As you can imagine, it has taken the better part of a day to recover from the amazing flood of experiences that was this year's UNITY convention -- especially the Tampa chapter's slamming closing night party, which rocked harder than many other such events I've seen over the years.
I just wanted to take a minute here to thank everyone in our local and national NABJ organizations who helped organize and present the Tampa party, especially my most excellent executive board and party planning committee. Funkmaster Flex jammed so hard, the dance floor was packed from his first note until management turned on the lights at 2:10 a.m. and forced us to shut it down!
Big ups go out to Nicole Hucheson, Candice Mitchell, Camille Spencer, Ken Knight, Demorris Lee, Donovan Myrie, Phyllis Bailey, Boyzell Hosey, Ebony Grimsley, Dory Knight, Sandra Gadsden, Atoyia Deans, Willie Allen, Cathleen Henderson and many more people who I have probably forgotten to name. Please chalk it up to still being a bit fried after nearly two weeks away from home.
Special congratulations also go to Sarah Hoye, NABJ's emerging journalist of the year and an important chapter member.
I'll have more to say as we gear up to host NABJ in our own backyard next year, but I just wanted to thank my wonderful chapter and all the folks at national who helped us pull off a really fun night Saturday!
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.TBABJ.com
(727) 893-8521
Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Tentative Schedule for Tampa Kickoff Party today at UNITY in Chicago
(Warning: this timeline is subject to change)
3 p.m. – TBABJ chapter members meet to stuff goody bags at Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, at NABJ presidential suite, room 826.
6 p.m. – TBABJ members meet at the site of the Salute to Excellence banquet to distribute free raffle tickets for our Innisbrook Resort weekend getaway drawing. Location: Chicago ballroom, Sheraton Hotel and Towers.
9 p.m. – Workers will transform the Chicago ballroom into the space for the kickoff party. TBABJ members will set up our tables to sell t-shirts and collect business cards/or distribute raffle tickets for the Innisbrook drawing.
10 p.m. – Workers will conduct a soundcheck for the kickoff party featuring Eric Darius and Men of Note vocal group. Headliner Funkmaster Flex is not expected to arrive with his crew until 11 p.m.
10:30 p.m. – Doors open to the Chicago ballroom for the kickoff party.
10: 45 p.m. – The kickoff party begins with a short performance by the Men of Note vocal group from Busch Gardens. Tampa chapter president Eric Deggans will serve as Master of Ceremonies. After the vocal performance, staffers from the Tampa convention and visitors bureau will announce that Busch has joined as a major sponsor and will provide one free admission to each NABJ 2009 registrant.
11 p.m. – Eric Deggans will announce that sponsor Sheila Johnson has donated a vacation package at Innisbrook Resort for us to raffle, and will draw a winner’s name.
11:05 p.m. – Saxophonist Eric Darius begins his set. Will perform for 30 minutes.
11:40 p.m. – Funkmaster Flex takes the stage for a three-hour show.
1:45 a.m. – Tampa chapter members begin distributing goody bags to guests leaving the party.
3 p.m. – TBABJ chapter members meet to stuff goody bags at Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, at NABJ presidential suite, room 826.
6 p.m. – TBABJ members meet at the site of the Salute to Excellence banquet to distribute free raffle tickets for our Innisbrook Resort weekend getaway drawing. Location: Chicago ballroom, Sheraton Hotel and Towers.
9 p.m. – Workers will transform the Chicago ballroom into the space for the kickoff party. TBABJ members will set up our tables to sell t-shirts and collect business cards/or distribute raffle tickets for the Innisbrook drawing.
10 p.m. – Workers will conduct a soundcheck for the kickoff party featuring Eric Darius and Men of Note vocal group. Headliner Funkmaster Flex is not expected to arrive with his crew until 11 p.m.
10:30 p.m. – Doors open to the Chicago ballroom for the kickoff party.
10: 45 p.m. – The kickoff party begins with a short performance by the Men of Note vocal group from Busch Gardens. Tampa chapter president Eric Deggans will serve as Master of Ceremonies. After the vocal performance, staffers from the Tampa convention and visitors bureau will announce that Busch has joined as a major sponsor and will provide one free admission to each NABJ 2009 registrant.
11 p.m. – Eric Deggans will announce that sponsor Sheila Johnson has donated a vacation package at Innisbrook Resort for us to raffle, and will draw a winner’s name.
11:05 p.m. – Saxophonist Eric Darius begins his set. Will perform for 30 minutes.
11:40 p.m. – Funkmaster Flex takes the stage for a three-hour show.
1:45 a.m. – Tampa chapter members begin distributing goody bags to guests leaving the party.
Monday, July 21, 2008
TBABJ meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday at UNITY in Chicago
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:
After months of planning and anticipation UNITY week is finally here!
We're going to have a great time at the convention in Chicago, but the Tampa chapter also has a lot of work to do in preparing for our kickoff party Saturday.
To help get organized, we're going to meet up in Chicago a few days early, on THURSDAY at 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in downtown Chicago. Already, we've had lots of amazing efforts from members, from helping snag a video interview with kickoff party guest Winky Wright (who had to drop out of the party at the last minute), to folks getting an amazing amount of giveaways for the goody bags we'll hand out at the party.
Our onsite meeting in Chicago has been pushed back one day from the date we originally announced, to help more people to attend. Even if you haven't stopped by any meetings in Florida, please feel free to join us in Chicago on Thursday to lend your ideas and support.
You can also check out our Web site to keep abreast of any updates. I'll try hard to post any significant news there. And I'm always reachable by cellphone at 727-642-8907.
Looking forward to seeing you in Chi-town! Here's the address:
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
301 East North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Call 1-877-242-2558 for Reservations
Main 1-312-464-1000
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.TBABJ.com
(727) 642-8907
After months of planning and anticipation UNITY week is finally here!
We're going to have a great time at the convention in Chicago, but the Tampa chapter also has a lot of work to do in preparing for our kickoff party Saturday.
To help get organized, we're going to meet up in Chicago a few days early, on THURSDAY at 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in downtown Chicago. Already, we've had lots of amazing efforts from members, from helping snag a video interview with kickoff party guest Winky Wright (who had to drop out of the party at the last minute), to folks getting an amazing amount of giveaways for the goody bags we'll hand out at the party.
Our onsite meeting in Chicago has been pushed back one day from the date we originally announced, to help more people to attend. Even if you haven't stopped by any meetings in Florida, please feel free to join us in Chicago on Thursday to lend your ideas and support.
You can also check out our Web site to keep abreast of any updates. I'll try hard to post any significant news there. And I'm always reachable by cellphone at 727-642-8907.
Looking forward to seeing you in Chi-town! Here's the address:
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
301 East North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Call 1-877-242-2558 for Reservations
Main 1-312-464-1000
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.TBABJ.com
(727) 642-8907
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Legendary DJ Funkmaster Flex to headline Tampa 2009 kick off party July 26 in Chicago
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists are proud to announce legendary DJ Funkmaster Flex as headliner for the Beach Jam party closing this year's UNITY convention on July 26 in Chicago.Funkmaster Flex (MTV, Spike TV, Chappelle's Show) tops an evening of entertainment which will include Tampa-based Blue Note Records saxophonist Eric Darius and St. Petersburg-based boxing champ and entrepreneur Winky Wright. The party, co-sponsored by NABJ and TBABJ, falls on the last night of the 2008 UNITY convention in Chicago, featuring a historic joint gathering by organizations representing black, hispanic, Asian American and Native American journalists.
The party starts at 10:30 p.m. July 26 in the Chicago ballroom of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 East North Water Street, downtown. Admission is free to anyone registered to attend the UNITY conference.The event also serves as a kick off preview to NABJ's 2009 convention, expected to bring 3,000 attendees to Tampa during the week of Aug. 5 next year. Co-sponsors helping with this year's kick off party include Tampa Bay and Company, Busch Gardens, Sheila Johnson and the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, and many more Tampa Bay area companies.
The evening also features a raffle giveaway of a three-day, two-night golf outing at the Innisbrook resort in Palm Harbor, Fla. -- the only major golf resort in the world owned by a African American woman, Sheila Johnson. Raffle tickets are free and will be made available at the party and throughout the UNITY conference, but winners must be present at the party to receive the prize.
We're hoping to see you at the Chicago ballroom July 26 for a beach party guaranteed to get you excited for a trip to Tampa in 2009!
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
Sunday, July 6, 2008
TBABJ Conference Call at 6 p.m. Monday (July 7) to Talk UNITY
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists --
As promised, I have set up a conference call for 6 p.m. Monday (July 7) for chapter members to conduct final discussions before meeting in Chicago for the UNITY conference and our kickoff party there July 26.
So an unlimited number of members can sit in on the call, I've set up an account with the FreeConnect.com teleconferencing service. The only catch here, is that you must call a 218 number, in Duluth, Minn. in order to be part of the call. I've already checked, and it shouldn't cost more than a standard long distance call to that state.
So I would like everyone who is interested in helping us with final preparations for Chicago to please call 218-339-2699, and enter the conference code 394638. that should gain you entrance into our conference line.
If there is a problem, please call me on my cellphone at 727-642-8907. I have information on using the St. Pete Times conference call system as a fall back. But it only can accomodate eight lines, and I worry that may not be enough.
I hope to update you all on talent for our party, items for the goody bags, flyers to promote the events and more. If you have taken responsibility for any aspect of the event, please make an effort to be on the call or contact me with an update that UI can pass along to everyone else.
Hope to talk with you soon tomorrow. Feel free to call or email anytime if you need to speak sooner...
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521
As promised, I have set up a conference call for 6 p.m. Monday (July 7) for chapter members to conduct final discussions before meeting in Chicago for the UNITY conference and our kickoff party there July 26.
So an unlimited number of members can sit in on the call, I've set up an account with the FreeConnect.com teleconferencing service. The only catch here, is that you must call a 218 number, in Duluth, Minn. in order to be part of the call. I've already checked, and it shouldn't cost more than a standard long distance call to that state.
So I would like everyone who is interested in helping us with final preparations for Chicago to please call 218-339-2699, and enter the conference code 394638. that should gain you entrance into our conference line.
If there is a problem, please call me on my cellphone at 727-642-8907. I have information on using the St. Pete Times conference call system as a fall back. But it only can accomodate eight lines, and I worry that may not be enough.
I hope to update you all on talent for our party, items for the goody bags, flyers to promote the events and more. If you have taken responsibility for any aspect of the event, please make an effort to be on the call or contact me with an update that UI can pass along to everyone else.
Hope to talk with you soon tomorrow. Feel free to call or email anytime if you need to speak sooner...
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521
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