New York, NY (March 15, 2007)—Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) will host the Career Insight Conference on March 22, to introduce new audiences to magazines as well as showcase the wealth of diverse and  multicultural talent within the industry, it was announced by Shaunice Hawkins, Director of Diversity Development, MPA.  Scheduled as an all-day event at McGraw-Hill in New York City, the Career Insight Conference is geared to anyone interested in building a magazine careerfrom students and new graduates to mid-career professionals looking to make the switch. The event, which is being held for the first time by MPA, has so far attracted more than 260 attendees

A lineup of magazine industry professionals from both the business and editorial sidesfrom hiring directors to publishers to editors-in-chiefare slated to answer some core questions during the program, including: Why Magazines? What Makes the Ideal Candidate? and Which Magazine Job Is Right for You? Mimi Valdez, Senior Contributing Editor, Latina, is the conference emcee.

Confirmed speakers include: Amy Barnhart, Manager of Staffing & Employee Relations, Hearst Magazines; Andrea Chambers, Director, Master of Science in Publishing Program, NYU; Andrew Simon, Managing Editor, Complex; Arem Duplessis, Art Director, The New York Times Magazine; Brian Farnham, Editor-in-Chief, TimeOut New York; Chandra Czape Turner, Executive Editor, CosmoGIRL! & Founder/President, Ed2010.com; Christina Albee, New York Advertising Director, InStyle & Associate Publisher, InStyle Weddings; Corynne Corbett, Executive Editor, Real Simple; Danica Daniel, Editor-in-Chief, Black Beat and Right On!; Elizabeth Thomas, Manager of Staffing & Employee Relations, Hearst Magazines; Florian Bachleda, Creative Director, FB Designs; George Pitts, Director of Photography, Life; Jada Yuan, Contributing Editor, New York Magazine; Jeffrey Duque, Advertising & Circulation Director, Cuatro Media, Inc. (Fox Sports en Espanol); Karen Bakos, Research Director, Time Inc.; Meg D'Incecco, Director of Public Relations, Golf For Women and Golf World; Rosie Amodio, Executive Editor, The Knot; Sarah Vinas, Deputy Art Director, Portfolio; Sheryl Hilliard-Tucker, Editor-at-Large, Time Inc.; Sonia Alleyne, Careers/Consumer Editor, Black Enterprise; Stephanie Scott, Beauty Market Editor, Life & Style; Ted Hatwood, Director of Finance & Business Development, Vibe; Vanessa Bush, Executive Editor, Essence; Won Kim, Editor and VP of Business Strategy, AsianDiversity; and Wyatt Mitchell, Art Director, O, The Oprah Magazine.

The magazine industry is deeply committed to increasing diversity in its talent pool and were doing that by providing access to some of the best minds in the businessall of them role models equipped to explain why working in magazines is the career of choice, said Ms. Hawkins.

She added, The Career Insight Conference not only boasts free registration to drive as many magazine hopefuls to the event as possible, it also encourages free dialogue so that participants can have an open, candid conversation with the magazine representatives throughout the program.

The Career Insight Conference will take place March 22, beginning with a breakfast at 8:00 a.m. and ending with a networking reception that starts 4:00 p.m.  The event will be held at the 2^nd floor auditorium of the McGraw-Hill Building, located at 1221 Avenue of the Americas (entrance on 49th Street) in Manhattan, NY.  Visit www.magazine.org/findyourself for more information on the Career Insight Conference.