Les Bon Temps Continue to Roulez

Here are some more images from NOLA. Michael and I are 2 of the last 3 hangers-on, departing tomorrow for home. Today: hot and sticky (but so worth it) lunchtime excursion to soul-food gem Willie Mae's Scotch House, from which we are now stuffed with the world's best fried chicken and butter beans.

Passing the torch: Pinning the AHP president's pin on new prez Kim Brown

Interior of Willie Mae's Scotch House, tiny 2-room soul-food restaurant rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina and featured on the Food Network, Frommer's guide, Web sites...

Jen and Michael got their waiter at Willie Mae's to take a photo. Behind us are a NOLA Times-Picayune article and a photo of the late Willie Mae and her great-granddaughter Kerry, who now holds forth in the kitchen.

Post-Katrina spray-painted notes by the LASPCA on a home near Willie Mae's, regarding dogs belonging to the owners. Only about 2.5 miles from our comfortable Marriott seminar hotel were many damaged homes and other reminders that clean-up after Katrina is far from over.

Not the usual mini-mart name, at least not where I'm from!

Saying Goodbye to New Orleans

A memorable week for me in NOLA. I hope all who came to The Big Easy had a great time, learned a lot and met some new friends.

The weather was hot, but it didn't stop AHP members from getting out to see the sights.

We will continue to add to the blog with a wrap up of events and images of the seminar.

New Horse Owner Survey on Parasite Resistance

Erin Ryder mentioned a new horse owner survey on parasite resistance during Dr. Hoyt Cheramie's presentation at the Friday luncheon sponsored by Merial. Anyone is welcome to post the item on their Web sites or in their publications (Erin wrote it, but doesn't need a byline or anything).

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=14420

Researchers Need Horse Owners' Help with Parasite Survey by: The Horse Staff June 24 2009, Article # 14420

Horse owners around the world are being asked to participate in an online questionnaire to help researchers better assess the issues of parasite control and anthelmintic (dewormer) resistance. The study is part of a collaborative effort between equine parasitologists in the United Sates, Denmark, and Germany.

Horse owners can find the survey at survey.2ask.de/71d74fafbf0c4562/survey.html.

Topics include parasite control strategies, drug resistance, factors behind parasite control decisions, veterinary involvement, and selective treatment.

"This survey compares U.S. horse owners with Danes and Germans," explained Martin K. Nielsen, DVM, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Large Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. "Are they really different? Nobody knows, but my prediction is that horse owners are much alike.

"Treatment regulations are much different between the countries, but how well informed on parasite issues are horse owners in the three countries?" he asked.

Answering the complete survey takes about 20 minutes. Respondents are asked to answer spontaneously--there are no right or wrong answers, and the organizers ask for your honest personal opinions. Most of the questions are based on a multiple choice format, through which you can click on the alternative that is closest to your opinion. (Some questions might seem to be similar but are not exactly the same. Therefore, please answer all the questions since this is crucial to the success of this study.)

Project organizers include Nielsen, Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD, Dipl. EVPC, an associate professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine; and Anne Becher, DVM, of Ludwigs-Maximillian University in Munich, Germany.

"Recent advances in our medical and scientific knowledge regarding parasite control in horses make it important for us to know more about current practices and attitudes of horses owners concerning parasites," Kaplan reiterated.

Mequoda Pro Talk on email Newsletter Marketing

Idea is to do it and make it more profitable.

Newspapers being replaced--not by Web, but by email newsletter. Average person gets 16 email newsletter. Investing, profession, etc. We pick topic and get news sent to us--daily is cycle you should fit into. Short, succinct newsletter, get through in 2-3 minutes every day, as opposed to 15 minutes every month.

Average read is 2 minutes.

Contact every day of the week, but alternate newsletters and promotions. That enables you to get money and doubled average weeks of the customer--time they would stick with you. Opt out rate went down by 2/3. Open with voice and build relationship.

Come up with publishing schedule. Do search engine research to see where demand is--pick ones that you can publish on related to your niche. Do a newsletter on one day, then promo follows the next day.

Advertising and sponsorship can run on the side--exclusive sponsors. Email works well to sell product, books, lead generation for free reports tied to your sponsors. Make more money if leverage direct response--maximize position with advertisers.

Can do single issue newsletter topics, or week in review newsletters. Opt in rate of 30-40 percent for daily newsletter subscribers when you can segment topics.

Revenue from newsletter comes from product sales. Have to test to determine what is most effective. For example, tested incentives--buy book vs. buy book and get free gift. Price is also a good test.

What are things that are likely to increase email response rates. Same elements as direct marketing--formats, prices, incentives.

Whatever works in direct mail works in email and vice versa, in terms of offers. Only place not sure if email copy test. Cost of sending elaborate letter by mail is high, but not for email, so can't really test success of one over other.

Can test in email first and then run in direct mail the ones that are successful. Speed of learning is faster and leverageable across to direct mail.

Email newsletters of his example are all recycled content! Not researching--excerpting and summarizing.

Most publishers underprice digital products. We find most products can get higher prices.

You sending out is start--all kinds of factors have to keep track to determine success.

He uses What Counts as email service provider. Tier one provider--$600-$3,000/month minimum. Constant contact is only $20-$30/month. Charge based on how many emails you have. Deliver relatively poor. When have 5k-10k, move to tier one.

You need to have a plan to begin with--stragtegy. Write it down and discuss it. Determine product vs. sponsor revenue. Test Plan A against Plan B, test winner against Plan C. Determine your winners.

Fran Jurga's a Genius!

She put together this great blog to help us all see how easy it is to blog. Hope you check it out!
http://socialhorsemedia.posterous.com/

Writing for the Web

Kim Brown and Christy West of The Horse spoke on freelancing this morning.

Freelancers need to be versatile!

Research a potential employer before you contact them. There is more than understanding the story--must broaden coverage. You need to think for Web, what about advertisers, can you do video & photos?

Think "outside box". Consider white papers and how they apply to advertisers and editorial.

Think about other sources and how they could give you an idea for another magazine. Researcher happy to get info out; you have chance to get to other pubs.

News still sells. 150-300 words (not 2,000 word feature article, for the most part). Horse.com puts up six news stories/day. They have good budget for freelancers. Look at what they cover and think about an idea that might work for them.

Not big chunks of money--and spend quite a bit of time doing them, but can repurpose.

Even with great idea, need to offer more than story--blog (I just wrote cool article for Paint Horse Journal, coming in July), and editor will love you. Free advertising and marketed yourself! Now you have become ad reps, photog, writers and marketers.

Web vs. Print: Different world! Language is different. Keep "key words in mind." More than 90 percent of people don't go past 1st page to search results.

Title tags--primary keywords or brand name first, followed by others. Some of terms are esoteric and people don't know how to spell. Used acronyms. Not necessarily a good thing--people may not search for acronym.

Keyword relevance--how closes do keywords on the the page match the user's search terms. If search term not in story enough, not rank.

Get article popularity up--SHORT, SWEET, ENGAGING, ORGANIZED, TO THE POINT!

Reviewed content--gets reviewed by people who didn't write and were not a source for the article. Make sure it is accurate. If they are happy with article, reviewer will spread word. Free marketing!

Make sure keywords are the ones that will result in most search results. Example: founder and laminitis.

Go to tweetvolume and searched for different words--horse, laminitis, volume. Founder is a hotter word than laminitis.

Go to adwords.google.com/select/keywordtoolexternal--looked up same words. founder has 800k, laminitis only 40k. Founder looks like hot tip!

But--check out www.google.com/trends--shows popular stories driving trends. Founder does not actually come up as applied to horses!

Horse founder and horse laminitis--not such a clear winner. There is more for laminitis.

Which do you use--take advantage of all of that searching! If there is one clear, USE IT!

Keyword placement--use topic in headline and 1st few graphs of story. Later graph as it works out, but not overstuffing.

NO--Poll: Majority of TheHorse.com Readers vaccinate against WNV
YES--Vaccinating Against West Nile Virus: Poll Shows Horse Owners Say Yes

NO-Do Tapeworms Cause Colic
YES-Do Tapeworms Cause Horse Colic

Any story thinking about in print--cut in half and hit key words.

Provide additional info for Web stories. You only have 300 words. Link to other sources--not competitors, but related articles, university research, etc. And make sure it's actual Web address--hotlink may go away in editing.

Whole package! If source mentions photos, get them. It may not get more money if it's not your photo, but you will get brownie points.

You don't need a great camera and spend a ton on money--writing for the Web needs low res photos. Decent digital camera--even point & shoot--can handle photo and video needs you have.

Scenes from the Big Easy

At the 2009 AHP Free Rein in the Big Easy seminar: Molly the Pony in the ballroom during Friday's student-award party; photographing a haunted house during the Thursday-evening NOLA ghost tour (many photos show "orbs"--supposedly spirits); huge, ornate, and colorful floats warehoused at Mardi Gras World. Photos by Jennifer Bryant.

Be Fruitful and Diversify

That's the message for freelancers this year. The Horse's managing editor, Chad Mendell, did a great job with this morning's "Backpack Journalism" panel discussion. The bottom line: Freelancers who learn to pitch and deliver multimedia packages (story, photos, audio/video) will find themselves in demand. Quality is important, of course; but speed of delivery trumps fancy editing or pro-quality imagery.

Think of yourselves as being in the content-delivery business. Retain rights to your material if possible, and repurpose/restructure/resell to help fill the burgeoning demand for content for e-newsletters, white papers, and other Web- or e-mail-based content. This goes for photo and video as well as for text.

Still Blogging! This time it's Search Engine Optimization

Don Nicholas loves search engine optimization! Managing search engines takes same amount of time as direct mail campaigns--but it doesn't cost anything.

Mapping and tracking your keyword universe--single most key to increasing traffic.

How do you build subscription based audience online w/o spending any money--and how much are they worth.

Print publications never selling ink on paper--partnering with someone who has something to sell.

Popular keyword myths (T or F):
1. All keywords are equally important
2. A single post will get me page one position in Google.
3. Google Analytics is the only reporting tool required to minitor SEO success.

1. F--there are big small, hard to friend, easy to friend. Will see how to rank them.
2. F--takes multiple pages and multiple phrases. Trade content for rankings. Most content in accessible format gets the highest rank.
3. F--valuable tool for looking back, but need to look ahead. Use Google keyword tool and incorporate into spreadsheet. Plus advanced Web ranking. On monthly basis is ID list of 1500-3500 keywords to manage.

SEO Key Metrics and Economics
Google Keyword Tool will tell you for a any keyword you type in how often that word is requested each month. It's free!

Keywords are tough to manager individually. Cluster works better--you want your word and all his "cousins."

Ways to make money
Search engine optimization
Link building--referring links
Can't pay to get them--have to work to get them.

No matter what the size, you have to know your economics.

Google share of searches is almost 70 percent. Yahoo is 19.2 percent. 9 of 10 times, high ranking in Google will get you high rankings elsewhere.

Google loves Internet hubs. Google provides link to content--makes us work hard to get listing. In exchange, sells other listings on side to make money. Everything targeted based on keywords. Google wants to be your partner.

Choosing right keywords to drive Web site traffic: What do you write about? What does your user search for--chicken recipe, race results, specific equine disease or drug?

2 words phrases that define groups of words. Go to Google Keyword Tool. Absolutely free. Type in root phrases. Get primary and secondary pages. Keep throwing words in and then pare down.

Take keyword phrases and download into Google Visibility Calculator. Go into search engine and type in phrases in quotes and pull in the competition. Need to know supply and demand calculation. Google tells demand. Should not target most popular keywords unless you are biggest in your field. Target words in middle--some volume and popularity, but not a lot of competition.

Sort by competetive index. Need at least 1,000 searches and phrase makes sense. Becomes a phrase he will target.

Will take 50 to 200 hours to do this. Only needs to be done once a year. You can hire company or do it yourself. Ho you drive SEO marketing, link building. How you set up architecture for Web site. Teach freelance writer, editors, writers to write. Want to make sure its in headlines and articles.

Could just buy your way to top links.

Thanks for following! We will be back tomorrow at 9 a.m. for Web site Architecture & Design.

12 Skills for Making Money Online

After a great lunch and interesting talk on parasites (yum!) we are on to session 2 at AHP--"12 Skills for Making Money Online."
http://www.mequoda.com/

Don Nicholas--editor of Mequoda, B2B publication for publishers. Integrated media approach. Internet centrique, multiplatform publisher. Most publishers on 3-7 individual platforms.

Internet forms the bottom of media pyramid. You will have audience experience you in many different ways--Web site, email newsletter, books reports, products, magazine, etc. Those deployed on all platforms are very successful, and some are very small.

With a blog, you are a publisher.

Getting to know your neighborhood: Whenyou go online it is a virtual neighborhood. Defined the words on your web site (key words).

Online we measure audience by "unique monthly visitors". Keyword indexing drives neighborhood." Google has become online planner to get to your neighborhood.

Inlinks: Hyperlinks from other people's Web sites. They point at your Web site. Important to drive traffic. And Google pays attention to rank you by how many hyperlinkls you gte related to keyword phrase. Get site well ranked to link to you boosts your value.

Archive online helps to get keywords out.

If you write and post, and no keywords anyone looking for in it, will anyone read it? Probably not. Being online publisher means knowing how to get right keywords in your documents.

Three levels:
1. Content drive
2. Google friendly
3. E-mail centric--commit to follow you, also includes RSS, Twitter
4. Profit minded

Mentioned http://www.technorati.com/ -- million blogs.

5 things learn from online market audit:
1. size--how big is market
2. growth--how get more people
3. seasonality--peaks in market
4. keywords--drive online content
5. neighborhood-who lives here and how can we get better link relationships?

Web site for analytics: http://compete.com/

How can we build relationships--user-generated content, content review (from other publishers) and content syndication (cut a buisness deal to push data up to them--drive traffic back to you, revenue).

For all business models you see on Internet, there was old model--newspaper is now periodical Web site. Encyclopedia is reference Web site, etc.

Who pays--user-driven Web sites (takes money from users--Fidelity), sponsor-driven Web site (Yahoo finance), hybrid Web site(do both--subscriptions and live events, sponsorships--CNN money)

27 different Internet business models.

Question: how check numbers of competitor who says has 2 million visitors?
Answer: 2 sources--www.compete.com. Do a tutorial on B2B to see if telling truth. BTW, check your first. Also use www.quantscast.com. Be the truth-teller in marketplace!

Question RE Syndication
Answer: Way for smaller publisher to get pentration into larger markets. Don't give all your content--duplicate content issue. Good news--will drive traffic.

Coming next--Search Engine Optimization + build keyword universe

Internet Sales Training

Here is a transcript of from our first session, "The Successful Internet Sales Model," as it happens, for those who could not attend:

Internet ads viewed as being more creative, but print ads can't be zapped and readers still value print ads. If took all the ads out of magazine, readers would miss them, but if took them away from Internet, few would miss them.

Things we are to get out of session:

* Make Internet part of thinking for every client, but won't feel have to sell every client. Support print with Web.

* Don't worry about overbooking. Selling at a profit over costs to drive traffic.

* Call on clients at very highest levels where Internet and print report--where media allocations made.

Print plus Web is hybrid media--like hybrid auto, get more power by using combined energy sources.

Buying Print and Web from same company reaches most active customer. Not bad duplication--it's frequency. Need frequency to make advertising work!

Audiences of print and Internet not the same--but they are pretty close. How much overlap depends on how much promotion publications do to drive people to online content. Those most in need of information will go online.

Adding second media makes first media more effective.

From book "What Sticks": Seeing an ad multiple times in same media can be less efficient than if people see well-orchestrated campaign in different media--surround-sound effect.

Consistent message across media is more powerful pattern in customers' minds than repetition of message in same media.

If you are advertising online, should be doing it where you do your print to get most bang for buck!

Question: What is effect of "crappy" ads? Is it still effective?
Answer: Urge customers to test different things online and see what works best. Then do print version of it.

Make money on your own site. Use social media to drive traffic to your site! It is "word of mouth" of online.

Internet has roughly same fixed cost of editorial & design, but radically different in incremental costs of promotion to find readers and deliver to them.

Your Internet marketing opportunity includes everyone who knows your brand + will find you through a search.

Editorial advantages: Use editorial twice--print & online; reach customers who missed issue; create content online through community functionality and publish online (discussion boards, polls, supplier rating). Reward people with best posts by printing in magazine.

Provide advertisers: Increased reach, increased frequency, lower cpms, alternative creative units, different advertising functionality.

REVEUE: All about impressions--page views or eletters.

Importance of eletters vs. Web publishing: Web site lets you wait for readers to come (like single-copy sales). eletters let you publish to your audience (like subscription). Reminds people to come back!

Pageviews are raw numbers related to economic potential of site--total revenue per page view + total page views per month = total revenue opportunity per month.

Taking a 15 minute break--back soon!

We're back!

Clutter does not work! Advertisers compare click rates as an indicator of effectiveness. Only one click going to one advertiser on that page. Percents go down for everyone else. Page view is unit of attention. The more advertising images on one page, the more diluted the click rates.

Most active customers, most valuable to advertisers, use print and online. Read magazine for "big picture." Use Internet to:

1. send info to colleagues & friends
2. search for solutions
3. refer to archives
4. search for products
5. quick updates and info--frequency of news and opinion a BIG DEAL
6. make purchases

Consumers of brand content are higher-quality consumers for advertisers.

Magazine + Online is:

brand building plus transaction executing

product introducing and dealer finding

Inspiring interest plus reach increasing

Image building plus reach increasing

Trust building and resource providing--having a product appear in print creates trust but Web can provide link to important resources.

Reputation establishing plus cpm lowering

Opinion leader influencing plus frequency building.

Ad directors must come up with unique and workable combination for every advertiser. Advertisers know media must be combined to be most effective.

Advertisers use online: Transactional reasons!

Configure proposed solution to hit the client need or "hot button":

1. clients want leads--joint registration, webinar, whitepaper
2. clients need awareness--offer sponsorship of section or tool.
3. client wants word of mouth, sponsor forward to a friend tool and discussion boards

Always sell w/a package of standard banners--preferably on category exclusive--right of first refusal to renew. You can charge more for exclusive!

Package online and print together--talk language of ad agency. Offer in flow chart form w/calendar to show added opportunities around special times/events.

Great content will raise you to the top--use other people's content and add your own point of view! (Yahoo principle--they will be loyal to you if you help them find good stuff on the Internet).

Need some kind of social media strategy--internal (message board) and external (facebook, twitter)

All of this DEPENDS ON SELLING!

Use email strategy to increase returning visitors and expand advertising inventory.

Long pages not as bad as having to click to other pages--studies show you lose 50 percent of viewers with every click.

enewsletters are big opportunity--drive people back to site.

Chinese menu--lots of choices, and opportunities advertisers will support.

What are your key advertising categories of opportunity--create eletters to stimulate!

Use standard bad units. Surround rectangular ads with content. CMP can be HIGHER than Web site. Track click rates for clients. Leaderboard banner at the top, under the logo.

Often viewed in "preview" window, so make sure to maximize that space and ad opportunity.

Don't have to do on regular schedule. Busier time, more advertising, more newsletters.

Offer only a few sponsored emails--advertorials. They get people to unsubscribe.

Make sure to feature on your Web site--no reason to throw away.

Webinar: revenue opportunity, easy to do.

Digital magazines--not solution but one aspect--reach audience you don't usually reach. Advertiser might have email list you could send to advertisers customer list, compliments of advertiser.

Clients want to be part of content, rather than separate from content.

Infrastructure needed:

Need dedicated person to sell WEb--and they eat onlyif they sell. Report to ad director.

Use 3rd party solution like GoDengo which provides functionality in one integrated platform. Dynamic ad server opens real-time results to advertisers. Reduces banner fatigue. Develop inventory forecasting and deal tracking spreadsheet. Serve ads to eletters, too.

Webinar platform

All done!

Food, Glorious Food

As our delightful concierge at the NOLA Conv. Ctr. Marriott informed us yesterday evening, "When in Rome..." -- which in the case of the Big Easy means planning one's activities around one's choice of lunch and dinner destinations.

Seafood is king here: shrimp, mussels, crawfish, redfish, and more. There are Creole dishes, with lots of the aforementioned; and Cajun, with meats such as ham, chicken, and the delectably spicy andouille sausage. Gumbos, jambalayas, and the like are smorgasbords of several ingredients.

I'm relying heavily on the Frommer's New Orleans guidebook for suggestions. Last night was a splurge at Emeril's, the original of celeb chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants and still the best, according to Frommer's. Order the andouille-crusted Texas redfish and you won't be sorry. Ditto Emeril's famous banana-cream pie.

Michael and I hope to make the trek to Willie Mae's Scotch House, an unassuming soul-food institution that was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt by the community. Founder Willie Mae's great-granddaughter is now the chef and the guardian of the secret fried-chicken recipe that's earned accolades in both Frommer's and the Food Network's list of the best soul food in the US.

As Ben Brown remarked when he found me pounding away on the hotel treadmill yesterday, "Getting ready for a big dinner, eh?" Well, yes, of course! Small price to pay for a delicious taste of the best NOLA has to offer.

Bon appetit!

You're Going to Meet Molly the Pony!

Plan to shake a (fake) hoof with Molly the Pony on Friday night. She's looking forward to meeting you and I bet she'll be the life of the party.

The guest of honor at Friday night's Student Awards Night party is a friend of mine. And she'll soon be a friend of yours. She has a way of making friends that makes me think she should go into politics.

You probably know how Molly was left behind in a barn when Katrina hit, and survived on her own for a long time. She was finally rescued, only to be attacked by a pit bull, who ripped her up quite badly, especially her right front leg. Her vet worked very hard, and Louisiana State University agreed to amputate what was left of the leg. An orthotist in New Orleans started building horse legs in his spare time.

Before long, Molly was not only walking again, but being put to work as a cheerleader for everyone in New Orleans who needed to pick themselves up and put their lives back together. She became a public pony and made the rounds of hospitals and schools and shelters. This winter, she had her own float in the Mardi Gras parade.

It's a long story about how I came to be involved with Molly the Pony but as you may know, I publish a blog in conjunction with my company's Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. So a three-legged Katrina surviving pony was a perfectly legitimate story to post on that blog, and I owed it to both Molly and her owner, Miss Kaye. I told them I would try to sell some copies of Molly's book when it came out because an article I had written about them for EQUUS magazine had been cut. We'd all worked hard on it.

I was looking for redemption in a blog post. Boy, did I find it.

I don't know what happened, but it was some sort of a social media phenomenon. One for the record books. Someone--I know not whom--forwarded my blog post as an email to some other people, or to a lot of other people. They in turn forwarded it. And you know how that goes.

When the blog story counter hit 50,000, I gave up. That was just the number of people who bothered to click back to the original blog post. I heard from people in hospitals, prisons, and police units. I heard from soldiers in Iraq and from people on every continent except Antarctica. Mostly I heard from grandmothers and aunts and cousins and friends of handicapped children, kittens, goats, llamas, and poodles who wanted to tell me stories of their triumphs and tragedies. The Shriner Hospitals were big supporters. Teachers and nurses told great stories of how they used the book to inspire children.

So not only did Molly inspire me, the people who were inspired by Molly inspired me. I know my life will never be the same again. And that's a good thing.

Molly's book, meanwhile, sold out probably before many could ever get to a bookstore. I think it is now in its fourth printing. It was #1 on Amazon and won the ASPCA Henry Bergh prize in 2008 for best children's book about animals. People say it changed their lives. People say it gives children hope. The Obama children took it with them when they moved into the White House. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers, became one of Molly's biggest fans. The tv cameras beat a path to her door.

I won't tell you too much of Molly's story, because it is in the book, and there will be at least two copies of her book in the auction on Friday night. One is signed by the talented author and photographer, Pam Kaster, and one is signed by Molly--stamped with her prosthetic hoof.

A year later, my life is finally back to normal, and Molly is still hobbling around to hospitals and schools to perk up anyone who needs a lift. She has that way about her.

And you're next on her list.

New Orleans, here we come...if we can find the hotel!

Travelers, make a note! New Orleans is a big city and it seems like there is a Marriott Hotel in every neighborhood. Chris says that if you are driving into the city, plan to take a taxi, or even if you're on a bus, you need to know exactly WHICH Marriott is your destination.

Your GPS could easily get confused!

In our case, it's the Marriott Convention Center, on Convention Center Boulevard. Technically, it is in what is called the Warehouse District, part of Downtown New Orleans. If you have friends visiting you, you can say it is near the Riverwalk and Convention Center and they should know the area.

It's a good idea to load the hotel phone number (504-613-2888) in your cell phone before you leave home. But you knew that!

You Might Never Unfold Your Marriott Dinner Napkin

Ellen and Chris, our intrepid advance team, have landed in New Orleans, and report that the hotel restaurant, Wolfe's, has great fish!

But Chris just can't stop raving about Tyrone. And after watching the video, neither can I.

Tyrone is the king of napkin folding, and he works right at our Marriott. I don't think I could possibly unfold a fleur de lis dinner napkin, could you?

Watch the video and look for Tyrone's handiwork at the hotel!

A side note from Chris:

Ellen and I had dinner at Wolfe's tonight and Tyrone was our waiter. Everything he recommended we loved. I asked him if one of the 723 napkin folds he does was a horse. No, to do a horse requires several tablecloths and several hours using a folding technique known as ruffling.

Good Morning! The Coffee Tastes Funny, The Pastries Are Divine

Wake up and smell the chicory and beignets, y'all.

Mornings in New Orleans begin with a ritual. Things move a little more slowly in the Big Easy, and your coffee time finds you sitting in a 150-year-old coffee shop called Cafe du Monde. Things haven't changed much over the years and the waitress seems to have been working here for at least half those years.

Famous the world over, this place wants you to try its Cafe au Lait--half coffee, half lait (milk). Don't argue. Try it.

Because if you ask for it black...it tastes funny.

That's because the traditional New Orleans coffee is a mix of coffee beans and chicory, which is the dried root of the endive plant. Most people think it tastes bitter. It started out as a French tradition to make the coffee go a little further during tough times, and the taste has stuck around. It's an acquired taste, to be sure and most everyone in New Orleans seems to love it. Besides, it's one more thing that sets this city apart.

(But don't worry, the milk in the Cafe au Lait makes it a taste like a milkshake.)

Be sure to visit Cafe du Monde's website, which is full of history and very entertaining.

The real treat of the place is ordering a plate of beignets (pronounced ben-yays), which are amazing pastries---not quite a croissant, not quite a donut. They make me think of a less-greasy version of the fried dough or funnelcakes sold at the fairs around here. Cafe du Monde absolutely smothers them in powdered sugar.

You'll make a mess, but you won't care.

Go to the Original Cafe du Monde any time of the day or night. It is by the French Market, opposite Jackson Square and open 24 hours a day. It's one of the best sidewalk cafes in America. But to get your taste of beignets, they have a satellite shop in the Riverwalk shopping center opposite our hotel. It's open until six daily.

And if you're a creature of habit who can't live without your Starbucks grande double mocha chai latte, there's a good old Starbucks in the lobby of our Marriott hotel.

Get in the Mood: NPR Brings You Allen Toussaint Live!

Photo courtesy of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau

The next best thing to being in New Orleans is listening to some great New Orleans music. Here are two great links for hour-long programming on National Public Radio. You can just hit the "play" button and drift away on a dreamy cloud, or learn about how Katrina impacted the NOLA music community.

Click here to listen to the recorded concert of Allen Toussaint and the Bright Mississippi Band last month in New York City. The concert is hosted from the NPR web site; just click on the "listen now" type at the top of the page and be entranced for an hour or so. This is beautiful music.

Click here for a broadcast of the NPR show "Talk of the Nation" with several New Orleans musicians, included Allen Toussaint, performing live in the NPR studio. This show was recorded a week after Katrina hit. The performers had lost their homes, and Toussaint also lost his piano in the flood. "Next time, I'll put it on the second floor," he said. But they said much more, and people called in to talk about what New Orleans music meant to them.

What will it mean to you? New Orleans has every type of music. It's known for jazz but it won't be defined in just one word. You might hear anything or anyone as you walk down the street. Whether you go to a concert or a club or listen to street musicians, it's a special sound from a special place.

And you can start listening now, right here on the blog!

In 1814 we took a little trip, along with...

Photo by D.B. King via Flickr, thank you!

....Colonel Jackson!

Andrew Jackson, long before he was US President, saved New Orleans during the War of 1812 in the famous Battle of New Orleans. The city loves this equestrian statue commemorating Jackson's salute to his troops, scultped in the 1850s by Clark Mills. It was the first statue of a rearing horse in the Americas, and it still hasn't toppled off its pedestal. It is one of the oldest equestrian statues in America and is the centerpiece of lovely Jackson Square, also named for the colonel, which is the green heart of the French Quarter. (Just look for the mule carriages and the fortune tellers and the tarot readers and the street musicians and the artists who hang their work on the wrought iron fence. Yes! that's the place!)

You'll see lots of images of this equestrian statue all over New Orleans. So far, no one has come up with a name for the horse. Apparently, Jackson was quite a horseman and rode several while he was in New Orleans. He preferred racehorses and even owned a racetrack back home in Tennessee!

Just a colonel from Tennessee in 1814, Jackson rode into an impossible situation. His men--who included Choctaws, pirates, freed African Americans, and slaves--were out-numbered two to one. They positioned themselves behind barricades of cotton bales, and lost only eight men, to the British death toll of 2000.

In 1959, a high school principal wrote a song to teach his students about the battle. It won a Grammy Award that year, as recorded by Johnny Horton, and I think we all sang it as kids but may not have understood the words. So here you go:

Well, in eighteen and fourteen we took a little trip

along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.

We took a little bacon and we took a little beans,

And we caught the bloody British near the town of New Orleans.

(sing along with the chorus)

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.

We fired once more and they began to runnin'

down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, I see'd Mars Jackson walkin down the street

talkin' to a pirate by the name of Jean Lafitte [pronounced La-feet]

He gave Jean a drink that he brung from Tennessee

and the pirate said he'd help us drive the British in the sea.

The French said Andrew, you'd better run,

for Packingham's a comin' with a bullet in his gun.

Old Hickory said he didn't give a dang,

he's gonna whip the britches off of Colonel Packingham.

(repeat chorus)

Well, we looked down the river and we see'd the British come,

and there must have been a hundred of 'em beatin' on the drum.

They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring

while we stood by our cotton bales and didn't say a thing.

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise

if we didn't fire a musket til we looked 'em in the eyes.

We held our fire til we see'd their faces well,

then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave (a yell).

(repeat chorus)

Well, we fired our cannon til the barrel melted down,

so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.

We filled his head with cannon balls and powdered his behind,

and when they tetched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.

We'll march back home but we'll never be content

till we make Old Hickory the people's President.

And every time we think about the bacon and the beans,

we'll think about the fun we had way down in New Orleans.

(repeat chorus)

Well, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles

And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.

They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch 'em

down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

(chorus)

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.

We fired once more and they began to runnin'

down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

(end)

What the song doesn't tell you is that the war had ended two weeks earlier, but Jackson hadn't received word yet.

There's something about the gesture of Jackson doffing his hat to the city of New Orleans that makes it such a great symbol. This photo is by David Paul Ohmer, via Flickr. Thanks, David!

Jen's Guide to Packing for AHP

Piles of clothes and other accoutrements are spread out in my guest room, so this seems like a good time for a packing rundown.

AHP seminars are business casual. Hotel climate control can be wildly variable, so I always pack a versatile jacket in case meeting rooms are chilly. Most people dress up a little for the awards banquet: a skirt or dress or a nice pant suit for the ladies, for instance.

NOLA has been pretty hot and sticky lately (no surprise there), so bring some lightweight, loose-fitting, preferably moisture-wicking items to wear on the river cruise and the ghost walk. Comfy shoes, too. Pack your sunscreen, too, and bring your swimsuit for a refreshing dip in the hotel pool.

As some of you know, my husband is a pilot. I've learned a lot from him about packing smart for air travel. For instance, I make sure to pack all valuables (camera, laptop, jewelry, etc.) in my carry-on. I carry on everything I can't be without: glasses, contact lenses and solutions, medications, and important paperwork. I never board a plane without carrying on a bottle of water and an energy bar or trail mix (good for long waits on taxiways or in case food and beverage service has to be suspended during flight). I carry on a change of underwear and socks as well as a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that can do double duty as PJs or workout wear in case my checked bag gets lost.

As nice as it would be to travel in jeans and sneakers, when I travel on business, I wear business-casual attire. That way, if my checked bag goes missing, at least I can look presentable at the function.

A safety note from Michael the pilot: If possible, wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, ideally not of synthetic materials, on the plane. Synthetics can melt; open-toed shoes don't protect feet; high heels are a bad idea, especially on an evacuation slide.

Oh, and when I'm going to AHP, I always leave a little extra room in my checked bag for the magazines, souvenirs, silent-auction items, giveaways, and assorted other goodies that I always go home with!

Safe travels and see you soon!

How Will You Blog, Twitter, Email, and Keep Up with Facebook from New Orleans? Let Me Count the Ways...

If you're like me, you're wondering if it's worth it to lug a laptop all the way to New Orleans, since the schedule is packed with activities that leave little time for the work you know you should also lug down there.

And with the weight restrictions for baggage on most airlines, you could probably use the room in your carry-on that your laptop would take.

But can you really go for four days without checking email...without posting your updates on Facebook...without Twittering about your feasts of beignets and crawfish and etoufee?

Maybe you lined up for a new iPhone today, or you've mastered your Blackberry and can do everything you need with your handheld, but chances are that most of us will have laptops. So then what?

Every hotel is different, so I checked today with the Marriott. The rooms have wired Internet service, which means that you have to physically plug an Ethernet jack into your laptop. And when you do, the Marriott will charge you $14.95 per day; however, Chris worked some wonders and AHP Members who are guests at the hotel will receive a discounted charge of $10.00 per day.

What about wireless? The hotel has wireless service in the lobby. PLUS AHP Members will have complimentary wireless access in the Resource Center on Friday and Saturday.

If you don't want to bring a computer but need to work on something, there is also a business center on second floor, with a printer. That computer costs $5 per minute, plus a per page printing fee.

A few blocks down Convention Center Boulevard, there's a Fed Ex Kinkos Office Center, where you can use a computer station for 20 cents a minute. Kinkos is open until 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, until 6 p.m. on Saturday, and has all the usual printing and binding and color services. The person on the phone was quite friendly and helpful; if you have questions, you can call them at (504) 585-5750.

The convention center is not all-wireless, as some convention facilities are around the country. I did check that out. An interesting tidbit of information I learned is that we will be coming to town just as the dry cleaning convention is leaving.

Shouldn't they be coming in after us?

What's All This About Streetcars and Desire?

The year was 1951, and Tennessee Williams' hit Broadway play had won the Pulitzer Prize and gone Hollywood with the signing of the day's biggest female star, Vivien Leigh (Blanche DuBois), signed to play opposite Broadway's rising star, the temperamental and unpredictable Marlon Brando (Stanley Kowalski).

That would be like Hilary Swank playing opposite Leonardo DeCaprio.

The Eisenhower years weren't supposed to be about great drama, but yet it exploded right in the faces of an America half in shock by the idea of going to war in Korea. Streetcar Named Desire would become the film that defined New Orleans as gritty and working class and tragic and sexy, and it is on many people's lists of Hollywood's all-time greatest films and plays.

Streetcar won four Academy Awards; Brando did not win the Best Actor in spite of his unforgettable performance as one of film history's most unlikable icons. Blanche and Stella did win for their performances.

But more than 50 years later, besides Brando, it is two names that we remember most from this film: the name of the streetcar from the title, and the name of Stanley's wife, Stella, played by Kim Hunter. We remember her name when the tortured actor screams it repeatedly with such intensity from the bottom of a balcony. They put a whole steamy New Orleans spin on the classic Romeo and Juliet balcony cliche.

Did she love the guy or not? Tennessee Williams never really lets us know, and neither did the actress, which is presumably why she won the Oscar.

New Orleans has a contest each year for actors, comedians, and all comers to shout "STELLA!" to a French Quarter balcony in honor of the play and the film. Because that's what people remember. And everybody wants to be Brando, even for a minute, even if no one wants to be Stanley.

And, who could forget the moment when Marlon Brando takes his shirt off? That was a huge risk for a director and an actor to take in 1951, but if anyone was going to get away with it, Marlon Brando would, and he did. In fact, this movie's script broke all the morality rules of its day. Taboo after taboo fell, and people still study this film today to understand how and why it works.

If you haven't seen this film, it's worth a quick rental, or you can watch the whole thing in segments right on YouTube. It's not a comedy, but it is as much a part of New Orleans history now as the legends of Andrew Jackson making pacts with the pirates.

I think when you land in New Orleans they give a little quiz to make sure you have seen this film, so be sure to watch it--then go for a ride on the streetcar! And don't be surprised if you're walking down some alley and you hear some tourist with a foreign accent yelling, "STELLA!" up at a balcony. Everyone does it. It's a New Orleans tradition.

The Coast Is Clear. Really!

NOAA's National Hurricane Center is showing absolutely no tropical storm or hurricane activity at all in the South Atlantic. That's good news for New Orleans and for all our travel plans. Tropical depressions normally start off the coast of Africa and take at least a week to track westward toward the Caribbean, but none has formed at this time, according to the NHC.

Don't sweat the small stuff (but you probably will sweat in New Orleans)

If you forget something, the Riverwalk shopping center is just across from the hotel.

Sweat? It's the 14th of June and I'm bundled in polar fleece, wondering if the thermometer here on the New England coast is ever going to break through the 70-degree ceiling. My peonies want to bloom, but they're afraid. "Are you sure it's not going to snow again?" they seem to be asking as they shiver in the wind. I ask myself that questions some days.

New Orleans is having the opposite problem. I spoke with a friend there today who told me that the temperature was well into the 90s.

It hasn't been that hot here in years.

So of course I'll have all the wrong clothes for a sub-tropical city when I arrive, but one thing I remember about the convention center is the Riverwalk shopping center right outside our hotel. So if you bring the wrong clothes...or just want to go shopping for some new right clothes, you'll find plenty of options right outside the door.

The usual Gap-BodyShop-Brookstone core of shops will be there so you can also replace the basics that you may have forgotten or that the airline may have lost, or make up for that suitcase of sweats you packed when you scoffed, "How hot can it be down there?"

Click here to see a list of the stores in the Riverwalk. There's also a Saks Fifth Avenue further down the street at Canal Place, if you're up for a bigger splurge. If you walk all the way to the end of the Riverwalk, you'll be at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, which is worth a visit and is offering a yoga class in front of the huge open ocean tank on Saturday morning that sounds like fun. "Namaste, y'all!"

You'll sweat even more if you sample some of the hot sauces for sale in the French Quarter.

For me, shopping in New Orleans isn't about clothes, once I have the right ones for the right weather. It's about going in and out of the odd little shops of the French Quarter and looking for hot sauces and voodoo and music and art. The French Quarter is only about a ten or fifteen minute walk from the hotel, according to where in the French Quarter you're headed.

Just click here to keep an eye on the weather in New Orleans over the next ten days.

Thanks to the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau for the use of these photos.

On Being a First Time Attendee

We've all been one. Attending a convention for the first time can be part exciting and part fear. I remember attending a circulation seminar many years ago. Being alone in New York City was scary enough without having to walk into a room filled with 200 strangers.

My first years attending AHP Seminars were in the late 70s when the meetings were basically a small part of the AHC Convention in Washington, DC. My publisher and I would attend the meetings, grab dinner and then hang out in our room. Eventually, we met fellow publishers and formed a group of a "few close friends" as we called ourselves, gathering after the meetings to explore D.C. at night.

The "few close friends" grew every year until trying to find seating for 25 in a bar in Georgetown made us realize that we were now a major group.

I've been told that attending an AHP meeting can be indimidating for some. At first, I was shocked to hear that, but then I remember my first time.

The difference between that seminar in New York City and New Orleans is that even though this may be your first AHP seminar, the attendees won't be strangers. There will be editors and publishers whose names you recognize, writers whose articles you've read, and representatives from products or services you use. These are your peeps. They are small publishers, entrepreneurs and veterans in the equine publishing, and all of us have a horse connection.

So, if you will be a first timer in New Orleans, here are some tips for having a productive and fun experience:

• Make a list of all the sessions you want to attend; then go to them.
• Make a list of questions you would like answered before you leave New Orleans and don't be afraid to ask them.
• Go to every meal function and sit at the first empty seat you see.
• Introduce yourself to as many people as you can. Everyone will be wearing a name badge and we are very friendly.
• Pass out your business card to those you want to keep in contact with after the seminar.
• If you can't locate someone you know is there, ask a Board member to point the person out to you or to introduce you.
• If you arrive on Thursday, go on one of the optional tours to share the experience with fellow members.
• The three days will go by very quickly; make the most of them.

The Board and I create the environment for networking and learning, but you have to do your part too for the seminar to be truly valuable.

Those of us who have been coming for many years have made lifelong friendships and we enjoy getting to see each other at this event. You have the opportunity to make a lifelong friend, too, along with a whole lot of acquaintances who share your passion for the horse industry.

I met one of my best friends at an AHP seminar over 25 years ago. She and I were both editors of horse magazines. Later we discovered a mutual interest in everything Disney. She'll be my roommate this year in New Orleans and I look forward to spending time with her every night rehashing the days' activities.

Many of our freelance members have matched up to save money by rooming together and two of our student travel winners have met and are traveling together from Lexington.

I encourage all attendees to go forth and meet your fellow members. This is a time when we need all the contacts we can meet to help us move forward.

I look forward to seeing the AHP family in NOLA! Be sure to stop me in my tracks as I race through the hallways and say hello.

Chris

Beads, Masks, Boas and Donations

The Student Party has always been one of the more fun events at the annual seminar. Those of us who crave dressing up, singing silly songs, and playing games can’t wait every year to find out what the theme will be. The themes have traveled Route 66 to remembering the 50s and 60s to cheering horse races. Sometimes the least expected AHP member is the one who appears wearing the most memorable attire. For example, who can forget Doug Hayes in a long-haired wig as James Taylor, or Jennifer Bryant’s husband, Michael, in a camouflage toga.

This year, the attire is as simple as a pair of beads to as elaborate as a masquerade costume, so every attendee should be decked out for Carnival du Cheval. If you won’t have time to purchase a mask or boa, then we’ve got you covered. AHP will have a Mardi Gras table in the Resource Center on Friday so you can purchase beads, masks or a boa. And you will be helping out the student program as all proceeds from sales will go to the Student Fund.

Okay, so what else do you need to do to participate in the Student Award Party? You need to donate an item for the Student Fund Silent Auction. And members can do that whether they plan to attend the seminar or not. The silent auction is a great equestrian shopping experience for those who attend, but it’s an even greater opportunity to promote your latest product or merchandise to the equine publishing community who may also be horse owners and your best customers.

And if I haven’t convinced you to run out to your stock shelves and pack up your goodies, let’s talk about the fact that the money raised from the silent auction and raffle supports a good cause…the future of the equine publishing industry. Anyone who has attended a past Student Award Night knows how many current staff members came through the AHP student programs to earn a position at an AHP member publication or business.

A pledge form for the Student Fund Silent Auction is available online at www.americanhorsepubs.org/programs/seminars/index.asp and includes shipping instructions to the hotel. Forms should be sent to Ellen Kiser, Student Auction Coordinator by e-mail to ekiser@bloodhorse.com or faxed to 859-276-6882 by Saturday, June 13th. You can also bring your item to us in New Orleans.

Now get out there and collect your beads and auction items. Let’s make the good times roll in the dough for students pursuing careers in equine publishing.

What Do the Winner of the Belmont Stakes and AHP Members Have in Common?

2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird is headed to Louisiana this week. Photo originally uploaded by Rock and Racehorses.

We're all headed to Louisiana!

By now you have probably heard that "the wrong Bird" won the Belmont Stakes yesterday, but you won't convince Louisiana-based trainer Tim Ice that Summer Bird was the wrong horse to win. His Bird came from last place and ran right by "the other Bird", Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, and the game gray Dunkirk.

Both Birds are sired by Birdtown, who won the Belmont and spoiled the Triple Crown hopes of Smarty Jones back in 2005.

Summer Bird is headed back to Louisiana in a few days, where he will re-group at Ice's training center at Louisiana Downs, according to a report provided today by the New York Racing Association and posted on bloodhorse.com.

So, have you booked your trip yet? Summer Bird has! Heading to Louisiana is the thing to do this month!

The great photo of Summer Bird is provided by New York racing photographer Sarah K. Andrew, also known as "Rock and Racehorses".

This image was direct-blogged from Flickr.com, a social-media tool that editors and publishers can use to make life easier when working with photographers. I use the blog interface on Flickr.com regularly. Thanks, Sarah, for making this photo possible. Note: for commercial use of Flickr images, whether online or in print, be sure to check with photographers about permission, payment and interpretation of licenses before you hit that "blog" or "download" button.

In case you missed yesterday's race, here's the replay, provided by the New York Racing Association via YouTube. YouTube.com is another social media tool that publishers and media content providers can use to increase productivity and connectivity...and have a lot of fun!

All the Good Times We Had...We'll Have Again!

Maybe you are planning a trip to New Orleans for the first time or the fifth time. Maybe this will be your first AHP conference or your 20th. But let's face it: the combination of the most fun city in America and the most fun group of people in the horse business is sure to cause a creative convergence of the bon-temps-roulet spirits as we all head toward Crescent City.

AHP President Jennifer Bryant suggested this 80s song by the Hoodoo Gurus as our theme; as you start packing and planning, remember its upbeat tempo and message: "All the good times we've had, we'll have again!"  That sentiment certainly fits what we all hope to find when we hit the Big Easy, even for those coming for the first time.

Many of you are making final plans...some are still deciding...and for those of you who can't come, we'll use this blog and a Twitter feed to connect with you in the run-up days and while we're there. We'll be just a click away, so bookmark the blog, grab the RSS feed, and watch for the Twitter stream to go up. 

New Orleans had better be ready! 

--The Free Rein Blogging Team