BtoB Media Business - ABM Top Management Meeting Special 11/07/07 - (Page 6)

November 7, 2007 ABM Top Management Meeting Special Edition Big Question Continued from page 1 trade shows in the automotive aftermarket that fit well with our portfolio.” —Ty Bobit, president-CEO, Bobit Business Media “We’ve combed the expenses in the budget. For example, our national sales meeting will be a day event instead of a two-and-a-halfday event, and we’re economizing in other areas. We’re not eliminating things, but cutting back. We are getting growth online and in our commercialdriven magazines. Our World of Concrete annual event is also up moderately. We are trying to do some positive things and certainly want to make sure they are as positive as possible.” —Frank Anton, CEO, Hanley Wood, and ABM 2007-2008 chairman “We’re launching new digital products and looking for acquisitions that are not print-based. We’re also launching continuing education online and a pay-per-lead product that will be digital only.” —Peggy Walker, president-COO, Vance Publishing “Our print revenue is not declining. Notwithstanding, we are trying to aggressively grow other parts of our business. We’re revamping our technology from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 so that we can improve our Web sites. We’re just beginning the process of implementing a new CMS. We’re continuing to build databases because we like the business information business. And we’re building up our events.” —William Pollak, CEO, ALM “No. 1 is to shore up print, focusing on editorial content, creating compelling editorial content, whether it’s in print or online. Second, we have to redouble our efforts in market research to prove print and digital are complementary. But until we quantify that, agencies are going to veer to the new media. Third is sales training, making sure salespeople are effective marketing partners when they are in front of clients, so that clients want to see them again—face to face.” —Hugh Roome, president, Scholastic International “In b-to-b, where we have Canon Communications, the markets vary by sector when it comes to their digital growth. We’re not seeing any substitution of online for print advertising, though. The single biggest piece of our business, over 50%, is trade shows, where we’re continuing to see good, healthy growth. Do we see an urgency to increase our online revenue? Yes, but we’re not losing ground in any of our markets, so we’re going to expand digitally in ways that are appropriate to each market.” —Charles McCurdy, chairman-CEO, Apprise Media “The standard answer to that question is all the elements and actions we’re doing on the Internet. But beyond that, because we have a fairly significant focus on education, particularly in the medical sector, trying to increase our efforts in medical education and bundle or integrate our packages with other elements of media, including print, online and custom publishing.” —Cameron Bishop, president-CEO, Ascend Media “Print is not dead. The demise of print is greatly exaggerated. Are we expanding electronic? Absolutely. Twenty-five percent [of our revenues] are electronic now. Our magazine Web sites are growing at 100% per year, double from last year. Realize that for us, we have a significant data business in reference publishing, [so] we have lots of Web developers and database administrators.” —Andrew Goodenough, president, Summit Business Media and CEO, Highline Media “Our print revenue is not declining and has been growing this year at a pretty healthy clip—and I would include supplements in that. We recently launched “Current Clinical Practice,” which is supplemental editorial to two of our titles, The Journal of Family Practice and Mayo Clinical Proceedings. It’s a program to deliver ancillary print revenue. We’re continuing to invest in e-media. —Carroll Dowden, president, Dowden Health Media Publishers Continued from page 1 said he is budgeting for 1% to 2% growth in print next year. Still, he stressed that magazines remain the core products in business publishers’ portfolios and said they shouldn’t be shortchanged despite the growing demand to pump up electronic products. “If someone is going to spend an hour with your publication, you better make sure it’s great,” Goldstone said, adding that media products should have a “symbiotic” relationship regardless of the platform. “If you have lousy magazines, you’re not going to get any traction on your Web site,” he said. Goldstone oversaw the debut last year of Architect, one of the biggest b-to-b print launches in recent years and Hanley Wood’s springboard into commercial construction markets. The company, whose residential titles have been hit by the sluggish housing market and mortgage crisis, next year plans to introduce Green Products and Technology and the Green Products Technology Expo. Goldstone said of introducing new products: “It comes down to ‘Is there an information void to fill?’ It’s not about a crowded marketplace making room for another publication. It’s what’s different and what’s unique.” Mike Reilly, president-CEO of RandallReilly Publishing, which covers the trucking and construction markets, said publishers must practice what they preach when it comes to media agnosticism. “I don’t see myself in the print business, online business or trade show business,” Reilly said. “Our business is to help advertisers keep customers. We have a constant dialogue with our customers so we know what they want— and sometimes know what they want even before they do.” In the last two years, Randall-Reilly has introduced three print products: Next Truck, Total Landscaping Care and Transportista. Although Reilly is budgeting for less advertising in 2008 because of rising fuel prices, he warned publishers against scaling back too much. “In a down market you have to steal share,” he said. “You have to knock on a lot of doors and look for opportunity instead of ‘woe is me.’ ” 6

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