Australia’s Single Width Users Group conference makes it first visit to Darwin in May.

The annual conference is at Darwin Convention Centre over the weekend of May 23-25, with News Corp Australia as host site.

“This is a new location for the SWUG conference and the furthest north we have travelled,” says SWUG president Bob Lockley. “Darwin has a unique character which I’m sure will prove to be very popular with delegates.”

The later timing – the SWUG conference has recently been held in March – avoids the Top End’s wet season. In May average temperatures for Darwin during May range from 22-32°C, with rainfall of less than 20mm. With only a short lead time now until the conference, and as accommodation is limited, Lockley is urging delegates to register as soon as possible.

Darwin is regarded as the gateway to Asia – being closer to many Asian capitals than to their Australian counterparts – and SWUG is hoping this will encourage a larger regional gathering.

“It would be great to see delegates from our Asian neighbours attend the conference and I’m sure they would find it beneficial to meet, network and talk with their Australian industry colleagues,” says Lockley.

The SWUG president was a guest speaker at southeast Asian counterpart ASEAN Newspaper Printers at its conference in Penang, Malaysia, last September.

Host site for this year’s conference will be News Corp’s Northern Territory News plant, where a single-width KBA Comet pressline and Ferag mailroom was commissioned in 2012.

“This is a very modern pressroom running the latest single-width technology,” says Lockley. “It is an excellent demonstration of how our industry continues to evolve and develop.”

The facility produces the tabloid Northern Territory News – famous for its croc headlines, and with a weekday circulation of 17,000 copies and 25,000 on Saturdays – as well as the Sunday Territorian, the Northern Territory Business Review, and weekly community the Darwin Sun.

Conference registration forms and information about accommodation in Darwin are available for download from the SWUG website, www.swug.com.au.

SWUG’s 2014 newspaper awards will be presented during the event, with entries open to Australian and New Zealand newspaper production sites. Categories include: overall print quality (categories for single and double width); coldset commercial publication (single width); best newspaper on enhanced stock over 50gsm (single and double width).

Nominations are also open for the awards presented by SWUG to individuals including Apprentice of the Year, and the SWUG Leadership travel scholarship.

“These awards provide a great opportunity for our apprentices and future leaders to broaden their horizons and learn more about the industry they work in,” says Bob Lockley. “Now is the time for all sites and companies to start thinking about suitable candidates to nominate as well as to start organising their award entries. There are major prizes on offer and the more entries we get, the better the competition.”

The closing date for all nominations and entries in the awards is Friday May 2. Details including entry forms on the SWUG website.

For more information, contact secretary Anita White at Fairfax Media on (02) 4570 4444 or email anita.white@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Picture: Darwin from the air

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