Attending the Key Executives Mega Conference

Camaraderie. Camaraderie would be my first word of choice to sum up the Key Executives Mega Conference this past week in San Antonio. The feeling in the air was electric and the conversations between sessions revolved around new technologies, growth of audience, sharing with digital and, most importantly, working collaboratively. The discussions were not just about who had the best product, but rather, who had the best product and how they wanted to share their journey.

It's always a risk when trying something new, but many times the best outcomes are because of these risks. Some of the best insights come from your colleagues in the same industry and what better place to share your experience? Mega Conference 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.

Buzz words and phrases like mobile, retention, disruption, positioning for growth, becoming the local agency, and modernizing the newspaper world all have deep meaning for us at Affinity Express. I attended the conference with David Grant, executive vice president, and Kristin Meidell, vice president of operations for Affinity Express. Our discussions in our booth were not along the lines of traditional sales pitches, but rather conversations that elicited future thought. 

Our job at Affinity Express is to be a facilitator and an enabler. We help newspapers by making it easier to do what they are good at. And what is that, you may ask? Well, listen up people: newspapers aren't just a print product that you buy on Sunday for the coupons. Newspapers aren't just items that sit in your driveway until someone decides to remove them. Newspapers are the pillars of a community, both online and off. If you were at this conference, you would know that newspapers are redefining the space that surrounds each and every one of us. Newspapers are in your tablet, email, cell phone, YouTube videos, text messages, local online searches, and just about everywhere else that you consume news and information.