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YOU ARE VALUABLE!
You know the saying, "If you want to keep getting what you're getting, just keep doing what you're doing!" However, if you're looking for new ideas to grow your business then reserve your space in IFPA's Publisher Manager Summit right now! This event has sold out the last several years that IFPA has been hosting it and I expect this year to be no different.
Actually, I do expect this year's Summit to be different because we have asked AFCP members to join us at this popular event. This is exciting news on several fronts. First, by working together and combining our resources it allowed us to increase the room block from 30 people up to 50. By having more Publishers & Managers in attendance it greatly increases the number of ideas that you will be exposed to over the course of the day.
Perhaps even more exciting about working together on this project is that it will bring new people together in one room. This Publisher Manager Summit is a full day roundtable format at a time when you may need new ideas more than ever. It's a great opportunity to get help with your toughest challenges, a great way to hear how others ARE finding success in these challenging times.
While both AFCP and IFPA have their own unique personalities, at heart, I believe we have the same goal in mind, which is to help our members improve their businesses. (I applaud Orestes Baez, President of AFCP, for coordinating their support of this event at a time when I know they have a lot on their plate dealing with the passing of Craig McMullin.)
I realize the economy is not great and that your sales may not be exactly where you want them to be. That is exactly why you should be investing the $299 to network with 50 of your peers in the publishing industry. It's a small investment to make in your paper so you can brainstorm & consult with professionals from around the country. This is a first-come, first serve meeting so reserve your space today!
The registration fee includes 2 nights hotel at the Doral Golf Resort in Miami, February 26th and 27th as well as a reception Friday night, and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday. More importantly, you will get ideas that you can implement at your paper to help you survive and thrive for years to come.
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, who would like this $20 bill? Hands started going up. He said, I am going to give this to one of you, but first, let me do this.
He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, who still wants it? Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, what if I do this? He dropped it on the ground, and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. Now, who still wants it? Still hands went into the air.
My friends, you all have learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to this money, you still wanted it, because, it did not decrease in value. It was still worth 20 dollars.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel that we are worthless, but, no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased; you are still priceless to those who love you.
2009 has been one of those years where many of us and our businesses feel like we have been run through the wringer! But through hard work, grit, determination and creativity we made it through. It is these same qualities that INDEPENDENT community papers have displayed for decades to survive bad economies that preceded us. While the national media predicted our demise, we buckled down, got back to basics and proved them wrong! I want to congratulate you all for making it through one of the toughest years on record!
2010 " NEW YEAR " NEW OPPORTUNITIES (NEW THREATS )
However, the world changes at lightning speed. And what worked yesterday may not work today. We all must be on top of our game in order to keep pace with the changes happening all around us.
What are you doing to keep your products fresh and interactive?
How much of your revenue is coming from NEW PRODUCTS?
What are you doing to TRAIN your staff so they are better prepared to compete?
How much of your revenue is coming from the web?
I believe the success of our industry lies in our ability to bring creative marketing solutions to local businesses. Community Papers are in a great position to accomplish this. But we must adapt and evolve with the world around us.
As President of IFPA, I would like IFPA to be an important resource for helping Community Papers across the country deal with these challenges. Attending events like our PUBLISHER MANAGER SUMMIT, February 27th along with 50 of your colleagues is a great way for us to learn from each other. YOUR IDEAS ARE VALUABLE! We can all learn from each other s successes (and failures). It is that sharing of ideas that has made IFPA so VALUABLE to me over the years.
Here s to 2010 being a little more valuable for all of us!
Dan Buendo
President - IFPA
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