70th General Assembly scheduled for October 17-21Dear members and friends of the IAPA, A prosperous Chile , country of interesting development and above all a firm democratic framework is awaiting the IAPA on October 17-21 for what will be the organization’s 70th General Assembly. This is the fifth time that the IAPA meets in Santiago. The history of the previous meetings in Chile in 1962, 1972, 1987 and 2000 was marked by important political situations. The last time the IAPA was in Santiago, in 2000, the official opening was done by President Ricardo Lagos, who was accompanied by the presidents of Argentina, Fernando de la Rúa, and of Uruguay, Jorge Batlle. A formidable Host Committee made up of Chile’s two leading news companies, GrupoCopesa and El Mercurio, is preparing a General Assembly that will be held at the W Hotel, Santiago’s most modern, located in the exclusive El Golf zone. Please make a note of the date on your agenda to take part in our General Assembly in October. The special rates that the IAPA has arranged with W Hotel are subject to a 19% VAT tax, but current laws exempt foreigners from this. Remember that the preferential rate for the blocked-off rooms expires on September 1. Program The General Assembly program will focus on four fundamental key areas, beginning with discussions on freedom of the press in Latin America, leveraging on the anniversary of the 20 years of the Declaration of Chapultepec, a declaration that is a historic milestone in the recognition, defense of and commitment to freedom of expression in our countries. In Santiago renowned personalities and leaders of opinion will discuss the current situation that our region is undergoing and the currents threats to freedom of expression. Another key topic in the program is the administration of media and news companies. In an industry that is undergoing complex scenarios, we will have a discussion on new focuses in media administration that enable editorial products of quality to be achieved in a more effective manner. In this context there will be an analysis of models that have enabled the digital channel to be profitable in an effective way. The speed of the digital world has no precedent – while it was thought that the Web was the new means to communicate, today’s reality shows us that the advances have developed more rapidly. The high demand for information on mobile devices opens up a new format for content dissemination. The program will place emphasis on digital media issues and the emergence of mobile devices. In addition, The General Assembly will discuss editorial projects and the creation of new audiences. This part of the program will present successful experiences of Latin American magazines, which through strategies, journalistic projects and editorial extensions have managed to build new audiences. Seminars Digital trends and technological advances applicable to the news industry will be prominent in the seminars where the current state of the press and what the future will bring will be viewed. The smart phones revolution and the reality of growth of mobile devices, and the keys to engage with local audiences, will be discussed with in seminars. In addition, real success cases that deal with creation of audiences, analyses and the continuity of new trends in advertising and video monetization will be discussed; pointing out the effective models for making the digital channel profitable. Roundtables As customary, several roundtable discussions with an analysis of the most relevant freedom of expression problems are being prepared. Prominent people in the hemisphere press will highlight this issue and the Host Committee will be inviting Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet to officially open the General Assembly. Social Activities Among the social program activities we will show the best of Santiago, which will include a map of the city’s treasures with advice on gastronomy, shopping, shows and other entertainment, and tourist attractions of this vibrant metropolis. The best and most varied of the attractive places of Santiago and its surroundings will be included in the tour programs for spouses and companions. There will be a visit to the Santa Rita vineyards, where we will tour its wine cellars and Javiera Parra, granddaughter of Violeta Parra, will give a demonstration of Chilean music. To be scheduled are several excursions to shopping centers, museums and emblematic corners of Santiago. A reception will take place at the Corpartes theater, a cultural development in Santiago to be inaugurated in mid-2014. It is a modern complex for concerts and scenic arts with the future incorporation of the Chilean National Ballet. The special reception for presentation of the IAPA Awards for Excellence in Journalism will be at Hidalgo Castle, where we will be greeted with a performance of the Chile Magic Group, whose members will go over the varied and rich Chilean mythology from a contemporary perspective. Tourist Spots Along its great length of more than 2,600 miles Chile is a country full of attractive tourist contrasts. Five hours from Santiago, or 2,400 miles off the coast, is the most solitary island in the world, Rapa Nui or Easter Island, which houses the traces of a grandiose culture whose roots are to be found in Polynesia. On the island are the famous Moáis, 70- feet-tall stone sculptures. The program of excursions before and after the General Assembly for those who wish to extend their stay in Chile includes visits to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, with its historic center, cable cars and its hills with their characteristic morphology. Another trip near Santiago is the home of Pablo Neruda, located on Negra Island in the Valparaíso region, where each room has a collection of bottles, figureheads, maps, ships in bottles and an impressive selection of seashells. Another touristic possibility is the Wine Route in the Cochagua Valley, where one can enjoy the best Chilean wines. Both in the north and in the south of Chile there are contrasting places. In the desert north is San Pedro de Atacama, a place of scenic beauty that mixes the native peoples with a modern and ordered system of tourism. The Chilean south extends from the great lakes region to the Antarctic and includes a number of tourism centers, especially for aquatic sports, mountaineering and skiing. One of the most attractive places is the Torres del Paine national park, regarded as one of South America’s most important, with forests, glacial lakes and rivers amid grey plains, where one can see mountains more than 6,000 feet in height. Hotel and Travel Plans LAN Chile is the General Assembly’s official airline, which offers connections with the main cities of Latin America, United States, Caribbean and Europe. The airline has an agreement with Brazil’s TAM and has established companies in Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. There will be a special discount for delegates wishing to attend in Santiago, for which an access code will be provided, but it is recommended that reservations be made in good time. The meeting will take place at the W Hotel. It is located in a Santiago neighborhood surrounded by the Andes foothills. Among its many amenities the hotel has a rejuvenating spa of high technology and restaurants featuring Asian and Peruvian cuisine, luxury shops, a disco bar and a lounge where you can taste the wide range of Chilean liquors. The hotel has a variety of rooms and suites, details of which are on the registration form. Visitors will arrive at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, located 40 minutes from the hotel. October is springtime in Chile, with a temperate climate and temperatures ranging from 71°F (21.6°C) to 45°F (7.22°C). The sessions will be in formal dress, with the exception of the excursions and walks. As always it will be a pleasure to welcome you to Santiago and I am at your disposition should you have any questions. We’ll meet in October in Chile, described by Pablo Neruda as follows: Oh Chile, long petal of the sea and wine and snow. Ay when ay when and ay when will I be with you. You will wrap your ribbon of black and white foam around my waist. I will unleash my poetry on your territory. Regards,
Chile welcomes IAPA for fifth time in history
