Writers, editors share ideas
at Oklahoma City conference
By CARLA MARIE RUPP and DAN SCHLOSSBERG
Writers who attended the 6th annual NATJA conference in Oklahoma City had ample opportunity to exchange ideas with nearly a dozen travel magazine editors who buy freelance stories.
The three-night conference, which consumed the last week in June, featured keynote speaker Jeff Greenwald, author of five best-selling travel books, and kickoff speaker Pauline Frommer, editor of the guidebook series that bears her name.
Nearly 140 writers and exhibitors attended the sixth annual conference, held at the historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel, and participated in a conference format that included morning seminars, afternoon sightseeing, and evening social events.
Frommer started the ball rolling by revealing that her famous father Arthur got into the guidebook business by accident during the ‘40s and capitalized on his good fortune. Greenwald, speaking the next morning, told assembled delegates that travel is more than a place - it is made up of people and their stories.
The editor of EthicalTraveler.org, Greenwald said, "The power of travel - and being able to create understanding - is one of the reasons some of us got into travel.
"Let's stand up for places we love to visit and focus on our ambassadorial role. We need to reach out to the world. Let the world know that the image they have of (Americans) is not what we're about. Americans are extremely generous and the world needs to know that things are actually different from what people see in the media about us."
He said Americans are sometimes viewed as threatening - an image that needs changing.
"Travel with a light foot and an open mind," he advised.
Frommer's message also hit home, said Ken Rundel, publicist for Eureka Springs, Ark.
"I agree with Pauline Frommer - she said we should not discourage tourists from coming to America. We should do what she and Jeff Greenwald said: write letters to our government to tell them not to be heavy-handed in dealing with tourists who want to come here."
In professional development seminars, Lisa Watts (Pace Communications) told her audience how to get assignments from inflight magazines; Jay Cooke (Lonely Planet) talked about breaking into guidebook writing; Boulder, Colo. freelancer Claire Walter discussed the power of blogging; and Penny C.Sansevieri (http://www.amarketingexpert.com)/) told writers about branding and publicists about preparing proper press releases.
For writers, the things to remember are obvious, she said: "What makes you different? What's your focus? How do you communicate your brand?"
She told the PR reps that electronic press releases are often deleted or ignored by journalists and suggested new ways of working with writers and editors.
In addition, former San Francisco Examiner travel editor Georgia Hesse told travel writers how to find their niche, Anne Stuart unveiled the hidden world of custom publishing, and Michael DeFreitas and John Montgomery teamed up to discuss digital photography for novices.
Long-time NATJA member Christine Tibbetts teamed with conference host Laura Kriegel of the Oklahoma City CVB to tell publicists better ways to market cultural heritage tourism. "Travelers search for authentic experiences," said the South Georgia resident. "Travel journalism and tourism can restore, reinforce, and sustain the dignity of a culture. To get close to the heart of a culture, get in touch with the people."
A popular panel with a twist featured four inflight editors listening to 60-second oral story pitches from writers. Editors on that panel were Melinda Mahaffey, managing editor of Spirit (Southwest); Deblina Chakraborty, associate editor of Continental; Benjamin Leszcz, senior editor of enRoute (Air Canada); and xx of Hemispheres (United).
Beyond Jay Cooke and Lisa Watts, other editors who attended the conference included Amity Moore, senior editor of AAA Living (PaceCo) and Hillary Brylka, senior editor of publishing for the Mobil Travel Guide.
The annual media marketplace ranged from near (Tulsa) to around the globe (Egypt) but also included several high-profile PR firms representing multiple clients. They included Hawkins International and Development Counselors International, both from New York, and the Y Partnership of Orlando, as well as the Hawaii-based McNeil Wilson Communications.
Cancun, Phoenix, Valley Forge and several Florida destinations were also popular participants in the marketplace. But even the smaller CVBs seemed pleased.
Just ask Marissa Butler of Bowling Green, Ky. "For us as a smaller destination, the NATJA conference has been an amazing chance to get face-to-face with a variety of editors, writers, and publicists. Now I can have personalized conversations about what Bowling Green has to offer, such as the Duncan Hines Museum and the National Corvette Museum."
Indiana journalist Susan Eberman spoke for many when she said, "As a freelance writer, professional development is my main reason for attending. But I've also enjoyed visiting such Oklahoma attractions as the Route 66 Museum in Clinton."
Local sightseeing tours included the cowboy, history, and science museums, as well as the Alfred P. Murrah Building memorial - both the indoor museum and the outdoor reflecting pool, towers, and illuminated chairs, each representing one of the victims from the 1995 bombing.
There was a group cruise on the Oklahoma River, individual water taxi cruises along a one-mile corral in the restored Bricktown area, and receptions at the Chesapeake Boathouse (where Olympic crewe teams train) and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
Delegates saw the massive stockyards, the working oil wells on the grounds of the state capitol, and even the local zoo.
The final event featured two surprises: the news that Helen Hernandez of HMH Media is succeeding Elizabeth Beshear as executive director and the announcement of Cleveland, Ohio as the site of next year's conference, presumably in late May. Hernandez and her husband, attorney Ben Root, will head a team dedicated to improving the image and reputation of NATJA, as well as its membership benefits. A one-time associate of fabled television producer Norman Lear, Hernandez has considerable experience in running conferences and awards programs, as well as organizational matters and public speaking.
Beshear, who joined NATJA as executive director in 2001 and left for a year to start her family, said she wants to spend full time with her daughter Kendall, now 2, but said her husband Matt and his fellow "Men in Black" from Apollo, Inc. would still attend future conventions to provide general assistance.
Newport, RI representative Kathryn Farrington, who represents associate members on the NATJA advisory board, not only worked the marketplace but arranged for presentation of a special plaque to Beshear at the final dinner. The plaque, which made Beshear an official Newport ambassador, was accompanied by a videotape from Farrington, who had to return home a day early for business reasons. The first NATJA conference was held in Newport in 2003.
Other conference sites have included Chicago (2004), Santa Fe (2005), Stowe, VT (2006), and Little Rock (2007).
Dates for the Cleveland conference will be announced in the near future.
