All convention activities will be at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, 2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108, and Westin Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, 1 E Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108 — the two locations are connected by the skywalk and in close proximity.
Convention registration
Current JEA or NSPA members are eligible for registration fee waivers if they present two sessions or present one session and perform another convention volunteer duty (critique student media or judge NSMC or Best of Show). Only two fee waivers are allowed per school, and no students will be waived unless they are part of the local committee’s selected team of student volunteers.
Even if you will be getting your registration fee waived, convention presenter-attendees need to register online at spring.journalismconvention.org.
Professional media representatives or others coming to the convention just to speak for an hour or two are exempt from this requirement. Your name will be submitted to the convention registrar in lieu of official registration.
Prepare your session
Sessions are 45 minutes unless a longer session is scheduled (please note beginning and ending times). Please end promptly 15 minutes before the next session to give the delegates time to walk to another session and to give the next speaker time to prepare.
If you are doing a slideshow or video presentation, we ask that you include a final slide to encourage people to give feedback on your session on the convention app. After the convention, we would be happy to share that information with you upon request.
Room capacities are included beside your room name in case you’d like to provide handouts. You may distribute instructional materials at your sessions, but the making of copies is your responsibility. To save money, you might consider offering a link or QR Code to a website where the handout is posted or offer to email the materials after the convention.
At the convention
Advisers and others registered for the convention should check in first at the convention check-in registration area in Crown Center Exhibit Hall A, Sheraton Mezzanine Level, from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The trade show will be in Crown Center Exhibit Hall A on Thursday and Friday.
Featured speakers and other professionals coming in to speak or do Break with a Pro Friday, should also check-in at the registration desk in Crown Center Exhibit Hall A, Sheraton Mezzanine Level (go to the Speaker desk). Saturday featured speakers can stop at the Information Desk (Terrace, Sheraton Mezzanine Level) to check-in. Please arrive at least 20 minutes before your presentation to pick up your name badge, locate your room and check the audiovisual arrangements. The local committee also has a small gift for you to pick up at the Speaker desk.
If you are driving, allow time to park. Local professionals may park at the Crown Center parking garage — 2301 McGee, Sheraton entrance — or the Crown Center Retail Shops parking garage, 2450 Grand Blvd., and then pick up a parking voucher when you check-in at the speaker desk.
If you have requested an LCD projector, you will need to bring a laptop computer and an adapter if your computer does not have HDMI input. If you have requested internet, be prepared with a backup presentation using screen shots in case the internet fails to work.
Convention app
Speakers should receive an email from EventMobi to update their speaker profile without having to create an app account.
Speakers who also want to create an app account and use the app during the convention should create an account with the email address used in convention communications as to link the account with your speaker profile.
Download the convention app for Apple devices or for Android devices. Use code nhsjc24KC to connect to our convention.
Tentative schedule
Thursday, April 4
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Media tours
Pre-convention workshops
JEA Outreach Academy
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
JEA board meeting
1-7 p.m.
Convention check-in
JEA NSMC contests and NSPA Best of Show desks open
Trade show
6:15 p.m.
First-time attendee orientation for advisers
7-9 p.m.
Opening ceremony with keynote speaker
9-10:30 p.m.
Adviser kickoff reception
Midnight curfew
Friday, April 5
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Adviser lounge
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Convention check-in, trade show
8 a.m.
JEA membership meeting
8 a.m.
Several JEA NSMC broadcast contests begin
8-10:30 a.m.
JEA NSMC contest desk open
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Breakout sessions
9 and 10 a.m. sessions
Break with a Pro
Noon to 3:30 p.m.
On-site critiques
1 p.m.
NSPA Best of Show deadline
3:30-6 p.m.
JEA certification testing
4-6 p.m.
JEA NSMC contests
6 p.m.
JEA NSMC judging and dinner
Midnight curfew
Saturday, April 6
7:30 a.m. to noon
Adviser lounge
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Breakout sessions
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Convention check-in
9-11 a.m.
On-site critiques
Noon to 2:20 p.m.
Adviser recognition luncheon
3:30-6 p.m.
JEA/NSPA awards ceremony
Midnight curfew
Room capacities
Maximum room capacities are listed on your speaker confirmation, although depending on the layout of the room, audiovisual setup and session demand the actual attendance may be lower. If the room is overflowing, please do not allow attendees to sit in the aisles, which is a fire-safety hazard.
No selling, please
Occasionally, we hear concerns from adviser or student delegates that they went to a session expecting to be informed about a topic, but were instead subjected to a sales pitch. Please leave this type of presentation out of your session.
Convention style guide
Official name: Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.
Spring convention or national high school journalism convention on second reference. Not JEA convention or NSPA convention.
#nhsjc used for social media
Cancellations
If you cannot attend the convention, please immediately contact Lindsay Porter at Porter@jea.org.