ArkLaMiss Circulation Conference

Independent circulation management and marketing consultant Frank Mastromarino will present a program on covering the basics of running an effective and successful department Friday morning at 9 am during the upcoming ArkLaMiss Conference.

Mastromarino has worked in circulation departments and as a manager for nearly 45 years. Having worked for newspapers in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, California, Illinois and North Carolina, he retired in 2004 to become a circulation and marketing consultant.

“I seriously believe that in this time of tight budgets and working with less people, many circulation departments are neglecting and overlooking some of the basic techniques that are neccessary to be successful,” Mastromarino said.

His program will focus on the basics of circulation management, including home delivery sales, single copy sales and customer service.

“I also incorporate a lot of new ideas into my presentation and get the audience to participate throughout the entire session,” he said.
“My goal is to have each participant go back to their respective newspapers excited and enthused about being involved with circulation.”

Mastromarino has worked with national newspapers groups, including Gannett and The New York Times Company. He has served on the board of directors for the Inter-State Circulation Managers Association and the Mid-Atlantic Circulation Managers Association.

He is a past president of the Circulation Managers Association of New Jersey and he served as a member Circulation Committee for the North Carolina Press Association and the New Jersey Press Association.  He is a monthly columnist for Learning More Circulation Idea Service, a publication he has been associated with since 1980.

The MPA Education Foundation is making available 20 education reimbursement grants to help offset the cost of travel and registration for the 2009 ArkLaMiss Conference in Vicksburg.

The grants will be in the amount of $100 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. One grant is available per MPA member newspaper and will only go to members who are 2009 contributors to MPAEF.

Download the grant criteria and application here. Deadline is October 15, 2009. For more information, contact Beth Boone.

The annual ArkLaMiss Circulation Conference is set for Nov. 5-6 in Vicksburg, MS. Registration packets will be mailed soon to newspaper members in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

This year’s event will be held at the Riverwalk Hotel and Casino in Vicksburg, MS. A special rate of $69.95 nightly is available for conference attendees. Click here for more information or to make hotel reservations.

General session discussion leaders this year include Max Heath, retired vice president for circulation and postal issues for Landmark Community Newspapers, and John Henegan, MPA general counsel. Heath will update conference attendees on a variety of topics, including procedural and rate changes with USPS, and present a program on unique promotional and marketing ideas for newspapers.

Henegan, of the Butler Snow law firm in Jackson, will lead a discussion on carrier and independent contractor issues. Specifically, Henegan will address the need for keeping well-maintain, updated agreements on file with newspaper carriers. Both Heath and Henegan are expected to touch on trends in-state and nationwide pertaining to independent contractor law and unemployment benefits.

A complete agenda will be announced soon. The conference will begin at noon on Thursday, Nov. 5 and adjourn early afternoon on Friday, Nov. 6. Mississippi Press Association vice president and Vicksburg Post general manager Jimmy Clark will serve as program chairman.

The event is sponsored annually by the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi press associations. For more information, contact Kimberly Haydu.