America's Newspapers and the News/Media Alliance are excited to welcome everyone to Phoeniz, Arizona, next weekend for the opening of the 2024 Mega-Conference.

The conference registration desk will open at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, for attendees to pick up their conference name badges. If you have not registered yet and plan to attend, please register as soon as possible.

We hope you will share your photos and tweet during the conference using #2024MegaConf.

Here's information to help you plan your trip.

View the full conference agenda here

There's still time to register!

Curious as to which companies will be represented at Mega? Take a look here.

The Mega-Conference is packed full of compelling sessions that will run all day on Monday and Tuesday, April 15 and 16. In making your travel plans, please note that Tuesday sessions will run until 2:30 p.m. You won't want to miss those sessions.

Tuesday at the Mega-Conference:

Revenue sessions will pay for your trip to Phoenix

Three General Sessions on Tuesday at the Mega-Conference will ensure that conference attendees go home with lots of great ideas for generating revenue.

Sessions include:

Innovative Strategies for Revenue Growth

Our panel of revenue all-stars will detail the strategies, technologies and best practices that empower their organizations to make data-driven revenue generation a reality. This includes print, digital, direct mail or whatever it takes to grow your audience, your markets and your profits. We also will discuss sales training strategies, motivation and incentivizing to make it all happen.

Moderated by Sara Willard, Partner, DW Media Group, with: Chris Stegman, CRO, The Salt Lake Tribune; Sara Hardison, Digital Director, Ogden Newspapers; Matt Miller, CRO, Trib Total Media; and Keira Nothaft, VP Product Innovation, Gannett | USA TODAY Network

Strategic Philanthropy 

This session will discuss how philanthropic partnerships can be utilized to meet the coverage needs of local communities. Discover innovative approaches to community engagement and support through strategic philanthropy.

With Greg Burton, Executive Editor, The Arizona Republic; Laura McBride, Senior Program Officer, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Stacy Sullivan, Director of Local Philanthropic Partnerships, USA TODAY Network | Gannett; and Andrea Whitsett, Director, Morrison Institute on Public Policy, Arizona State University

Subscriber Revenue and Retention

Building reader revenue continues to be at the forefront of every organization’s strategic plan. This session will focus on how to involve the total operation to engage new audiences and retain existing readers. Our panelists will share proven strategies as well as the innovations they are employing to creatively attract new audiences while keeping current readers actively engaged.

Moderated by Aaron Kotarek, SVP, Audience & Operations, Oahu Publications, Inc., with: Esther Maina, VP, Audience Development & Marketing, Adams Publishing Group; Tracie Bauer, VP, Print/Digital Content, Adams Publishing Group; and Claire Linney, Director of Digital Subscriber Acquisition, McClatchy

There are lots of revenue-generating ideas on the Monday program, too.

View the full conference agenda here

Carmage Walls Commentary Prize to award cash prizes honoring courageous columns and editorials

Awards for excellence in editorial writing (representing the view of the newspaper) and awards for excellence in column writing (columns written by one or more individuals) will be presented this October in Phoenix, Arizona, at the America's Newspapers Senior Leadership Conference. Win cash prizes and recognition!

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Vaughn Burnheimer named GM of the Tribune-Democrat in Pennsylvania

Vaughn Burnheimer has been named The Tribune-Democrat’s new general manager, CNHI Regional Executive and Tribune-Democrat Publisher Chip Minemyer announced Thursday.

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Virginia to become first state to allow online-only local news sites to publish legal notices

Virginia has become the first state in the nation to approve the publication of legal notices in online-only local news sites.

Twin bills passed in February with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the Virginia General Assembly, HB 264 and SB 157, were signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday, April 2. The legislation will become law on July 1, 2024.

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The Daily News (Galveston) recognizes Rep. Randy Weber Sr. for co-sponsoring small business, newspaper bill

Rep. Randy K. Weber Sr. has joined as a co-sponsor of a bill intended to provide support to community newspapers and small businesses.

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A new primary dictionary for the AP Stylebook

During a panel at the ACES: The Society for Editing national conference in San Diego on Friday, AP Stylebook Editor Paula Froke announced that Merriam-Webster is now the Stylebook’s official dictionary, among other updates.

The switch to Merriam-Webster is the AP Stylebook’s first change to its primary dictionary in decades. The full changeover will take effect when the AP Stylebook, 57^th Edition, is published on May 29.

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Effectively immediately, America's Newspapers has a new mailing address for dues, invoice payments and membership. Our new address is:

America's Newspapers

2615 Centennial Blvd., Suite 200

Tallahassee, FL 32308-0592