Another reason to attend sndcle:  
the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland!

After sunset last night, the lights went dark on Cleveland’s Public Square. Soon after, downtown was treated to an intense, three-dimensional light show (see video above) on the facade of the former Higbee Building and the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened its doors for the first time.

The casino boasts more than 2,100 slots and 65 tables. Plenty of post-workshop entertainment just around the corner from the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade, the official sndcle hotel.

• More information on the casino here.
• Make sure to book your room for sndcle here. 
• Also, get more entertainment/Cleveland information, go here.

Announcing sndcle session speakers: Veronika Goldberg and Bret Michael of The Onion

We are thrilled to announce that Veronika Goldberg, design director for The Onion Inc. and Brett Michael, sr. web designer for The Onion Inc. will join us as speakers this October in Cleveland.

Name: Veronika Goldberg
Title/where you work: Design Director, The Onion Inc.  
Favorite storytelling tool: Pencil and paper.
Bio (in 140 characters or less): A classically trained print designer gone web, I combine craft and strategy to fully immerse users with the content.
What/who inspires you? Human interaction.
What is design? Invisible. Great design lets the content shine.

• Find Larry Buchanan’s February snd.org interview with Goldberg here

Name: Brett Michael
Title/where you work: Sr. Web Designer, The Onion Inc.
Favorite storytelling tool: I like working with constraints, and the unexpected results that manifest. Twitter is my favorite digital storytelling tool simply because of its ability to push people into unexpected realms.
Bio (in 140 characters or less): I enjoy clean design, microbrews and cycling every off-chance that I get.
What/who inspires you? I am inspired by the work of Charles and Ray Eames. Their philosophy of bringing design to the masses is something that resonates well with how web design should be approached. Good design must be practical, functional and easy to live with.
What is design? Design can either be the villain or the hero. Being conscious of your contribution is half the battle.

• Start planning your trip to Cleveland here.

Announcing sndcle keynote speaker: Amy Webb of Webbmedia Group

We’re excited to announce that Amy Webb, CEO of Webbmedia Group, will join us in Cleveland as one of our keynote speakers.

Amy is an author, speaker and future thinker who studies disruptive technologies and forecasts changes in the media space. She is also an active startup investor and advisor. She has spent close to 18 years working with digital media, founding several web-based companies and now advising various startups, retailers, government agencies and media organizations as well as Webbmedia’s clients all over the world. Her book, “DATA: A LOVE STORY” is being published by Penguin (Valentines Day 2013).

We asked Amy to answer a few questions for us

Bio (in 140 characters or less): Amy Webb is CEO of @WebbmediaGroup, an emerging tech ideas + strategy agency. Co-founder of @SparkCamp. Author of @DataLoveStory, published by Penguin Feb. 2013.
Who/ what inspires you? The MIT Media Lab (I’m a Research Affiliate there), where the future is now and the world is better for it.
What is design? Responding to the needs of consumers, creating simple yet elegant frameworks, making things work.

• Registered for sndcle yet? What are you waiting for?  Register now.

Are you ready to rock?
‘Cause we’re gettin’ ready to roll!

… roll out confirmed speakers, that is. But first, to get you in the mood, crank up the volume and watch the inspirational (and now Emmy-nominated!) More Than Ink video one more time!

Inexpensive, yes, but we’re hardly ever cheap! A handful of discounted registrations are still available, but once they’re gone, they’re gone. Click here to sign up now! And tell your NPPA, ACES, ONA and APME colleagues that they’re invited, too, at SND-member prices.

Remember this is YOUR workshop. Want to suggest a speaker or topic? Click here, or email us at sndcle12@gmail.com

Rock on!

[ Video by Dale Omori and Andrea Levy, sound by Jon Fobes,
typography by Emmet Smith | The Plain Dealer ]

Anonymous asked: The SND discount rate for the hotel only starts on Friday, October 5. What about the attendees who want to take one of the full-day workshops on the Thursday? They would be checking in on the Wednesday. That's two days at the full rate! If you try to enter an earlier date on the link you posted, it won't allow you to, so reserving for those two days have to be done elsewhere.

The workshop runs Oct 11-13, not Oct 4-6. You’re a week ahead!

The good thing is that there are plenty of things to in Cleveland before it starts!

Anonymous asked: habrá traducccion simultanea al español?

Si podemos conseguir un patrocinador, nos ofrecerá traducción al español. Es muy caro, pero estamos trabajando en ello.

—-

If we can get a sponsor, we will offer Spanish translation. It is very expensive, but we are working on it.

Come for the sndcle workshop, stay for all the Cleveland awesomeness

While getting a VIP tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame like a super-pampered, guitar-slinging rock star has tremendous upside, there’s a lot more awesomeness to see while at sndcle October 11-13.

We know we’ve been talking a little bit (really, just a tiny, little bit) about the huge party we’re throwing for you guys at the Rock Hall on opening night in Cleveland, but we’d be a bit out of line not to give you some other tremendously good reasons for attending sndcle.

Those include:

• The second-largest performing arts center in the U.S. (PlayhouseSquare), just  blocks away from the workshop hotel
• The most concentrated square mile of arts, culture and educational institutions in the country (University Circle) only a mile away.
• A can’t-miss colorful indoor/outdoor market that houses 180 ethnic, fresh produce and specialty food vendors (West-Side Market).

Of course, there’s a ton more. But instead of us trying to convince you of everything cool in Cleveland, we’ve turned to the experts.

Our partners at Positively Cleveland have created a website specially tailored for those coming to sndcle. The site offers a comprehensive look at how to play, dine and enjoy our great city. So, take a few minutes and start planning your trip by clicking here. 

And get ready to be inspired by more than the great design and online conversation.

Haven’t reserved your spot yet? Don’t wait another day. Click here now.

[  photograph by Michael Tribble  ]

Rock! You can now book your room at the official sndcle workshop hotel

Even the King has found a new place to dwell at the official sndcle workshop hotel in beautiful downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

While we know it’s not Hotel California, the Chelsea Hotel, Hotel Yorba or even the Heartbreak Hotel, the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade will be rocking Oct. 11-13 as the official sndcle workshop hotel.

And you can now reserve your room for the annual SND workshop at the super-low rate of $140 a night. Go ahead, book it now.

And after you book your room for the workshop, take a moment and trip through hotels made famous by rock ‘n’ roll here.

Note: If you are making reservations online or over the phone for another guest(s) and would like to pay for their room charges, please contact the Hotel directly at 216-776-4466.  The Hotel will personally need to notate the reservation(s) to let the staff know the credit card provided has been authorized by the owner of the card to pay for the other person(s) room charges.

[  photograph by Lisa DeJong  |  The Plain Dealer  ]

Limited Time Only: Next 25 to register for sndcle get special discounted rate

East 4th entertainment district in downtown Cleveland, directly across
the street from the official workshop hotel. Details here.

You read that right. The next 25 people to register for sndcle — the 2012 Society for News Design workshop — will receive the special discounted rate ($250 pro rate, $300 non-member rate, $200 faculty and student rate).

This is your last chance to get this price. So, take advantage of the discount and guarantee your spot for great design and online training in the rock ‘n’ roll capital of the world — Cleveland, Ohio.

This deal won’t last long. Click here now to register.

[ photograph by Tracy Boulian | The Plain Dealer ]

SND Cleveland Black Friday sale extended through December

We’re crazy here in Cleveland … crazy for good deals! And because of that we’ve decided to extend SND’s second-ever Black Friday sale to New Years Eve. That’s right, you now have until the end of the year to save $100 on your registration and get the costs on the 2011 budget. 

So, what are you waiting for? Guarantee your spot in Cleveland, where we’re planning a workshop full of inspiration and interactivity (not to mention an opening reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Do it. Register here. And, you’re welcome.

[  Black Friday pricing is $250 for professional members and $200 for faculty and students for a limited time.  ]