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We got a handy little press release yesterday from the Magazine Publishers of America, whose flacks were certainly hard at work on the holy Oscar Sunday. As we speak, the MPA Retail Conference 2006 is underway, and upwards of "600 members of the magazine and book retail supply chain, from publishers and retailers to suppliers, distributors and wholesalers" have descended upon Orlando, Florida, for a three-day conference ending tomorrow. It's not as exotic as Puerto Rico, but it'll do.

The conference has boasted some big names: Martha Stewart and Jane Fonda are featured speakers ,and today, the Queen of Mastic, Vogue's Anna Wintour, deigned to fly south for the event and inform attendees that "A superbrand must always be a little mysterious to itself." A superbrand would also prefer to fly back to New York tonight rather than spend another minute in Orlando, lest the superbrand's signature bob wilt in the humidity.

Full release after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.magazine.org

600+ to attend 2006 retail conference for magazine and books
Nearly 40 Retail Outlets Also Slated to Attend

Orlando, FL (March 5, 2006) More than 600 members of the magazine and book retail supply chain, from publishers and retailers to suppliers, distributors and wholesalers, will attend Retail Conference 2006: The Marketing of Magazines and Books, beginning today, March 5, and ending Tuesday, March 7. The tenth annual conference, co-hosted by Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) and International Periodical Distributors Association (IPDA), will be held at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, in Orlando, FL.

Also in attendance will be category managers and other executives from nearly 40 retail outlets, including 7-Eleven, Albertsons, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders Group Inc., Gateway Newstands, Giant Eagle, Harris Teeter, Inc., H-E-B, HMSHost, Hudson Group, Kroger, Loblaws, Meijer, Navy Exchange, Paradies Shops, Publix Super Markets, Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, Tower Records, Walgreens, and Wegmans.

On March 7, the conference will close with the Best Practices Awards presentation, at which several retailers from different classes of trade will be honored for excellence in book and magazine merchandising.

The Retail Conference will feature a roster of speakers and panels addressing the topic of business innovation. Speakers include Martha Stewart, Founding Editorial Director, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue; Curtis Carlson, President & CEO of SRI International; Madeline Temple, Director, Consumer Strategy, Retail, Iconoculture; Jack Romanos, President & CEO of Simon & Schuster; and actress and author Jane Fonda.

For complete program information visit www.magazine.org/retailconference.

Retail Conference 2006 is sponsored by BPA Worldwide, Folio: and Quebecor World.