E-News : June 17, 2008

News of the Week

Beat the Summer Heat NEXT MONDAY at ABM's Media Mixer

Looking for something sure to help you shake a case of the “Mondays?” Join ABM for its second-ever Media Mixer next Monday, June 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Bar 12 in New York City, and cool down over cocktails while mixing and mingling with other young professionals. Take advantage of extended happy hour rates, which include $4 Bud/Bud Light/Coors, $5 well drinks and $6 frozen cocktails.

Invite your friends, colleagues and even your secret office crush to this casual networking event. Whether you’re seeking cocktails, connections or a new career path – or simply an excuse to venture out after a long Monday – this mixer is one you don’t want to miss! RSVP to Lauren Gabriele at l.gabriele@abmmail.com or 212-661-6360 x 3322, to ensure you’re one of the first to attend an ABM Media Mixer in New York this summer!

For more information about ABM’s initiatives for young professionals, check out our Facebook group and “Outside the Cube” video series.

ABM Welcomes New Committee & Council Coordinator

American Business Media is pleased to announce the appointment of recent college graduate Megan Andrews as the Association’s new committee & council coordinator.

Responsible for managing half of ABM’s committees and councils and assisting with their various events and projects, Megan will serve as the liaison between ABM and its committee members. She will also assist CMO Mark Rothman with research-related projects and reports.

“I could not be more pleased to have Megan on board as ABM's committee & council coordinator,” said John Holden, SVP of business media services. “She is bright, very well spoken and lights up a room when she enters.”

Megan recently graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Business Honor Society.

ABM President/CEO Hughes Named to Tradeshow Week's 2008 Power Pack

American Business Media is proud to announce that President & CEO Gordon T. Hughes II was recently included in Tradeshow Week’s 2008 Power Pack, a list of the 100 most influential people in the exhibition business.

Hughes’ feature reads:

“B-to-B media's in the midst of upheaval, with print advertising dollars dissolving into thin air and the move to online becoming more and more imminent for any company that hopes to stay around. Watching over this industry in transition is Hughes in his role as the head of the organization that is the go-to place for anything and everything to do with B-to-B media. Almost since the day he became CEO of ABM in 2000 (he's been president of the organization since 1994), Hughes has pushed his members to get into the events and tradeshow business in an effort to better serve their customers, whose horizons have expanded way beyond the era in which the organization was called American Business Publishing. With 25 years of advertising experience under his belt, he has the know-how to guide his members onto the Web and into face-to-face marketing.”

View Tradeshow Week’s complete list here.

Click here to join American Business Media on Facebook!

New Member Profile

American Business Media is proud to welcome the following member, approved by the Association's board of directors during its Spring Meeting in La Quinta, CA.

International Advertising Association (Sister)

The International Advertising Association is an unprecedented international network in more than 70 countries with 4,000 individual members across corporate, marketing services, organizational and academic sectors – all involved in the branding, communications and marketing disciplines. The IAB boasts 56 corporate members, 57 accredited institutes and 27 organizational members.

For more information, visit www.iaaglobal.org.

ABM Resources

2008 Sales Compensation Study

American Business Media’s Human Resources and Publishers Committees recently sponsored an important industry study to find out which sales compensation structures are in practice among ABM media members. A joint effort by both committees, the ABM Sales Compensation Study was conducted by Harvey Research, Inc. and includes significant findings such as:

59.7% of respondents describe the type of sales compensation structure in place for print for the brand(s) as: Salary plus commission, followed by Salary plus commission plus performance bonus (37.5%);
Just over half of respondents (52.8%) believe sales for print should be compensated differently than sales for digital and events; and
20.9% of salespeople receive an annual salary adjustment based upon their previous year’s total earnings.

Click here to access the full report or contact John Holden for more information.

eMedia Update

Dragonfly and Tremor Media Build Global Video Portal
Join this state-of-the-art video portal and monetization platform for ABM members

Dragonfly and Tremor Media are proud to announce the creation of Global Business Media-TV (GBM-TV), a video portal for the business information community worldwide. The objective of this new venture is to develop a central repository of valuable business video, including interviews with industry leaders, information about innovative products and processes, and a forum to share leading-edge ideas. The site will be supported by advertising, and net revenues on video content will be shared with all participants. It is free to join for all ABM members. Dragonfly, an Internet videosite solutions provider, designs and builds custom Internet video portals for enterprises and media publishers with an emphasis on quality, control, flexibility and real-world statistics.

Dragonfly has been providing ABM’s homepage video for almost two years. The company is partnering with Tremor Media, a leading video advertising network, to build out this world-class content delivery and advertising portal. Tremor Media provides advertisers with both in-banner and in-stream video advertising opportunities on more than 800 top-tier publisher sites with nearly 100 million unique visitors per month.

GBM-TV is an opportunity to attach a video face to your brands and engage a much wider audience. In addition, your company will share ad revenues generated by the site. ABM is committed to keeping all members up-to-date with the latest developments in monetizing their products, and we hope you will see the value in this latest initiative.

To participate, describe your interest in an e-mail to support@dragonfly.com. Dragonfly will then provide video specifications and request descriptive phrases for Search Engine Optimization, etc. ABM members may submit up to 5 to 10 videos (each 1-5 minutes long) in the highest quality possible, HD preferred. Submitted videos will be reviewed and posted in high-quality format by a group of experts from ABM, Dragonfly and Tremor Media. Selections will be made to represent the best in business media as well as a cross section of company types and sizes. We are planning to launch the GBM-TV video portal globally this September.

For additional information, contact support@dragonfly.com.

What's Motivating the Industry's New Investors?

What’s the outlook for the M&A activity in light of the economic conditions affecting the marketplace? This Wednesday morning, the ABM Video Network turns the spotlight on four experts from the M&A space to get a better sense of the some of the factors that will impact b-to-b media investors operating in the current economic cycle.

Jeffrey Stevenson, managing partner of private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson, moderates a panel of experts that includes Gordon Crovitz, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal; Michael Hannon, managing director of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC; and Phillip Thompson, general partner of Alta Communications.

Tune in for highlights of this insightful M&A discussion from a panel of professionals who represent large, medium and smaller business media companies in the transaction game.

Visit www.AmericanBusinessMedia.com anytime, or just click on “B2B’s New Owners” in the list of videos beneath the Dragonfly player on ABM’s homepage, to watch our content when and how you want!

Remember: Watching the ABM Video Network requires you to update to version 9 of Adobe’s Flash Player. And it’s easy to download: Just click here to access the update and download it to your computer!

ABM Event Report

Business Information: The Imperative Revenue Stream
Learn how to enhance value and build profit this Wednesday in NYC

The countdown’s almost over! American Business Media’s Business Information Imperative event comes to New York City this Wednesday, June 18, and it’s not too late to register! Join your fellow ABM members and industry leaders at this 3/4-day program, where topics include:

Modeling for Success: Making Money with Rich Data
Turning Buying Guides into Business Information
Moving Into the Transaction Flow
Monetizing Surveys and Audience Market Research
New Software Tools

and much more!

We’ve tightened the program, included breakfast and lunch, and we've even lowered the price, so there’s no excuse to pass up this opportunity! Our agenda is packed with powerful speakers like Heather Mikisch, publisher of Managing Automation; Chuck Richard, VP and lead analyst at Outsell, Inc.; and Megan St. John, managing director of Infocommerce Group.

There are myriad business models to pursue, each with its own distribution and operational structure. So start your summer off right and find out how business information/rich data can be an important new addition to your portfolio.

Click here to register or for more information.

ABM’s Business Information Imperative is sponsored by Convera and The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.

Become a B-to-B Leader in Custom Media

Wikipedia defines “custom media” as a marketing term referring broadly to the development, production and delivery of media (print, digital, events, etc.) designed to strengthen the relationship between the sponsor of the medium and the medium's audience. Recent research by Junta42 and BtoB magazine confirms that business marketers are spending approximately 30% of their total marketing budgets for 2008 on the creation and execution of custom content, while Forrester Research says 90% of all business purchasing decisions begin on the Web.

All this means that content MUST be the center of b-to-b marketing strategies. So how are marketing professionals adjusting to this new reality? And how should publishers adapt to capitalize on these new revenue streams? Find out on July 16 at ABM’s Custom Media Breakfast: B-to-B Leaders in Content in New York City, where you’ll hear from industry leaders like Cat Moriarty, editor of Deliver Magazine and advocate of Direct Mail programs for the U.S. Postal Service, about maximizing the power of your content.

Cat is dedicated to the large business sector, developing marketing strategies to help senior-level direct marketers and advertising agencies maximize their integrated communications using USPS products and services. She implements campaigns based on increasing consideration and use of Direct Mail utilizing personalization and database management with the inclusion of environmentally friendly processes. Cat’s focus is to grow and retain USPS customers by demonstrating the power of Direct Mail in maximizing brand loyalty, creating and sustaining customer retention and, just as important, in creating customer engagement.

Don’t miss out on this limited-attendance breakfast event, where you’ll hear how Moriarty and some of the best-known brand leaders in b-to-b are creating, executing and measuring their own content strategies and how you can use them in your own markets. Click here to register or for more event information.

The Custom Media Breakfast is sponsored by FAST and Fry Communications.

Is Your Work Up to Their Standards?

American Business Media’s 2008 Creative Excellence in Business Advertising (CEBA) Awards, celebrating the best and brightest in business media advertising, are now accepting submissions! Access the online Call for Entries here, and enter your most creative work by June 30, 2008.

Judges for the 2008 CEBA Awards include:

Kathy Delaney, Global Chief Creative Officer, Nitro
Mark DiMassimo, Founder/CEO/Chief Brand Officer, DiMassimo Goldstein
Lynn Giordano, Chief Creative Officer, Gotham Inc.
Todd Heyman, Executive Creative Director for Direct Marketing, North America, OgilvyOne
Marc Lucas, Group Creative Director, Avenue A | Razorfish
Michael Prieve, Chief Creative Officer, Doremus New York
Don Schneider, EVP/Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York
Tom Stein, President/CEO/Founding Partner, Stein Rogan + Partners

To read all about the 2008 judges, click here.

Advertisers are encouraged to celebrate the strength of their brand (past winners include GE, IBM and 3M Dental); agencies will be recognized for their excellence in creative business advertising (past winners include BBDO, Ogilvy One and Carmichael Lynch); and publishers will showcase their advertisers (past winners include Nielsen Business Media, Reed Business Information and Crain Communications).

Celebrating outstanding business advertising achievements in publications, digital media and face-to-face events, the CEBAs are business media’s most coveted creative award, offering a $25,000 grand prize, drawing thousands of entries and enhancing relationships among advertisers, agencies and publishers.

Winners will be announced during the 2008 CEBA Award ceremony on Wednesday, October 1, at the Allen Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street in New York City. Find out more about the grand history of the CEBA Awards at www.CEBA-Awards.com, and be sure to download a copy of the 2008 CEBA Call for Entries while you're there. The $25,000 grand prize is going to someone … Why shouldn't it be you?

Government Affairs

Important CAN-SPAM Update!
New regulations take effect July 7

The FTC recently released updated rules regarding the U.S. Federal anti-spam law, CAN-SPAM. As of July 7, 2008, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 will require that any and all unsubscribe processes be unencumbered by passwords or log-in requirements.

Unsubscribe processes may request only the recipient’s e-mail address and any opt-out preference changes associated with their subscribed address. Any unsubscribe process that requires a recipient to provide more information, or interact with more than a single Web page, is prohibited. ABM’s e-mail communications will be affected by these new rules.

Click here for complete details or to view a CAN-SPAM webinar.

Marketing & Media Buying

B-to-B Research Study Continues to Generate Interest

The recently-conducted Forrester consulting study, commissioned by American Business Media, has generated more than 44,000 total visits and 9,000-plus downloads. Thousands of b-to-b media professionals are benefiting from this critical research study … So what are you waiting for?

The study simultaneously examined more than 800 marketers who operate in the business media space and 800 end-users to provide an incredibly accurate and insightful assessment of the current state and value of b-to-b media. It’s one of the most comprehensive studies ever done in the business media space, and industry professionals are finding it an invaluable tool for analyzing the trends and impact of b-to-b media on both end users/decision-makers and marketers.

ABM’s Forrester consulting study conveys just how important industry-specific media properties are. Find below six versions of the study available to best fit your specific needs:

Also take advantage of our webinar tutorial and learn how to best utilize the study’s findings, especially valuable during this time of economic uncertainty. Act now and access this important industry research, or contact Richard Bertin at r.bertin@abmmail.com for more information.

The Importance of Advertising During Times of Economic Uncertainty ... It's a Fact

Despite concerns about a recession, over 70% of marketers indicate they will either hold or increase their marketing budgets during 2008.*

That’s just one of many significant findings from American Business Media’s recently-produced PowerPoint presentation, “The Importance and Value of B2B Advertising During Times of Economic Uncertainty.”

ABM recognizes that some marketers are concerned about investing in advertising during this current period of economic uncertainty. To address these concerns, this presentation summarizes the wealth of data that has been accumulated over time, clearly demonstrating that companies who either steadily continued or aggressively increased their advertising experienced overall growth as well as continual growth past the period of economic uncertainty.

* BtoB online survey of 684 business-to-business marketers, January/February 2008

Top Media Moves

ALM Media’s The American Lawyer has launched a new e-newsletter, the “Am Law Litigation Daily,” which highlights breaking developments, top stories and personalities related to court cases around the country. The free newsletter is written for litigators, corporate counsel and others interested in tracking filings, significant developments, verdicts and settlements related to major lawsuits.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau officially released Digital Video In-Stream Ad Metrics Definitions, a set of guidelines created by the IAB's Digital Video Committee to improve the reporting of metrics for advertising agencies and marketers by providing consistency across multiple media partners.

United Business Media is considering a merger with academic and scientific information and events company Informa.

CIT Group said it has secured $3 billion of financing from Goldman Sachs.

Hoover’s announced the addition of millions of business professional contacts to its business database, procured from an unnamed third party.

Event Calendar

The ABM/FIPP B-TO-B World Conference
September 7-9, 2008, New York City

For the first time ever, the world of B-to-B hits the Big Apple! Join American Business Media (ABM) and the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) from September 7-9, 2008 when a melting pot of industry leaders gather in New York City to learn and discuss the latest b-to-b media applications. Exchange ideas with global business media executives to significantly increase your revenue and profits when the ABM/FIPP B-to-B World Conference comes to The Roosevelt Hotel this fall.

Attendees will include approximately 500 worldwide business media leaders, of which a large number will be from (but not limited to) Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim, South America and Africa. Interactive sessions will address rich data, custom publishing, licensing and partnering, integrated selling success, the face-to-face experience and much more!

Click here for more information …

Need visa information? Click here.

Member Event of the Week

FAST Webcast -
B2B Vertical Search: Enabling Information Discovery and Decision Making for an Industry Community
June 17, 2008, Your Desktop
Click here to find out more.

To see your event featured here, please contact us at info@abmmail.com.

Job of the Week

Associate Circulation Manager, NewBay Media

Blog of the Week

GUEST BLOGS: SPRING MEETING

Committee Watch

The following is a list of upcoming ABM Committee and Council meetings. All meetings are at ABM's New York offices, and time listed is EST, unless otherwise noted.

Business Development Committee

Monday, June 23, 2008, 3:00 PM EST

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