October 26, 2004

SEE THE YEAR'S BEST B-TO-B ADS
The best business-to-business ads are not only informative, but highly creative and engaging as well. For proof, look no farther than the winners of the 9th Annual Creative Excellence in Business Advertising (CEBA) Awards, which are now online at http://www.ceba2004.com/. Visit the online gallery to read about the winning ads (including the FM Global ad pictured above) and to view them up close.

Some of the CEBA Award winners were featured in the September issue of Business Media Matters, ABM's monthly e-newsletter for the advertising community. The October issue, which will be e-mailed to subscribers later this week, will highlight two more CEBA winners. (To sign up for Business Media Matters, visit this URL.)

Start thinking about which b-to-b ads you should enter for the 2005 CEBA Awards, slated for next fall! Contact Miriam Tomaselli for more information.

ADVERTISING AGE NAMES MARY BERNER
" PUBLISHING EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR"
At the American Magazine Conference taking place this week in Boca Raton, Fla., Advertising Age named Mary Berner its "Publishing Executive of the Year." Berner has been president and CEO of Fairchild Publications since November 1999, and is credited with transforming the company into a publishing powerhouse. Among her achievements: focusing on core properties that included Fairchild's b-to-b titles, which experienced growth even during the ad recession.

"Mary's leadership has created a culture of people who have high expectations for high performance," said Michael DeBartolo, ABM board member and executive vp of Fairchild's b-to-b division. "She has fostered an entrepreneurial culture that is both people-right and market-right for thriving in the markets we serve."

Prior to taking the helm at Fairchild, Berner was a vice president at Condé Nast and publisher of Glamour magazine. She has also been a senior executive at TV Guide, Success and Working Woman. She started her career in advertising sales at Citizen Group Publications in 1981.

HOT TOPIC: THE EDITOR AS BRAND MANAGER
Editors-more than anyone else at a publication-have a deep understanding of their audience's needs. Today's most successful b-to-b editors have used their enlightened perspective to create more dynamic brands in print, in person and online.

The changing role of the editor will be a topic of discussion at the Top Management Meeting, on Nov. 15-17 at the Westin Chicago River North. Hear from a panel of four editors--including Sid Holt of Adweek and Aric Press of The American Lawyer--who thought beyond the printed page and, in so doing, championed profitable brand extensions for their magazines.

The 2004 Top Management Meeting's theme is "Roadmap for Your Business." You can access the complete Top Management Meeting agenda and registration form here. Please note that ABM's hotel room block at the Westin is now full. If you have not yet made your hotel reservations, we suggest you call the Westin anyway, as some rooms may have become available.

B-TO-B MARKETING DAY IS NOV. 18 IN CHICAGO
In this era of reduced advertising budgets, how do you create marketing solutions that work? What makes an effective integrated communications program? How do you gauge the success of a b-to-b marketing campaign?

These questions will be tackled by the advertising and media communities at B-to-B Marketing Day, slated for Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Westin River North in Chicago. Featured speakers will include Jerry Dow, managing director for worldwide marketing at United Airlines; Gary Slack, CEO of b-to-b ad agency Slack Barshinger; and Susan Kimmel-Lines, vp-global marketing for Freescale Semiconductor. For an agenda or to register, visit this URL.

B-to-B Marketing Day is sponsored by Primedia Business Magazines & Media, Reed Business Information, VNU Business Media and Advanstar. For more information, contact Jane O'Connor at 212.661.6360 x3332.

Committee Updates:
ABM COMMITTEES RAISE B-TO-B MEDIA'S VISIBILITY
More than 500 business media professionals across all disciplines participate in ABM's various Committees and Councils. Always a source of vital expertise--and a key benefit of ABM membership--these groups make significant contributions to industry thinking on a wide range of critical issues. Here are brief updates on two of the Committees.

Educational Services
To encourage young talent to pursue careers in the b-to-b media industry, this Committee holds University Forums--talks by business media professionals--at top schools nationwide. The next Forum will be at Ohio University on Tuesday, October 26. Alex DeBarr, executive vp at Advanstar Communications and Ohio University graduate, will moderate the panel discussion. Panelists will include Mary Abood, vp communications and investor relations at Penton Media; Michael DeLuca, Advanstar's director of business development; Mark Kuhar, editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry; and John Holden, ABM's senior vp business media services. To learn more about this Committee, visit ABM's website or contact Peter Loibl.

PR/Corporate Communications
After two sold-out events in New York, the Committee brought its successful "B-to-B Meets the Press" series to Chicago. "B-to-B Meets the Press" is all about raising the visibility of our industry in the general news media. Speakers at the Chicago event, held at The Chicago Tribune headquarters on Oct. 5th, included the midwest bureau chiefs of CNBC and Fox News, a correspondent for CNNfn, as well as business reporters from the Financial Times, Crain's Chicago Business and the Tribune. (Transcripts of the first two "B-to-B Meets the Press" events are available for purchase from ABM's online store.)

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Contact American Business Media for more information on any of these events. Remember: ALL employees of ABM member companies are ABM members, and thus automatically qualify for member rates on all of our events!

International Licensing & Partnering, November 3
Attendance at this comprehensive seminar is very limited, so register today. Topics will include choosing an international partner, contract terms, and digital opportunities.

Top Management Meeting, November 15-17
Join 200 b-to-b media leaders at the Westin Chicago River North. This year's theme is "Roadmap for Your Business," and session topics will include: selling in today's environment, driving circulation for profit, the editor as brand manager, and maximizing revenues via electronic offerings. Contact Miriam Tomaselli at 212.661.6360 x3320 for more information.

Member Appreciation Cocktail Reception, November 17
Be our guest at the Ember Grille at the Westin Chicago River North! This reception is open to all ABM members, but please RSVP by sending your name, company and contact information to Debbie Humphreys.

B-to-B Marketing Day, November 18
The media and advertising communities come together to promote the power of b-to-b marketing. Register here.

Fast Track Media Management Program, November 19
This Chicago seminar, for junior- and mid-level employees, provides a "big picture" of the key functions in b-to-b media. Register here. For details, contact Miriam Tomaselli at 212.661.6360 x3320.

JOB OF THE WEEK: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Every week in E-News, we feature one of the job listings from our Job Board. If you post a job on the ABM website, it will automatically appear on mediabistro.com also, allowing you to reach two targeted audiences for the price of one.

Account Executive, Bio-IT World
Seeking energetic professional to lead sales efforts on a variety of electronic products, with direct quota responsibility. Track record in closing business via phone/email along with client-care, creative problem-solving skills, clear understanding of the bio/medical/IT field, and at least two years ad sales experience required.

Post a job or find a job today!

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

• ABM is partnering with the Society of Independent Show Organizers to offer a complimentary one-hour webinar on "The Business of Web Seminars," Oct. 28th at 2:00 pm (EST). Learn how to integrate webinars into your business model and generate incremental revenue. Fundamentals, best practices, pricing strategies, marketing and vendor options will all be discussed. Speakers will include Penton Media group publisher David Blansfield and Todd Davison, president of Bulldog Solutions. Register here.
• In January 2005, Summit Publishing will launch Healthcare Packaging, a monthly digital publication with text-only ads. Each issue (circ 10,000) will be limited to 16 screens, and require no scrolling or downloading of special software. The ads, says publisher Jim Chrzan, will "encourage online interaction between buyers and sellers" while respecting subscribers' privacy. Preview Healthcare Packaging here.
• Advanstar Communications named Jim Alkon editor and publisher of Travel Agent magazine. Alkon was most recently senior vp at Access Intelligence. His background includes 15 years covering the travel industry, as group publisher for Meeting News and as editor-in-chief of Tour & Travel News and Business Travel News.

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