Prizes and Posters
They say the three most important considerations in real estate are location, location, location. Putting on an awards ceremony is not much different, as TechNews Publisher Eric Wolferman and I learned the hard way.
Last year, we presented the first annual TechNews Best Practices awards in the lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center just prior to the opening of the NEXPO'96 show floor. Our stage was several hundred feet from the entrance, where the people were gathering. Eric and I had to yell like carnival barkers to attract a crowd to the ceremony.
We have decided not to repeat the mistake. The next round of awards will be presented at NAA's Newspaper Operations SuperConference, Jan. 11-16, 1998, in Florida (city and hotel TBD).
Because of the new dates, we have extended the nomination deadline to Nov. 1, 1997. This gives you a few more months to get your nominating materials together and send them in (see nomination form). Of course, those of you who have already submitted nominations do not need to resubmit.
Other than the ceremony and the deadline, nothing about the program has changed. Awards will be given for Pre-press, Press, Materials, Post-press and On Site. Winning teams will each receive $1,000, a plaque and coverage in TechNews. Criteria will again be innovation, quantifiable results and the potential of the practice to benefit the newspaper industry.
On another subject, the "Less Is More" poster we sent out with our November/December 1996 issue has become a surprise hit. The poster is a flowchart of the entire newspaper production-and-distribution process, and shows where new technologies like digital cameras and computer-to-plate systems are eliminating process steps.
We have received numerous requests for additional copies of the poster in amounts ranging from 10 to 150. Our internal supplies have been depleted, and we need to go back to the printer for reprints, so we've decided to turn the poster into a standalone product. You can now order it through our fulfillment service at 1-800-651-4NAA. Member prices are $4.50 each for small quantities and $3.50 each for quantities of more than 100.
Clark Robinson
Editor