2013 Annual Convention and Career Fair

July 31 – August 4, 2013

Orlando, FL

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 (11:59 PM EDT)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

As the National Association of Black Journalists heads to Orlando, one of America’s top destinations for travel, we extend proposal invitations for sessions and presenters for the 2013 Annual Convention and Career Fair, July 31- August 4, 2013.

The Program Committee is accepting innovative, educational and "out of the box” proposals that tie into our theme, "People, Purpose, Passion: The Power of NABJ.”  NABJ has a rich history of educating, training, and advocating on behalf of black journalists worldwide.  All presenters must have demonstrated expertise in their subject areas and come prepared to teach and challenge convention attendees. All proposed sessions should be dynamic, compelling, and teach current and future journalists new and relevant skills to push them toward their professional goals.

Proposals must fall under the tracks below:

The Fundamentals – No matter how technology changes, the basics of journalism remain the same. This track covers the fundamental skills every journalist needs to know. From the art of the live shot to the art of storytelling, these sessions will cover the nuts and bolts of how to be a better journalist.

On The Beat – In today’s fast-paced newsroom, beat reporting moves fast. Journalists must cover everything from politics to energy to business. This track is designed to break down reporting beats. Whether you want to be a better photojournalist, move into sports, hone your business acumen or explore politics in this election year, these sessions will dig deep into specific beat reporting. NABJ Task Forces are strongly encouraged to submit proposals for this track.

Technology Tool Box – With tools including Storify, Rebel Mouse, Tumblr, API, Bundlr, Open Source, or HTML5, it’s hard to stay on the cutting edge of technology. These sessions will highlight new and emerging technology that helps journalists perfect their craft.

Moving into Management – If you’re looking to move up into the management ranks, this track is for you. Presenters will offer workshops that will help take your career to the next level.

Communication Station – The industry is changing and so are job titles. Communication is at the heart of what we do, but it’s not always in a newsroom. This track is designed to educate and train members in communication fields. From academia to public relations to entrepreneurship, sessions will cover innovative and creative programming for those in communication and non-traditional journalism professions.

Deep Dive Learning Labs: Our day-long and half-day Deep Dive Sessions give members the chance to learn at a more relaxed pace.  Past sessions have covered topics including entrepreneurship, mobile reporting, Final Cut Pro, career transformation and branding.

"I Feel Lucky” - Do you have a great proposal idea that doesn’t fit into one of our standard tracks?  If so, you can submit your proposal in this section. Please note that priority will be given to sessions that fit within our standard tracks; however, we are open to proposals that may go beyond that criteria. Make sure you have an innovative or interesting idea because proposals selected from this option will be very competitive.

Presenters Only:

Are you a subject matter expert interested in presenting? We are accepting applications for conference presenters. This option is for individuals who do not wish to propose a workshop session, but want to be considered as a possible panelist.  The NABJ Program Committee will review each presenter submitted. Due to the anticipated volume of presenters, NABJ will only contact presenters that fit in line with our final programming.

Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

•   Is the topic innovative and relevant?

•   Is the session well organized and designed to meet the needs of this particular audience?

•   Are the session objectives and "takeaways” for participants clearly explained in the proposal?

Selection Process

Submit your proposal by October 17, 2012. You will receive an automatic confirmation of your submission. Keep this confirmation in your files. A team of volunteers and staff will review each submission.

Please NOTE:

•   Presentations cannot be sales pitches. If you are an agent representing a client or someone promoting your business, please ensure your session does not appear as selling or promoting any particular cause, person, or service.  

•   Each person is limited to submitting two session proposals. Please create your proposal in Word and then copy and paste the information into the appropriate sections online. The online form does not have spell check so editing your information in advance and then copying and pasting will ensure greater accuracy.

Workshop Coordinator Expectations:

1.            Please note that we will not allow any workshop coordinator to be involved in more than two sessions. Please consider this when submitting your proposal idea and put your best idea forward.

2.            You must agree to coordinate all arrangements, communication, and audio/visual requirements with your proposed speakers including all deadlines sent to you by the NABJ staff and Program Chair.

3.            Upon acceptance, more information and criteria will be provided.

4.            Please note that we reserve the right to adjust any session including changing the session abstract and adding or removing speakers.  


Registration and Travel Info

To keep registration rates low for members, NABJ does not pay for travel, hotel or meals for convention speakers and presenters. In many cases, the institutions or organizations of the speakers support the mission of NABJ by covering those costs.

All workshop coordinators and speakers should register for the full Convention at the regular attendee rate and are responsible for all travel costs. Speakers receive a one-day complimentary registration to the conference.

For specific questions, please contact NABJ Manager Irving Washington at iwashington@nabj.org or Convention Program Chair Benet J. Wilson at benet@aviationqueen.com.