The SPJVA Blog

Dear SPJ Region 2 Members:

 Please save the date for the 2012 SPJ Region 2 Conference, to be held in North Carolina for the first time on March 30-31. The Elon University Chapter will host at its beautiful campus, conveniently located off I-85/I-40 near Burlington, N.C.

 Pro and student members alike will enjoy journalism training, career assistance, contacts and fellowship, beginning with a Friday night opening reception, followed by a full day of great workshops, speakers, and presentation of the 2012 Regional Mark of Excellence Awards.

 Early bird registration and full information is now open at the conference website, spjregion2.org/ at the bargain price of $40 for student members, $75 for pro members. And since March is SPJ Membership Month, non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend at the SPJ member rate. Bring a colleague!

 The Region 2 office is negotiating with Amtrak for either a chartered rail car or group fares on The Carolinian train, which departs Washington’s Union Station on Friday, March 30, at 10:55 a.m. (arrives Burlington, N.C., 6:01 p.m.) and returns from Burlington on Sunday, April 1, at 9:01 a.m. (arrives Washington 4:37 p.m.)  Conference goers would be able to board anywhere along the route, including Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Richmond and beyond. The current standard roundtrip fare from D.C. is only $100, only $70 from Richmond, and we hope to receive an even lower group fares. If you are interested in joining a group traveling by train, please email me as soon as possible (beckert@richmond.edu).

 To help conference attendees save on travel costs, the Region 2 office is also coordinating carpooling and hotel room-sharing. If you want to travel by car with fellow members from your area and split the costs, or if you’d like to split a hotel room, please email me with your name, gender and, if applicable, your departure city.

 Please visit the conference website soon to check out the program, register and see full travel information. I hope to see you at Elon University next month!

 Sincerely,

Brian H. Eckert

SPJ Region 2 Director