ASBPE 2015 National Conference & Azbee Awards Banquet

Where does your journalistic future lie? Join us at the 2015 ASBPE National Conference to learn how to navigate your publishing future. At this one-day conference for business-to-business editors, writers, freelancers, and designers, you’ll have the opportunity to network with peers and learn from experts in our industry.

When

Friday, July 24, 2015

Conference: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT
Azbee Awards reception: 6 p.m. EDT
Azbee Awards banquet: 6:45-10 p.m. EDT

Where

New York University Kimmel Center for University Life

60 Washington Sq. South
New York City, NY 10010

Accommodation

Washington Square Hotel
103 Waverly PlaceNew York City, NY 10011

Need a hotel room? You can still call the hotel at 800.222.0418 or 212.777.9515 to request our special conference rate ($196/night) using group code 4868

ONLINE REGISTRATION has closed. There are a limited number of on-site registrations available; please visit the Kimmel Center and proceed to the area outside the Rosenthal Room.

How much

One-day conference + awards banquet
ASBPE members: $399*
Non-members: $475

Awards banquet only (does not include conference admission)
ASBPE members: $165*
Non-members: $185

*In case you missed it, membership in ASBPE is now free for qualified B2B editors, writers, freelancers, art directors, and designers! Now is the perfect time to join. Learn more about this change here or sign up now to be a member

Sessions

8:00-8:15: Introductory remarks

Ginger Conlon
Ginger Conlon, NY Chapter President, ASBPE; editor-in-chief, DM News
Warren S. Hersch
Warren Hersch, Education Committee Chair ASBPE; sr. editor, NULH
Mark Schlack
Mark Schlack, national president, ASBPE; editor-in-chief, TechTarget

8:15-9:00: Keynote address: Fireside chat – The digital newsroom

The newsroom is a bigger tent than it has ever been. In 2015 journalism requires much more than reporters and editors, especially when communicating digitally.
Speaker:

Michael Shane
Michael Shane, Managing Editor at Bloomberg Digital
Read more

Michael Shane is the Managing Editor at Bloomberg Digital, where he works with other senior leaders at Bloomberg to develop and execute the editorial and business strategies that drive Bloomberg’s global digital properties. He also represents Bloomberg Digital when collaborating with other teams at Bloomberg Media, from Businessweek magazine to sales, finance, marketing, Bloomberg Television, and beyond.

Prior to joining Bloomberg, he worked at Vox Media, where he was part of the team that drove the explosive growth of The Verge.

He is also an accomplished and prolific photographer. Michael has photographed a wide variety of subjects, from CEOs, celebrities, and cosplayers to iconic pieces of technology and the personalities behind them. In 2014 he was profiled by Digital Photo Pro Magazine, and his work has also appeared in Popular Photography and Offscreen Magazine.

Before working in media, Michael was a professional clarinetist. He began his professional career in music as an interim player with the Cleveland Orchestra, shortly before graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Since then he has collaborated with some of the world’s finest musicians and conductors in concert halls across the United States and abroad.

9:15-10:00: Financial reporting: tools and best practices

Public filings can be an excellent tool in business and financial reporting. In this session, you’ll learn how to read SEC filings and dig for insights, what patent documents can tell you about corporate strategy, as well as good questions to ask management.

Speakers:

Anne Logue
Anne Logue, CFA, freelancer, author
Erik Sherman
Erik Sherman, freelancer
Read more

Anne Logue (rhymes with vogue) is a writer who is interested in the intersection of money, culture, investing, and technology. She is the author of four books, Emerging Markets for Dummies (Wiley 2010), Socially Responsible Investing for Dummies (Wiley 2009), Day Trading for Dummies (Wiley 2007), and Hedge Funds for Dummies (Wiley 2006). She has also provided ghostwriting and technical editing services for books published by Bloomberg Press, the International Monetary Fund, and Pearson Educational Services. In addition to her books, Logue has written about industries, executives, and current events for Barron’s, Entrepreneur, Newsweek Japan, and trade and association publications serving quilt retailers, scrap metal brokers, and university development officers – among others. She is a lecturer in finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago, teaching both undergraduate and MBA students about corporation finance and international financial markets. She has been a visiting lecturer at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. She is a regular blogger on business and current events at Popdose.com.

Erik Sherman is an independent journalist focusing on business, technology, and their intersection. Experience in corporate management and small businesses give him a practical insight into how business actually works. He has written about multiple industries, disciplines, and aspects of strategy, operations, management, and finance. His work has appeared in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Inc, Newsweek, the New York Times Magazine, Computerworld, and Chief Executive. Sherman is a regular columnist at CBS Moneywatch, Inc.com, and Fortune.com.

10:15-11:00: Mastering the art of multi-platform storytelling

In this uber-connected world, B2B editors need to understand how to tell stories across multiple digital and mobile platforms. This session will explore how to consistently produce multi-platform, topic-based content that grows your brand, and your audience.

Speakers:

Laura DAlessandro
Laura D’Alessandro, content editor
Kitty McConnell
Kitty McConnell, Columbus CEO Magazine
Kristi Sanders
Kristi Sanders, Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing
Read more

Laura D’Alessandro is Integrated Media Editor for the American Public Power Association where she manages the production of Public Power magazine in addition to producing cross-platform content for the association’s digital channels. Laura has been producing concise copy for more than a decade, since her intern days at a Gannett community newspaper on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She took that experience to Washington, D.C., as an energy trade reporter in 2010 and completed her Master’s in Interactive Journalism at American University in 2013. Laura combines her experience and skills to produce concise content for multiple platforms. Her motto is write once, cut twice.

Kitty McConnell is the assistant editor of Columbus CEO magazine where she covers Fortune 500 executives, civic leaders and economic development in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to joining the Dispatch Printing Company, she covered high-tech startups for an Ohio Development Services Agency website and was a staff writer for an alternative newsweekly. She is a graduate of the Ohio State University. Follow her on Twitter at @kittymcconnell and @columbusceomag.
Kristi Casey Sanders is VP of Creative/Chief Storyteller of Plan Your Meetings and its sister companies Encore Atlanta and PoshDealz.com. She is responsible for how the brands educate, inform and engage their audiences in print, in person, online, socially and virtually. She also designs how content is delivered and experienced via new digital mediums (like augmented reality) and technology (like beacons). Prior to joining the PYM/Encore team in 2003, she worked as a freelance sports journalist, graphic artist, copywriter, infrequent blogger and less frequent rugby player. She’s traveled the world acting, singing and playing games, most notably as an improviser/corporate trainer for Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago. She’s an active member of ASBPE, Green Meeting Industry Council, Society of American Travel Writers and Skål International. Connect with her on Twitter via @PYMLive or @KristiCasey.

11:15-12:00: Event organizing: Doing it right (panel discussion)

What is editorial’s role in marketing events? What’s the best way to find engaging speakers your audience will love? How can you repurpose the event’s content after it’s over? This panel discussion will cover best practices for organizing and managing in-person events from a B2B perspective.

Panelists:

Ginger Conlon
Ginger Conlon, DM News
Loren Edelstein
Loren Edelstein, editor-in-chief, Meetings & Conventions (NYC)
Todd Raphael
Todd Raphael, ERE Media
Read more

As editor-in-chief of Direct Marketing News, Ginger Conlon develops and directs its editorial vision and content strategy across all communications platforms. She was cited as one of the “Top 100 Most Social Customer Service Pros on Twitter,” by Huffington Post contributor Vala Afshar. In 2012 Ginger was selected as one of the “Top 25 CRM Influencers You Should Be Following” by Zoho. She is a founding member of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) and former member of its board of directors. Additionally, she serves as president of the New York chapter of the American Society of Business Publications Editors (ASBPE). Ginger is graduate of Pennsylvania State University.Loren Edelstein is Editor in Chief of Meetings & Conventions, a media brand serving meeting professionals with a monthly print magazine as well as website (mcmag.com), face-to-face events, e-newsletters and more. Loren joined M&C in 1993 as a Senior Editor, after spending six years at Corporate Travel magazine, where she rose in the ranks from Assistant Editor to Executive Editor. Loren graduated from SUNY Albany with a major in English and minor in journalism. While in college, she interned at Ski and Theater Crafts, and was a campus stringer for People. She was the Features Editor of the Albany Student Press, among other roles at the student-run newspaper. Loren lives in Caldwell, NJ, with her husband, 3 kids and beloved puppy dog.

Todd Raphael, Editor in Chief, ERE Media, has helped plan about 20 profitable conferences, runs the ERE.net site content (for recruiters), helps promote ERE on social media, and frequently comments in the media on hiring/recruiting/labor issues. He has been mentioned/quoted in WSJ.com, CNBC.com, radio shows on both coasts, the NY Post, and about 45 business publications. He has won a long list of awards from business publications like the American Business Media and ASBPE, and is on Glassdoor’s “2015 HR & Recruiting Thought Leaders” list.

12:15-1:00: Lunch and networking

Agenda:

Recognize 2015 Young Leaders Scholar winners

Join roundtables organized by topic (can optionally participate)

1:15-2:00: Concurrent workshops:

Workshop 1: Video for beginners: tools and techniques to get you started

If your publication has never produced video before, the prospect can be daunting. In this session, learn about the basic tools and best practices you can use to get a video program off and running.

Speaker:

Amy Fischbach
Speaker: Amy Fischbach, freelancer
Read more
Amy Fischbach is an award-winning writer who has spent the last 15 years working and freelancing for B2B.

Workshop 2: Advanced video: Give Your Videos That Professional Polish

For a modest investment of time and money you can transform your production capabilities to create professional-looking news and how-to videos. Polished videos help you increase your value to viewers by sharpening your story-telling and increasing what they take away from your content.

Speaker:

Rob Freedman
Rob Freedman, director, multimedia communications, National Association of Realtors
Read more
Robert Freedman is manager of multimedia communications at the National Association of Realtors® in Washington, D.C. He uses video, webinars, blog posts, print and online media, e-mail newsletters, and social media to keep the association’s one million members informed of developments that impact their business. He produces more than 40 videos a year, many of which look at legislative, regulatory, and economic developments that are of importance to the real estate industry. His feature videos look at ways real estate brokers and agents can improve their business. He is a past president of the Americam Society of Business Publication Editors and of the ASBPE Educational Foundation. He is the author or editor of six books, including Journalism That Matters (Marion Street Press, 2006), Broker to Broker (John A. Wylie & Sons, 2005), and Best Practices of the Business Press (Kendall-Hunt, 2004).

2:15-3:00: Concurrent workshops

Workshop 1: From A to B: A sure-fire way to increase digital engagement

Want to increase your e-mail newsletter open rate? Do you know how many people not only read—but also engage with—your web articles? By using simple A/B testing methods, you can significantly improve your open rates and web engagement. Presented by Jessica Zemler and Lana Jovanovic, this session will help you understand the value of A/B testing and show how easy it is to implement.

Speakers:

Lana Jovanovic
Lana Jovanovic, Sr. Digital Engagement Manager, UBM Life Sciences
Jessica Zemler
Jessica Zemler, Digital Content Director, UBM Life Sciences
Read more

Lana Jovanovic is Digital Media Manager, Audience Development, at UBM Life SciencesJessica Zemler is Digital Content Director at UBM Life Sciences.

Workshop 2: The fact-checking ethics dilemma: A town hall session

The Internet has multiplied the levels of misinformation plaguing news consumers — at the same time news budgets have hammered the editing function. In light of this, B2B editors must find ways to install rigorous fact-checking procedures. This presentation will provide realistic guidelines for meeting this challenge.

Panelists:

Roy Harris
Roy Harris, president, ASBPE Foundation
Aaron Larson
Aaron Larson, associate editor, Power Associates
Read more

Roy Harris is president of the ASPBE Foundation, and was national president of ASBPE from 2006 to 2007. He also is a founding member of the ASPBE Ethics Committee, and has long been involved with the Azbee Awards. A 23-year veteran reporter and editor for The Wall Street Journal, he served as senior editor of The Economist Group’s CFO Magazine from 1996 to 2009. Roy was the founding editorial director of IDG Enterprise’s CFOworld.com, where he served from 2010 to 2012. He also is the author of Pulitzer’s Gold: Behind the Prize for Public Service Journalism, and continues to write for various publications about journalism issues. He often appears as a media commentator on WGBH-TV’s “Beat the Press” program in Boston.Aaron Larson has been an associate editor with POWER magazine since September 2013. He has a BS in nuclear engineering technology from Thomas Edison State College and an MBA in financial management from City University of Seattle.

3:15-4:00: Concurrent workshops

Workshop 1: Improving e-news delivery: best practices

This session will focus on several of the pitfalls of B2B news writing: absence of editorial enterprise, an inability to connect with end-user sources, and long-winded prose. Additionally, the speaker will devote a considerable time teaching attendees how to create a realistic scoring system that accurately matches e-news strengths/weaknesses vs. tough competition.

Speaker:

Howard Rauch
Howard Rauch, president, editorial solutions Inc.
Read more
Howard S. Rauch is president of Editorial Solutions, Inc., a consulting company focusing totally on serving business magazine publishers. Since starting the firm in 1989, he has worked with 39 clients, providing competitive analysis, performance evaluation and tailored in-house training. In 2002, Howard was the recipient of ASBPE’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the current chairman of the ethics committee and editor-in-chief of the Ethics News Updates newsletter. He has appeared as a speaker at several industry events, including those sponsored by ASBPE, Folio, and the Society of National Association Publications. Howard is the author of “Get Serious About Editorial Competitive Analysis,” a mini-manual tailored to the needs of business magazine publishers and editors. Before launching Editorial Solutions, he spent 21 years with B2B multi-publisher Gralla Publications, the last 13 as VP/editorial director. In late 2011, he launched Editorial Solutions Performance Insider, a LinkedIn group providing a forum where B2B editorial managers can address ways to maintain highest editorial quality at a time when quantitative demands for content are exploding.

Workshop 2: B2B editorial and design: Adding a creative element to content

This session will focus on practical suggestions for how B2B editors can craft compelling stories even within the limitations of their industry. Learn how infographics, timelines, and photos can spice up your content, and get tips for redesigning stale pages.

Speakers:

RichardDemler
Richard Demler, art director, Engineering News-Record
Natasha Smith
Natasha Smith, senior editor, DM News
Read more

Richard Demler is the art director of weekly B2B magazine ENR, Engineering News-Record where, for the past five years, he as earned numerous design awards from ASBPE as well as the Jesse H. Neal Awards. After graduating from F.I.T. in illustration, Richard was a typesetter/paste­up artist at night and an art director in a small ad agency during the day. In 1987, he began his publishing career after being hired by the late Felix Dennis for the music magazine Star Hits. Several years and magazine titles later he designed Windows User magazine, a short-lived weekly technology publication launched by Mr. Dennis. Not long after, he was recruited by Ziff­Davis as an associate art director on the flagship bi­weekly title PC Magazine where he eventually became art director. Richard continued with PC Mag to the very last print issue and launched the digital tablet edition. Breaking up his tenure with PC Magazine, Richard was an art director at Businessweek and Time Out New York.

Natasha Smith is the Senior Editor for Direct Marketing News and covers data, email, social, mobile, tech, case studies, and marketing trends. She joined DMN in February 2014. Her journalism experience includes reporting and producing at Cotton Candy Magazine, NBC New York, News 12 New Jersey, and CNN in Atlanta.

6:00-7:00: Reception and cocktail hour

7:00-9:00: Dinner banquet to honor the 2015 National Azbee winners

Register now!