BCATW Board Update
2015 BCATW AGM – L-R Roc LaChance, John Thomson, Andrew Renton, Chris Millikan, Ruth Kozak, Maros Handzak, Brian K. Smith, Rick Millikan, Mari Kane. Baila Lazarus had left earlier.
The Board of Directors met in January to deal with ongoing operating and business issues. Highlights include:
- Symposium: Plans are rolling for an exciting event on April 10 at New West’s Anvil Center. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for registration and program details!
- Meet Ups: a continuing program of monthly opportunities to meet and network are scheduled and advertised.
- Annual Membership Fees: Association expenses are increasing every year. As such, the first member dues increase in many years starts March 1, 2016 for new
members and in January 2017 forand renewing members. BCATW membership fees will now be $72.00. Inclusions: Press Card; Meet Up admission; annual Symposium; the BUZZ…and a support network.
- Criteria for Membership: thanks to the efforts of our Constitutional Committee led by Baila Lazarus, we have refined the guidelines for membership to include bloggers and photographers in the media mix. Replacing current guidelines, the updated criteria is posted on our Mission Statement page. Take a look.
- Liability Insurance: the Association has now purchased annual liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of accidents.
Questions? Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Contact us!
BCATW Symposium Update
Photo of Anvil Center by Brian K. Smith
The BCATW’s Symposium Committee had its first meeting on January 23, following the BCATW board meeting.
The location is the Anvil Centrer in New Westminster and the date is Sunday, April 10th. Don’t book any travel for then!
Committee members include Chair John Thomson, Co-Chair Mari Kane, Baila Lazarus, Maros Handzak, Fabiano Maciel, Yilin Wang, Randi Winter, Ricky Shetty and Ruth Kozak.
We determined the format will break down into two panels and a keynote speaker interspersed with the usual fun and games, sponsor spotlight, photography winner, prizes and a tweeting contest. And of course we’ll have morning coffee, lunch and afternoon nibbles.
The theme is BC Travel and yes, that includes everything: adventure travel, leisure activities, history, First Nations, food and wine, etc. One panel will focus on things to see and write about in BC.
The other panel will feature magazine and website editors focusing on where and how to sell your story. That panel will be followed by speed dating where those editors meet individually with attendees in 5-minute pitching sessions. Pitch session will be scheduled at registration.
We’re having a photography contest like last year. BC is a pretty big theme, which means a lot can be submitted. BCATW member and art dealer, Peppa Martin has agreed to be the judge.
We touched upon blogging, tweeting and Instagraming. And we are also looking into an off-site after-party.
Stay tuned for those details!
BCATW Media Member News
Jett & Kathryn Britnell have numerous projects in play. Jett was named as being one of “118 Inspiring Shooters You Should Know” in Scuba Diver Ocean Planet (Singapore) Magazine’s special underwater photography issue published in December 2015. This is a humpback whale image he made last September while snorkelling offshore in Tahiti.
The Britnell’s travel website (www.thenomadictribes.com) continues to grow and has earned them an invitation to the week-long Panama Blogger Influencer Week (February 19-27) in Panama City. The organizers had to deem you to be a travel influencer for this invite.
Rick Neal has had an article published about the amazing medieval walled medina of Fes, Morocco on Travel Thru History. Check it out!
Ruth Kozak has been busy doing readings/workshops and working on the Greek Islands ebook for Hunter publishing. Her latest travel article about a visit to the famous Tredegar House in Wales was recently published in EuropeUpClose.
Irene Butler and her husband Rick are soaring high on memories of Brazil, Paraguay and their Antarctic Expedition. Stories will soon be generated, but in the meantime, a brief review and 10-minute video of dynamic Antarctica landscapes is a click away at Global Trekkers.
New Member Spotlight
Maros Handzak
Maros Handzak is a freelance journalist, travel writer, translator and photographer based in Vancouver. He is the owner and CEO of Strategic Languages Inc., the translation company.
Originally from Slovakia in Europe, Maros’ stories and articles have been published multiple times in printed magazines, including MultiLingual and Technology (USA), Plus 7 dni (Slovakia) and Slovenka (Slovakia), as well as online at tulacky.net and cestovanie.sk.
His photographs were published by The Key Publishing House Inc. in Toronto in the book From Pemmican to Poutine by Chef Suman Roy and Brooke Ali, which is sold and distributed through Chapters stores in Canada.
Maros’ travel writing is focused on Canadian nature, people and history, as well as American topics like national parks, landmarks and cities. His blogs and articles involve subjects such as the old-fashioned lifestyle of Mennonites in Ontario, the ancient Mayan civilization in Mexico, First Nations in Cape Croker near Georgian Bay, the beautiful sceneries surrounding the Rocky Mountains, and much more.
Visit his Blog and Translation Services Website.
New Member Spotlight is a new feature of Buzz to introduce new travel writers. We’ll try to catch up on members who joined in 2015 as well as going forward. Information is pulled from the members profile page on this site.
BCATW Industry Member News
Bestway Tours & Safaris is hosting a fascinating evening with the highly accomplished movie director, writer and photographer, Paul Saltzman.
Paul is a two-time Emmy Award-winning film and television producer-director. The two documentary feature films, Prom Night in Mississippi, and The Last White Knight, each featuring Morgan Freeman, are his most recent movies. Early in 1968 he learned meditation at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India. While there, he spent time with and photographed the Beatles. His photos have been judged “some of the best intimate shots” ever taken of John, Paul, George and Ringo, and have been seen in galleries worldwide.
In 2000, Paul released a book of his photographs, The Beatles in Rishikesh, with Penguin-Putnam; and in 2006 he self-published the deluxe Limited Edition box set, The Beatles in India. Paul’s first trip to India was “life-changing” and, after more than 55 trips there, he’s been asked many times if he would take others with him on a tour of India. He’s recently led two magnificent and joyful tours and will be leading another small group tour from Sept 22-Oct 8, 2016.
Please join us as Paul will engage your senses with his photographs, his stories and his love of India; as well as answer any questions. This promises to be a very interesting evening with the world-renowned individual of multiple talents.
VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 pm.
843 Seymor Street, Vancouver.
Limited space available! Get your free tickets.
Meetup News
BC Travel Writers Meetups will now be scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month at Big Rock Brewery.
The February 3rd BCATW Meetup – Tourism Boards at Your Service with Amber Sessions of Tourism Vancouver and Mika Ryan of Destination BC – was fully booked in one day! 24 people are attending and 17 are on the wait list. Please watch the BC Travel Writers Meetup page for last minute cancellations.
The March 2nd BCATW Meetup – Travel Writing Basics with Ruth Kozak – is equally booked with no one on the wait list, so sign up if you hope to attend.
Member Mari Kane’s February 10th WordPress Workshop – How to Speed up your Web Site to make Google and Visitors Happy – has plenty of room at Big Rock Brewery. If you manage a website or blog and would like some tips on how to make it run faster, RSVP now for WordPress Workshop.
Member Ricky Shetty has started a new Meetup called YVR Travellers. His next event – Travelling Latin America: Music, Rythms and Dances – is scheduled for Thursday, February 11th at the Vancouver Art Institute.
If you organize a media-related meetup, please let us know!
“Only the traveler knows the details of the journey.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind
No comments yet.