In a thoughtful letter to New England newspaper professionals, Warren C. Dews Jr., president of NEACE (New England Association of Circulation Executives), announces the dates for the organization’s Spring Conference, scheduled for Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23 at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA.

Dews also challenges us to think about the meaning of circulation in modern publishing and reveals that the 105-year-old organization is expanding its focus and will now be covering Marketing, Advertising, Production/Operations, and Circulation.

Dear Newspaper Colleagues and Friends,

My name is Warren C. Dews Jr., President of NEACE (New England Association of Circulation Executives).  I am excited to announce our organization’s upcoming plans, but first let me start by asking a simple question: what is circulation?

Think about your answer but keep reading.

It has been almost three years since we were able to meet for our amazing NEACE Spring Conference. It was one of the most humbling experiences in my life to be named the very first African-American to hold the President position in the 102-year history of this prestigious organization. Three years later, we are now 105-years old and, like so many other organizations across the country, we have emerged from extremely difficult and challenging times.

We are still here, and we aren’t going anywhere. Our Spring Conference “The Pivot, The New Normal,” is the next chapter in our story and will lay out the next steps for our future.

I’m here to officially let you know that N.E.A.C.E. will expand its focus. We will now be covering Marketing, Advertising, Production/Operation, and Circulation. Our name will stay the same, but our focus will be changing, and we will change the meaning of circulation.

So, again, I ask: what is circulation? It is what is needed to grow your business. Circulation, also known as readership, means reaching a diverse audience.  You must understand how to market and advertise your brand. You must be able to produce a product and deliver it to your consumer the way they want and need it. Print and digital are undeniably important: learning how to pivot with the changing environment via both platforms is essential to survival. You must be what and where your consumer’s needs are found. N.E.A.C.E. is now the New England Association of Circulation Executives. Yes, same name, but with a twist.

Come to this year’s Spring Conference in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts at the famous and illustrious Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. This is happening Sunday, May 22, and Monday, May 23 – so mark your calendars. We will cover how to increase readership by using influencers through digital partnerships. You will gain a wealth of knowledge from an expert with over 20 years of experience in digital advertising and marketing. You will learn the best ways for your market to grow revenue by still focusing on digital and print revenue. We will also have an expert discussing the best ways to monetize your content and/or use your content to better understand your customer funnel flow. You will leave this meeting with powerful nuggets of knowledge to bring back to your company.

Come and join the new N.E.A.C.E.  Because circulation is everything and a lot more – you’ll see.

Sincerely,
Warren C. Dews Jr., President