Strategies for organizing all the new ideas from the NNAF Annual Convention & Trade Show

Katelyn Mary Skaggs

Nov 1, 2025

The National Newspaper Association conventions always leave me buzzing with ideas, inspiration and sometimes a little exhaustion. After you get home, what is the next step?

After attending several over the years, I finally have a system when I get home that keeps me from feeling totally overwhelmed. I thought I would share in case it helps someone else.

I use this process after NNA and other conferences, and it really helps me turn inspiration into action instead of letting it sit in a notebook and collect dust.

First, while at the convention, be present. Take notes, talk to people and let your brain fill up. Yes, it is definitely overwhelming, but it is worth it.

I always find conventions uplifting because you quickly realize you are not alone. That circulation issue you are dealing with, that advertising problem and that struggle to recruit staff. Someone else is going through it, too. You can sit down together, toss around ideas or at the very least feel like somebody understands. It does not fix them right away, but it takes the weight off.

So I hope while you were in Minneapolis you went to sessions, asked questions, and had late–night conversations.

Now for the second step and the most important part. When you get home or on the way home, do not jump right back into the normal craziness. Give yourself a moment to collect your notes and thoughts. Sit down with your notebook, all those flyers from vendors and the notes from sessions.

Rewrite your notes so you can actually read them. Organize them into sections, if that helps. I always come home with at least 20 strong ideas that I think would be amazing for my paper. But here is the truth — there is no way we can make them all happen. It would be too much, and I would overwhelm my staff and myself.

So I rank them. What are the top two ideas that make the most sense for my paper right now? Not someday, but right now or this coming year. Those are the ones I focus on. This year, I talked about events a ton with people and came home with an idea for a community coloring event. I decided this was No. 1 on my list and I am working to make it happen this November.

Second was the kids drawing the ads idea from the Great Ideas session. That one is on deck for the first quarter of next year. We will see how it goes.

Now, what about the other 18 ideas? Well, sometimes I hand one off to a staff member who I know would take the lead. If someone on my team is excited about it and wants to own it, there is a chance it will happen. If not, it gets parked. You can only do so much.

When you come home from a conference, you can feel inspired and empowered but also buried under a mountain of to dos. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that making one or two ideas happen is still progress. Then come back next year and make another one or two happen.

Do this for five years, and suddenly you have transformed your paper in more ways than you realized.

Last year, the only idea I managed to execute from the conference was the flag idea. I completely stole this from John Galer in Hillsboro, Illinois, during the Great Ideas session. You print an American flag on one side of an insert, or for us it was a double–truck layout, and on the other side are ads from the businesses who sponsored the flag. It created new revenue for us.

That one idea was all I could handle that year, and it was enough. The year before was the year I got inspired by a Best Of contest, and I made it happen. One idea at a time, year by year — it adds up.

So I hope you left Minneapolis feeling energized and not discouraged. Take your notes, grab a hot tea, sit at your desk and let your conference brain settle. List your ideas, pick your top one or two, and start moving forward.

And if you did not do any of that yet, it is not too late.

See you all in Detroit next year. I cannot wait to hear what ideas you brought to life.

Katelyn Mary Skaggs is the digital marketing manager for Leader Publications, a group of four papers in Festus, Missouri. Skaggs, a Southeast Missouri State University graduate, joined their ranks in January 2019 as a reporter. Email katelynmaryskaggs@leaderpublications.biz