Election night party update

Posted at 1:07 PM on September 26, 2006 by Bob Collins

Sent this to a group of bloggers who've expressed an interest in being part of our election night "party." Still looking for a few more conservative bloggers. Funny, I thought conservatives wanted public radio to give them more attention. (It's a joke!)

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Greetings:

I'm sending this to bloggers who have indicated they'd like to join us at MPR on Election Night for the "party."

Here's the latest I have from Melanie Sommer -- my online colleague -- who's in charge:

Election Night Policy and a Pint
Nov. 7, 2006
7pm-11 pm
UBS Forum at MPR building in downtown St. Paul


*We're planning an evening with a live audience (approx. 80 people) who can come to the Forum, watch election results together, talk among themselves about what's going on, and with political analysts and bloggers.

*We plan to invite some political analysts that will appeal to a younger audience.

*We plan to have several high-profile political bloggers in the region host their blogs from our site that night. We plan to provide an app to them if they wish that will provide election results on their page..

*We plan to set up an area (a wifi hot spot?) where audience members can bring their own laptops and cruise the web at their leisure.

*We plan to have displays of the MPR election results page, as well as other TV and/or online sites, available in the Forum.

*We plan to have a DJ play some fun music at the beginning and the end of the event.

*We plan to have refreshments available (snacks, limited beer and wine as well as other non-alcoholic beverages)

What it will sound like: The hosts, Steve Seel and Tom Crann will spend time talking with our analysts as election results come in, from other parts of the country as well as from Minnesota. Audience members can ask questions. We'll have segments of the evening featuring some of the bloggers -- sort of a bloggers roundtable -- to provide their own perspective. We will be able to refer to incoming results, perhaps check out various web sites on the 'big screen' to provide more fodder for discussion.


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The purpose of this note is to ask you to think of anything technical you may need if you still intend to be part of our coverage -- or if you are still considering being part of the coverage. We will certainly comply.

At some point in the next few weeks, we'll invite you down to take a look at the space and see where you'd like to set up, and answer further questions about what we have in mind AND get your ideas for the evening.

Regards,

Bob Collins
Minnesota Public Radio

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