MPA/MPS Summer Convention

The MPA Golf and Tennis Tournaments will be held again this year Friday afternoon of convention, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The Golf Tournament will be held at the beautiful Fallen Oaks Golf Club in Saucier.

Named “One of the Best New Courses in America” by Golf Digest, the 7,487-yard Fallen Oak was designed by famed course architect Tom Fazio. Lunch is included at the club for those who sign up for the tournament.

If you intend to play in the MPA event, please contact MPA or golf tournament co-chairman Pat Brown of The Magee Courier to pre-register for the event. Team assignments will be made before the date of play. Board member Skippy Haik of the Hattiesburg American is co-chairing the event.

This year’s tennis tournament will be held at the Bayou Bluff Tennis and Recreational Club in Gulfport. Lunch is included for tournament participants. The event is co-chaired by board member David Hampton of The Clarion-Ledger and Suzette Carlson of the Sea Coast Echo.

Download the registration form for the 2008 convention. Send it in before June 6 and deduct $15 from your total registration fee.

Last day to register is June 23. After that, late registrations will only be handled at the convention desk in Biloxi beginning June 26. Questions? Contact Kimberly Haydu or call 601-981-3060.

The Mississippi Press Association will return to the Gulf Coast and Biloxi’s Beau Rivage Resort and Casino for the group’s 142nd Annual Convention June 26-28.

This year’s convention, which will focus on the state Sunshine Laws and Freedom of Information matters, will host speakers well-known to many MPA members, including FOI attorney Leonard Van Slyke, MPA general counsel John Henegan, and National Newspaper Association postal chairman Max Heath.

View the tentative agenda here.

Reservations can be made for the Beau Rivage for the group rate of $139 Wednesday and Thursday night and $179 Friday and Saturday nights. For more information on lodging or to make reservations, click here.

Registration packets will be mailed to members in early May, and may be downloaded here.

Convention chairman for this year’s event is Randy Ponder of the Sea Coast Echo, president-elect of MPA/MPS. He will accept the gavel the evening of June 27 from outgoing president Tom Andrews of The Picayune Item.

Convention highlights include the traditional golf and tennis tournaments, post-event schooner cruise and, of course, the Better Newspaper Contest Awards program.

For more information on the convention, contact Layne Bruce, executive director, lbruce@mspress.org, or Kimberly Haydu, event manager, khaydu@mspress.org.