You worked hard in 2009, and you have one more chance to show the world what you’re made of, how hard your staff has worked, why your magazine is the best in your industry. The 2010 Tabbies are in the final stretch.

All English language trade, association or business-to-business magazines and websites are eligible for this editorial, design and online competition. TABPI is still accepting late entries (please note the entry fee for late entries is $95/nomination), postmarked by Friday, March 26.

Labels: Tabbie Awards, TABPI

By Paul Heney

Last October, TABPI, ASBPE’s international partner organization, launched a creative new way to use Twitter. Deemed TABPI Twitterfest, this two-day event brought together a multitude of B2B editors from the U.S., the U.K., South Africa, Australia, and other countries, to chat about current editorial topics.

I’m happy to announce that the second TABPI Twitterfest will be held from Feb. 18-19.

What is TABPI Twitterfest? It’s similar to an open chatroom, where B2B editors across the globe can talk about issues and ask questions. We’ll be focusing on one primary topic for this TABPI Twitterfest: How do you manage the separation of church and state (editorial and sales) in new media? Do you treat online content as having the same rules? What about webinars? How about in-person roundtables or conferences? Are the rules the same, or is there more leeway off the printed page? If you feel pressure from the sales side, how do you counter it?

You can participate in several ways:

1. Join Twitter and post Tweets on Feb. 18 and 19. These 140-character messages must contain #tabpi in order to be a part of Tweetfest, and other editors around the world will see your Tweets.

Labels: Paul Heney, TABPI, Twitter

By Paul Heney

I’m pleased to announce the launch of TABPI’s third Design Challenge, a free competition that we launched in 2008. The Challenge is meant to reward graphic creativity in the B2B industry, as well as serve as an educational exercise for other artists. Best of all, the overall winner receives $250, and his/her solution is highlighted on the TABPI website. We also include other selected entries, to illustrate the range of creativity and ideas.

This Design Challenge revolves around the puzzle of creating back to back monthly covers for a magazine that are related to the same story. How do you make a “Part I” and “Part II” cover that work together, but also stand alone? Complete details are at the TABPI website, http://www.tabpi.org/. Please pass this information on to your favorite designer, to let them exercise some creative muscle in the New Year.

At the website, you can also see winners of the first two Design Challenges, along with last year’s inaugural Editorial Challenge. We also list judges’ comments (positive and negative) for the winner and the honorable mentions. It’s a pretty fascinating exercise. I highly recommend checking it out.

The deadline for submitting Design Challenge solutions is Friday, Feb. 12.

Paul is the president of TABPI and past president of the ASBPE.

Labels: Design, Paul Heney, TABPI

By Paul J. Heney

We’ve been hearing about the global economy for years now, and it’s true that for many of our publications, international growth is a reality.

The other side of this is that we have to realize that we’re not the only players in the game. B2B publications have existed for years in far-flung markets, from Singapore to Sweden. And many of them are doing great things for the industries they serve.

That’s really the thrust behind the Tabbie Awards, now entering into its seventh year. As a partner to ASBPE’s venerable Azbee Awards, the Tabbies are somewhat akin to the Golden Globes — the place where all the world’s English-language publications come together and are judged on the same journalistic and design qualities.

Any English-language B2B publications — anywhere in the world — are eligible for the Tabbies. If your publication is in Chicago, but you just cover regional or national events in your industry, that’s fine — just as it is for a publication in Western Canada or on the North Island of New Zealand that’s just a regional b2b.

I think that people are looking back at 2009 as a tough year, but also as a measuring stick of sorts. I hope that someday, when I look back at my own career, I’ll be happy with how hard I worked through those tough months, and proud of the work I did then. I know other publications that also did some exceptional things last year, and I’m excited to see what stories are told in this year’s Tabbie Awards.

I invite you to visit TABPI and download our Call for Entries, which includes all the categories, instructions and the entry form. The deadline for submissions is March 3, which will be here before you know it.

While you’re there, I encourage you to take a look at the awards page, which has links to previous contests. We have PDFs of many of the winning stories and departments (as well as images of the design winners), and I think it’s really quite instructive to look at these brilliant examples of what b2b can be, whether it’s done in Atlanta or Auckland.

Paul is the president of TABPI and past president of the ASBPE.

Labels: Awards, Paul Heney, TABPI

By Katy Tomasulo
President, ASBPE Washington, D.C. Chapter

On Oct. 21 and 22, TABPI (Trade, Association, and Business Publications International) hosted its first Twitterfest, in which B2B journalists posted Tweets with ideas, questions, and answers about print and digital publishing. Each poster utilized the #tabpi hashtag so that participants and followers could see each tweet.

It was the first time I’d participated in one of these, and I found it quite rewarding — not only was I able to gain new ideas, it felt great to share some of my own thoughts with the larger B2B world. The event was a huge success, and event organizer (and TABPI president) Paul Heney is planning to host future ’fests (the next one is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 8-9; check back to www.tabpi.org for confirmation and details).

Below are some of the ideas posted by participants. To view the whole feed, including B2B questions-and-answers, search #tabpi on Twitter.

• Post a Twitpic of the cover of your upcoming issue to get readers excited about it. (@MattySoccio)

• Capitalize on helping your readers through these tough times, as with Hotel World Network’s 100 Days campaign. (@paulheney)

• If you’re short on space in print, run an expanded version online. (@ADVANCEforNPs)

• Compile a “Steal This Idea” issue, comprised of ideas for our readers to steal for their businesses. (@stambascio)

• Use clear headlines when Tweeting. If readers are following hundreds of others, only the most compelling headlines will catch their attention. (@ktom17)

• If you want to "get" social media, start your own blog. You'll get sent to company president's office — not to get fired, but for your ideas. (@b2beditor)

• Repurpose archive material with a modern twist to produce niche industry features, e.g., cruising then and now. (@natalia_thomson)

• Pay attention to page-view stats; they can reveal which e-newsletter subject lines work, the best time of day to send a newsletter, etc. (@ktom17)
  
  Some e-news analysis systems actually will do an A/B-group split on subject lines for a message, sending bulk to "winner." In other words, 10% of mailings go out with 1 subject line, 10% with another. Remaining 80% to subject line with highest open rate. (@ScotsmanGuideEd)
  


• Get to know the gurus in your subject area well enough and one of them may decide to blog for you. (@lmclaughlin)
  

• We conduct a subscriber salary survey, and it's always a big hit; it’s very useful to our readers in salary negotiation. (@ADVANCEforNPs)

• Searchable databases are a great, interactive way to make hard-to-find info accessible to readers. (@jtlongandco)

• Don't just ask readers to follow you on Twitter, ask them to engage in a topic with other readers. (@ADVANCEforNPs)

• Judge award programs. It's a great way to get ideas from magazines outside your industry you wouldn't see otherwise. (@ktom17)

• Free business writing training can be found nationwide at www.businessjournalism.org. (@tonieauer)

Katy Tomasulo is Deputy Editor for EcoHome magazine and Building Products magazine at Hanley Wood Business Media in Washington, D.C.

Labels: Katy Tomasulo, TABPI, Twitter

Want to get advice from B2B editors around the world on how to help your publication through the economic downturn? Or how best to combine print and the web to serve your readers? Then participate in the first Trade, Association and Business Publications International Twitterfest Oct. 20 and 21, 2009.

The TABPI Twitterfest will be like an open chat room where B2B editors worldwide can talk about issues and ask questions.

You can participate in the way that suits you best:

• Join Twitter and post Tweets on Oct. 20-21. These 140-character messages must contain the tag #tabpi so that other editors around the world can see your Tweets.
  
  
• Point your browser to twitter.com/search?q=%23tabpi and watch what other editors worldwide are talking about.
  
  
• After watching online what others are saying, you can join in on the conversation at any time. While TABPI is encouraging editors to talk about two main topics — the economy and the web — you’re free to discuss anything of interest to our profession.

TABPI president Paul Heney says the main goal of TABPI Twitterfest is to help editors around the globe to exchange ideas, but a very important secondary goal is “to give B2B editors an opportunity to try out Twitter in a friendly, nonthreatening environment — to see how it works and to determine if there is anything that might translate to their publication's industry. As journalists, we should be willing to step outside our comfort zones and see what the readers of tomorrow are doing.”

ASBPE will be participating in the Twitterfest. Please join us on Oct. 20-21!

Labels: Social Media, TABPI, Twitter

By Paul J. Heney
ASBPE Past President
TABPI President

Last year, TABPI sponsored our first Design Challenge. The goal of this program was to show how much creativity and talent there is in the b2b design world. We asked b2b designers and art directors to design a cover for the fictional magazine “Concrete Times,” around some demands from the editor and publisher. We had a great response, and the variety of designs was fantastic. We awarded a $250 prize to the winner, and also published other honorable mention submissions at http://www.tabpi.org/designchallenge.htm. In fact, we had so much fun with the Challenge, that we repeated it earlier this year, with even better results and increased participation. In fact, the day we announced results in both 2008 and 2009, we recorded some of the largest number of unique visitors to our website ever!

In the spirit of bringing editors into the mix, we’ve just announced our first TABPI Editorial Challenge, at http://www.tabpi.org/editorialchallenge.htm. The $250 first place prize still applies, but now b2b editors are encouraged to write a headline, deck and lede for a story that only has so-so information. We provide you with a partial interview, a poorly written press release, and a bunch of dull quotes. Use your creative spark to turn this story—which has the potential to be a stinker—into something fresh. The deadline is May 4th, and we’d love to have your participation!

Labels: Design, Paul Heney, Tabbie Awards, TABPI

By Paul Heney

It’s not too late to get involved in the 2009 Tabbies, and show the whole world that fantastic work that you and your team did in 2008. The international competition, supported by groups as varied as ASBPE and the Magazine Publishers Association of New Zealand, had more than 700 entries last year, and is open to all English language b2b publications, whether in the U.S. or abroad. Magazines are not required to belong to any specific association or group to be eligible.

I’ve learned so much in the five previous Tabbie competitions, and have been amazed at the talent in the b2b world, both in the U.S. and around the globe. We’ve had smaller magazines from smaller countries win huge awards, and have been able to start some dialogues between regions of the world. Please take a look at some of our past winners on the http://www.tabpi.org/ website, I think you’ll be impressed. For the vast majority of them, you can click on the entry and see a larger jpeg image or a PDF of the winner. So, when you’re thinking of what might be a potential winner in your arsenal of work, you can see how it stacks up to other entrants. This year’s deadline is March 17th.

If you have any questions about the Tabbies, please drop me an email, I’ll be happy to assist.

Paul J. Heney is editorial director for Questex Media's Hotel Group, which includes Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, and Luxury Hotelier. A member of the ASBPE Cleveland Chapter board, Heney served as national president of ASPBE from 1999-2003. He is also president of TABPI, an international b2b think tank that promotes b2b journalism and professionalism. He can be emailed at pheney@questex.com.

Labels: Awards, Paul Heney, Tabbie Awards, TABPI

The 2009 TABPI Young Leaders Scholarship was created to increase interest in the B2B publishing world with younger editors who are advancing in their editorial careers.

The scholarship is sponsored by TABPI and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). The scholarship allows younger editors - who might otherwise be unable - to attend an educational B2B editorial event. This year's scholarship is to attend the ASBPE Editorial Conference, scheduled for July 15-17 in Washington, D.C. The conference contains an evening networking event on July 15, followed by two full days of intensive editorial sessions with seminars, panel discussions, and workshops targeted at editors of business, trade, and association print and Web publications.

These scholarships are open to all business editors, including print and Web, who work outside of the United States (for editors in the U.S., ASBPE sponsors a similar scholarship, please see www.asbpe.org for details).

Scholarships pay the conference and hotel room costs for up to two worthy applicants per year, along with up to $500 towards airfare costs. Transportation to and from the conference, any non-conference meals, and other incurred costs are the responsibility of the winners or their individual publishing companies. The scholarship is not transferable to other persons or events.

Applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Are 30 years of age or younger on or about July 15, 2009
• Are currently a business publication editor, and have been so for a minimum of two years
• Candidacy is sponsored by their publication's Chief Editor
• Plan to continue in the business press as a career
• Are not a past YLS winner
  

The deadline for applications is March 2. The application form is posted at www.tabpi.org/scholarship.htm. Scholarship winners will be notified on or before April 30.

A listing of winners will also be posted on the TABPI website, www.tabpi.org. If you have questions about your submission, or general questions about the scholarship, please email them to info@tabpi.org or contact TABPI President Paul J. Heney at 1-440-376-5672 (cell).

Labels: ASBPE Conference, Paul Heney, Tabbie Awards, TABPI

By Paul Heney

Labels: Design, Paul Heney, TABPI

By Paul Heney
Past ASBPE National President

When I served as ASBPE’s national president back in the early part of the decade, some the most common calls I’d receive would be right after the annual awards competition. Editors and designers would ask if we could share the judges’ comments on their nonwinning entries. I always felt bad telling them no. The truth was that it was hard enough to have the judges forward us commentary on the winning entries. Adding 2,000+ losing entries to their proverbial plates would have caused most or all of our judges to tell us to pound sand.

In my experience with the Tabbie awards since 2004, I’ve found that the same question still comes up. And it’s a valid one. If a magazine isn’t producing award-winning material, how does the staff — especially on smaller publications — figure out the best way to turn things around?

This led to the idea for TABPI’s Magazine Critique Service, which began in 2006. ASBPE has partnered in the MCS for the past two years. 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.

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.

The service is a good investment for magazines desiring a revamp or a refresh after years in the industry. Magazines get to ride on the experts' learning and minimize costly trial and error situations. More dynamic editorial and design can equate to more credibility with readers and advertisers, who will recognize the publication as the voice for the industry it covers.

All submissions for the MCS must be received on or about Oct. 1. The average processing time will be eight to 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 website, at www.tabpi.org/mcs as well as at the ASBPE website.

Paul J. Heney is editorial director for Questex Media's Hotel Group, which includes Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, and Luxury Hotelier. A member of the ASBPE Cleveland Chapter board, Heney served as national president of ASPBE from 1999-2003. He is also president of TABPI, an international b2b think tank that promotes b2b journalism and professionalism.

Labels: Azbee Awards, Media Industry Awards, Paul Heney, Tabbie Awards, TABPI

By Paul J. Heney
Past ASBPE National President

One of the most important programs that ASBPE conducts is the Young Leaders Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to five deserving b2b editors, 30 or younger, each year. The winners attend the annual ASBPE Editorial Conference, this year’s being in Kansas City from July 23-25. The scholarship covers their conference registration and hotel … all their company has to pay for is their transportation costs to the event.

In 2006, I proposed that ASBPE and TABPI join up to also extend the YLS program overseas. Since then, we have chosen an additional two non-U.S.-based editors to join the conference each year. The only difference here is that TABPI also reimburses the winners up to $500 toward the cost of their airfare. That only seems right, since (for example) a Chicago to Kansas City ticket is vastly cheaper than a London-Kansas City ticket!

In the first two years, editors from South Africa, France, Canada and The Netherlands have attended the ASBPE Editorial Conference, bringing an interesting mix to the already diverse crowd.

I’m proud to tell you a little about the 2008 winners, who were just selected this month.

From the United Kingdom, we’re pleased to welcome Andy Hoskins. Andy is deputy editor for bmi Publications' The Business Travel Magazine, a publication voted best in its field at the recent Business Travel Journalism Awards. He’s been with bmi since 2004. Andy holds a BA in geography and is a keen sportsman and traveler. He plays regularly for a local soccer team, enjoys cycling and plans to run his first marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland, next month.

And from South Africa, we welcome Kate Rau. Kate was recently named editor for SALESGURU magazine, the country’s only publication focused purely on selling. She is looking forward to growing the quality of the magazine and website, as well as increasing national exposure of the brand. Kate formerly worked for Push Media and Media 3S / Shorten Publications. She has a BA in journalism, and enjoys gardening, yoga, reading and walking her boxer.

For more details, please see www.tabpi.org/scholarship.htm

Paul J. Heney is senior editor of Hydraulics & Pneumatics.

Editor's Note: ASBPE will announce the U.S.-based winners of the Young Leaders Scholarship soon.

Labels: Azbee Awards, International Media, Paul Heney, TABPI

By Paul Heney
ASBPE Cleveland Chapter Treasurer

As I recently posted on the ASBPE Cleveland blog, it's critical that b2b editors don't lose sight of how important design is to our magazines. It's an easy thing to forget in these increasingly crazy days of shorter deadlines, publishers shouting about reduced ad revenues, smaller staffs, increased competition, the move to online, etc., etc.

In that spirit, I mention that recently, winners were announced in the first ever TABPI Design Challenge, a competition that was developed to showcase some of the amazing talent that we have in our little world of b2b publications. The Challenge is also important in that it strives to get design professionals in our industry engaged in discussions about best practices.

This first challenge described an art director for the fictional Concrete Times magazine caught in a proverbial crossfire. The magazine's publisher demands that the focus of the April 2008 cover showcase the magazine's 40th anniversary. On the other hand, the editor-in-chief is more concerned with the main feature story, focusing on the first ever "Top 100 Leaders" ranking. That should be the focus. Of course, there is practically no art budget to speak of. So, what do you do? TABPI asked B2B design professionals across the globe to weigh in with their solutions to this dilemma by submitting their own cover proposal.

The results of the Challenge are quite interesting. You can see the overall winner, along with five honorable mentions at Design Challenge. There are also comments from the judges on both the positives and negatives that each solution brings. Take a look at the winners, forward the link to your art director or designer, and start a discussion as to how your team would have handled this issue. Which of the submitted solutions do you feel worked best? Would any of them have worked or not worked specifically for your magazine's audience?

Talking about design with your art director shouldn't be forgotten in these days of increased competition and shorter deadlines. Don't forget how crucial design is to a successful b2b magazine property.

You can also check out the Tabbie Awards to see past winners going back to 2004. That is another fascinating way to start some design discussions with your art director. Browse through the jpegs and pdfs of the winning cover and layout designs, and chances are you'll begin to brew some great ideas of your own.

Heney is president of Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI), based in Cleveland; senior editor with Penton Media’s Hydraulics & Pneumatics; and former national president of ASBPE (1999-2003).

Labels: Design, Paul Heney, TABPI

If your magazine did any amazing design work (or editorial work, for that matter!) in 2007, there is still one last chance to be recognized for it. The Tabbies, the international b2b awards program supported by ASBPE, has announced that it is still accepting late entries through Wednesday, March 26. Postmark your entries by that date, and you'll get in under the gun. Details are at http://www.tabpi.org/.

Labels: TABPI

Think you're creative? You have two days to prove it by entering the TABPI Design Challenge, sponsored by Trade Association Business Publications International. The challenge is to design a cover for a hypothetical issue of an imaginary magazine, Concrete Times. The reward is $250 for the overall winner. The challenge is open to all B2B art directors and designers.

The TABPI Design challenge deadline is this Friday, Feb. 29.

Also looming is the deadline for TABPI's Tabbie Awards. This international awards competition is open to trade, association and business magazines published at least four times per year, completely or partially in English. Magazines must accept paid advertising. This year TABPI has added a new web category, Online Feature. (Online entries don't need an associated print publication, but they must be b2b-oriented and accept advertising.)

Entries for the Tabbies must be submitted by Wednesday, March 5.

Labels: Design, Editing, International Media, Martha Spizziri, Media Industry Awards, Tabbie Awards, TABPI