Jessica Strelitz | ONA15

Author: Jessica Strelitz

It’s go time: Get on board

September 22, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

This post is sponsored by Bing News.

Bing News pushes the boundary of news with cutting-edge technology on news search, personalization and recommendation. Stemming from Bing.com, Microsoft’s search engine with 20% market share, Bing News develops experiences that delight and inform users across mobile, desktop and new surface areas across the Microsoft ecosystem. Connect with the Bing team at ONA. twitter.com/bingtingnow

You’re either already in town, or packing a bag. Here are some final reminders and tips to get you situated at ONA15.

Weather: People live in LA for lots of reasons. The weather is definitely one of them. The forecast this week is why they make movies here: 90 degrees and sunny. Every. Day. Bring comfortable shoes for walking the Exhibit and Midway floors, fancy ones for the OJAs, receptions and parties, and flip flops for the pool.

The hotel: The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza has a great history. It’s where Sonny and Cher started their variety act (sparking our campaign to have Board President Meredith Artley and former Board President Jim Brady sing a Sonny and Cher duet — which still needs your support, so please contribute here.) Ronald Reagan loved it so much, the hotel was known as the Western White House while he was in office and there is a lot of Reagan history lining its walls. And if the lobby and ballrooms look familiar, you may have seen them in recent episodes of “Modern Family” or on star-studded awards shows. Continue reading

Good eats in the ONA15 neighborhood

It would be impossible to try to include all of the amazing food that LA has to offer in a single blog post (or even many blog posts). We will leave that up to Jonathan Gold and the food staff at the LA Times. But you’re going to be in one of the best dining cities in the world for a few days, so even if you can’t leave the area around the hotel, you should eat well. Continue reading

Get on the List: Guide to Parties, Receptions + Events

September 14, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

latimes-logo This post is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, proud sponsor of ONA15’s closing event: Karaoke! Join us in the Westside room Saturday night after 9 p.m. Looking for insider tips on nearby food, drink and places to see? This special guide is our gift to you: latimes.com/ONAeats

If you’re bored during (or the night before) ONA15, consider yourself hard to please. All official events are free and open to registered ONA15 attendees — official events and special programming requires a full conference pass. Here are the deets: Continue reading

Can’t-miss guide to ONA15: Jess Strelitz’s picks

September 10, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

Jess Strelitz

Note: This is part of a series of posts written by ONA staff and conference organizers recommending sessions they feel will be particularly interesting. Of course, we hope every session is valuable to the right audience, but with so many things happening at ONA15, we want to offer useful highlights from a variety of viewpoints.

Previous recommendations came from Julie Westfall and Luis Gomez, co-chairs of the ONA15 Program Team, Jen Mizgata, ONA’s Senior Communications Manager and Jeremiah Patterson, ONA’s Digital Manager. This list was created by Jess Strelitz, ONA’s Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships.

The Ethics of Food Writing: A Conversation with Jonathan Gold

Thursday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Santa Monica Room

I am a food freak. So, when I learned that not only was ONA hosting a conference in LA, land of innovative food trucks, countless star chefs and of course, TACOS, I was beyond thrilled. In fact, I specifically requested partner meetings OVER tacos during my pre-event visits around town. When I heard we would also have the privilege of hearing from Jonathan Gold, he of the fearless palate and champion of the humble plate, I jumped up and down (not an easy feat, as I was nearly seven months pregnant at the time). Staff rarely have a chance to sit down during the three days of the conference — and my workload will double this year as I will also be carrying around my six-week-old son — but I will not miss this session. Look for me in the front row, asking Jonathan to autograph my infant’s onesie. Continue reading

Make plans for Midway Programming

September 3, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

This post was written by Christine Johnson, our #ONA15 Midway Producer.

Midway programming is set, and this year will feature 50+programs — including office hours, demos, hands-on-trainings, make-and-build sessions and other unique events. Among the highlights: Continue reading

Career Fair line-up announced, resumes sought

August 27, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

This post is sponsored by the John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford UniversityThe John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford University fosters journalistic innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership. Each year, we give 20 outstanding individuals from around the world the resources to pursue their ideas for improving journalism. We work closely with them, to help them make the most of the amazing creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that are synonymous with Stanford University and Silicon Valley. http://jsk.stanford.edu

Watch a video about being a fellow.

We’re less than one month away from the opening of the ONA15 Career Fair.

Much like a concert for The Roots, we’ve all heard jobseekers and recruiters say about career fairs, “If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to them all.”

The ONA15 Career Fair will change that perception! In Los Angeles this September, you’ll find new, mid-career and veteran digital journalists and technologists seeking to be matched with emerging and leading media companies, organizations and education programs.

Though the recruiting event spans two days — Thursday, Sept. 24 from 1-5 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — job and education seekers at ONA15 are strongly recommended to submit their information via the ONA Career Connections form, so recruiters can contact them before the conference to schedule conversations. Continue reading

Meet the 2015 Midway #1

August 6, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

We are seven weeks away from #ONA15 and our fourth ever Midway, an open space for journalists to explore new tools and play with interactive landscapes. Leading up to the conference, the ONA15 blog will feature details about the 25+ start-ups, nonprofits, organizations, universities and founders of cutting-edge technologies participating in this year’s Midway.

Meet the Midway . . . Continue reading

#ONA15 Midway at a Glance

March 23, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

The Midway returns for its fourth year at ONA15. Part futures lab, playground and tech hub, the Midway once again will be the place to find new tools and toys for journalists.

Our global group of participants will share their experiences with next-level data and mapping tools, virtual reality, customized content curation, personalized podcasting, cutting-edge digital media integration and an opportunity to contribute to a groundbreaking storytelling project. Continue reading

Career Fair features jobs, professional development, higher ed

March 9, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

The ONA15 Career Fair — Thursday, Sept. 24 from 1-5 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — will help match new, mid-career and veteran digital journalists and technologists with emerging and leading media companies, organizations and education programs.

Making It Easier to Travel to ONA15

March 6, 2015 / Jessica Strelitz / Comments Off

There are lots of ways to get to and around Los Angeles and we’ve secured discounts for many of them. If you’re driving, flying or need taxi service, here are some easier — and cheaper — ways to join us at the conference. Continue reading

Author: Jessica Strelitz

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