MagNet was a blast
I’ve just returned home from a week in the Toronto area. The primary purpose of my trip was to attend the MagNet conference held at 89 Chestnut and spearheaded by Magazines Canada. You do not have to be a member of one of the sponsor organizations to attend. To be kept up-to-date on plans for next year’s event, link to http://www.magazinescanada.ca/
Hat’s off to the executive of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (www.pwac.ca) for combining our annual national conference with the magazine industry’s largest event in Canada. You can see the line-up we just experienced on the PWAC website.
If you are a writer, do plan to attend next year, as PWAC is once again partnering with MagNet and other national organizations to bring writers, authors, editors and designers the best possible lineup of professional development sessions within a jam-packed three day schedule. Couple that with an amazing lineup of social events and entertainment opportunities and it’s a total package that can’t be beat.
MagNet is scheduled for June 1-4, 2010. My recommendation to you is to set aside an entire week for conference and related events. I spent a day visiting the publisher of my upcoming book, “Before You Say Yes …” and an editor friend. There’s nothing like forming and nurturing strong relationships with your professional partners to make them satisfying and enduring.
I then took in the conference — both scheduled PD events in addition to all the social events that surrounded it. It has been my experience that the social events surrounding a conference are just as important as the educational sessions. You never know who you might meet and what you might learn. And a little (or a lot) of fun never hurt anyone and helps refresh the spirit.
To survive in this trying economy, I am transferring my focus to books, so attending two sessions that discussed the world of literary agents was most beneficial to me. I got lots of tips on how and why a literary agent might be helpful to me. But the sessions also reinforced that a good writer with a great idea and plenty of hutzpah can represent his or herself effectively. The choice is yours.
As much as Toronto is not my favourite place to be or my chosen place to live, I love its energy and envy its enterprise and endless list of entertainment and cultural opportunities. We attended the free Randy Bachman concert (which was part of the free and amazing Luminato Festival) at Yonge and Dundas Square. For more info about this ongoing event, see: http://www.ydsquare.ca/
Good times with friends at a PWAC conference.
And we attended the “We Will Rock You” musical celebrating the music of Queen. Totally amazing. It’s on until the end of the month, so if you will find yourself in Toronto … go! You won’t be sorry. http://www.wewillrockyou.ca/
And lastly for me, the week was filled with love and friendship. A group of us went away for a 2-day retreat following the conference and friendships were solidified and spirit was fed. What a way to end one of the best weeks of my life.
MagNet/PWAC WAS a blast, well run, organized and well worth every penny of the investment to come (scary room notwithstanding…)
And we did it! Neither you nor I were dragged onto "What not to Wear" while we were there! whew!
Do you mean "Daisy", our waiter at Zelda's? Yes, he was a colourful addition to the mix, and most appropo for our evening at the Queen musical. Fantastic week and mix of events and moments. Glad I've got lots of pics to keep the memories alive. And the educational sessions were just as memorable. I am now very motivated to finish the book I'm working on and start marketing the next.
Thanks for the Toronto/MagNet plug, Doreen. You see, if you just hold your breath TO can be a magical place full of "energy, enterprise, entertainment, love, friendship, hutzpah, fun and jam-packed PD." I'm breathless just reading your post! But what about "Benny?"