International weekly editors' group sets Australia for meeting June 28-July 3; non-members welcome

Melbourne will be the host city. (Photo by Michael Boniwell)

Would you like to go to Australia with a group of editors from the U.S., Canada and perhaps other countries this summer? The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors will hold its annual conference "down under" from June 28 through July 3, with a post-conference tour through July 8.

ISWNE will meet at the University of Melbourne for the first three days, then travel to Bairnsdale for two nights, visiting a wildlife sanctuary en route. Members will stay in the homes of Rotary Club members while exploring the area and conclude with the group's annual awards presentation at a newspaper printing plant. The post-conference trip will go to Sydney with stops along the way, described on this web page, which also has travel advice. "This journey will bring you very close to everyday life in Australia and visiting some of our most pristine and unspoilt natural forests, beaches, lake and escarpment areas," writes ISWNE President Barry Wilson, an Aussie. "Australia and ISWNE are waiting to provide an Conference Experience that you’ll not only talk about, but that will give you ideas to help grow your newspaper and your readership."

Wilson says details of the itinerary and costs will be determined by late March. The trip will be subsidized by Destination New South Wales, but there will be some residual nights' motel accommodation and meal expenses. The package for five nights, including transportation, is likely to be between $200 and $350 (U.S. currency). To get more information or sign up, email Wilson here.The trip is open to non-members of ISWNE, but if you want to pay annual dues, they aren't expensive: only $60. For more about the group, see www.iswne.org.