Tuam welcomes delegates to newspaper gathering

TUAM plays host this week to delegates from some of the leading newspapers in the country. The Tuam Herald will host the annual general meeting of the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland (RNPAI) this Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4. This is the first time that the annual meeting has been held in Tuam, and it takes place here as part of the celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of The Tuam Herald. The two-day meeting, taking place in the Ard Rí House Hotel, will include a number of workshops which will explore the opportunities and challenges facing local press in the short and medium term. Speakers from Ireland and the UK will address delegates on issues including evolving digital innovations, circulation, advertising, how local newspapers can help grow local businesses and re-evaluating the core business model of regional press. 'This annual gathering of newspaper proprietors and management is eagerly awaited each year as the topics explored usually set the agenda for future newspaper developments. It is an important brainstorming exercise for the industry,' stated Joe Flaherty, Regional Managing Director, Johnston Press Group, and President of the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland. 'We are delighted to be in Tuam this year to kick start the 175th celebrations of The Tuam Herald and to join David Burke and his staff on this memorable occasion,' he concluded. The 175th anniversary year has been marked with reader competitions and promotions, and The Tuam Herald has plans for more events which will be spread through the rest of the year. These will include the use of historical material, drawing especially from our photographic archive which is at present being digitised. This will provide exhibitions in villages and towns in the circulation area in the months to come. The first issue of the paper was published on Saturday, May 13, 1837. It is the fifth oldest paper in the Republic.