Hear Reno, other experts in Philadelphia.

IT'S TOO LATE to back out now, so. . .

Welcome to Philadelphia!

We've been working pretty hard to put this convention together, and we're looking forward to spending most of the week of September 8-11 with you in this wonderful city that's so full of surprises -- even for those who live and work in it.

Because of The Masthead's early deadline, the program is not quite complete at this writing. But it's shaping up as a great convention.

The big news, since last our words appeared on these pages, is that the speaker at the closing dinner Saturday night, September 11, at the Sheraton Society Hill will be Attorney General Janet Reno. That ought to keep the restless among you from taking an early slide.

As of mid-July, U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Teich was lined up as the probable speaker for the gala reception and dinner on Thursday night, September 9, at the Franklin Institute Science Museum. Even if Reich can't be there, it will be a big party with music and other festivities -- underwritten by The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

The convention will open the night before with a president's reception and buffet at the hotel, courtesy of president Ed Jones's bosses at The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va.

Arrive early

It's a good idea to plan on arriving early, though, because an optional tour of the city is being arranged for Wednesday afternoon. We'll get you back in plenty of time for the opening reception.

The official opening session will be the next morning at the hotel, with Mayor Ed Rendell welcoming you to Philadelphia, followed by a couple of panels on urban matters. (The mayor is staying for one, and other panelists will include public officials and other experts.)

Luncheon in the hotel will feature Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who will analyze coverage of the 1992 presidential election. She's the Penn communications dean you may have seen in many of the network TV news analysis programs last year.

A special program planned for Thursday afternoon will feature three of America's most provocative editorial writers: Robert L. Bartley, editor of The Wall Street Journal; Howell Raines, editorial page editor of The New York Times; and Richard Aregood, editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News.

On Friday, while most of us are critiquing each other, our spouses will tour the lovely Brandywine Valley, lair of the DuPonts and the artistic Wyeths. In the evening, you'll be on your own for dinner, but first we'll be given a special twilight tour of Independence National Historical Park, with a reception at the Visitors Center, underwritten by The News Journal in Wilmington.

Professional workshops

After Saturday morning's annual business meeting, two of the four professional workshops will be held. In the afternoon, the other two will follow a special panel on "Reinventing Government."

Here's what we have lined up for professional workshops:

* Editorial board management, honchoed by Bob White of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.

* Minorities, led by Mary Ellen Butler, Oakland Tribune.

* Op-ed, conducted by Elissa Papirno, The Hartford Courant.

* Ethics, led by Catherine Ford, Calgary Herald.

* Broadcast roundtable, organized by Geri Denterlein, WBZ-TV in Boston.

In between, we'll cross the street to Philadelphia's famous Old Original Bookbinders for a luncheon featuring a program on "The Editorial Cartoon" presented by Philadelphia's two Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists, the Daily News's Signe Wilkinson and the Inquirer's Tony Auth. That event is courtesy of The Morning Call in Allentown and The Patriot-News in Harrisburg.

Sponsoring or co-sponsoring other events and activities are WCAU-TV, KYW TV-Radio, the Courier Post in Cherry Hill, N.J., The Times Herald in Norristown, and Bucks County Courier Times.

What's made all this possible is that I've been working with a real honest-to-God committee, which means I've been able to fob off (I mean delegate) responsibilities to others. Anne Brophy Putney, an NBEA past president, has been invaluable in handling arrangements -- something I'd have been helplessly lost in doing. The Inquirer's Don Kimelman is program chair. NCEW past president Van Cavett of The Morning Call is in charge of critiques, and his wife Caroline is spouse tour chair.

Other chairs are John Taylor of The News Journal, students; David Gilmartin, Norristown Times Herald, program; and Russell Cooke of The Inquirer, copy for The Masthead and program. Also on the committee are Charlie Thomson of KYW, Dale Davenport of The Patriot News, Bruce Henderson of the Bucks County Courier Times, Dick Pearsall of the Courier Post (outside Camden), and Carla Linz of The Press, outside Atlantic City. Also playing very active roles are NCEW's first lady Peggy Marshall, and my first lady Grace Harrison.

Sheraton Society Hill, which couldn't be located more conveniently, serves as convention headquarters. It's easy walking distance from Independence National Historical Park, the Penns Landing waterfront night life, South Street, Chinatown, and the Center City shops. And a short cab or subway ride takes you to City Hall and the Avenue of the Arts, the beautiful Benjamin Franklin Parkway with its museums, the Italian Market, and the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Elsewhere on these pages you'll find more information, designed to help you do some planning before you get to town. Once you arrive, we'll be on hand along with the folks from Philadelphia's Convention & Visitors Bureau and -- of course -- Cora Everett's headquarters team.

This is going to be fun.

Maybe even for me.

NCEW member Don Harrison is deputy editor of the Philadelphia Daily News opinion pages and chair of the 1993 convention.