experts has to say.
Panelists: David Arkin, GateHouse Media; Bailey Dabney, Claremore Daily Progress; Rod Serfoss, Clinton Daily News. Moderated by Andy Rieger, The Norman Transcript.
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. One-on-One With Governor Brad Henry
Join OPA to welcome Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry to his seventh OPA convention at this question-and-answer discussion.
11:45 a.m. Break
12:00 p.m. Luncheon
Presentation of: ONG Column and Editorial Sweepstakes Awards, OGE Photo of the Year Awards, OPA Web Site Awards, OPA Print Quality Awards, ONF Joseph H. Edwards Outdoor Writer of the Year Award, Blooper Awards
Co-Sponsored by OERB & AT&T
2:00 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Alternative Story Forms
A mainstay of print news coverage is the routine story on civic issues or evergreen topics that are not, shall we say, terribly engaging. Fortunately, newsrooms can make routine coverage more interesting and digestible with alternative story forms. Learn to spot opportunities for these non-linear stories and make the most of both the available news hole and staff time. Includes templates you can take home and put to use right away. DAVID ARKIN is executive director of the news and interactive division for GateHouse Media. He runs the company’s newsroom and interactive incubator, development and training programs. He also operates GHNewsroom.com, the company readership site, and handles special projects. He was the top editor of four daily newspapers, leading all to general excellence awards, and has won state and regional awards for writing and design.
Creating New Revenue Streams
Are you looking for new ideas to bring in extra revenue this year? A panel of OPA members will explain some recent successful sales promotions that benefitted both their newspapers and advertisers.
Panelists: James Bridges, The Norman Transcript; Courtney Chojnacki, CNHI Interactive Media; Carolyn Estes, Oologah Lake Leader. Moderated by Gracie Montgomery, The Purcell Register.
3:30 p.m. Break
3:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Daily & Weekly Roundtables
Don’t miss this opportunity to discuss common issues and share ideas at separate daily and weekly roundtables.
5:15 p.m. Free Time
6:30 p.m. Awards Reception
Sponsored by OGE Energy Corp.
7:00 p.m. Awards Banquet
Presentation of: Milt Phillips Award, ONF Beachy Musselman Award, Half Century Club Induction, Quarter Century Club Induction, Better Newspaper Contest Awards
9:30 p.m. President's Hospitality Suite
All attendees are invited to the President’s Hospitality Suite following the Awards Banquet.
SATURDAY, FEB. 6
8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
9:00 a.m. From the Front Lines
Veteran network news correspondent MIKE BOETTCHER is recognized as one of the world’s most experienced foreign correspondents, covering wars and revolutions in every part of the globe. In three decades of assignments covering world confl ict for NBC News and CNN, he has witnessed, investigated and been a victim of terrorism himself. As the chief correspondent for CNN’s terrorism investigation unit, a team he created in the summer of 2001, Boettcher was awarded a Peabody, his third of four National Emmys and a National Headliner award. He is currently serving a one-year term as a visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College.
9:45 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. Congressional Conversations
Your opportunity to question U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, and Dist. 1 Rep. John Sullivan, Dist. 2 Rep. Dan Boren, Dist. 3 Rep. Frank Lucas, Dist. 4 Rep. Tom Cole, and Dist. 5 Rep. Mary Fallin.
11:15 a.m. 2009 Mid-Winter Convention Adjourns
12:00 p.m. Hotel Check-out
CANCELLATION POLICY
Notice of cancellation must be received in writing. A full registration fee refund is authorized when cancellation notice is received by January 29, 2010. No-shows forfeit registration fee.