This just in: The World Association of Newspapers has decided to postpone its World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 25 March, until December, due to the impact of the global financial downturn on newspaper companies.
I was scheduled to present at the World Editors Forum in Hyderabad, India in March and I guess I am not surprised that the event will be delayed. For the past few years I have also directed teams of video journalists who file daily reports from the congress and I really love working these events. I often describe them as the Olympics of journalism meetups. The host country’s president usually opens the congress and the delegates are all publishers, owners or editors-in-chief. A fascinating group of global media decision-makers.
WAN usually holds these congresses in June and this one was going on a fast-track nine month plan that has been slowed down due to the global economic crisis.
Last year’s European event drew more than 1,800 participants from 113 countries to Gothenburg, Sweden, a record for the 61-year old conference so I expect that the turnout will be fine in December once the dust settles in the markets.
We will need a meeting by then to showcase the freshest thinking.
“These events have been hugely successful in recent years, with growing participation and great programmes. We want our first Congress and Forum in India, the world’s biggest democracy and a flourishing press market, to continue this trend. But the economic conditions simply don’t allow that at this precise moment,” said Timothy Balding, CEO of the Paris-based WAN.
“The economic crisis has hit travel and conference budgets and has had a profound impact on participation in the events. Our belief is that newspaper companies will, by necessity, learn to live with the crisis over the year and be more willing to invest again in conferences and travel by the end of the year.”
The events, hosted by the Indian Newspaper Society, are now to be held from
30 November to 3 December, subject to confirmation.
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