Journalists on the Alley

The week started out strong with a full itinerary of events to attend on Monday, May 14. My first stop was a panel discussion hosted by NYSIA at IBM's offices on Madison. The presentation showed software companies how they can tap into the power of the media. The event, held in a conference room, lured a full house by serving sandwiches, pasta salad and cookies, not to mention a star-studded panel. Heavy-hitters like Jayson Blair from the New York Times and Richard Turner from The Industry Standard, were there to lend their insights on what makes a press release sizzle. Erin Joyce of AtNewYork, Doug Mintz from Venture Capital Weekly, Ann Wheatley of Alley Cat News and Mark Walsh of Crain's New York added prestige and perspective on the topics at hand. Bruce Bernstein, president of NYSIA, had just a moment to chat about the night's topic while he choreographed the set-up for the panel, which got a late start. The attendees didn't seem to mind, however, as they schmoozed with other members and sampled one more chocolate-dipped dessert.