2007 News: Early deadline for SABEW conference in Orange County, Calif., approaching

The deadline to register for the Society of American Business Editors and Writers annual conference in Orange County, Calif., at the early bird rate is Thursday, March 15. The early bird rate is only $400 for SABEW members.

One centerpiece of the conference will be a town hall-like meeting that will set the stage for revisions to SABEW's ethical guidelines for its members. And, of course, SABEW will honor our Best In Business contest winners at the Orange County event.

Editors attending will gain hands-on tips on everything from creating award-winning work from small staffs to boosting coverage of small business to dealing with multimedia demands of the modern newsroom. Reporters will, among other things, get the opportunity to see how Census data can boost the authority of their coverage and learn interviewing tips from an FBI expert.

The conference will also offer a chance to see how America's West Coast influences the globe. Of course, there will be Hollywood discussions. Plus, panel talks about how So Cal designers are changing everything from athletic gear to automobiles.

SABEW has a block of rooms reserved at the Disneyland Hotel. Disneyland Hotel has sold all guest rooms on May 18, but rooms are still available May 19-22. A room in the SABEW room block is $139 per night for reservations made by April 18. To make a hotel reservation, call (714) 520-5005, fax (714) 520-6079, or e-mail di.travel.group.reservation.sales@disney.com.

Please contact the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel for a guest room on May 18 (only) at (866) 627-8065 and ask for SABEW room block ($155 per night.) Reservations must be made by Monday, April 16, to receive this special rate.

Don’t forget! There are also several scholarships being offered:
The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering one scholarship. Applicants should be full-time journalists who cover business and supervisor approval is required. The scholarship, worth more than $1,000, covers registration and three nights of lodging at the Disneyland Hotel. Submit a 250-word statement by Wednesday, April 18, outlining your interest in business coverage and describing how attending the conference will help you to Kanupriya Vashisht (480) 965-7973 of the Reynolds Center at kanu@businessjournalism.org.

The SABEW Chair is offering four scholarships to the conference. The scholarships will cover the $400 registration fee. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Friday, April 13. Send a short essay explaining your background and why you would benefit from attending to Marty Steffens, SABEW Chair, Missouri School of Journalism, by emailing steffensm@missouri.edu. If you have questions, call (573) 884-4839.

SABEW is offering 5 scholarships to attend this year’s conference. These scholarships will cover the complete registration fee of $400. They are made possible by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. To apply, please review SABEW’s ethics policy on-line at www.sabew.org and submit an analysis containing your comments and suggestions for improvement. Your comments may be used and reviewed by those evaluating SABEW’s current ethics statement. Send your analysis to SABEW at sabew@missouri.edu. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Friday, April 13.

Pre-conference event:
Want a head start on business journalism’s future?

A free daylong workshop on “The New Business Section: From blogs to HTML to ‘round-the-clock deadlines” will be held by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism on Saturday, May 19, at the Disney Hotel in Anaheim. The workshop is open to the first 25 who register on the www.businessjournalism.org site. Only those who also register for the SABEW conference may attend this free daylong workshop. Click here to register for the free workshop. The workshop, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will cover the ins and outs of using multiple news platforms, blogging, technical considerations of Web publishing and how to mobilize business staff to meet deadlines every minute.

Visit www.sabew.org for updates and a conference schedule. See you in Orange County!

Posted March 12, 2007