Each year, ASBPE’s National Conference & Azbee Awards Banquet offers members an opportunity to get insight into best practices of B2B journalism, network with colleagues from across the country, and honor the winners of the Azbee Awards competition. Don’t miss this unique annual event for learning, camaraderie and fun!
Missed joining us for the 2022 national conference? You can read more about our 2022 sessions below.
SAVE THE DATE: Please mark your calendars to join us May 11-12, 2023 for our next national conference and awards banquet. Location to be announced.
2022 Sessions & Coverage
We were thrilled to once again host an in-person symposium and awards banquet for the best and brightest in the business-to-business and association publishing. 2022’s forward-thinking program offered keen insights and professional advice for writers, editors, designers, publishers and others in the B2B media industry. If you missed us in Cleveland, stay tuned to ASBPE.org and our social channels for coverage of our 2022 sessions, as well as announcements for our 2023 programming.
Keynote: Should You Monetize Your Publication? How to Tell if You’re Ready.
Keynote Speaker: Amanda Todorovich, Executive Director of Content Marketing,Cleveland Clinic
Can you really drive revenue into your organization through content? YES! Todorovich explained how and when that’s possible, options and opportunities for monetizing your publications, and how she has successfully done exactly this with Cleveland Clinic’s blog, website and email.
Content marketing and publishing are resource-intensive efforts, and many brands find themselves struggling to justify the resources needed to sustain a great publication or program. Monetizing your efforts can be a great way to offset expenses, but it’s not an easy thing to do, and it’s certainly not possible for all brands. How do you know if you’re ready? What are the possible types of monetization strategies? How do you implement these techniques? Todorovich guided attendees through the basics and explained all the possibilities for taking your content to the next level.
Is your publication ready to monetize content? Read more.
4 Ways to Get a New Perspective on an Old Problem
Speakers: Marnette Falley, ACC, Leadership Coach, SunRoad Coaching & Consulting; and Portia Stewart, Creative Consultant, Mind Full Creatives
We all have issues at work that come up again and again — that wall we seem to bump into. Creative leadership means finding a way over, around or through that block. And seeing a new path typically requires seeing the problem in a new light. In this interactive, hands-on session, attendees practiced four concrete strategies for getting a new perspective and walked away with the tools and experience to test these strategies with their work groups.
Passion is for the Birds
Speaker: Justin Armburger, Art Director and Adjunct Professor, Kent State University
For designers and editors alike, we find our way into journalism for the love of telling a story. But even a well-loved career benefits from a refresh and bird’s eye view at times. Armburger discussed how we can create a portfolio of passion that helps us balance life and career, as well as find ways to gather outside inspiration to better ourselves and our work.
Feel like you’re stuck in a rut? Read this blog post ideas on how to break out of monotonous work, and find passion and insipiration both in your industry and outside of it.
Lunch-and-Learn: The Power of Plain Language
Speaker: Samantha Enslen, President, Dragonfly Editorial
Attendees learned: how writing in plain language can capture the attention of today’s impatient readers, the four key principles of writing in plain language, and how design plays a part in enabling readability.
Coverage of this session coming soon.
Transforming the Editorial/Design Partnership for Digital
Speakers: Claire Meyer, Managing Editor, Security Management, ASIS International; and Tyler Stone, Art Director, Security Management, and Manager, Creative Services, ASIS International
Collaboration has long been the key to Security Management’s design approach. When teams were in a single office, designers and editors worked hand-in-hand to debate and decide on the right artwork to entice a reader to engage with a challenging topic. Now that the workforce is entirely remote and the push for digital-first content reigns supreme, processes had to change.
Security Management’s art director, Tyler Stone, and managing editor, Claire Meyer, provided insight into how they pivoted print-centric processes and workflows to accommodate needs for digital-optimized content across the organization.
Coverage of this session coming soon.
DEI in B2B: Change Your Culture
Panelists: Chris Gaetano, Technology Editor, Accounting Today; Ruksana Hussain, Freelance Editor and Writer; Asia Martin, Finance Reporter, Business Insider; and Davina van Buren, Freelance B2B Technology Writer
Moderator: Rich Luna, Senior Director, Content Marketing, Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI)
Attendees heard personal observations from the first class of ASBPE Diversity Fellows on how the national discussion around diversity, equity and inclusion is changing perspectives in the B2B workplace. Are we making progress? We shared success stories and discussed areas for improvement, such as learning what you can do to spark positive change in your workplace, getting access to more diverse freelance talent, and expanding your list of diverse industry sources.
This session was followed by a 30-minute town hall discussion about DEI in B2B. Read more about the panel, the benefits of implementing DEI initiatives in your own office, and access DEI resources. Then stay tuned for coverage of our National Gold Award-winner in our new DEI-focused Azbee Awards category.
Podcasting for Fun and Profit
Speaker: Matt LaWell, Managing Editor, Golf Course Industry, GIE Media
Everybody seems to have a podcast. Do you? Should you? Trade journalist Matt LaWell outlined how he helped develop a profitable podcasting network for his magazine — bringing in tens of thousands of dollars annually — and what you can do to replicate that at your own publication.
Interested in starting a podcast for your publication? Get some quick tips and ideas in our blog post about “Podcasting for Fun and Profit.”
So Now You’re a Broadcast Journalist? Tips for Video in B2B
Speakers: Teresa Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Security Management and Vice President, Content, ASIS International; and Stephanie Ricca, Editorial Director, Hotel News Now, CoStar Group
When your organization asks if you can be on-air talent, don’t panic. This session guided attendees in the transition from the written to spoken word, including tips for a variety of video events, from live stand-ups to recorded interviews.
Teresa Anderson, VP Content and Editor-in Chief for Security Management magazine and Stephanie Ricca, Editorial Director at Hotel News Now discussed how to pivot from an expert behind the computer screen to a presence in front of the camera.
Reception & National Azbee Awards of Excellence Banquet
Following our first full day of conference sessions, the ASBPE Board of Directors hosted a networking reception, followed by our 44th Annual Azbee Awards of Excellence national awards presentation and banquet. You can read more about our national Azbee Award-winners or visit our gallery for inspiration for your publication. Plus, check back with ASBPE.org for coverage of our biggest winners:
- Megan Gates named winner of 19th Annual Stephen Barr Award
- Automotive News wins Magazine of the Year (12 or More Issues per Year)
- McKinsey Quarterly named Magazine of the Year (11 or Fewer Issues per Year)
What Makes Compelling, Award-Winning Storytelling?
Members of ASBPE’s Board of Directors hosted a town hall discussion focused on winning strategies for engaging your publication’s audience, serving your industry and getting noticed by Azbee Awards judges.
Coverage of this discussion coming soon.
Build a Stronger Freelance Business
Panelists: Brooke Bilyj, Owner of Bantamedia, Contributing Editor/Writer; Marisa Palmieri Shugrue, Freelance Writer and Editor; and Bob Sandrick, Journalist and Freelance Writer
Moderator: Sophia McDonald Bennett, Freelance Editor, Writer and Communications Consultant
Freelancers need to be good at their craft, but they also need to be able to run a sustainable business. Three Cleveland-area freelancers shared ideas for encouraging client referrals and repeat business, networking, tracking pitches and client outreach, and using software tools and other resources.
Read more about Building a Stronger Freelance Business for success strategies, networking and pitching tips, and a comprehensive tool/resource list for tools to help you manage your business.
Evolving Leadership in the “Great Reshuffle”
Speaker: Davide Savenije, Editor-in-Chief, Industry Dive
Talented journalists have been leaving their jobs at media organizations — and in some cases, the field entirely — at a much higher clip since late 2020. As the pandemic continues to impact people and their organizations, good leadership and culture have become even more essential pillars of any successful media company that aims to attract and retain the best talent. But demands on leadership are shifting. What does good leadership look like in 2022? What can leaders do to help navigate uncertainty and challenging times for their organizations and their people?
Davide Savenije, editor-in-chief of Industry Dive, a leading b2b media company and winner of several “best place to work” awards from the Washington Post, shared his perspective on leading a newsroom of 100+ journalists through the last several years and discusses the trends, and best practices, for leaders of all kinds in 2022 and beyond.
Coverage of this session coming soon.
About Our 2022 Sponsors
GOLD SPONSOR
Dragonfly Editorial is your outsourced content partner, helping you with writing, editing, design, and content strategy. We’re an extension of your team, easing your workload and reducing your stress. We create clear, compelling content that meets your business needs and helps you shine.
SILVER SPONSORS
SunRoad Coaching & Consulting helps media organizations get focused and aligned, building teams that move business forward faster. Harnessing decades of experience transforming media businesses, the firm offers digital media consulting (strategy development, data vision, product evaluation, platform mix); employee engagement services (team structure, collaboration, communication, and constructive conflict); and support for meaningful innovation (aligning stakeholders; normalizing experimentation; developing actionable, sustainable roadmaps). Today’s pace of change, rapid market shifts and unexpected business challenges make next-level teams and thinking a business-critical mission, translating directly into increased business innovation and speed to market. What could unprecedented improvement in organizational dynamics deliver for your organization?
Mind Full Creatives is a creative consultancy that helps businesses engage creative teams with design thinking and co-creation that leads to better ideas and a healthier bottom line. We help businesses synchronize their innovation investment to revenue growth across the leadership, business, and creative teams, which translates into high-profile products that enhance the organization’s success and improve the bottom line.
Questions?
We love to hear from our members. If you have feedback for ASBPE, are interested in speaking at or becoming a sponsor for our 2023 conference, please get in touch with us at info@asbpe.org.
If you have suggestions for a conference session topic, please complete our suggestion form.