Speakers for three sessions at the Mega-Conference have been announced — with additional programming information coming soon.

Here are three excellent reasons why publishers and department heads need to register for the April 2-4 Mega-Conference:

Noted recruitment expert Julian Placino will lead this session on how newspapers can get creative and ignite their recruitment culture now. In a competitive job market, it’s critical for newspapers to modernize how they recruit employees by focusing on people first (the who) and then focus on what they’re trying to accomplish. You’ll leave this session with a practical and actionable roadmap on how to energize your recruitment efforts.

Julian Placino is a Fortune 500 Speaker, founder of Pathways Affiliated, a recruitment strategy consultancy and the creator of Recruitment Masterclass, the only video course that turns your employees into an army of talent ambassadors and recruiters. He also is the host of the leadership podcast, "Pathways to Success on YouTube and iTunes."

With 11 years of recruiting experience, he’s helped leading corporations attract, recruit and retain top talent. Placino has personally hired over 400 world-class professionals in the areas of technology, sales and creative arts. For seven years, he led talent acquisition for Bottle Rocket, one of the premier mobile development firms in the world. He now consults with companies on personal branding, marketing strategy and leadership development.

In advance of next week's Legislative Fly-In, America’s Newspapers is hosting a webinar tomorrow (March 1) on how to effectively engage with congressional leaders to gain support for local newspapers. You'll find this webinar helpful even if you can't join us for the Fly-In.

While our discounted rate is no longer available, hotel rooms can still be reserved at our host hotel for next week's Legislative Fly-In. Join us to advocate in support of our initiatives.

SCS is excited to announce that Michael Grabowski was promoted to director of application development on Feb. 10.

HB7049: Legal Notices was passed and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida’s 2022 legislative session. The law went into effect on Jan. 1 and makes Florida one of the few U.S. states to allow the publication of public notices on designated government websites in addition to print newspapers.

In the last six weeks, as we triaged a crescendo of unsolicited inbound from Florida government officials and their staff exploring their options under the new law, Column has distilled a hybrid model that gives newspapers something compelling to put in front of their counties that have long-awaited change.

The Family and Independent Owners Meeting is designed for the senior executives, owners and family members who are directly involved in their company’s operations.  The meeting provides these executives the opportunity to network and share successful strategies to move their business forward.  From issues related to basic operations, business structures or familial transitions, the Family and Independent Owners Meeting fosters a spirit of partnership and innovation.

The 2023 Summer Meeting will be held at the PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — home of the Pittsburgh Pirates! Sessions will begin Tuesday, July 18, at 2 p.m. EDT, followed by a reception and Pirates baseball game that evening. On Wednesday, July 19, sessions will run from 9 a.m to 12:30 p.m., followed by an optional Pirates game that afternoon.