Youre invited to attend the American Press Institute’s  “Event Marketing: Creative Entrepreneurship,” which will be held on Friday, June 18, on the University of Minnesota campus. 

The one-day regional workshop will arm you with strategies and dozens of successful case studies to help you turn events into a powerful revenue stream. The event is being co-sponsored by the Minnesota Journalism Center, University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Minnesota Newspaper Association.  

The program has been designed to address the needs of and identify opportunities for all newspapers – large and small. 

Find out: 

• The essential steps for designing the most creative events that will have the greatest appeal to your market … and make money.
• How event marketing departments can generate substantial revenue … including some that make between $2 million and $4 million annually.
• Ways to capture new audiences and enhance your brand and value proposition through events.
• The keys to successfully creating and staging an event … and what pitfalls to avoid
• How to harness the power of social media to market your events.

More »

Renowned newspaper technology guru and publishing expert Kevin Slimp will deliver his expertise on the following topics in this special session presented by the Minnesota Newspaper Association.

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, May 12 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Best Western Victorian Inn | 1000 Hwy 7 West | Hutchinson, MN 55350

Tickets: $50

Seats are limited, so purchase your tickets today to ensure your spot on May 12th! Registration closes May 10.

More »

The 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate, presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota is tonight.

Tickets are available at the door, on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration desk opens at 4:30 p.m.  The event is expected to sell out.

The event will be live-streamed here tonight.  Tune in starting at 6:00 p.m. if you cannot make it to the debate.

Twenty candidates from all three major parties will be on stage.  Click here for a complete list.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

Pre-registration for the 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate is now closed.  Remaining tickets will be available at the door, on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration desk opens at 4:30 p.m. on January 27.  The event is expected to sell out.

There are now 20 candidates committed to participate in next week’s debate.  Click here for a complete list.

Event Schedule

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

4:30 p.m. | Registration desk opens

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Pre-debate reception

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Debate

LOCATION

Sheraton Bloomington, Minneapolis South
7800 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55439

Questions

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

The 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate is fast-approaching.   Don’t forget to sign up today and reserve your seat for this unique event; registration is required.  The debate is presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association.

All formally-announced gubernatorial candidates, running as a member of one of the major political parties have been invited to participate in the debate.  Click here to see a complete list of participants.

The event will be moderated by Minnesota Public Radio Program Host Gary Eichten, Star Tribune Columnist and Editorial Writer Lori Sturdevant, and Alexandria Echo Press Editor Al Edenloff.  The debate will be rebroadcast on Minnesota Public Radio’s Midday program on Thursday, January 28.

Event Schedule

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Pre-debate reception

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Debate

Questions

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

Registration

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

All declared major party candidates for governor (as defined by the Minnesota Secretary of State) have been invited to participate in the debate.  Participants include:

Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL

Tom Bakk, DFL

Leslie Davis, GOP

Mark Dayton, DFL

Tom Emmer, GOP

Susan Gaertner, DFL

Bill Haas, GOP

Rob Hahn, IP

David Hann, GOP

Phil Herwig, GOP

Tom Horner, IP

Steve Kelley, DFL

John Marty, DFL

Tom Rukavina, DFL

R.T Rybak, DFL

Ole Savior, DFL

Marty Seifert, GOP

Paul Thissen, DFL

John Uldrich, IP

Rahn Workcuff, IP

Presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association

The Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association and its 143rd annual convention are pleased to present a Pre-Caucus Gubernatorial debate on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

For 30 years, the League of Women Voters Minnesota has successfully sponsored non-partisan debates with candidates in an effort to educate the public about campaign issues, provide an opportunity for voters to hear candidates discuss those issues face-to-face, and stimulate public interest and participation in the election.

The Minnesota News Council is pleased to present this opportunity for members of the Minnesota media community and the general public to hear from the 2010 Gubernatorial candidates in advance of the February precinct caucuses.  The event also marks the opening night of the 2010 Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention.

All declared major party candidates for governor (as defined by the Minnesota Secretary of State) have been invited to participate in the debate.  Stay tuned to our Web site for more information.

RECEPTION | 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

The pre-debate reception will feature hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Reception attendees will have a chance to visit with candidates and the media prior to the event.  Tickets are $25.

DEBATE | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

The gubernatorial debate is free and open to the public. Seating for the debate begins at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are free; pre-registration is required.

SPIN ROOM | 8:30 – 9:30

All credentialed media will be permitted into this unique opportunity to interview candidates and campaign surrogates along with representatives of the Major Parties.

CHECK-IN | Starting at 4:30 p.m.

The registration desk will be open at 4:30 and will remain open until the start of the debate.  You will receive your event ticket at the check-in desk.  Tickets must be presented at the door for entry into the event.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

No outside audio or video recording will be allowed at the event except by credentialed media.  If you require media credentials, or a blogger looking to cover the event, please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

The Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota are both non-partisan, non-profit organizations.  In this spirit, event attendees will not be allowed wear clothing promoting candidates or bring candidate signage or stickers into the event.

We invite public input for the debate questions.  If you would like to submit questions for the candidates to answer at the debate, please email them to info@news-council.org.

LOCATION

Sheraton Bloomington, Minneapolis South
7800 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55439

QUESTIONS

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

REGISTRATION

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

When: January 27 – 29, 2010

Where: Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Minneapolis South

What: The 143rd Annual Convention will feature a trade show, a multitude of speakers and professional development opportunities, several keynote sessions, and the annual Better Newspaper Contest Awards Banquet.

More information and registration coming soon!

This week, News Council staff will be attending the 142nd Annual Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention.  Visit us at Booth 20 in the trade show area.

Hope to see you there!

Go to http://www.mna.org/mna-resources/911-MNA.html to read the entire issue!  MNA monthly columnist and News Council member Jim Pumarlo talks about letters to the editor.

Editor’s notes on letters – a sure-fire way to squelch the exchange of ideas

by Jim Pumarlo

Letters to the editor truly are the lifeblood of editorial pages. Letters underscore the value of editorial pages and represent an active citizenry.

But the letters column, if it is to serve its greatest purpose, must be monitored or it can quickly become nondescript. The dos and don’ts of letters should be well understood by everyone at the newspaper, and it is equally important to let readers know the ground rules.

Too often, editors give free reign to letters and are hesitant to impose restrictions on “free expression” of ideas. In reality, a letters column without policies may prove more detrimental than beneficial to the exchange of ideas. More »