Early registration is now open for the 2010 convention of the Society of Professional Journalists, to take place October 3-5 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. You can access the registration page on the SPJ National website here. Early registration rates are in effect until Sept. 8.
There are lots of great opportunities in store for attendees, including the chance to learn, meet new friends, and enjoy the world’s most exciting city. Program planning is still underway but already includes a number of timely professional development workshops. In addition, these special half-day workshops are already on the schedule:
— The Entire Conversation: Using Social Media Tools to Reach Content-hungry Audiences
— Show Me the Money: How Successful Freelancers Win Lucrative Assignments and Profit
— Video for the Web
— The Art of Storytelling: Getting to the Heart of the Story
— From Officials’ Grubbies to the Web: How to Acquire Government Data and Post it Online for the Public
— Creating Multi-platform Stories
For more details about the developing program, click here.
The venue for the convention is a glamorous blend of fun and games. According to the Vegas.com website (read more here): “Shining in the spotlight of the Las Vegas Strip, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino boasts gourmet restaurants, world-class shopping and dazzling entertainment that has hotel-casino patrons 
cheering for an encore. The hotel’s movie theme is played out in the rooms through film memorabilia displayed in custom-designed cabinetry. The glamorous 12,800-square-foot lobby at Planet Hollywood has eight chandeliers, each comprised of 66,000 individually hand-strung crystals. Black granite floors, textured glass walls and large columns beckon guests to the check-in desk, where bands of LED lights continuously change color. Though infused with a taste of Hollywood culture, the vibe at Planet Hollywood is intended to be welcoming and unpretentious. Who knows, you might even find yourself sitting down to play blackjack next to Jack Black.”