Day 1, Wednesday, Nov. 10

1:00-1:45 PM
Registration

2:00-3:15
Did You Get the Memo? Print's Dead.
Re: Your career: How to reposition yourself as strategic and essential
Are publications pros a dying breed? Not when they're smart enough to refocus their careers. In today's climate of campus cutbacks, publications professionals need to metamorphose from perfect proofreaders into savvy strategists who can plan cross-media campaigns that get results for their institutions. Shane Shanks, a former campus insider who is now an outside consultant, outlines smart strategies for proving your value to the institution. You'll learn how to refocus your operation, redefine your role as a strategist, and revitalize your career-and your spirits!

3:30-4:45
Wait a Minute! Why Print Still Matters
It's not a question of whether to print-it's smart, strategic thinking about what gets printed
Award-winning designer Rick Landesberg makes the case for the viability-and the necessity-of print as a critical component in educational communications. Rick will present the thoughts of leading designers and communicators from around the country, who make the case that print remains an invaluable tool for institutions that wish to communicate effectively.

5:00-6:00
Networking Reception

6:15
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

Day 2, Thursday, Nov. 11

8:00-9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
Sponsor: Bidwell ID

9:15-10:30
The State of Print and Electronic Publications in Higher Ed
Survey results and case studies on the communications cusp
With tighter budgets, new technologies and evolving expectations, the balance between print and electronic publications has recently shifted. Beyond the horror stories of discontinued publications, successful electronic (re)births, or even the few new magazine launches, what kind of print and electronic mix do most universities and colleges use? Karine Joly of HigherEdExperts.com shares the latest results of the State of Print and Electronic Publications in Higher Ed Survey and some interesting case studies.

10:45-11:45
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• You're Not Paying Them to Be Lucky
  How to find, manage, and direct photographers for great results
  Rick Landesberg will reveal strategies for making great photographs happen, whether you are working with a professional photographer or a work-study student. How do you find a good photographer in the far-flung town where that featured alum lives? How do you get memorable shots from those typical events? How can you get great shots of Bill Gates' campus visit when his schedule allows exactly four minutes for photos? Bring your own photo successes and problems-your contributions to the discussion will be welcomed.
• The Future of Alumni Magazines
  Bleak or bright? A hard look at the enduring qualities of magazines
  Survey data shows that alumni magazines remain the most important source of information about your school, but can they stay relevant in the digital age? Jeff Lott, veteran editor of the Swarthmore College Bulletin, makes the case for magazines as a vital and engaging implement in the institutional communications toolbox. We'll explore how the best magazines have responded to the new media environment and how your magazine can continue to bring home your institution's messages.

NOON-1:30 PM
Lunch on your own

1:45-2:30
Keynote Session
Tell Me a Story; Write Me a Song
Exploring the distinctive stories in American music
Nick Spitzer knows a good story when he sees-or hears-one. A folklorist and ethnographer, he's the creator and host of American Routes, the weekly American Public Radio program produced in New Orleans that explores the shared musical and cultural threads in American styles and genres of music. Spitzer will discuss Routes as practice, theory and metaphor; play music and video clips; and discuss the cultures of the Gulf region. From blues and jazz to gospel and soul, from old-time country and rockabilly to Cajun and zydeco, or from Tejano and Latin to seminal rock and pop, Spitzer knows the sources of our American story.
Presenter: Nick Spitzer, Professor of Anthropology and American Studies, Tulane University and Adjunct Research Professor of Anthropology and Urban Studies, University of New Orleans

2:45-4:00
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Start the WordPresses
  Enlivening your online magazine on a popular blog platform
  With tighter budgets and deadlines, more and more institutions recognize the need to improve the online versions of their magazines and newsletters. Used by many colleges and universities, WordPress is the perfect tool for the job. Karine Joly and friends will show you how to create a fresh, interactive electronic version of your magazine with WordPress, including useful tips, best practices and a selection of great resources to speed up-and simplify-the process.
• Divine Inspiration
  Where to find inspiring ideas and put them to work for you
  Great work sprouts from a great idea. But when work is piling up and clients are grumbling, who's got time to seek inspiration? In this session, two hard-core "recyclers" confess their sins. We'll track innovative and award-winning publications back to their source of inspiration. You'll learn where to find inspiration, how to reshape and reinterpret a great piece and how to rekindle the creative spark in your office.

4:15-5:30
Triple Play
Want some feedback from our experts?
Bring three copies of a recent publication-magazine, viewbook, fundraising piece, calendar, what have you-and get a three-minute critique. "Triple Play" gives our three panelists 180 seconds to look at your print pieces and give their instant opinions. Just listening to critiques of other schools' publications is worth attending this fast-paced session, but prepare to hear the truth about your own work. After all, do you get more than three minutes to sell it to your readers?

5:45
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

Day 3, Friday, Nov. 12

8:00-8:45 AM
Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:15
New Looks for Viewbooks
Creating a new admissions package that meets everyone's needs
Remember when viewbooks had to describe every program and activity a school had to offer? Today, most kids start their college searches online, but once they've narrowed their list, they still want to see publications from their top choices. Carleton College recently gave its admissions package a major overhaul with this new generation in mind. In this session, Carleton's creative director discloses what her team learned in conversations with current and prospective students, their parents and college staff members-and how they created a viewbook that meets everyone's needs. You'll see before-and-after shots from Carleton's publications as well as hits and misses from other schools.

10:30-11:45
Sustaining Creativity: Staying Fresh Over the Long Haul
Is your creative career sustainable? When you spend years in the same job or at the same institution, does it become more difficult to deliver the personal creativity that first brought you to this work? What if you're new to the job and the school? Will you be there in five years? How do you overcome the mundane and routine parts of your job and find the kernels that jazz you up? Jeff Lott, who just put his 80th issue of the Swarthmore magazine to bed, will lead a faculty discussion that's all about sustaining an energetic attitude and developing the thick skin you need to survive in a creative career.

NOON
Conference Adjourns