Call for Presentations

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

The 2009 Call for Presentations is now closed.

All proposals must be submitted prior to the closing date using the online submission form. Proposals will not be accepted if they are submitted via e-mail.

Overview of NAA Conference Program Planning and Call for Presentations Process

One year before the event, the Conference Program Planning Committee is formed. The NAA staff provides the overall structure for the program and supports the committees throughout the decision-making process. The Program Planning Committee is comprised of newspaper industry volunteers who are experts in their field.

The committee tends to work from the big picture down to the details. The first few months of planning consist of determining the issues believed to be most significant to attendees, then work to build those concepts into specific sessions. Sessions vary in length from 45 – 90 minutes. They generally involve two to four speakers or panelists. Your proposal may be considered for participation in panel discussions rather than as a solo speaking opportunity.

Call for Presentations Process

Call for Presentation Process Opens: Presentations are accepted September 15, 2008 – October 31, 2008

Submission Deadline: All presentation proposals must be submitted by close date to be considered
Acknowledgement: All presentation submissions will be acknowledged via e-mail upon receipt.
Review Period: Proposals will be reviewed by NAA staff experts and members of the Program Planning Committees.

Review and Selection Information

Review Criteria:
• Relevance to attendees and session topic
• A well-defined topic with focused objectives
• Practical application of material
• Timeliness of topic
• Original material
• Overall perceived level and quality of session content
• Completeness of presentation proposal
• Speaker qualifications, including: previous presentations in topic area, participant evaluations of presenter(s) at previous events (if applicable) and speaking experience of presenter(s)
• Availability of NAA newspaper members to co-present on the topic
• Length of presentation - Submissions should be based on a 20 minute presentation

Sales pitches for products or services submitted as proposals will be eliminated.

The Conference Program Committees reserves to the right to:
• Select any - or none - of the submissions. A proposal may be exceptional, but inconsistent with the goals of the Program Planning Committees, duplicate another session, have legal/antitrust implications, or prove otherwise not acceptable.
• Change the length of time allotted to the presenter.
• Make decisions based on limited meeting space.
• Contact the applicants before, during and after the review process for clarification.
• Include industry suppliers in a committee-generated session at the committee's discretion.
• Combine short sessions on similar topics.

Speaker Obligations and Agreements

The Speaker must:
• Register for the conference.
• During their presentation, provide educational material ONLY and abide by NAA's policies and procedures (i.e. Non-Commercial Policy).
• Submit their photo, bio, presentation, handouts, and AV support requirements by the deadline dates.
• Submit a final presentation and handouts to NAA 30 days before the conference.
• Work with other presenters in the session and/or the Program Planning Committee members to refine the presentation so that it meets the Program Planning Committee goals for the session.
• Allow NAA to post copies of your final presentation online after the conference.
• Check in on-site at Speaker Registration and the Speaker Ready Room to ensure that your final presentation is uploaded and displays properly with the AV equipment.

If a sales presentation or demonstration is given during the event, or if the presenter does not deliver the presentation as provided to NAA, the opportunity to present at future NAA events is forfeited.

Required Information

Please note that you do not need to have a full presentation in place at this time, just a general sense of what you would like to contribute to the selected session topics. Please have the following information ready when submitting your proposal. There is a 45 minute log-in limit. If you do not save your submission prior to the 45 minutes, you will automatically be logged out. To expedite the submission process, please have the following information prepared:

Classroom (Breakout) Educational Sessions:
1) Track and session topic to which the presentation proposal relates
2) Presentation/Proposal Title or Topic Addressed (10 word maximum)
3) Presentation/Proposal Objectives and Brief Description (500 word maximum)
4) Presentation/Proposal Length (Note: Most sessions are 75 minutes in length and are typically a panel of 2-4 people)
5) Presentation/Proposal Submission Contact Information

Note to Newspaper Industry Suppliers: If you are a supplier of products or services or a consultant to the industry, you are encouraged to provide the names of newspaper industry personnel who have used your product or service and who may also be willing to present on the topic submitted. Your proposal may be considered for participation in panel discussions rather than solo speaking opportunities.

Topic List

Below is the list of proposed session topics. You will be required to indicate which topics your presentation relates to. You are able to specify more than one topic.
*Session topics are subject to change pending program committee final selection.

REVENUE TRACK TOPICS
•Monetizing all Things Digital - this looks at the revenue perspective of mobile, video and social networking along with other web money approaches. Who is doing what and how?
•Optimizing Sales Efficiency - looking at revenue growth from the perspective of growing our account base, especially smaller accounts utilizing self service, tele-sales and databases to develop low cost of acquisition advertising.
•Pricing Models - looking at advertising pricing approaches that are innovative.
•Revenue Partnerships - everyone knows about the Yahoo consortium but many newspapers are striking new win-win relationships that may involve revenue sharing.
•Revenue Risk Taking – a look at how newspapers are taking calculated risks on new revenue initiatives.
•Redefining Classified - what are newspapers doing to take a fresh look at the classified verticals and how does that work synergistically with their print and online products.

AUDIENCE TRACK TOPICS
•Finding the Right Product for the Right Audience – this session will address how newspapers are successfully engaging targeted audiences through new product development. Examples shared will illustrate successful segmentation strategies, best practices around product development and proven ways to grow audience engagement while leveraging the newspaper’s core competencies
•Audience Metrics - current state and trends, including AudienceFax, Web metrics, etc. The rules and expectations are constantly changing for audience and advertisers. There is deep dissatisfaction with current options available. Current methodologies fall short. Where is the need going? What new options are available to us?
•Print Product Changes and Audience Impact/Reactions
•Branding and Marketing the Portfolio - how many, which brand, how to decide
•Keeping the Core – what you should do or not do with distribution, home delivery, single copy, retail partnerships to attract and retain customers.
•Online Engagement - content and marketing strategies to increase loyalty and frequency.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TRACK TOPICS
•A 12-step program for mobile mastery - with GPS-equipped iPhones going mainstream, Google developing a mobile OS, and everyone else still using a Blackberry or a Treo, it can suddenly feel like we need 12 approaches to mobile rather than one. Show how publishers can start simple by making their sites compatible with mobile devices, developing sites adapted to mobile devices, creating sites that target particular mobile experiences.
•Design – rethinking website navigation. Look at recent redesigns and their effect on traffic and advertiser results. Also discuss the next big thing in media web design - non-scrolling web sites.
•Search - trends and success stories in building and monetizing
•Online Ad Management - how do we maximize our online inventory and how do we manage it in an era of multiple sellers of the same inventory.
•Social Media – is changing consumer behavior and the media landscape. Learn how to build strategies to harness these shifts in your own platform development and content distribution.
•Video – proficiency in developing video applications is a must-have in today’s marketplace.

INFRASTRUCTURE TOPICS
•How to reposition your organization’s structure to better serve audience, reduce costs and increase revenue.
•How can we afford to do the right thing? This session will discuss increasing sustainability, shrinking newspaper’s Carbon Footprint and possible emerging energy strategies.
•Outsourcing - successful cost-saving techniques.
•Integrated Content Management - how do newspapers monetize this new content?
•Developing self-service capabilities - build or buy, complexity, etc.
•Personal productivity - we would like to touch every possible business but how can we do that in our traditional model? How to use technology to facilitate your job.

Questions?

Please contact the Federation Services Hotline at (571) 366-1200 or naafeds@naa.org