MEETINGS
Program to be announced.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, May 23
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets
Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers
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Branded for Life (Unless You Change Agencies)
Branding can have more than one meaning (especially in Cowtown), but for PR pros and ranchers alike, it's a fundamental business tool. GCG VP Neil Foster; Carol Glover, creative director at the Balcom Agency; and a representative from Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations will share trade secrets at the May 10 Greater Fort Worth PRSA luncheon.
The highly sought branding experts will begin with an overview of today's marketplace and then compare competing brands and discuss methodologies. Supported by national and local examples, the panel will cover implementation of branding across all communication efforts.
Time & date: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, May 10
Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets
Cost: $25 members, $30 nonmembers, $20 students
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Water, Water Everywhere: It's Enough to Make You Think
It might be the hottest local election all year -- a no-runoff contest among 13 people for two seats on the governing board of the Tarrant Regional Water District. At stake, among other things, is the future of the massive and controversial Trinity River Vision project, which would dramatically reshape downtown and the North Side.
Your best shot at getting answers from the candidates, both well-known and unknown? A May 10 forum co-sponsored by SPJ and the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County.
Candidates will present opening statements starting at 6:30 p.m. After that, the would-be water moguls will answer questions, so come prepared with tough ones. The LWV will provide a moderator, and the event should wrap up by 9:30.
Along with SPJ and LWV members, the local American Association of University Women and the Women's Policy Forum are also invited, but the event is open to the public, so bring anyone interested in water issues -- flood, drought, wetlands, water development and, yikes, eminent domain.
Time & date: mingling and dinner 5:30-6:30 p.m., 6:30-9 program, Wednesday, May 10
Place: The Marquis on Magnolia, 1227 W. Magnolia Ave. at Fifth Street, about two blocks east of Benito's on the south side of the street
Cost: $20 to eat, $5 students, just to hear the program -- free
Menu: tossed garden salad, chicken lasagna, dinner rolls with whipped garlic butter, cookies and brownies for dessert, brewed iced tea and European blend coffee
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STRAIGHT STUFF
Eric Naiman of Jumpin' Tex Media and Brian Oberkirch of Weblogs Work will explain the burgeoning world of blogging in plain English (no techno-talk) at the Fort Worth Chamber's Blogging 101 workshop, "Wikis and Blogs and Podcasts, Oh My!," Thursday, May 11. Expect a brainstorming session to hone skills and practical, affordable ideas on how to incorporate social media into the marketing mix. Star-Telegram oft-lauded business columnist Mitchell Schnurman will share anecdotes about the controversies and advantages of blogging, as well as how he has used online feedback to shape his opinions. Register here. More from Andra Bennett, APR, at (817) 336-2491, ext. 265. ...
Deadline is June 1 to submit works of nonfiction -- memoir, personal essay, travel, biography, particularly narratives involving people, places and events in the outside world rather than the inner world of the writer -- for inclusion in the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest, July 14-16 at the Hilton DFW Lakes in Grapevine. Judges will select the authors of the top 50 narrative articles or essays and the top 20 manuscripts to participate in conference workshops. The workshops run that Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and will not interfere with conference lectures or panels. The UNT Press will offer the winning manuscript writer a provisional book contract, and the top three article/essay writers will receive cash prizes of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000. The workshops are but one facet of what Esquire editor David Granger calls "one of the most vital gatherings of writers in America." Among the writers on-site with whom one might rub elbows: Gay Talese, author of "The Kingdom and the Power," about the history and influence of The New York Times, and "Honor Thy Father," the inside story of a Mafia family; Hampton Sides, author of the nonfiction bestseller "Ghost Soldiers" and the new "Blood and Thunder," a narrative history about the controversial frontier hero Kit Carson and his role in the conquest of the West; Ron Powers, author of "Flags of Our Fathers," which Steven Spielberg developed into a movie that Clint Eastwood will direct, and "Mark Twain: A Life," a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award; and Melissa Fay Greene, author of "Praying for Sheetrock," a National Book Award finalist, and "Last Man Out: The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster." New this year, the conference will feature a publishers panel, a session on the author-agent relationship, and small-group gatherings with editors and agents. For students on a budget, The Dallas Morning News is offering five minority student scholarships to the conference, sponsored by UNT's Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism, and UNT faculty and staff are offering five general scholarships for any high school, college or university student. More details, many more, are here. ...
The Fort Worth Chamber's 2006 media directory -- 60 pages of local print and broadcast contact minutiae -- is on sale to chamber members for $30 and to nonmembers for $40. A PDF disk also is available, or download the directory from the chamber web site. Call (817) 336-2491, ext. 242, or order at fortworthchamber.com.
IABC local update: An informal roundtable, "Connecting Communication with Business Value," will highlight the Tuesday, May 9, Dallas/IABC luncheon. More here.
PRSA local update: Anyone thinking of joining PRSA, now's the time. PRSA national will pay the chapter memberships of those who join in May and June in its annual "Spring Ahead" promotion. Membership applications are at prsa.org.
PRSA local update III: Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Edna Ruano and Dora Tovar, a contributing author of "Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations: Understanding and Targeting America's Largest Minority," will discuss "Hispanic Media Relations: Enhancing Corporate and Community Interest" at the Dallas PRSA luncheon Friday, May 19. More here.
