April 4, 2005

In This Issue

Online Use Rises in Circulation Findings

Content is Still Critical For Online Strategy

Postal Rate Looks Set at 5.6%

UPS VP to Speak at Spring Meeting

Circulation Career Award

Job of the Week

Members in the News : Advanstar Sells Groups

Committee Watch

Circulation-Audience Development Committee Finds More Online Requests

Readers are asking for business-to-business publications more with online tools than in prior years. Developed by the newly named Circulation-Audience Development Committee (formerly Circulation Committee), ongoing Paragraph 3b Trend Data Analysis identifies shifts in usage of audit documentation sources combining publication information from BPA and ABC statements. In this recent report, online requests displayed the largest increase with "Personal Direct Request From Recipient" showing 2.4% boost in 2004 over 2003.

"The information that is gathered and analyzed in this report gives a great bird's-eye cumulative view of what publishers are doing with circulation sourcing," said Jerry M. Okabe, vp, audience marketing, Primedia Business Magazines & Media. "I've referred many colleagues to this report for its value in comparing, benchmarking, and trending."

To date, the years 1995, 1998, 2000-2004 have been analyzed. Five reports are available online. Customized market reports based on SRDS classifications are available through Epsilon Management Systems. For a list of SRDS Classifications / number of journals, Epsilon order forms and fees, contact Peter Loibl. KnowledgeStorm gives technology professionals access to detailed information on thousands of software, hardware, and IT service solutions. KnowledgeStorm also provides access to educational tools such as newsletters, white papers, industry analyst research, Web casts, and ROI calculators. Technology buyers can do research and compare solutions to make confident purchasing decisions.

Content is Still Critical for Online Strategy

One can have the latest technology and sizzle for online strategy, but quality content is the only thing that will increase the value of a product. ABM's Online Revenue Strategies, held in New York on March 24, made it clear that richness of content cannot be under-valued when mining new revenue streams.

Three "big buckets" of information, as proffered by Mike Azzara, vp/group director of Internet business at CMP Media LLC, are: News, product/technology information that provides solutions, and support information that enhances efficiency of existing operations.

"Deep technical knowledge is critical," said Azzara. "Readers need it to survive."

"Our content is not just the end product," added Matt McAlister, vp, gm Online, InfoWorld Media. "It is also a raw material. Access to our content is a key differentiator."

Contact ABM for more information on Online Revenue Strategies.

Postal Rate Increase Reaches Next Step

ABM recently reported that the United States Postal Service would be filing an across-the-board rate increase, to be effective, it hopes, on January 1, 2006. All rate increases filed by the Postal Service with the independent Postal Rate Commission must be approved by the President- appointed Governors of the Postal Service. That last formality is complete. The Postal Service has just revealed, that last Thursday, presumably in a conference call or by "notational" voting (since they don't meet again until April 12), the Governors approved a request for an across-the-board increase of 5.4% to be filed by early next week. The USPS will ask the Postal Rate Commission for expedited consideration, but it will not seek an effective date before 2006.

ABM Spring Meeting Panel to Tackle Growing M&A Market

Attendees at the 2005 American Business Media Spring Meeting will have a valuable opportunity to tap into the latest on the expanding Mergers & Acquisition market. In "The Merger & Acquisition Front: How Aggressive Should We Be?" one of five seminars offered at this year's Spring Meeting, some of business media's most insightful minds discuss strategies to negotiate the surging M&A climate. Scheduled speakers include:

Jim Watt - Chairman/CEO, Watt Publishing (Moderator) Cam Bishop - President/CEO, Ascend Media Inc. Peni Garber - Partner, ABRY Partners, LLC Doug Manoni - President/CEO, Wicks Business Information LLC

The M&A panel will feature strategic insight into critical areas such as developing new organizations and merging corporate cultures. Key issues - such as the actions companies need to take after acquisitions, integrating personnel and expectations and executing a team approach - "will be of great interest for a lot of companies because a lot of people quite frankly drop the ball after making the acquisition." said Jim Watt, Watt Publishing chairman/CEO. "You have different cultures and sometimes different geographic areas," involved in an acquisition that require a flexible strategy in order to make the process work.

With heavy activity in the final quarter of 2004 accounting for 43% of last year's deals, the outlook for 2005 is positive. Interest rate levels, coupled with a general relaxation of lending policies on the part of banks are factors that have helped foster the strong increase in deal flow. Watt, the panel's moderator is optimistic, "The M&A climate for the balance of 2005, I think will be quite active," Watt said. Register here or contact Miriam Tomaselli at 212-661-6360 ext. 3320 for more on the event.

International Publishers to Meet in New York

For an in-depth look at the international publishing climate, the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) is presenting its 35th World Magazine Congress in New York May 22-24. Magazine publishers from every major country will join to debate and shape the issues of the worldwide industry. For more information on the event visit www.magazine.org/NYC2005FIPP.

ECNext provides publishers with a complete, one stop source for the services and technology they need to build, manage and market their online businesses. Our e-marketing expertise and Web platform can help you boost your online visibility, expand your customer base and grow new revenue from online sales and advertising.

Circulation Career Award Nomination Forms Now Available

American Business Media is now accepting nominations for the second-annual Circulation Career Award, created to recognize an outstanding circulation professional in the world of business-to- business media.

Gloria Adams, corporate director of audience development for PennWell Corp., earned last year's inaugural honor. Adams, whose circulation career has spanned more than two decades, is credited with building an award-winning, loyal circulation staff at PennWell. Her many accomplishments include slashing PennWell's subscriber acquisition costs by using e-mail and the Internet.

This award, created by the Circulation Committee, will be presented at ABM's Spring Meeting, held May 1-4 in Boca Raton, FL, and at a later, more-intimate setting so that the recipient can celebrate with their peers.

For more specific information, guidelines, deadlines or to download a nomination form, or contact Peter Loibl for more information. 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!

Publishers' Roundtable, April 21 This full-day event at the Metropolitan Hotel, New York, NY, will focus on the creation of new revenue streams. Topics will include brand extensions, partnerships, online communities and paid search. For more information contact Jane O'Connor, or register here. The event is made possible by Valeo IP (Gold Sponsor), ABC and Readex Research (Bronze Sponsors).

The Path To Continuing Education, May 10 This half-day conference will help you to identify and analyze the opportunities for developing continuing education programs within your industry. The panel will discuss best practices for building credible, successful CE programs. For more information contact Jane O'Connor, or register here.

CRM Conference, May 19 This half-day conference will help attendees understand the definition and scope of customer relationship management (CRM), and how to implement a successful CRM plan. Contact Jane O'Connor for details.

BtoB Magazine's NetMarketing Breakfast Series Learn how to effectively use the Internet in your integrated marketing and advertising campaigns. Marketing experts at leading companies will reveal best practices in search, e-mail marketing, Web casts, banner advertising and more. Sponsored by Business.com, CMP Media, Dow Jones Integrated Solutions and IEEE Spectrum. April 7: New York (Speakers from Vonage, Dow Chemical, Siemens and Intelsat) May 18: Boston (Speakers from Xerox, BearingPoint, Yantra, and more). Register today.

JOB OF THE WEEK: Staff Editor, Canon Communications.

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.

Staff Editor, Leading national trade magazines focused on retailing has a sales position available for an energetic individual to work in a Los Angeles. The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of experience in selling business-to-business advertising sales or experience selling products and/or services to retail chains at headquarters.

Post a job or find a job today!

By developing new, innovative solutions to generate revenue from content, Valeo Intellectual Property is setting the standard for traditional and digital rights management. Our innovations, including our online Find, Clear and Use process, are making a wider array of content appealing to larger groups of people, including enterprise buyers. http://www.valeoip.com/ads/abm.aspx

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

 Advanstar Communications Inc., announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell certain assets to Questex Media Group, a new company formed by Audax Group and Kerry Gumas, current vice president and general manager of Advanstar's Information Technology & Communications group. Under the terms of the agreement, Questex will acquire the Information Technology & Communications, Travel & Hospitality, Beauty, Home Entertainment, Abilities and Portfolio groups of Advanstar for approximately $185 million in cash. These groups generated approximately $100 million in revenue in calendar 2004.  Matt Gallinger has been named to the position of Publisher of the CM B2B Trade Group at NTP Media, a Latham-based multi-media company of business-to-business print, electronic and education and training products. Gallinger will be responsible for all revenue streams associated with CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management, and CM/Cleanfax magazines and CM e-News Daily including print and online advertising, sponsorships, market research and Web services.  CMP Media LLC announced its acquisition of the DotNetJunkies.com and SqlJunkies.com Web sites. DotNetJunkies.com and SqlJunkies.com are independent online communities for developers using the Microsoft .NET Framework and those building solutions using Microsoft SQL Server respectively.  James E. Jones, formerly of Bedford Hills, New York, died peacefully on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005 at his home in Pass-A-Grille, FL. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Waldo Brighton Jones and their three children, Kinnon Jones Williamson, of Dedham, MA, Hutton Jones Cole, of New Canaan, CT, Britton Jones of Rowayton, CT, and seven grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's memory to the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast (Orange Team) 300 East Bay Dr., Largo, FL. 33770.

COMMITTEE WATCH

The following is a list of ABM Committee and Council meetings and their general topics for discussion. For more information, contact Peter Loibl. All meetings are at ABM offices in New York unless otherwise noted.

Committee/Council Date & Time

Trade Show Council April 10 8:00am WST Lake Las Vegas, NV ABM/Trade Show Strategic Plan The Trade Show Summit Recap; CRM and Spring Meeting Trade Show Panel Preview Yankelovich, ABM-SISO Cost and Compensation Reports and New: T-BIN Report Neil Grossman Trade Show Internship Program, Ad Campaign Discussion Dealing with the Press; an "Early Warning System" and Washington Update Media Advisory Board April 25 12:00pm EST First meeting Introductions, establishing a mission statement, goals Case For Series content discussion Research Committee April 25 2:00pm EST

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