ASBPE Chicago

July 28: Our Big Fat Greek Azbee Awards Reception

2011-06-10T23:20:00.004-05:00

Mark your date book or put this information in your PDA: July 28, 2011, is the date of this year’s Azbee Awards of Excellence celebration. The event will take place at Chicago’s Athena Greek Restaurant. Further details will be posted, but for now, pencil it in.

Date: July 28, 2011

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location:

Athena Greek Restaurant
212 S. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60661

Chicago ASBPE Chapter to Host Career Improvement Workshop October 1

2010-09-10T16:48:00.001-05:00

The Chicago Chapter of ASBPE will be hosting an All-Day Workshop on October 1. The workshop will focus on how editors can position themselves to be more marketable in their careers.

Marketing Yourself (The Editor/Journalist as Entrepreneur)
Learn how to market yourself as a journalist during this full-day session featuring speakers who have built themselves into their own brands. Whether you are a staff writer/editor or freelancer, employed or unemployed, you are welcome to join us for a day of practical sessions for survival in the changing world of publishing.

When: Friday, Oct. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan Ave., Room 401, Chicago
Cost: $10 for members; $20 for nonmembers
Plus: 3 raffle drawings, including one attendee chosen to win an iFlip camcorder

Sessions:

8:30-9 a.m. Registration and breakfast
9-9:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker Adrian Holovaty: Web developer, journalist and musician
10-10:45 a.m. Hot Skills to Maintain Your Marketability, featuring social media and job satisfaction gurus including Ryan Paugh and Shane Mac
11-11:45 a.m. Adapting to Multiple Platforms: Practical Tips on iPads, Social Media and More with Stephen Herner, Putman Media, and Matt Carmichael, Adage.com
Noon-1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15-2:15 p.m. Roundtable: Surviving a Volatile Marketplace

Open Google document to RSVP to the event.

Photos from the 2010 Azbee Banquet

2010-07-26T16:50:00.005-05:00

Here’s a photo of the folks from Realtor Magazine at last week’s Azbee Awards banquet at the Hotel Sax. More photos are posted on ASBPE's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ASBPE.

Also: see Nikki Golden’s post on the ASBPE National Blog, “Celebrating Success.”

July 22: National and Midwest-South Print Azbees

2010-06-29T12:25:00.007-05:00

The Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Business Publication Editors cordially invites you to the Azbee Awards of Excellence Banquet. We'll be giving out both national awards and and awards for the Midwest-South region.

Date: Thurs, July 22, 2010

Time: Cocktails & Networking at 6:00 p.m. Dinner & Awards at 7:30 p.m.

Location:

Hotel Sax
333 North Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60654 312.245.0333
(parking available)

Cost: $70 for each member (spouse/guest may attend at member rate); $80 for nonmembers

To register: Please fax or mail this registration form (29K Word doc) with your payment no later than July 16 to:

Betty Hintch
Fax: 847.483.9407
bhintch@briefingsmediagroup.com
(847) 483-9406
350 S. Newbury Place
Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Questions? Contact Chicago Chapter President Nikki Golden at lucy_njr@yahoo.com or (630) 204-7651.

See which publications are regional and national finalists (37K PDFs).

ASBPE Chicago Spring Networking Event May 20

2010-05-20T12:57:00.004-05:00

ASBPE Chicago is hosting networking event on May 20 in Schaumburg, Ill. Mingle with your fellow Chicago-area trade journalists and editors!

Entry includes free appetizers and a cash bar. This event is FREE to ASBPE members, $10 for nonmembers. (Join ASBPE today at www.asbpe.org or sign up on May 20 so that you can enjoy future networking events at no charge.)

Please bring business cards and copies of your magazine to share.

Date: May 20, 2010

Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Place:

Wildfire
1250 E. Higgins Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(847) 995-0100

Cost: Free for ASBPE members; $10 for nonmembers.

To attend: Please RSVP using this Google doc. Walk-ins are welcome, but we strongly encourage you to RSVP so we may plan properly for appetizers.

See you there!

All-day workshop Jan. 22: How do you tell your brand story?

2010-01-18T15:40:00.002-06:00

ASBPE Chicago will be hosting an all-day workshop Jan. 22 at Roosevelt University's Schaumburg campus.

The topic is: How do you tell your brand story?

Time: 8:30 a.m. registration

9:00-9:45 a.m. Through art: How the art/edit relationship creates your brand image
Panelists: Walt Boyes and Steve Herner, Putman Media
Bill Esler and Anne LoCascio, Reed Business Information

9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Break

10:00 to 10:45 a.m.: Through new media: Monetizing video, blogs and more
Panelists: Frank Alkyer, Music Inc.
Brian Summerfield, Realtor magazine

10:45 to 11:00 a.m.: Break

11:00 to 11:45 a.m.: Through leadership: Take ownership of your brand
Panelists: Mary Boltz Chapman, Reed Business Information
Zach Phillips, Music Inc.

11:45 a.m. to 12:45: Lunch and networking

1:00 to 3:45 p.m.: Roundtables

Panelists from the morning will lead roundtable discussions on their session topics. Each session will last 45 minutes so attendees have time to sit in on each topic.

3:45 to 4:00 p.m.: Wrap-up

Location:

Roosevelt Schaumburg
1400 North Roosevelt Boulevard
Schaumburg, IL 60174

Price: $25/members, $40/non-members

E-mail lucy_njr@yahoo.com for a registration form.

Midwest Regional Azbee Awards Banquet Is Wednesday, July 8

2009-06-25T12:21:00.003-05:00

Join us on Wednesday, July 8, at Petterino's restaurant in Chicago's theater district to honor the Midwest region winners of ASBPE's Azbee Awards of Excellence. You'll have a chance to chat with other business publication editors, art directors, and other staffers; then we'll present the awards and a slide show of the winning entries.

Full banquet details:

Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Time:

Cocktails and networking begin at 6:00 p.m.
Dinner and awards presentation start at 7:00 p.m.

Place:

Petterino's
150 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60601 
(312) 422-0150
(Valet parking is available.)
Map and directions

Cost: $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers. (A spouse or other guest may attend at the member rate.)

To register: Fax or mail a completed registration form (36K Word doc) to the contact listed on the form by July 3, 2009.

Questions? Contact Chicago chapter president Nikki Golden at (630) 204-7651.

Register now: Topics chosen for Do-it-yourself roundtable discussion

2009-05-27T16:42:00.005-05:00

ASBPE Chicago is pleased to invite you to its first Do-It-Yourself Roundtable discussion.

Why do-it-yourself? Because we realize that more heads are better than one, and what better way to learn than from your fellow publishing professionals! You pick the topics, we provide the moderators.

The format is simple: We will have four roundtables, each with its own topic and moderator to get the discussion rolling. After 45 minutes, we will switch, and you can go to another table (and topic) or stay where you are. Each moderator also will be taking notes, which we will then distribute via e-mail and the Chicago chapter blog after the meeting.In addition, we will have again have the option to continue the networking at lunch after the workshop.

The details:

When: June 5, 2009

Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon (we would like to start the roundtables promptly at 9 a.m. to get the full 45 minutes in at each table).

Where: Reed Business, 2000 Clearwater Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523

What topics will be covered:

Ethics in a Digital World

Social networking (How are you using it for your publication? What do you need to know about it to make you more marketable? What do you need to be careful of with using it to make sure you don't jeopardize your job?)

How to Create Your own Web site

How to Make Yourself More Invaluable--or Marketable (In today's business climate, the ones who keep their jobs or land new ones are the ones that demonstrate they're integral to the publication. What are you doing to demonstrate that value to your bosses or to potential bosses?)

Price: $15 for members/$20 for non-members

Click here to download a registration form. Register by Mon., June 1. Fax registrations to Betty Hintch at 847-483-9407. Or send via e-mail to: bhintch@briefingsmediagroup.com.

Networking will continue over a buy-your-own lunch at Houlihan's. Please indicate on your registration whether you will be joining us there so we can get a head count.

Questions? Contact Nikki Golden at lucy_njr@yahoo.com or 630.204.7651.

REGISTER NOW! June 5 Do-It-Yourself Roundtable Discussion

2009-04-01T20:28:00.011-05:00

ASBPE Chicago is pleased to invite you to its first Do-It-Yourself Roundtable discussion. Why do-it-yourself? Because we realize that more heads are better than one, and what better way to learn than from your fellow publishing professionals! You pick the topics, we provide the moderators.

The format is simple: We will have four roundtables, each with its own topic and moderator to get the discussion rolling. After 45 minutes, we will switch, and you can go to another table (and topic) or stay where you are. Each moderator also will be taking notes, which we will then distribute via e-mail and the Chicago chapter blog after the meeting.

In addition, we will have again have the option to continue the networking at lunch after the workshop.

The details:

When: June 5, 2009

Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon (we would like to start the roundtables promptly at 9 a.m. to get the full 45 minutes in at each table).

Where: Reed Business, 2000 Clearwater Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523

When: June 5, 2009

Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon (we would like to start the roundtables promptly at 9 a.m. to get the full 45 minutes in at each table).

Where: Reed Business, 2000 Clearwater Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523

Price: $15 for members/$20 for non-members

Click here to download a registration form. Register by Mon., June 1.

Networking will continue over a buy-your-own lunch at Houlihan's. Please indicate on your registration whether you will be joining us there so we can get a head count.

Use this poll to choose your topics--poll closes Friday, May 15!

Chicago Women in Publishing for "The Freelance Edge: Maximizing Your Potential as an Independent Contractor"

2009-03-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

Join Chicago Women in Publishing for "The Freelance Edge: Maximizing Your Potential as an Independent Contractor" this Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m.!

In today’s uncertain economy, could now actually be the BEST time to work for yourself? Whether you’re a longtime independent, a beginner, or just mulling over the possibilities, come to this special expanded Wednesday night program for a dose of information and inspiration.

Featuring two tracks—one for new/aspiring freelancers and one for experienced freelancers—the program will provide important marketplace insights as well as tips on creatively marketing your services, managing your finances, and growing your business. (See below for a full program schedule)

Wednesday, March 18 • 6:00-9:00 p.m.
National-Louis University
122 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago
Room 4012-14

Don’t miss it—register today!
Register online at www.cwip.org, by phone at 773.508.0351, or by check payable to CWIP, P.O. Box 268107, Chicago, IL 60626

CWIP members: $10 • Nonmembers: $15 • Students with ID: $10
CWIP Premium Members: Free (registration still required)

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

6:00–6:30 p.m.
Registration and networking

6:30–7:00 p.m.
Welcome and opening address: State of the Freelance Market

7:00–7:45 p.m.
PANEL A [New/Aspiring]
I’ve Got My Business Cards… Now What? Finding Your First (and Second, and Third) Client
PANEL B [Experienced]
Innovative Marketing: Building on Your Success

7:45–8:00 p.m.
Refreshment break/networking

8:00–8:45 p.m.
PANEL A [New/Aspiring]
Freelancing 101: Finance and Business Issues
PANEL B [Experienced]
Taking the Next Step: Growing Your Business

8:45–9:00 p.m.
Wrap-up, door prize drawing, and bonus takeaway handout

Ethical Journalism in a Digital World

2009-03-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Headline Club is sponsoring the workshop with the help of Loyola
University's School of Communication and SPJ-Loyola Student Chapter.

WHEN: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 14

WHERE: Beane Hall, on the 13th floor of Loyola University's Lewis Tower, 820
N. Michigan Ave. (Entrance is to the north, on Pearson Street.)

HOW MUCH: Free for Headline Club members, $25 for nonmembers, $5 for
students. Join Society of Professional Journalists/Chicago Headline Club and
be admitted free. Payment will be accepted at the door.

RSVP: By noon Friday; call (312) 553-0393 or e-mail chc.kathy@gmail.com

Robert M. Steele and Al Tompkins, two Poynter ethics and multimedia
applications experts, will lead the workshop that will explore the
increasing use of digital information and the possible pitfalls.

Local journalists joining them include: Wes Bleed, news director for WGN-AM;
Nicole Dizon, news editor for the Chicago bureau of The Associated Press;
Steve Edwards, acting program director for WBEZ-FM; Ron Gleason, director of
news and programming for WBBM Newsradio – 780; Jeff Kiernan, CBS 2’s new
news director; Anne Swaney, executive producer, online operations for ABC 7
Chicago; Norm Parrish, night editor for the Chicago Sun-Times; Frank
Whittaker, vice president of news and station manager of NBC 5; and Don
Wycliff, former public editor of the Chicago Tribune.

Steele and Tompkins will involve the audience of journalists, bloggers and
students in an interactive discussion of privacy and copyright issues,
documentation of research, video usage, Twitter and Facebook and how to
maintain credibility and integrity across all platforms. The workshop will
be interactive so that participants can join in on discussions, case
studies, role-playing and other exercises.

How do you remain relevant?

2009-02-19T13:16:00.005-06:00

The recent news about New York, American Media and Hatchette Filpacchi Media forgoing membership in the Magazine Publishers of America, brought to my mind a variety of thoughts.

1) How do associations that cater to publishing remain relevant in a time when the publishing environment is so tough?

2) How do we as writers/editors/graphic designers/Web editors, etc. ensure our publications remain relevant to our particular niche when the economic environment is so tough?

3) Do these departures signal anything in terms of changes in the advertising environment and a breakdown, maybe breakdown is too strong of a word, but a lessening of the advertising/editorial divide that remains a large part of cornerstone of editorial integrity the MPA is partially responsible for upholding? And if it is, is that a larger signal that the ethical rules need to be rewritten to reflect the current environment that looks as if it's here to stay?

I don't have many answers to these, but I'm sure collectively we do.

This year's National Editorial Conference will have several sessions that will help attendees answer my second questions, including:

Innovative responses to today's troubling times
How to keep your print publication relevant in a digital age
Ways to sell your ideas to company executives

The meeting is set for July 15-17 in Washington, D.C.

And to address the influx of digital properties being added to your publication's mix, ASBPE has added a special Digital Conference, to be held in San Francisco Nov. 5.

You can find more information on both of these conferences under the Conference tab (left side of the Web page) on www.asbpe.org

But we'd love to hear from you about what we (ASBPE) can do even better and some ideas you've been applying at your respective publications to address some of these issues.

ASBPE Chicago to host February 19 Networking Event

2009-01-13T17:21:00.005-06:00

Be sure to join The Chicago Chapter of ASBPE at its winter networking event on February 19.

Event Details:

Elephant & Castle (private room), 111 West Adams Street, Chicago, 60603

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Free to ASBPE Chicago members, $10 to non-members
Heavy appetizers, cash bar.
table available for a magazine swap/business card swap if anyone cares to bring their publication.

Learn more or RSVP to the event by clicking here.

From ASBPE National Blog: Chicago Produces Top-Notch Member Programs

2008-11-20T06:10:00.003-06:00

This blog post is also appearing on the ASBPE National Blog as well.

By Roy Harris ASPBE Past President

Several ASBPE chapters are known for their powerful program planning. But it would be hard to top the work done by the Chicago chapter in designing this month's half-day workshop titled "B2B Survival Strategies for Difficult Economic Times."

Featured speakers at the Nov. 7, program, held at Columbia College in the Loop, were Marina Dock Age and Boat & Motor Dealer editor Peter Gallanis discussed how to use interns to your greatest advantage. Addressing multiplatform editorial strategies were Telephony editor-in-chief Carol Wilson, Time Out Chicago web editor Scott Smith and Pierce Hollingsworth, president of his own marketing consultancy. Just seeing a variety of websites up on the screen and the different way editors handle making them work for readers helped produce insights.

Carol's dedication to devoting slower afternoon hours to getting stories ready for early-morning runs, for example, pays off by giving other outlets good material from her site to be picked up during the day. That brings Telephony an extra promotional benefit from such stories.

As impressive as the firepower that Chicago leaders called in to discuss survival, though, was the careful thought that they gave to the program lineup. By making the first topic of the day ethics—the discussion I was honored to moderate—they took note of how vital it is that publications maintain the trust of their readers, especially when times are hard and the financial challenges are greatest.

It was clear to all the attendees—when the examples started pouring in during the Q&A—that newsroom ethics are far more than window-dressing. And that editors are the ones on the spot, not just for training writers in ethical behavior, but for confronting publishers who may be tempted to go over the edge when advertiser pressures mount. It is more and more important, in fact, as the advertising dollar looks to some companies like the ultimate goal, whereas we know that the goal must continue to be reader service.

I was proud to be able to point out in Chicago that ASBPE's redesign of our ethics code has provided useful guidelines for editors to follow in examining ethical questions and finding answers to practical questions. The proof has been in the response we've had since we installed a redesigned ethics program that uses a standing Advisory Committee to deal with inquiries reflecting real-life quandaries. We now get answers back to member questions within three days, and stand ready to back them up with their publishers, if that's required. And I was glad that the 30 attendees seemed so eager to learn how the code has been working of late under its new committee chairperson, Spring Suptic. The one-word answer: effectively.

For chapters seeking a model for programming, I suggest getting in touch with Chicago Chapter President Nikki Golden, or with Vice President Erin Erickson, who managed the program so well. Congratulations, Chicago.

Roy Harris is senior editor of CFO magazine.

Peter Gallanis Intern Presentation from Nov. 7 Workshop

2008-11-12T07:14:00.003-06:00

Peter Gallanis' presentation on Creating and Implementing a Successful Internship Program is now available via:

Blog Referral: Eat Sleep Publish Offers Journalists Tips for Using Twitter

2008-11-11T11:29:00.004-06:00

Business expert Guy Kawasaki posted this article on his Twitter stream today from the site eat sleep publish:

Twitter to journalists: Here’s how it’s done

The article offers great tips for those journalists using Twitter as well as other social media sites (You're using at least one of them, right?).

From the article, "In two hours, we discussed everything from how to search for groups on Facebook to all the reasons it’s so important for journalists to come out from behind their byline, go where their readers are, and talk to them."

What are you waiting for? Read the article and jump on the Twitter bandwagon.

Follow ASBPE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/asbpe

How to reach digital natives

2008-11-10T14:24:00.001-06:00

This article, “Digital-Marketing Series: 9 Ways to Reach Digital Natives (and the Rest of Us, Too)” by Ann Handley on MarketingProfs has some really good information that can be used to aid us in publishing more effectively for the next generation.
Her nine suggestions are:
1) Offer or sponsor online research tools
2) Constantly refresh content
3) Create content to share
4) This one is really aimed more at marketers, suggesting that they throw out marketing speak.
5) Find ways to include video and/or audio
6) Foster brand loyalty
7) Monitor the conversation and participate in it
8) Be transparent
9) Be prepared for the worst

I’ll let you read the explanations for yourself, but I’d be interested to know what magazines are doing out there that might fall under one of these eight.

Websites mentioned in Nov. 7 ASBPE Workshop

2008-11-07T15:29:00.005-06:00

As promised, the the following websites were referenced during the Nov. 7 workshop, "B2B Survival Strategies for Difficult Economic Times"

From Roy:
ASBPE Ethics Guidelines: http://www.asbpe.org/about/asbpe-ethics-guide-june2008.pdf
ASBPE Ethics Advisories: http://www.asbpe.org/ethics/ethics-advisories.htm
Pulizter's Gold: http://www.pulitzersgold.com/

From Scott:
http://www.ipc.org
http://www.foliomag.com/
http://www.csemag.com/

From Carol:
http://www.telephonyonline.com/
http://www.reel-exchange.com/
http://supermarketnews.com/

Registration Form for Fall Workshop Now Available

2008-10-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

Registration is now open for "B2B Survival Strategies for Difficult Economic Times”

Friday, November 7
9 a.m.-Noon
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan Ave., Room 401
Chicago

To register for the November 7 workshop, please click this link to download and save the registration form.

Where does innovation come from?

2008-10-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

A lot of people I know work in publishing, and it’s inevitable that when we get together, we discuss our jobs and our magazines. A lot of my friends have some really good ideas—ideas about new supplements, ideas to utilize their Web sites, create videos, do trade show coverage at their magazine’s booth, etc. But it never seems that those ideas get implemented at their publications. The reason: It won’t garner any additional revenue, and as editors, we are not really trained to put a dollar amount on our audience growing and perhaps attracting new advertisers.

A lot of time, new initiatives come, only half fleshed out, from the advertising sales department, in response to something an advertiser would like to see to purchase an ad against.

This is counterintuitive to the way the process should work. After all, magazines without an audience wouldn’t exist. So how does an editor learn to monetize his/her idea?

FOLIO 2008 Recap: Social Bookmarking Sites that can Boost Your Online Presence

2008-09-30T08:39:00.004-05:00

Social Bookmarking is the new "It Girl" for online journalism in 2008.

From Digg to Delicious, social bookmarking gets your name and your brand in front of millions of eyes without much effort.

Exactly what is social bookmarking? Per Wikipedia, "Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web pages on the Internet with the help of metadata."

Boiled down, it's the "Email This" or "Share This" option you see on a lot of online news stories these days. I've you've ever e-mailed a friend or a collegue a story, you've committed social bookmarking.

But we can't all spend our days "E-Mail(ing) this" to our friends and family in hopes of raising your site traffic. What you can do, is become part of the myriad social bookmarking sites which include:

Digg (http://www.digg.com)
Reddit (http://www.reddit.com)
StumbleUpon (http://www.stumbleupon.com)
Del.icio.us (http://www.del.icio.us.com)
Furl (http://www.furl.com)

FOLIO 2008 Recap: Free Online Tools To Improve Your Website

2008-09-26T13:57:00.006-05:00

If you or your web folks are trying to figure out what easy, and free, applications they can use to improve reader engagement on your magazine's website, consider this list from last week's FOLIO:2008 Session "Inside the Ultimate E-media Toolbox" with speakers Evan Hansen, Editor-in-Chief, Wired.com; Joe Pulizzi, Founder and Chief Content Officer, Junta42, and Justin Reid, Online Technical Producer, Dwell.com.

1. Evan Hansen, Editor-in-Chief, Wired.com > User engagement tools
PollDaddy.com – polling software
Wikinvest.com - stockcharts
Springwidgets.com – create widgets, pull in feeds
Reddit.com – Social Networking news traffic
WikiScanner – find edits made to wikipedia.org
ZeeMaps.com – Improves Googlemaps, allows for notations and customization
Dipity.com – User Interface tool; data feeds; create timelines

2. Joe Pulizzi, Founder and Chief Content Officer, Junta42
From Junta42 "Junta42 is a search community site focused on content marketing and custom publishing solutions"
Consider Google Custom Search for finding and posting topical content
Pligg.com -- Per its site, Pligg "is an open source Content Management System (CMS) available to download for free"; it’s also a digg.com type site that can be integrated with custom search
Technorati.com
BoardReader.com
TwitterSearch.com

3. Justin Reid, Online Technical Producer, Dwell.com
Feedburner.com is a free application to monitor site feed metrics
Twitter.com
Tweetburner.com
FriendFeed.com (FriendFeed helps you discover and discuss interesting stuff that your friends and family find on the web)

TABPI/ASBPE Magazine Critique Service is back!

2008-08-26T20:39:00.003-05:00

TABPI and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) are joining together to promote and further develop the Magazine Critique Service (MCS), a program intended as a first step for B2B magazines interested in gauging their current performance. The MCS allows editors to get feedback from some of the most respected editors working in b2b journalism today, and benefit from their colleague-to-colleague analysis of what's working and what can be improved.

Not all magazines - especially smaller ones - can afford a full-blown revamp. The MCS provides objective, outside analyses that can show the decision makers in an organization how to take content to the next level. Magazines participating in the MCS will have three reviewers give detailed feedback on specific editorial and design aspects of the publication. TABPI and ASBPE will provide a report to the editor, who can thoroughly review the results with the editorial and design staff.

How the MCS works

You submit two recent issues of your publication. A team of editors and designers examine them. Two editors and one designer review each submission, so you'll get a variety of opinions.

You receive a report with detailed feedback on specific editorial and design aspects of your publication. Carefully reviewing the MCS report with your entire staff allows your publication to brainstorm over what's working and what needs improvement.

All submissions for the MCS must be received on or about October 1st, 2008. The average processing time will be 8-10 weeks from the time materials are received. Complete details on the program, along with a submission form and two sample critiques, are available on the TABPI Web site, at http://www.tabpi.org/mcs as well as at the ASBPE Web site, http://www.asbpe.org. Visit either site to view a sample report.

Based in Cleveland, Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) is a worldwide organization dedicated to bringing together editors working for English-language publications worldwide, and encourage a common dedication to editorial ethics and excellence.

Selling out to advertisers the new way of the world

2008-08-20T16:38:00.002-05:00

To anyone who has felt that the line between editorial and advertising has become blurred in the business-to-business media, take heart—it’s happening on mainstream TV, too.

The Olympics always have been an occasion where companies spend beaucoup bucks to promote their products and their products’ ability to promote world unity and peace, but this year’s broadcast more than ever seems to be filled with those types of sponsorships you know were created to fill NBC’s coffers. Chevy’s Gold Medal Moments is the big one that jumps to mind.

But I wonder if this sort of pandering to potential advertisers—and by pandering, I mean creating vehicles for them to sponsor based on their needs and not the needs of the audience—is as obvious to the average Joe as it is to an editor who has had to create something that doesn’t necessarily further the mission of the magazine but instead brings in some extra dollars.

And if it is getting to be as obvious to the public at large, will there be a public outcry for change. I can’t be the only person who’s annoyed by the constant disruption during sporting events for this or that being brought to you by some company.

But back to my original point: does what you see in the mainstream media, both print and online, make you feel any better about the position many B2B editors fall into, with having to create sponsorship opportunities for advertisers that might not necessarily be in the best interest of the readers?

ASBPE Midwest Chapter honors 2008 regional award winners

2008-07-18T07:38:00.003-05:00

The ASBPE Midwest-South chapter held its award banquet on July 17, 2008 honoring regional award winners.

Click here to see the list of 2008 Midwest Regional Award Winners

Congratulations to everyone who won!