Title:  MaineToday Web Site Project  --  Joe Michaud, President of MaineToday.com
            Continuous Innovation for Seven Years

Description: The Portland Press Herald was already a successful, mature business in 1995 when its management decided to get involved in interactive media, in many ways a foreign concept to an organization that had honed its skills in producing one excellent product every day. The people responsible for creating the interactive service had to invent not only a new line of business, but also new production processes and new interfaces with the "legacy" systems of a newspaper.

Those same challenges continue today. Joe Michaud will discuss the lessons learned from the early days of MaineToday.com, and how the organization currently manages complex projects.

MaineToday.com is by far the largest and most popular news and information services online in Maine, with nearly 5 million page views per month. It is recognized in the newspaper industry as an innovator in interactive media, and has received numerous national awards.  Joe was a finalist in nationwide voting for the title of 2001 New Media Pioneer from the Newspaper Association of America.

In addition to enhanced sections on news, sports, business, etc, the services under MaineToday.com include 20Below, a section by and for Maine teens; a powerful interactive events calendar; an Outdoors section for enthusiasts; and other niche features. The division's 20 employees include specialists in online journalism, sales, technology, marketing and design.

Joe has over 25 years in media, including launching two magazines. In 1995, as city editor of the Press Herald, he led the launch of MaineToday.com, one of the first such newspaper efforts in the U.S. He graduated from the University of Maine with degrees in journalism and TV/film production. Joe has been using interactive online services since 1989, and working with the Web since 1994. He was named president of the division in 1998 when the Seattle Times Company acquired Guy Gannett Communications' Maine properties.

Directions:  Wright Express Cafe, 54 Darling Ave, South Portland

• From 95 -
  Take exit for Airport onto Western Ave (south) to right on Payne Road (Maine Mall Rd.).
  Next left onto Darling Ave. 
  Right at the Wright Express building (54 Darling).

• From 295 -
  From Exit 3, take right onto Westbrook St. to Western Ave (Young's Furniture on Corner).
  Next Left onto Foden Rd.
  Next Right onto Darling Ave. 
  Left at 54 Darling Ave. at the Wright Express building

Park in rear between 1st and 2nd building. Enter through Cafe door. This is a full glass door with direct view from the Cafe.

Call the Maine Chapter Voicemail at 207-766-5514 or 766-5836 information about meeting cancellations in case of inclement weather.