NSNC Shuffles Off to Buffalo in 2019 Riding Huge Wave of Enthusiasm
President’s Message
No sooner had the last bit of swag been packed up from our sold-out June 7-10 Cincinnati Conference then your tireless leadership issued forth a survey asking attendees what they liked most and what they would like to see in our next conference. The response we received was most encouraging.
“My hat’s off specifically for President Lisa Molinari, Executive Director Suzette Standring, Conference Chair/Communications Director Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, and Conference Photographer Cynthia Borris,” said one of the conference attendees. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s a sampling of some other comments from survey respondents:
“One of the better conferences I’ve ever attended.”
“You guys did great!”
“I felt the conference was positive, flowed extremely well, and everyone was having a great time. The speakers were wonderful. The Board Members and leaders did a great job providing a balanced conference.”
“Thanks to Suzette and Bonnie and all those folks who made this so worthwhile and pleasant. Great value.”
“Bonnie, Suzette, and Lisa did a fantastic job.”
“Bang up job, girls!”
These are not idle comments, either. About half the attendees answered the survey, making the response rate well above average. Of these, 97% rated the conference as “Excellent” or “Very Good” (the rest said it was “Good”). What’s more, fully 87% now consider themselves “promoters” of the conference and are definitely going to encourage a friend or colleague to attend next year’s conference in Buffalo. I’ve been doing customer- satisfaction surveys since 1980 and these are by far the most enthusiastic results I’ve ever seen.
This goes beyond the conference itself. The survey shows the same enthusiasm for our organization. Here’s what respondents said about the NSNC:
“It’s a terrific group, definitely on the rise. I’m delighted – and proud – to be a member. Keep up the great work!”
“The best group of people, helpful, down-to-earth, fun, fabulous!”
“I’m happy to be more engaged with NSNC, and look forward to learning and growing with my fellow columnists.”
So, what’s next? Survey comments offer a hint for that, too. Here’s what people said:
“The idea of exploring the future of writing columns – moving away from the dinosaur newspaper model and into the digital age. How columnists are their own island.”
“More practical sessions, better transportation to offsite events.”
“Celebrity speakers are fine, but some add more value than others. Maybe substitute some panels instead on issues facing journalists and columnists in particular.”
“Can we get longer in-depth sessions?”
“Maybe a better sense of the home city.”
“I like that you try to integrate some activities related to the conference location. More free time to explore the city would be nice.”
“I love the highlights to things associated with the city. It might be cool to invite a local person from Buffalo to talk about the city, the culture, and the history of newspapers there. Like to kick off a cocktail event.”
I am so proud to be able to serve such a fun-loving, inspirational, and forward-looking group. I’ll leave you off with the one comment that heartens me most as we now shift towards preparations for our 2019 conference:
“Keep it up! It was great. Can’t wait for Buffalo!”
– Faithfully submitted by your humble reporter Chris “Scoop” Carosa
