#CAJ16 -- brought to you with a little help from our friends

OTTAWA, May 20, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists' partners and sponsors are an integral part of bringing our conference program together.

#CAJ16, which runs May 27-28 at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, wouldn't have sessions on how to fund journalism, unique partnerships that create journalism, the importance of local journalism, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, wearables, coding for media progress in Kenya, data-journalism, the latest on mobile video – and half of our opening plenary – without these continued partnerships.

CBC News is supporting #CAJ16 as a platinum sponsor; Unifor as a silver sponsor; Canada Research Chairs as a bronze sponsor; and, the Embassy of the United States of America is also providing support through its public affairs small grants program. In-kind support is being received from Esri Canada (platinum-equivalent), APTN (bronze-equivalent), Aga Khan Foundation Canada and Discourse Media.

"The CAJ has collaborated with these sponsors and partners to assemble a first-rate conference program for its delegates," CAJ president Nick Taylor-Vaisey said. "Their support also helps the CAJ keep the delegate fees among the lowest for any journalism conference in Canada."

The full #CAJ16 program is available online.

Early bird rates for members – CAJ membership starts at $45 for first-time members – are as low as $249 plus taxes for the full conference, including a ticket to the conference banquet and 2015 CAJ Awards gala on May 28, hosted by CBC Edmonton's Mark Connolly. There is also a rate for students and unemployed journalists starting at $50 a day or $75 for both days.

Register today to beat the deadline for early bird rates – all rates will rise by $10 to $20 or more on May 21.

For those intending to stay at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, our conference room rates starting at $110 plus taxes and fees for a single room may still be available on request. Other preferential rates may also still be available.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing over 600 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide public-interest advocacy and high-quality professional development for its members.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

Nick Taylor-Vaisey, CAJ president, 647-968-2393, [email protected]; Hugo Rodrigues, #CAJ16, conference chair, [email protected]; Dale Bass, CAJ events committee chair, [email protected]; Registration questions can be sent to: [email protected]; www.caj.ca/caj16 | www.facebook.com/CdnAssocJournalists | www.twitter.com/CAJ