Category: newsXpress difference

The Trade Show which accompanied the newsXpress Conference in Melbourne last week was spread over three adjoining rooms at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne.  The photo shows part of one level.  We had stationery, gift, greeting card, confectionery and services suppliers showing their products to newsXpress members and other newsagents who attended the conference.

Meal and other breaks were taken in the Trade Show area, providing excellent opportunities for good business to be written and for conference attendees to network around products.

newsXpress is grateful to its suppliers for their support of the conference and the Trade Show.

The 2009 newsXpress Awards Dinner held last Thursday evening at the beautiful Plaza Ballroom at the regent Theatre was a wonderful night of laughs, great music and recognition for achievement.  The night was hosted by the very funny Michael Pope, hilarious magic was provided by Matt Hollywood and great music was from Funky Town Express.

The evening was a perfect end to the first day of the conference, a great way to relax and enjoy an evening with friends.  The entertainment was supplemented with a gourmet meal and fine Victorian wines.

newsXpress is proud of how well the night worked and the professional way our brand was represented.

Warrick Hosking was announced 2009 newsXpresser of the Year at our Awards dinner on Thursday evening. Warrick embraces everything newsXpress stands for. He pursues change at newsXpress Gympie relentlessly and aggressively. He understands our brand and all we stand for.  He is passionate about newsXpress and never misses an opportunity to share this. His passion is driven by the success he achieves in his business with newsXpress initiatives. Warrick is the newsXpresser of the year because he is a great ambassador for the newsXpress brand our mission.

newsXpress Singleton Heights was announced 2009 newsXpress Retailer of the Year along with newsXpress Whittlesea at our Awards dinner last week.  We could not separate these two businesses for engagement with newsXpress and their embrace of offers, promotions, business operation initiatives and all things newsXpress. They have done this with terrific energy and achieving excellent results. They seek out change and push it to the limit. They drive newsXpress to help them in many exciting and challenging ways.  Jarryd Moore has demonstrated what a Gen Y business can achieve.

Jarryd is photographed with newsXpress Director Graham Randall and Krista, a manager from the business.

newsXpress Whittlesea was announced as 2009 newsXpress Retailer of the Year along with newsXpress Singleton Heights.  We could not separate these two businesses for engagement with newsXpress and their embrace of offers, promotions, business operation initiatives and all things newsXpress. They have done this with the backdrop of being in the heart of a region of Victoria devastated by bushfires earlier this year. Throughout, they have remained focused on building their business through proactive engagement with newsXpress. From our in store BDM presence to our product offers, they are making the most of newsXpress. Congratulations to Neil and Robyn Ritchie from newsXpress Whittlesea.

Neil and Robyn are photographed with newsXpress Director Graham Randall.

Congratualtions to the team at newsXpress Beechworth for taking our the 2009 newsXpress Stationery Retailer of the Year Award. newsXpress Beechworth has been awarded for sales revenue growth in the stationery category, not including ink, on a same store year on year basis. newsXpress Beechworth in Victoria has achieved excellent results from within the business in a tough climate for the town. This award honours that sales growth and the commitment of the team atBeechworth to newsXpress stationery strategies. Congratulations to Ian and Tracey McVea and Vaughan and Kerrie Lawrence.

Ian is photograhed with newsXpress Director Graham Randall.

Ron Thorpe was MC for the newsXpress conference last week.  Ron was MC for our first conference last year on the Gold Coast.

Ron brings years of experience working with newsagents and this is evident in his interaction with delegates at the conference.  Ron is also our greeting card expert in the newsXpress team. He has been a resource of tremendous value to newsXpress members over the last two years.

Ron professionalism kept the conference flowing and housekeeping to a minimum.  This ensured a smooth event for all attendees.

newsXpress announced the details for its 2010 conference on Friday, the last day of this year’s conference. The 2010 conference will be held in Sydney from Wednesday the September 8 through to Friday September 10.

Planning has already commenced for this important event for newsXpress and all newsagents.

A group of newsXpress conference attendees spent yesterday at the Caulfield Cup to round out their trip to Melbourne.  We caught some of the group for the photo outside the Hyatt Hotel before they left.  We reckon they scrub up pretty well!

Russell Parker, the Managing Director of Hallmark Cards, was a key speaker on the first day of our conference yesterday.  Many managing Directors would have left it at that – the conference presentation, – and gone.  Russell stayed and actively participated in conference sessions and break-out workshops, adding tremendous insight into issues up for discussion.

newsXpress members and other newsagents participating have enjoyed this level of interaction with Russell and executives from other key suppliers to our group.  This interaction is an important benefit from conferences such as this.

After the fun of the formalities of our gala Awards Dinner last night, newsXpress members, suppliers and staff hit the dance floor and kicked up their heels long into the evening.  Michael Pope was our MC.  Michael was fantastic, hilarious and very professional.  He helped us relax and ensured made the evening moved along well.  Matt Hollywood had us in in tears (of laughter) with his comedy / magic act.  Funky Town Express sang and grooved.

Here are the award winners:

newsXpress Employee of the Year Andrew Frith , newsXpress Margaret River and Chloe Liddle, newsXpress Sun Valley
newsXpress Stationery Retailer of the Year newsXpress Beechworth
newsXpress HOT ink! Retailer of the Year newsXpress Melton
newsXpress Card Retailer of the Year newsXpress Wetherill Park
newsXpress Magazine Retailer of the Year newsXpress Eli Waters
newsXpress Calendar Retailer of the Year newsXpress Woden
newsXpress Retailer of the Year newsXpress Singleton Heights and newsXpress Whittlesea
newsXpresser of the Year Warrick Hosking

We will publish more about the awards and more photos over the next few days.

Shane Jacobsen (the guy behing Kenny, one of the top grossing Australian movies) openes the newsXpress conference yesterday morning with an excellent presetation about being skilled setting traps and having fun.  He kicked off the conference in a perfect and relevant way.  The setup for the rest of day one was excellent.  Shane is photographed here with newsXpress Founding Director Graham Randall.

Cooking a terrific appetiser with “Fast” Ed Halmagyi from Better Homes and Gardens last night at our conference opener was Kylie Watt from newsXpress Ascot Vale and Shelley Petersen from newsXpress Sarina.  It was a lot of fun watching them under the pump in the kitchen at the Grand Hyatt and their work being televised throughout the welcome function venue.  We are all lining up for Kylie and Shelley to cook for us again!

newsXpress members, other newsagents and newsagent suppliers have started heading for Melbourne to participate in the National Newsagent Conference which starts tomorrow.

For some, the conference tees off ith a Golf Day.  For most attendees, the conference starts tomorrow night with a tastes of Melbourne dinner at the Grand Hyatt hosted by a popular TV chef who’ll cook and entertain.

Today, the entire newsXpress team gets together for a national staff meeting which will include planning for the next year.

We have a busy few days ahead.