Conference Chair Brian O’Connor in a conference recap at the annual membership meeting reported that the Detroit conference finished in the black. The effect of the downturn in the economy has been felt in conference attendance by many organizations.
O’Connor emphasized the need for a committee of members to manage various aspects of the conference in the future, including fundraising & marketing, so that the entire burden does not fall on one person. One idea was to let “Member-At-Large” board members head committees.
Another proposal under consideration is alternating annual NSNC conferences between a general conference and a writers’ workshop. It was suggested that we test hosting a conference at a journalism-focused facility and consider having a stable conference site instead of moving around every year. The benefit would be to reduce the amount of planning involved with each year’s conference since the site is already set up for hosting conferences.
Tracy Beckerman has volunteered to chair a committee on marketing and social media. Other members interested in chairing or serving on a committee or who want further information about service opportunites are invited to contact Ben Pollock, NSNC President, via the feedback form.
