CWA Broadens Midyear Meeting to Include "Fundamentals of Construction Journalism"
August, 2002
CWA's Midyear meeting, scheduled October 3-4, 2002, in Chicago, will feature a new Thursday morning class, "Fundamentals of Construction Journalism." The traditional midyear program is scheduled for Friday morning, and the CWA Marketing Communications Awards luncheon will follow on Friday at noon. Optional activities that round out the schedule include the CWA Board of Directors meeting on Thursday afternoon, an informal Dutch-treat dinner Thursday evening, and a tour of a new building project near the Friday meeting site.
Thursday's "Fundamentals of Construction Journalism" class will include three components: "Persuasive Writing" to be presented by CWA director Jason Grant of Surety Information Office; "Improving Your Copy Editing Skills," with Rod Sutton of Reed Business Information; and "Working Right with Professional Photographers," presented by David B. Seide, ASMP, AIA, of Defined Space. Grant, who has a masters degree in argumentation, will describe how to build a case and present it, either in writing or in person. Sutton, who is editor in chief of Construction Equipment magazine, will present the copy editing session. Seide, an architect and professional photographer who is on the board of the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers, will discuss selection of a photographer and will highlight copyright issues related to photo use in his presentation.
Friday's program will include a session on "Strategies to Deal with Sprawl and Transportation Congestion" presented by David Schultz of the Traffic Institute at Northwestern University; "Creative Marketing Strategies," a presentation on marketing tactics including creation of informational CD�s; "One North Wacker Drive," with Steve Nilles of the Chicago architectural firm Lohan Caprile Goettsch, who will discuss the evolution of the design of the 50-story UBS Tower at One North Wacker Drive, the building attendees will tour in the afternoon. We also anticipate scheduling a follow-up report, "What's Next?" on the World Trade Center collapse investigation.
A highlight of the meeting will be the Marketing Communications Awards luncheon. There are three basic areas in the competition : public relations, corporate communications, and advertising. Last year, due to the large number of entries, the judges subdivided these categories and gave a total of ten awards plus several honorable mentions.
CWA has booked a limited number of rooms at the Hotel Allegro Chicago, 171 W. Randolph, Chicago. The room rate is $160 single or double. Please note: Our reservation cut-off date is September 17. However, since there is a city-wide graphics show coming into town for the weekend, so it's a good idea to book a room as soon as possible. Also, the hotel requires reservations to be cancelled 3 days (72 hours) prior to avoid loss of first night's reservation fee. You can call Hotel Allegro Chicago at 800-643-1500 or 312-236-0123.
The Thursday morning education sessions are scheduled at the Hotel Allegro Chicago. The Thursday afternoon board of directors meeting will be hosted by Don Marsh at the offices of Primedia, 29 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Friday's meeting will be a few blocks west of the hotel at the Tower Club, 20 N. Wacker Drive, 39th floor. The Tower Club is directly on the other side of the river from the Northwestern Train Station and a short walk from Union Station, which makes it a convenient location for commuters.
Registration fees for the event are as follows: Thursday education session: $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. Friday midyear meeting, including luncheon: $75 for members, $100 for nonmembers. Late fee for those registering after September 24: $15. Those wishing to join the organization may pay member prices. Annual dues are $75 per year for an individual and $150 per year for a corporate (nonvoting) membership.
Construction Writers Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, international organization for professional journalists, writers, editors and publicists serving the information needs of the construction industry. The group strives to provide educational benefits, the opportunity to network, enhanced professionalism in construction journalism, and information resources to its members. CWA's website, www.constructionwriters.org , provides information and links to many construction-related sites to its members and the public.
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For more information
Executive Director
P.O. Box 14784
Chicago, Illinois 60614
Telephone 773 687-8726
Fax 773 687-8627
info@constructionwriters.org