EVENTS, CONFERENCES AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:

May 28-29, 2008: PMA's Publishing University: David Mathison presenting ADVANCED TRACK class on Web 2.0; featured in ASK THE EXPERTS sections (Los Angeles, CA)

Founded in 1983, PMA (the Independent Book Publisher's Association) is a trade association of more than 4,000 independent publishers that serves book, audio, and video publishers in the US and abroad through cooperative marketing programs, education, and advocacy.

Publishing University, sponsored by PMA, is the most comprehensive and respected educational program in the publishing industry. Publishing University features three days of programming with four keynote speakers, early bird sessions, the Benjamin Franklin Awards Ceremony, and 85 courses in eight tracks:

l Internet
l Marketing
l Sales
l Basic Publicity
l Advanced Publicity
l Editorial and Production
l General Publishing, Legal and Finance
l Advanced Track (See Advanced Track attendee pre-requisites, below)

2008 Publishing University: May 27-29 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles. Register now.  

Wednesday, May 28 7-8:30am (Pacific Ballroom): ASK THE EXPERTS

ASK THE EXPERTS, featuring David Mathison
Ask The Experts is a special opportunity for attendees to meet with speakers and industry veterans for brief, one-on-one, private consulting sessions on a wide range of publishing topics, or anything on which you’d like feedback. Sessions are designed to provide free help to PMA members. Bring your materials and questions.

Mathison will provide attendees with free, personalized consultations in "Internet, Blogs, and Social Media."

Wednesday, May 28 (2-3pm): David Mathison will present a class on Web 2.0 tools for authors and publishers with publicist and journalist Nettie Hartsock of Hartsock Communications:

A Taste of the Web/Advanced Web 2.0 Tools: DIGG, del.icio.us, wikis - Oh My!
"Learn which Web 2.0 communication strategies can make the biggest impact on the marketing of your book. Discover tips and techniques about many advanced Web 2.0 tools, such as DIGG, del.icio.us, wikis, podcasts, videoblogs and social media. Empower your usage of 2.0 tools and learn how you can drive critical awareness, get media coverage and enable long-term viral power on the Internet to increase your book’s success. Discover the keys to integrating online PR Web 2.0 efforts and blogging with traditional marketing and advertising. Are you ready to shine virtually?"

NOTE: This class is part of PMA's Advanced Track, designed to facilitate networking, group interaction, and answers to specific publishing questions. These classes are custom designed for experienced publishers. To attend the Advanced Track you must meet at least three of the following five prerequisites:

1. Attendance of least one previous Publishing University
2. Three years in publishing
3. Publishing as your primary business
4. $250,000 in annual sales
5. Five titles published

Thursday, May 29 7-8:30am (Pacific Ballroom): ASK THE EXPERTS

ASK THE EXPERTS, featuring David Mathison
Ask The Experts is a special opportunity for attendees to meet with speakers and industry veterans for brief, one-on-one, private consulting sessions on a wide range of publishing topics, or anything on which you’d like feedback. Sessions are designed to provide free help to PMA members. Bring your materials and questions.

Mathison will provide attendees with free, personalized consultations on "Internet, Blogs, and Social Media."

May 29-June 1: David Mathison autographing; BE THE MEDIA exhibiting at Book Expo America (Los Angeles, CA)

Last year, BEA had over 37,000 registered attendees and approximately 1,000 media representatives, including all major national news outlets.

Here is how to "BEA" THE MEDIA:

Booth 5601: We are in booth 5601, next to the entrance of the West Hall in the Independent Publishers section of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Galleys of the book are available for review. You can purchase the book online or on-site.

New Title Showcase: BE THE MEDIA galleys will also be available for review in the New Title showcase, which is located in the lobby of the West Hall.

Free autographed galleys: David Mathison will autograph a limited number of free BE THE MEDIA galleys on Saturday, May 31 from 2:30-3:00pm at Table 26 (in the Autograph Area at the rear of the West Hall).

NOTE: Joining Mathison in this autograph session will be:

l Table 06: Dr Ruth Westheimer: Autographing Dr. Ruth's Guide to Teens and Sex Today
l Table 15: Ernest Borgnine: Autographing Ernie
l Table 20: Jamie Lee Curtis: Autographing Big Words for Little People
l Table 22: Ray Bradbury: Autographing Farewell Summer
l Table 24: Professor Robert Thurman:  Autographing Why The Dalai Lama Matters
l Table 26: David Mathison: Autographing BE THE MEDIA

This 2-3pm Saturday autograph time slot is celebrity-packed. Free galleys will be autographed on a first come, first served basis - so be sure to get there early.

June 5, 2008: Free BE THE MEDIA galleys for Symposium for Scholars attendees (Minneapolis, MN)

REGISTER NOW! Free galleys of BE THE MEDIA will be given to all attendees of the Academic Research for Media Reform symposium for scholars. The symposium will be held on June 5 at the Hyatt Regency, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN.

Through a double-blind peer review process under the auspices of the Institute for Information Policy at Penn State University, the Program Committee generated eight sessions of papers submitted by leading academics from the nation's top schools.

Symposium attendees will discuss the most pressing issues in the media reform community. The eight sessions will focus on:

l Media ownership
l Sustaining independent media
l Access to dominant media platforms
l Network Neutrality
l International media reform efforts
l The media reform movement
l Copyright and free speech, featuring Neil Netanel's new book, Copyright's Paradox
l Roundtable discussion with members of the "Future of American Telecommunications." This group is designing a media and telecommunications policy framework for the 2009 administration.

The full program and schedule is now online. Join us in this unique opportunity to engage in a dialogue between academics and media reform advocates - and get a free galley of BE THE MEDIA!

June 6-9, 2008: BE THE MEDIA exhibiting at the National Conference on Media Reform (Minneapolis, MN)

The National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR) is the largest and highest-profile gathering of media reform advocates in the nation.

The NCMR brings together thousands of activists, media makers, educators, journalists, scholars, policymakers and engaged citizens to meet, tell their stories, share tactics, listen to great speakers and build the movement for better media in America.

NCMR 2008 will be in Minneapolis on June 6-8, 2008.
Register now!

In 2007, BE THE MEDIA publisher David Mathison spoke at this conference on "Organizing for Cable Access in a Changing Regulatory Environment." This year, BE THE MEDIA will exhibit in Booth 125. Books are available from onsite book vendor Birch Bark Books. A percentage of the proceeds supports the National Conference on Media Reform.

2008 conference speakers include:

l Bill Moyers, PBS.
l Dan Rather, former anchor of CBS News
l Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
l Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, Federal Communications Commissioners
l Arianna Huffington, HuffingtonPost.com
l Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, co-hosts of Democracy Now!
l Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine
l Lawrence Lessig, Stanford University; founder, Creative Commons.
l Tim Wu, Columbia University
l Van Jones, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
l Katrina van den Heuvel, editor, The Nation

June 1, 7, 8, 15, 2008: The Mountain Play (Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley, CA)

In 2007, I volunteered to help with the Mountain Play's performance of the musical HAIR by valet parking bicycles. I loved this gig! Being car-free, I use my bike to travel all over Marin - even up the 2,571'  Mount Tamalpais.

I advised bikers on the best trails back down to San Fran, Mill Valley, Fairfax, and Stinson Beach. To cycle to the Play, here are some tips and a trail map (look for the MOUNTAIN THEATER). Please stay off Panoramic Highway. Valet parking sponsored by the Marin County Bicycle coalition. Since this is Bike to Work Week, why not head to the Play this weekend on two wheels?

Pictured below from left to right (click for larger images):
(1) Me, manning the valet bike area; (2) View from valet park area
(3) View from the bike ride down the mountain after the show
(4) From the song Aquarius; and
(5) Finale: Let the Sunshine In

All photos were taken with my Nikon Coolpix S1, which provides great quality for a camera the size of a credit card. It is critical to balance quality with size, weight, portability, and durability when you travel by bike! I took a few short videos with the same camera. Unfortunately I was not tapped into the sound board, nor did I have a tripod, so the audio and video quality is not the greatest.

Here are videos of Susan Zelinsky & crew singing Good Morning Starshine and Let The Sunshine In:

I enjoyed the Mountain Play experience so much that I subsequently joined their Board of Directors. My goal is to apply the lessons from BE THE MEDIA to help this non-profit community theater group expand their presence beyond the performance, grow their audience, and increase their revenue streams with new products.

One of the Board's most important goals is "to nurture an appreciation of Mount Tamalpais." This year, under the leadership of Executive Director Sara Pearson, we continue to "go green" by encouraging bikers and hikers, recycling, using biodiesel fuel for buses to minimize cars on the mountain, providing alternatives to plastic water bottles, and teaching attendees the importance of protecting our water supplies. Visit the EMERALD TABLE for more information on how you can create a more sustainable Marin County, and a more sustainable world.

Many attendees do their part by taking the bus up to the mountain theater and hiking down the six mile, 1,900 foot grade after the show. According to Executive Director Sara Pearson, "We provide detailed hiking maps, signage, and volunteers who lead and "sweep" the end of the hike. This extremely popular program draws 800 people per show, and encourages an appreciation of Marin's natural beauty encountered during the six mile downhill trek." Be sure to bring lots of water and plan on a 2-3 hour hike down.

This year's play is the Wizard of Oz, a great show for the whole family. Performances are May 18, 25, June 1, 7, 8, and 15. Purchase tickets here. SEE YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN!

PREVIOUS EVENTS:

April 30 - May 3, 2008: BE THE MEDIA co-sponsoring NewsTools 2008 at Yahoo! (Sunnyvale, CA)

Journalism's ideals met Silicon Valley's tools in a three-day, conceptual mashup for journalists, technologists, and entrepreneurs. The organizing question was "What can we create at the intersection of journalism and technology to support the well-being of democracy?"

BE THE MEDIA co-sponsored the conference, providing stipends to a handful of journalism and communications students in a "BE THE MEDIA Fellows" program.

The NewsTools unconference was curated by Media Giraffe's Bill Densmore, the San Jose Mercury News' Kara Andrade, and David Cohn, and facilitated by Stephen Silha, Peggy Hohlman, and Kaliya Hamlin. Participants created their own agenda, inventing, sharing, and pursuing ideas, projects, systems, or solutions for sustaining journalism that matters in a connected world.

JOURNALISM THAT MATTERS is a think tank for the future of journalism that hosts conversations with a purpose. According to their site, "The point is to recommit journalism to what is fundamental for connecting news with its audience so that it serves and sustains us."

April 24, 2008: David Mathison moderates CA Democratic State Senate Candidate's Forum (Kentfield, CA)

Come, listen, learn about and meet our next California State Senator. Democratic candidates for California's 3rd Senatorial District will meet for a public forum in Marin County, CA. The district includes Marin and portions of Sonoma and San Francisco counties.

Participants include the incumbent State Senator Carole Migden, and Democratic candidates San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno and Former San Francisco Assemblyman Joe Nation.

The Candidate's Forum will be moderated by David Mathison, publisher of Be The Media.

Click on the link to the left to view CBS Channel 5's coverage of the previous event on September 27, 2007.

This event is hosted by the 6th Assembly District Democrats Club and the College of Marin's Students for Social Responsibility.

Co-sponsors include the California Clean Money Campaign; Committee to Stop the Spray, Marin; CD6 Students for Barack Obama; Democratic Central Committee of Marin; Democracy for America, Marin; Green Coalition; Health Care for All; National Women's Progressive Caucus; Novato Democratic Club; Progressive Democrats of Marin; Progressive Democrats Sonoma County; Progressive Perspectives; Sonoma Valley Democratic Club.

The public is encouraged to attend and the event is free.

For more information, contact Evelyn Woo, Chair, 6th AD Democrats.

April 5, 2008 4:00pm: David Mathison moderates Q&A with author Norman Solomon (Larkspur, CA)

February 15, 2008: Digital Inclusion Summit: Community Internet For All! (Oakland, CA)

The Internet can be a powerful tool for communication, education, and creativity. But many people cannot take advantage of this resource because of financial barriers, disabilities, low-literacy, and limited English fluency.

Help us develop practical solutions to end this digital divide by making the Internet, hardware, software, and services affordable and accessible for everyone.

The Oakland Digital Inclusion Summit will be held on Friday, February 15, 2008 from 10am to 6pm at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA.

Registration is F-R-E-E! http://media-alliance.stores.yahoo.net/intomac6hrm.

In the morning, hip-hop historian and community activist Davey D will give a keynote and moderate a panel called "Bridging the Gap: How Communities Attack the Digital Divide."

"Bridging the Gap" panelists include:
* Davey D (moderator)
* David Glover: Executive Director, OCCUR, Eastmont Computing Center
* Laura Valdez: Executive Director, Caminos Pathways
* Xavier Leonard: Executive Director, Heads on Fire
* Cynthia Mackey: Member, Mayor Dellum's Citizen's Task Force
* Craig Settles: President, Successful.com, Author

In the afternoon, Be The Media Publisher David Mathison will moderate a session called "Creating Platforms for Success." This panel will be videotaped and aired here. It is the second part of our two-part video series on COMMUNITY INTERNET. Part One of the video series can be seen here.

"Creating Platforms for Success" panelists include:
* David Mathison (moderator)
* Esme Vos: Founder, Muniwireless.com
* Sascha Meinrath: Founder and Executive Director, CUWiN
* Dr Faye McNair-Knox: Executive Director, One East Palo Alto
* Ken Gordon: IT Manager, City of Oakland
* Greg Epler Wood: Vermont Triple Play Ownership Project

The event is co-sponsored by Media-Alliance and Media Action Marin, among others.

Now is the time to GET CONNECTED!

January 25-27, 2008: Independent Media Strategy Summit: Truths in Santa Cruz! (Santa Cruz, CA)

December 14, 2007: David Mathison hosts TV Show: "Community Internet: Internet Access as a Public Utility"

Please join us this Friday, December 14 as we tape Part one of a two-part television program titled "Community Internet For All: Internet Access as a Public Utility."

The program is presented by Be The Media and Media Action Marin, and is produced by Rick Tucker, Executive Director of Novato Public Access.

Participants and audience members should arrive by 7:30pm SHARP at Novato Public Access TV (directions here).

Panelists (in order of appearance):

• David Mathison: Moderator. Publisher, BE THE MEDIA
• Tim Redmond: Executive Editor, San Francisco Bay Guardian
• Eloise Lee: Project Director, Broadband Access, Media-Alliance.org
• Andrew Berman: Chairman, Marin Telecommunications Agency
• Peter Franck: Chairman, Media Action Marin

The second part of the show will explore various Community Internet solutions in use around the US. That show will be taped during Media-Alliance's Digital Inclusion Summit at Laney College Theater in Oakland on February 15, 2008.

To brush up on Community Internet and Digital Inclusion, check out Media-Alliance's free Digital Inclusion Advocacy Toolkit.

November 12, 2007: "Media Renaissance- From Selling War to Serving Life"

Carol Brouillet of Questioning War - Organizing Resistance interviews BE THE MEDIA publisher David Mathison.

In this interview, Mathison compares today's digital media renaissance with previous pivotal periods in human history such as the Axial Age (800-200 BC), the Carolingian Renaissance (800-900 AD), and the European Renaissance (1400-1700 AD).

The interview is available for replay here.

October 27, 2007: Daily Acts for Balanced Living: Exploring Solutions for Restoring Ourselves and our Communities (San Francisco, CA)

An Open Space event, participants created their own agenda:

"Open Space is a social organizing tool that catalyzes transformative education and supports a community finding itself, helping the energy and wisdom of a group emerge."

"Participants gather around a topic and create breakout sessions about whatever they personally love, or feel most urgently about."

It was also an Orangeband event, which explores the power of meaningful conversations.

They encourage fostering a shift from "I" to "We" in our attitudes and actions, by taking a greater role in our democracy, and recognizing personal responsibility for these issues.

Pictured from left to right: Steve Bhaerman (aka Swami Beyondananda), facilitator and San Francisco State University Professor Kenn Burrows, and BE THE MEDIA publisher David Mathison. (Photo by Alaina Rios)

Why conversation? According to Orangeband:

• It allows people to connect with one another, building community
• Change begins with people talking about what they care about
• No hype, nothing to sell. Just honest, open conversation
• They seek to create pro-active and non-partisan conversations, with all points of view welcomed
• Discussion is about topics that matter to the group and individual
• An anti-dote to isolation from each other and growing disconnection between our government, the people, and common issues

We reflected on and discussed the biggest challenges facing humanity, how to restore balance to our everyday lives, how personal, cultural, and environmental addictions add to imbalance, and what it takes to live a balanced and meaningful life.

Thanks to all the professors, students, and fellow travelers who participated in this powerful event - I left with much more than I brought!

October 16, 2007: Free Teleseminar: "How to Build Your Platform and Grow Your Audience"

To request the replay, REPLY HERE.

Alex Mandossian will be host, with BE THE MEDIA publisher David Mathison as the guest.

Since 1991, Alex has hosted teleseminars with many of the world’s top thought leaders such as Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Stephen Covey, Vic Conant, Brian Tracy, David Bach, Harv Eker, Joe Vitale, and many others.

Alex has generated over $233 million in sales and profits for his clients and partners, and specializes in list building techniques.

The call is participatory - you can ask us questions like "What is the most important thing I should know about growing my audience?"

September 27, 2007: David Mathison moderates California Democratic State Senate Candidate's Forum (Kentfield, CA)

Come, listen, learn about and meet our next California State Senator.

Democratic candidates for California's 3rd Senatorial District will meet for a public forum in Marin County, CA.

The district includes Marin and portions of Sonoma and San Francisco counties.

Participants include the incumbent, CA State Senator Carole Migden, and the announced Democratic candidates Assemblyman Mark Leno and San Francisco Police Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese.

The Candidate's Forum will be moderated by David Mathison, publisher of Be The Media.

This event is hosted by the 6th Assembly District Democrats Club and the College of Marin's Students for Social Responsibility.

The forum will be on Thursday, September 27 at 7:00pm at the College of Marin's Olney Hall in Kentfield.

The public is encouraged to attend and the event is free.

For more information, contact Evelyn Woo, Chair, 6th AD Democrats.

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July 3, 2007: DFA-Marin Meetup (Corte Madera, CA)

BE THE MEDIA publisher David Mathison will host a Q&A after a showing of the Bill Moyers film "Buying the War" on Tuesday July 3 at 7pm. The Meetup will take place at the Corte Madera Town Center Community Room (2nd Floor).

Check out this preview on YouTube:

Transcript here: "The American number of troops killed in Iraq now exceeds the number of victims on 9/11. We have been fighting there longer than it took us to defeat the Nazis in World War II. The costs of the war are reckoned at one trillion dollars and counting. The number of Iraqis killed -- over thirty-five thousand last year alone-- is hard to pin down. The country is in chaos..."

June 1-3: BE THE MEDIA will have a booth at Book Expo America (BEA), Jacob Javits Convention Center (NYC, NY)

May 31: BE THE MEDIA will be at Mark Victor Hansen's MEGA Book NY event at the Jacob Javits Center, NY, NY.

Mark is the founder and co-creator (along with Jack Canfield) of the billion-dollar "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. The New York Times #1 best-selling book series has more than 100 titles in print and over 100 million copies sold in 41 languages.

As usual, Mark has gathered some of the best book marketers on the planet for a one-day marketing event right before Book Expo America (BEA).

"If you are an author, publisher, speaker, or publicist who wants to write, publish, and sell more books ... this event was created with you and your needs in mind."

I attended Mark's 3-day seminar in Los Angeles two years back, and I highly recommend it.

Get your tickets now before they sell out!

Saturday April 21, 2007 at 7:30pm: Moderator for new film by Norman Solomon

Announcing a Marin Peace and Justice Coalition (MPJC) special Independent Media event, co-sponsored by Students for Social Responsibility!

Come watch a sneak preview of Norman Solomon's new film "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us To Death"

The film is narrated by Academy Award-winner Sean Penn.

Following the film, local Marin publisher David Mathison ('Be The Media') will moderate a session with the filmmaker, author and media critic Norman Solomon. He will speak on "Iraq and Beyond: Endless War or Informed Democracy?" How do presidents and pundits use spin to win public support for war?

For directions or more information, click on the image to the left. Tickets only $8 at the door, proceeds benefit the Independent Media Guide to Marin. Wheelchair accessible.

Norman Solomon's War Made Easy
Saturday April 21, 2007 at 7:30pm
Olney Hall
College of Marin
Kentfield, CA

Monday April 9, 2007 at 6pm: Marin Peace and Justice Coalition Pot Luck

Share a pot luck dinner with friends and enjoy a presentation by David Mathison for dessert - yum!

BE THE MEDIA is an independent media encyclopedia compiled by local Marin publisher David Mathison. Come hear David talk about the exciting dynamics of new independent media methods, and how you can get your message out by leveraging grassroots media.

Marin Peace and Justice Coalition
Monday April 9, 2007 at 6pm
First United Methodist Church
9 Ross Valley Dr
San Rafael (across from Bedrock Music on the Miracle Mile)

March 12, 2007: Seniors for Peace, Mill Valley, CA
The first public presentation on my upcoming book, BE THE MEDIA, will be given to the Mill Valley Seniors for Peace. Thanks to Vera Falk for organizing this, and Chairman Bill Usher. The presentation will take place at 2pm at the Redwoods Retirement Community, 40 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA.

The group is committed to world peace, social justice and genuine democracy in their lifetime. Their average age is 86. They hold street demonstrations against the war every Friday, and silent candlelight vigils every Sunday night. They hope that peace, love, and justice will prevail on earth.

January 12-14, 2007: The National Conference on Media Reform: FreePress.net is hosting their 3rd conference on media reform in Memphis TN. Speakers this year include Bill Moyers, Ben Bagdikian, Phil Donahue, Amy Goodman, Jane Fonda, Danny Glover, Robert Greenwald, and host Robert McChesney. I have the pleasure of presenting on behalf of Media Action Marin with Sue Buske from the Buske Group on Sunday Jan 14 from 9-10:30am in Lobby room L12.

Our topic is "Organizing for Cable Access in a Changing Regulatory Environment"

October  6-8, 2006: ACME Summit: "Facing the Media Crisis: Media Education for Reform, Justice and Democracy" Featuring 50 workshops and 20 plenary keynotes, including: Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, author Bill McKibben, author Diane Wilson, U.S. Senate Candidate Bernard Sanders and actor David Strathairn.

The workshop, The $3 Million Dollar MAM: A Cable Franchise Workshop For Community Media Advocates: With big telephone and cable companies currently re-writing video franchise regulations to suit their needs, it is extremely important for community media advocates to understand the cable franchise process. This workshop shows how Media Action Marin (MAM) helped win $3 million from Comcast after a grueling 6-year negotiation. This money will fund the creation of a non-profit, independently run Community Media Center (CMC) to host Marin’s Public, Education and Government (PEG) channels. Participants will learn how to get more for their communities from their cable franchise negotiations. Handouts include the “Independent Media Guide of Marin;” the actual proposal used to create Marin’s CMC; and a chapter from the book BE THE MEDIA called “How To Create A Community Media Center.”