Construction Writers Association Schedules Midyear Meeting
September, 2005
(Buffalo Grove, IL) The Construction Writers Association will hold its 2005 midyear meeting October 19-21 at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago, IL.
Wednesday: Tour and Pizza
Wednesday afternoon will feature a tour to S. R. Crown Hall, a national historic landmark on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology. The building serves as the ITT College of Architecture, was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is considered his "masterwork;" it recently has undergone an extensive renovation. Mike Tenuta, an IIT alumnus and senior vice president of Clune Construction Co., the company in charge of the restoration, will lead our tour. We will meet in the lobby of the hotel at 2 pm and travel by elevated train to IIT. The tour is scheduled for 3 pm.
Wednesday evening, attendees will get together informally at the offices of Primedia, publisher of Concrete Products magazine, for a pizza party. We will gather for wine and cheese in the hotel lobby between 5 and 6 pm and go as a group to the offices.
Thursday: Education and Awards Dinner
Our Thursday morning session is part of our educational series, "Fundamentals of Construction Writing." Jim Olsztynski, editor-in-chief of Plumbing & Mechanical and an experienced columnist, will talk about writing columns and offer tips for hiring a columnist. He plans to add "do's and don'ts of construction writing - a best practices guide based on 30 years of award-winning construction journalism." Robert Cassidy, editor-in-chief of Building Design & Construction, will discuss advocacy journalism. Cassidy has produced two award-winning supplements on green building and publicly criticized the plans for renovation of Chicago's Soldier Field. Plagiarism vs. fair use is expected to be the third topic. CWA's Thursday morning session will begin with continental breakfast at 8 am and finish at noon.
CWA's Board of Directors will meet in the hotel Thursday afternoon. Observers are welcome. Those not attending are free to explore Chicago - Millennium Park, a lake or architectural river cruise, or a walking tour of Chicago's architectural gems, for example.
In the evening, CWA's 2005 Website Awards and Marketing Communications Awards will be presented at our awards dinner. We will gather from 5 to 6 pm in the hotel lobby for wine and cheese and then go to dinner at 6 pm.
Friday: Midyear Meeting and Tour
Our Friday morning session will include a panel on Custom Publishing, a discussion about publications professionally produced for associations, manufacturers, and others. Panelists will include Jeff White of Two Rivers Marketing, Pete Sobic of Northbrook Publishing, and Ross Footi of Imagination Publishing; Jenni Prokopy will moderate the discussion. Tim Gregg, principal for hospital planning, and Ken Kaiser of the Proteus Group, a Chicago architectural firm, will discuss Healthcare Design Trends. Ellis Booker, editor of BtoB's Media Business and Judy Schriener, managing online editor for McGraw-Hill construction, will talk about Media Trends, including blogs, RSS feeds, webcasts, podcasts, and how the web is diverting interest and dollars formerly dedicated to print media. We intend to add a speaker on Hurricane Katrina as well. We'll meet in the hotel from 8 am (continental breakfast) to noon. Box lunches will be available for a networking luncheon scheduled for noon.
Reservation and Registration Information
Reservations can be made directly with the Hotel Allegro by calling 800-643-1500. CWA's room block, which expires September 19, 2005, includes deluxe guestrooms for $159, single or double, plus tax. Hotel Allegro is located at 171 W Randolph St., in downtown Chicago.
Fees are as follows: Fundamentals of Construction Writing, the Thursday morning education session, including continental breakfast and handout materials: $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. The 2005 Midyear Meeting, including the Thursday evening awards dinner, the Friday morning continental breakfast, program and Friday luncheon: $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. Education and annual meeting combined: $190 for members and $240 for nonmembers.
CWA membership is $100, and those who wish to join and attend should pay: $200 for membership and education; $200 for membership and annual meeting; or $290 for membership, education, and annual meeting. CWA is now able to accept credit cards in addition to checks.
CWA is a nonprofit, non-partisan, international organization for professional journalists, marketers, photographers, and publicists serving the information needs of the construction industry. Updated information on the association's annual meeting will be posted on the CWA website, www.constructionwriters.org . Or contact Sheila Wertz, Executive Director of Construction Writers Association at PO Box 5586, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-5586 or 847-398-7756. E-mail: office@constructionwriters.org
CLICK HERE for Registration Form
For information:
Deborah J. Hodges
Executive Director
P.O. Box 14784
Chicago, Illinois 60614
Telephone 773 687-8726
Fax 773 687-8627
info@constructionwriters.org