Just got into town, so here’s a few thoughts as the convention hall fills for the opening ceremonies.
One of the touted perks of convention going are the “goodies.” Since this is a journalism convention, I anticipate many pens, sample newspapers and brochures about media companies or certain causes.
Although I’ve only spent a limited time on the convention floor, many attendees are carrying around bags from several media chains. I don’t know if they’re handouts or if the attendees are actually from that company, but I’m interested in finding out.
One thing that I’m sure about is the handbag that’s included with the registration. The blue bag is emblazoned with the logos of UNITY and The New York Times. The bag appears to be very functional — with many pockets. If there’s one thing that’s true about me is that I like a lot of pockets — especially when I’m a mobile newsroom with notepad, recorder, camera, pen, etc. Although _everyone_ is carrying around these bags, they still look stylish.
Most of the pockets were empty, but the main section yielded some fruit. The pits and stems included most of the material from the sponsors, although the bottled water from the USA Today was nice. The guides to the career fair, visiting DC and the convention itself seemed handy.
This post was originally created on Aug. 4, 2004. It was uploaded later.