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12 Tips for dealing with media contacts

Taking the time to share your news and expertise with a journalist is good for your organization as it gets the word out about the remarkable things you are doing in the industry. Some organizations issue press releases to generate media interest or hire agencies to manage their public and media relations. Either way, understanding the power and influence of media is necessary in being prepared for when a journalist contacts you. Read More:

5 Tips to Attract Media Attention to an Event with a Press Release

Writing press releases is a crucial step in event and business marketing, yet many event planners dread the thought of writing one. They don't know where to start, they don't know how to get it in front of journalists, and they are simply afraid of writing one.
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MONONA TERRACE ANNUAL ECOMONIC IMPACT RESULTSSHOW PROMISING GROWTH

Madison, WI – Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center is pleased to announce that the results of the direct spending analysis of conferences and conventions held at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in 2011 were up by approximately 23.5% from 2010. The total economic benefit is an estimated $46,515,496 to Madison, Dane County and the State of Wisconsin in 2011, up from $37,630,656 in 2010.
“We attribute this growth to hosting four more conventions in 2011 than 2010,” said Bill Zeinemann, Director of Marketing and Events at Monona Terrace. “Several were larger scale events including Congress for the New Urbanism, National Wildlife Refuge Symposium, and WI Society for Human Resources Management. These events with greater numbers of attendees using more hotel rooms deliver increased economic impact to our community.”
The analysis was conducted by Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP using data primarily from a direct spending survey conducted in 2010-11 that asked recent conference and convention delegates and exhibitors to estimate their direct spending in a variety of categories. Results from 1,541 surveys were tallied.
Monona Terrace is located at One John Nolen Drive in Madison and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a guided daily tour at 1 p.m. For additional information and hours, call (608) 261-4000, TTY (608) 261-4150 or visit mononaterrace.com.

Monona Terrace hosts approximately 650 events each year resulting in over $46 million in annual economic impact for the region. In addition, the center produces and sponsors free or low cost community events that serve over 43,000 people each year. The Frank Lloyd Wright designed facility has a mission to be a high quality, customer focused convention and meeting facility that serves as a community gathering place, a tourism destination, and a catalyst for economic activity for the City of Madison, Dane County and the State of Wisconsin.

Cincinnati, Chicago Make Lonely Planet's Top 10 U.S. Travel Destinations for 2012

The US: it’s a big place, and there’s a lot of ground for travelers to cover. So what’s buzzing for travelers in the coming year? It’s an annual tradition at Lonely Planet to try to answer that question, so the editors in our US office put their travel-noggins together to carve out a list of what’s new, interesting, and in some cases likely to be overlooked by travelers both domestic and international. Here are our 10 top picks that should be on your travel radar in 2012. Full story...

Companies Still Not in the Mood for Big Holiday Parties

The economy might be showing glimmers of hope, but don't expect one casualty of the recession — the company-sponsored holiday party — to bounce back any time soon. Under pressure to cut spending, many companies have cut out the catered lunches or off-campus bashes for employees and gone to potlucks instead — or nothing at all. Full story...

After a Fainting Spell, Learning to Fly Again

A few years ago, I was working on a proposal for a wedding while I was traveling. My seatmate was a young woman who had this huge accordion folder on her lap. There must have been a million files in it, all related to her wedding. She kept asking the young man seated next to her what he thought about various things she was pulling out of that folder. His eyes were practically rolling in the back of his head. I found it kind of amusing. Grooms-to-be are never much into planning. Full story...

Lavish Office Parties Make a Comeback?

Get ready to see your co-worker in a compromising position. Nationwide, holiday parties are in a slump – but in New York City, venues are lining up the shot glasses. “We definitely have seen a change this year,” said Laura Altman at Bowlmor Lanes. “People aren’t really holding back.” Full story...

American Airlines Parent Files for Bankruptcy

The AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, said today that it had filed for bankruptcy protection in an effort to reduce labor costs and shed a heavy debt burden. AMR was the last of the major legacy airline companies in the United States to file for Chapter 11. Analysts said that its reluctance to do so earlier had left it less nimble than many of its competitors. Full story...

Event Planner Diann Valentine Gives Married Couples a "Do Over"

“I Do Over”, a new reality series that recently premiered on WE tv, gives couples who have had a disastrous wedding another shot to get it right. With the help of WE tv’s own celebrity event designer, Diann Valentine, weddings that have been marred by natural disasters, fainting grooms, missing dresses - basically anything that can be a groom or bride-to-be’s worst nightmare - will get a re-do. Full story...

War of Words Erupts Over Open Meeting Law, Council Confab

No legal action is expected against two Marietta councilmen accused last week of violating the Ohio Open Meetings Act. The allegations surfaced during an October 19 city council candidate's debate at Marietta College where Republican council candidates Dianne Crandall and Randy Wilson noted current Democratic Councilmen Harley Noland and Mike McCauley had met with members of the Marietta-Washington CVB without advance public notice. Full story...