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Regional press editors to speak at Newspaper Society conference

Five regional press editors are to speak in an Editors’ Question Time at the Newspaper Society’s Circulation, Editorial and Promotions Conference on April 4.

The editors’ panel, which will be chaired by media commentator Alison Hastings, will cover a wide range of topics, from harnessing the internet and radio to editionising and audience segmentation.

It will feature:

  • Charles McGhee, Glasgow Evening Times, on attracting readers by creating your own space in a crowded market.
  • Doug Wills, Evening Standard, on the impact of Standard Lite and the Metro.
  • Mark Dickinson, Trinity Mirror Midlands, on new research into reaching ethnically diverse markets.
  • Simon Irwin, Kent Messenger Group, on combining print, radio and the Internet.
  • Keith Perch, Northcliffe Electronic Publishing, on the dangers of ignoring your website readers.

    A question and answer session will follow the panel’s presentations.

    The conference will be opened at 9.30am by its chair, deputy group circulation director for Northcliffe Newspapers, Carolyn Mackinnon-Ure.

    Other speakers include:

  • Ray Snoddy, media commentator;
  • Jim Chisholm, strategy advisor at World Association of Newspapers – Circulation Science: Developing strategies for long term readership retention and growth;
  • Vin Crosbie from Digital Deliverance – weblogging and SMS, including how to build readership through topical or community weblogs.

    The closing address will be given by Alastair Rimmer of Price Waterhouse Coopers on newpspaer publishing, offering an analysis on the long-term prospects for the UK newspaper market in an online world.

    Running alongside the conference will be the Insight Research Conference which will feature Martin Hayward from Dunn Humby, discussing how the regional press can learn from supermarkets utilising customer data to aid decision making, and John Kearon from Brainjuicer, exploring how newspapers can harness the benefits of ‘word of mouth’.

    The event will be held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. A champagne reception at 7pm will precede the Gala Dinner, with the Circulation, Editorial and Promotions Awards presentation beginning at 9pm.

    Further information can be obtained by contacting Mai Cheung on 0207 636 7014 or e-mail [email protected].