SÃO PAULO TO BE THE VENUE FOR THE 68TH IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Dear Members and Friends of the IAPA,

For the fifth time in 70 years of IAPA history, Brazil will again be the venue of its General Assembly, this year to be held at the São Paulo Renaissance Hotel.

A remarkable Host Committee composed by representatives of the country’s leading newspapers and magazines will receive IAPA delegates in São Paulo. The Host Committee is led by Júlio César Ferreira de Mesquita and under the coordination of Silvio Genesini. Similar meetings were held in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 1954; in São Paulo in 1975; in Rio de Janeiro in 1982, and once again in São Paulo in 1991.

For the upcoming October meeting, the Committee has invited leading personalities, including Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff; Social Communications Minister, Helena Chagas; former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, Ricardo Lagos of Chile and Julio María Sanguinetti of Uruguay; former Environmental Minister and Senator Marina Silva; the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno; the CEO and Chair of the Spanish newspaper El País, Juan Luis Cebrián; the publisher of The New York Times, Arthur Sulzberger; and journalist and author Ken Doctor.

Ensure your stay in São Paulo by completing and sending the attached reservation form directly to the conference hotel.

A special registration fee is being offered to delegates attending the meeting for the first time.  The fee will be even lower for representatives of local media outlets participating in the association’s biannual meetings for the first time. A registration form is attached.

Program, panel discussions, workshops, and seminars

The fact that the Host Committee began the planning of this event early has enabled us to already have a well-defined program. Main panel discussion will deal with issues of how to do quality journalism and how to charge for it in the digital world; the press and sustainability: how the media behaves internally (within news companies) and externally (in their coverage); and copyright in the digital age.  Another panel will discuss the results of a novel IAPA study on press freedom in the Americas from the viewpoint of reporters and editors.  A final session will deal with issues of freedom of expression and the right to public information, and will be accompanied by an analysis the cultural landscape, present-day situation, and existing challenges in the Americas.

The series of workshops will include topics of interest, such as the trends in the use of multimedia infographics, video, audio, and animation as complement to information; new technologies: trends and challenges; work platforms and content offerings; and the skills and training of journalists within the multimedia landscape.

As it is customary, seminars will be conducted by experts. The first will take a look at press freedom and the right to privacy: the voice of the one who informs, who defends freedom, and who is the focus. Another seminar will discuss investigative reporting and a sustainable model for the future. A final seminar will answer questions pertaining to the rise or not of a new business model for news companies.

Roundtable discussions will be organized to give journalism students the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with experienced reporters and editors from the Americas.

Tours and social activities

The Host Committee has organized a series of cultural and social activities designed to show you the best of São Paulo. These activities will put you in touch with those who know all about the city’s treasures and can best advise you on the local cuisine, where to make the best purchases, and where to see the best spectacles, entertainment, and tourist attractions in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. With this in mind, the Committee has scheduled a visit to the Portuguese language museum, dedicated to the assessment and dissemination of the language as a fundamental element of Brazilian culture.

The tour will continue with a visit to Pinacoteca, São Paulo’s oldest art museum, and a lunch at the market inaugurated in 1933 and situated on the banks of the Tamanduateí River in São Paulo’s historic district. The program also envisions a tour of the city, and for sport lovers, the watching of a professional soccer game and a visit to the Museu do Futebol.

Other cultural activities include visits to the Biennial, an international institution for the promotion of contemporary art that displays works by Brazilian and foreign artists, and to the María Luisa and Oscar Americano Foundation, an organization devoted to the preservation of nature and the promotion of the various phases of Brazilian history.

Lunches, receptions, and dinners are scheduled to be held at characteristic and historic locations, including the State Government Palace.  A reception and dinner will be held at the São Paulo Municipal Theater, whose architectural style is inspired by the Paris Opera, while an additional reception is scheduled at the Afro-Brazilian Museum together with a presentation of typical dances and foods.

São Paulo, hotel, and transportation

São Paulo is one of the world’s most vibrant cities, boasting an award-winning cuisine and an abundant variety of cultural choices. The sounds of samba and modern Brazilian music are found everywhere in the city. São Paulo is a center where diverse cultures and cultural influences from the four corners of the earth converge.

The conference’s hotel, the São Paulo Renaissance, is located one block from Paulista Avenue in what is known as the Garden District, approximately 22 miles – some 50 minutes – from the Guarulhos International Airport. The Hotel has 445 rooms and offers all kinds of exclusive services, including a heated pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath. It has five international cuisine areas, fast food service, and a nightclub.

The IAPA has signed a contract with TAM airline and fare details will be provided soon. TAM flies to São Paulo from all South American capital cities and from Miami, Orlando, and New York in the United States. Information regarding commercial arrangements between TAM and LAN Chile, as well as with other airlines in the hemisphere will be provided shortly.

October in São Paulo is associated with agreeable spring weather, so wearing spring clothing is advised. Men should wear jackets and ties for attendance to meetings.

As always, it will be a pleasure to see you and greet you in São Paulo in October. Once again reaffirm your commitment to the Association by being there.

Best regards

,

Julio E. Muñoz, Ph.D

Executive Director