The special hotel rate reserved for attendees of the Region 5&7 conference next month in St. Louis has been extended by one week.

Management at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch agreed this week to extend the conference rate after seeing a spike in registrations through March. The conference is scheduled for April 26-28 at the hotel.

Besides several programs, there will be Mark of Excellence awards handed out during dual luncheons at the conference.

But the hotel says just a few rooms remain in the block reserved for conference attendees, so anyone interested in an overnight stay needs to book reservations right away.

A happy-hour mixer with free drinks for hotel patrons is Friday, April 26, and a meeting of region leaders is slated for Sunday, April 28, starting at 9 a.m. The conference events take place from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. that Saturday.

Drury management also urges those attendees who drive to the conference to arrive early for parking, as the baseball Cardinals will host the Pittsburgh Pirates a couple blocks away on Saturday and the hotel shares parking space with Busch Stadium.

The lineup for April’s dual regional conference is growing. Drone journalism, hyperlocal news gathering and computer-assisted reporting are all on the agenda, as well as a session on how to be your own best editor.

And there’s more in store, but if you want to see any of it, sign up soon, so you can get the early bird registration rate and special hotel room discount.

Among the distinguished speakers:

Bill Allen, assistant professor of science journalism at the University of Missouri, who will explain the potential and peril of using civilian drones to gather news and information.

Holly Edgell, a former regional editor for Patch.com, who explains why it’s way too early to write an obituary for hyperlocal journalism.

Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, who will show time-challenged reporters how to do quick-and-dirty enterprise stories using data records.

This year’s conference is a joint production by Regions 5 and 7, covering a broad swath of the nation from Nebraska to Kentucky. There will be two banquets, one each for the regions to hand out their Mark of Excellence awards. There will be free breakfasts, courtesy of the host Drury Plaza Hotel, for conference attendees.

And there will be plenty of activity in downtown St. Louis away from the hotel, in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

So, visit www.spjinstl2013.com now to land a great deal on a great date with top journalists and educators. You’re bound to have fun, and you’re certain to learn something.

When Region 7 and Region 5 have their joint spring conference in St. Louis next April, the event will take place in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch has graciously agreed to host the conference on the weekend of April 26-28, setting aside a large block of rooms reserved for conference attendees and preparing two luncheon banquets for each region’s Mark of Excellence awards. The tentative conference schedule includes an informal welcome gathering on Friday, sessions on Saturday, and a regional strategy meeting Sunday morning.

The location not only has fine amenities and fabulous views, but also is close to downtown historic sites, sports venues, shopping, and nightlife.

This is the first time St. Louis has hosted a regional conference in three years. At the suggestion of Region 5 leadership, the Gateway City’s proximity to south central Indiana and western Kentucky also proved an optimum location for that region’s burgeoning membership in those areas.

Details about the conference sessions are pending, but anyone interested in making individual or group reservations now can do so at this link at a reduced rate for SPJ attendees. This special rate and availability are guaranteed up to March 26.

__________

Sure, it’s only October, and spring seems too far down the calendar to contemplate.

But time ticks down faster than you think, and soon you’ll have to consider making travel plans for the annual Region 7 conference.

In fact, the foundation is being laid for that conference right now, with help from the leaders of neighboring Region 5 (Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana). Because St. Louis is central to both regions, we decided to convene there, and very soon we expect to announce a venue.

After that, we’ll hammer out the smaller details, such as sponsors and costs.

But the whole show isn’t up to just us: Your input is important, too. Tell us now what kinds of programs you’d like to see included at the dual regional, and maybe also mention the speakers you’d like to see present them.

Last spring, the conference in Ames, Iowa, included sessions on multimedia and mobility, social media and document searches, and helpful tips for freelancers as well as news staffs. The one-day, all-day conference even helped lay the foundations for stronger chapters in Iowa, and a new chapter in Nebraska.

Next spring, journalists from Region 7 are sure to face a host of new issues and challenges, some of which already may be taking shape. What better place then to discuss them and get valuable advice from learned SPJ colleagues and other professionals than the annual conference?

So, take a few moments to let us know now your ideas for program sessions at next spring’s conference. Send those ideas to me, David Sheets, Region 7 director, at dsheets@spj.org. If you want to discuss ideas directly, include a contact number.

Springtime may seem a long way off, but it’s really just around the corner. Help the regional conference’s planners get a jump on the calendar by adding your input to our efforts today.

__________

From reporting for mobile devices, to crowd sourcing on Twitter, to writing for magazines in the digital age and finding your way as a freelancer, this year’s Region 7 Spring Regional Conference has something for everyone.

The conference kicks off with a welcome reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Olde Main Brewing Co. and Restaurant in the heart of downtown Ames, Iowa.

Saturday is packed full of sessions that will help inspire and energize student reporters, early- and mid-career journalists and seasoned veterans. The workshops, Mark of Excellence Awards ceremony and keynote luncheon will all conveniently take place at Iowa State’s Memorial Union, where a block of hotel rooms has also been reserved, with room rates starting at $80. Call 515- 296-6848 to book your room and mention SPJ to get the conference discount.

Register for the conference here.

Follow the Twitter hashtag #SPJRegion7 for updates.

The sessions and speakers include:
Keynote Speaker “Covering Politics in Iowa, the Presidential Battleground,” with Kathie Obradovich, political columnist for the Des Moines Register: In a presidential election year, Obradovich has a front row seat to all the drama of the Iowa caucuses, campaign trail and candidates. Hear how this Iowa State alum helps lead the Register’s award-winning political coverage and how her job as a political journalist has evolved in the age of Twitter.

“ Reporting for (and with) Mobile Devices,” with Jenn Jarvis, Internet director, KWWL Channel 7 in Waterloo, Iowa: Tablet and eReader ownership doubled just over Christmas, new Pew research shows. How does this change the way we do our jobs as journalists and storytellers?

“Using Social Media to Find Sources, Break News and Attract Attention,” with Dave Sheets, sports editor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Learn how to use Twitter, Facebook and other social media to spot trends, establish sources, share stories and build your brand.

“Basics of Multimedia Storytelling,” with Mary Cox, newsroom coach: Want to boost your storytelling skills using multimedia? Cox, an Iowa State alum, will show you how to write web-optimized headlines and provocative abstracts, shoot better videos, gather strong sound and look and sound better on camera.

“Creating a Data and Document-Driven Newsroom,” with Joel Campbell, assistant professor in the Department of Communications at Brigham Young University and former reporter and editor at the (Salt Lake City) Deseret News: This session teaches journalists how to effectively integrate public data and documents into their reporting. Walk away with dozens of ideas for document-based stories, an understanding of state and federal freedom of information laws, and strategies for acquiring records, overcoming illegal denials and lowering outrageous copy fees. The session is useful for beginners and FOI veterans.

“Ethics in the Real World,” with Elizabeth Donald, reporter, Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, Ill.: Donald, a newspaper reporter for 15 years, knows first-hand that personal ethics statements should not be crafted on the spot during a difficult assignment. It’s something we should all consider ahead of time to decide what we will do, what we don’t do and what we will hold our noses and do.

“Learn from Oprah’s Boss,” with Eileen Solomon, journalism professor at Webster University in St. Louis: Name a job in journalism and Solomon’s had it. The Emmy-award-winning producer spent 12 years in television and radio news in St. Louis, Miami, Tucson and Baltimore, where she was Oprah’s boss. Solomon knows how to produce the producers.

“Magazines in the Digital Age,” with Lori Blachford, journalism professor, Drake University: Who says magazines are dead? Blachford, who’s worked for The Des Moines Register, Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications and Country Home, knows hows magazines are evolving and adapting to the world of online publications, tablets and smartphones.

“Taking the Plunge into Freelancing,” with David Sheets, president, St. Louis Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists: As more journalists switch from staff positions at big media outlets to solo work, what do they need to do to get started, stand out among the increased competition and keep work steadily coming in?

Conference Schedule at a Glance

8:30 a.m.: Registration & Check In
8:30 a.m.: Breakfast/Regional Meeting
9-10:15 a.m.: Sessions
10:30-11:45 a.m.: Sessions
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon, Keynote
1:45-3 p.m.: Sessions
3:15-4:30 p.m.: Sessions

4:45-5:15 p.m.: How Can We Revive the Iowa Pro Chapter?

This conference is made possible with support from our sponsors, which include the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and the Leo Mores Chapter of SPJ at Iowa State.