This past September, I was lucky enough to attend the Niche Digital Conference in Chicago, thanks to support from my employer, Venture Publishing, and AMPA. The Niche Digital Conference is devoted to teaching online revenue strategies to niche publications and their online extensions.

Having heard great reviews of DesignThinkers conference over the years, I finally got to experience it firsthand this year thanks to a bursary from AMPA. With an eclectic variety of speakers, presenters were from a graphic design background (advertising legend George Lois, book designer Chip Kidd, lettering goddess Jessica Hische) and from big companies (speakers representing Google, Oprah Magazine, and Method Home).

When I got my first issue of Alberta Venture (AV) for the New Year, I noticed right away that there was a completely different look and feel to the magazine. Not only has the masthead changed, no longer giving Alberta and Venture equal weight, the cover paper stock is also slicker and glossier.

Coo roo coo coo coo coo coo coooo! Calling all hosers! Do you remember SCTV (originally "Second City TV")? Did you know that at one time it was filmed in Edmonton?

Edmonton's Avenue magazine is doing its part to ensure that the pop culture significance of SCTV is not forgotten, by starting an online petition requesting that the city of Edmonton create an SCTV-themed monument.

It was nice to see Canadian Geographic editor Dan Rubinstein back in his old stomping grounds this week. Dan hasn't been back to Alberta since he moved to Ottawa for the CG gig so it was perfect for AMPA to bring him out to host a few webinars and seminars in Calgary and Edmonton.

As promised, I bring you part two of my recap from AMPA's Feature Writing seminar with Dan Rubinstein of Canadian Geographic. Missed part one? Check it out first.

So as I was saying...