STPA, TGCPA set joint convention

A joint convention of the South Texas Press and Texas Gulf Coast Press associations is on the calendar for April 18-20, 2024.

The two associations approved the move at their meetings last spring as a means of decreasing costs for each association and their member newspapers, as well as increasing attendance.

The convention will be held in Galveston at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center.

Many of the details of merging conventions were worked out by a special committee involving members of both boards, presented to and approved by both boards, then approved by the membership of both associations.

By combining the conventions, the hope is to have more bargaining power with hotels because of increased attendance while reducing expenses for speakers by sharing the cost. Also, instead of staff taking time off to attend two conventions in the spring, they will attend only one convention, saving hotel and travel expenses.

The convention chairs of both associations are working together to plan the program. They are Jeff Wick, The Fayette County Record, first vice president of STPA, and Melanie Berger, The Flatonia Argus, first vice president of TGCPA.

While the costs for the hotel and speakers will be shared, each association still will conduct its own Better Newspaper Contest and Silent Auction.

Registration for the convention will be $100 per person, which will be less than the cost of two conventions for many newspapers that are members of both associations.

The location of the conventions will alternate between areas convenient to members of both associations, with the 2025 convention likely in the San Antonio-Austin area.