April 2003 —The American Society of Business Publication Editors’ 2003 National Editorial Conference will feature keynote addresses by Cable Neuhaus, editor of Folio: magazine and Nicolle Devenish, White House director of media affairs.
The Conference is scheduled for June 19-20 at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington, D.C. It is aimed at trade, association, and b2b publication editors, writers, and freelancers.
Neuhaus will discuss his magazine’s recent repositioning and redesign — why it was done and what happened behind the scenes. Devenish will examine how business publications are a conduit between federal agencies and the industries they impact — by keeping federal executives informed about industry developments and helping industry leaders stay abreast of federal proposals.
The Conference will also host ASBPE’s Awards of Excellence Banquet, scheduled for the evening of June 19 th at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown Washington.
Boot Camp for Editors
Most of the first day of the conference on June 19 will feature a special one-day “boot camp” presented by Linda Jorgensen, manager of EEI Press, Alexandria, Va. This boot camp will help attendees rethink “the way we do things here.” In the session, editors will learn ways to:

• Break out of formulaic writing without diminishing valuable, consistent coverage of key industry issues.
• Explore new thinking about leads and other narrative ploys.
• Package information clearly and forcefully for even the more cursory readers.
• Plan in advance to strengthen the visual presentation of your stories.
• Write guidelines for authors that are genuinely helpful.

Attendees will leave the boot camp with ways to reassess editorial approaches to ensure your content is perceived by their audiences as appealing, useful, and clearly presented.
Couregeous Editing
In a special presentation, ASBPE’s Washington, D.C. chapter and the American Business Media (ABM) will name a local business-to-business recipient for courageous editing. This individual will then become the local nominee for ABM’s national Timothy White Award, which will be given at the 2004 Neal Award ceremony. The award is named after the Billboard editor who passed away unexpectedly last year.
The presentation will include a guest speaker plus a panel discussion about how to put hard-hitting, relevant editorial into business-to-business publications.
Magazine of the Year Case Studies
On the second day of the conference, conference attendees will get first-hand the exclusive story from the award-winning Magazines of the Year. The top editors at each publication will discuss their strategies and secrets for success. This longstanding and popular session is the highlight of the morning.
Other Sessions
Building New Editorial Revenue Sources: Publishing executives will share their case histories of about brand extensions and new revenue sources for their publications. Confirmed panelists include Gordon Hughes, president & CEO, American Business Media, and Mary Warner, director, special publications, American Chemical Society. The session is sponsored by ASBPE’s Washington, D.C. chapter.
Magazine Pacing and Flow: Maximizing the reader’s perception of your magazine means analyzing the way in which the magazine “flows” from section to section. We’ll examine the philosophy and planning behind classic as well as unorthodox methods of visual organization. Methods for improving the pacing and flow of your magazine will be provided, as well as suggestions for helping you to avoid common mistakes. The session will be presented by Ina Saltz of Saltz Design and Will Hopkins of Hopkins/Baumann.
The State of Media Law: In light of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions about freelancers and copyrights, this session will explain the current state of the law. The session, also sponsored by ASBPE’s Washington, D.C. chapter, will be presented by John T. Aquino, attorney, consultant, and writer who has been both a publisher and editor of numerous business publications.
Editorial and Design Tips and Tactics: Not every question on the minds of attendees can be answered during regular conference sessions, so we always schedule an open Q&A forum. Come prepared to ask anything you’d like and get answers from your colleagues. This traditional ASBPE session will be moderated by Robin Sherman, ASBPE associate director, and principal consultant of Editorial & Design Services.
The Best Editorial Value
“ASBPE provides more sessions than similar editorial events,” ASBPE associate director Robin Sherman said. “And at one-third the cost of other events, it’s the most affordable way to get practical editorial and management ideas, which we all know is most important these days.”
Sherman also notes that, “We’ve got important topics by very distinguished experts, whom business publication editors rarely hear. This is one of the great services that ASBPE provides, especially considering the $325 registration fee!”
According to ASBPE national president Paul Heney, “This year’s conference features a great location in the heart of D.C., great for out-of town attendees who want to see a few sights while they’re in town. And for D.C.-area editors, being right at the Metro Center subway station can’t be beat.” He adds, “We also have a fantastic setting for our Awards of Excellence Banquet. I think our attendees will be pleasantly surprised with the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It’s an impressive venue.”
Registration
ASBPE continues to offer the best educational value in the business press. Fees for the full conference include all continental breakfasts, luncheons, and the Awards of Excellence Banquet.
As always, attendees at the National Editorial Conference can expect problem-solving sessions that invite audience participation, time for extended conversation with colleagues and speakers, door prizes of educational interest, and an exhibit of ASBPE Awards of Excellence winners.
Early bird costs for ASBPE members is $325 until May 28; $375 afterward. Nonmembers pay an early bird rate of $400 until May 28; $450 afterward. For those wishing to attend only the Awards of Excellence Banquet , the early bird member and non-member fee is $125 until May 28; $150 afterward.