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2003 Annual Conference |
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August 22-28,
2003 |
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| Contents for This Page | |||
| Conference Program | |||
| Things You Need to Know | |||
| Guest Speakers | |||
| IRMA Speakers | |||
| Thanks, Most of All | |||
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| Friday, August 22 | |||
| All Day | Arrivals & Check-in for Board of Directors & Presidents Council | ||
| Place: Mountain Inn Front Desk | |||
| 6:00 p.m. | Board of Directors/Presidents Council & spouses dinner | ||
| Place: Shamokin | |||
| Saturday, August 23 | |||
| All Day | Arrivals & Check-in/Registration (All Members) | ||
| Place: Mountain Inn Lower Lobby | |||
| 7:30 a.m. | Board of Directors/Presidents Council & spouses breakfast | ||
| Place: Shamokin | |||
| 8:00 a.m. | Board or Directors & Presidents Council Meeting | ||
| Place: Shamokin | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Display Room Opens | ||
| Place: Piedmont | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Board of Directors/Presidents Council Lunch | ||
| Place: Coppermine Deck | |||
| 6:30 p.m. | Cocktails and Dinner Buffet | ||
| Place: Blue Ridge Terrace | |||
| Sunday, August 24 | |||
| 7:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast Buffet | ||
| Place: Ballroom Lobby | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Display Room Opens | ||
| Place: Piedmont | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Welcome and General Orientation | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Speaker: Alison Dickie, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia | |||
| Targeted to: Everyone | |||
| 9:30 a.m. | General Session | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: The State of Magazine M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) | |||
| Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Dearth, DeSilva & Philips, Inc. | |||
| Description: This general session will examine trends and developments in magazine mergers and acquisition activity over the past five years. You will learn how magazine multiples have changed since the burst of the "Internet bubble" and which companies are--and aren't--still active in growing their publishing empires through acquisition strategies and, most importantly, why. You'll also learn about the rise of private equity as a new entrant in the magazine acquisition mix. Also, that age old question, "What is a Mugwump?" will be answered once and for all! | |||
| Targeted to: Everyone | |||
| 10:30 a.m. | Break | ||
| 10:45 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (See A and B next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Topic: Surviving the Economic Doldrums | |||
| Panel: Cindy Hayden, Lake Superior Magazine; Ethel Hess, New Mexico Magazine; and Al Zikovitz, Cottage Life | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Description: Nearly every publication is feeling the pinch (severely, in some instances) of the sagging economy and shrinking ad dollars as a result. This publishers’ round-table addresses these problems, how they’re affecting budgets and bottom lines, and what they’re doing to survive these trying times. | |||
| Targeted to: Publishers, Advertising, Marketing—and others concerned with their budgets. | |||
| Session B | |||
| Topic: Developing and/or Refining Editorial Departments | |||
| Moderator: Ruth Hart, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Description: Is there a “hole” in your editorial? Do you have a standing department or column in need of refining or revitalizing? This session is designed for those interested in launching a new department or finding out ways to give an existing one a needed face lift. Bring examples from your own publication—what’s working and what needs help. | |||
| Targeted to: Editorial, Design | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch | ||
| Place: Pryors Fortune Shropshire | |||
| 1:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions (See A, B, and C next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Topic: Workflow Roundup | |||
| Guest Moderator: Dedra Smith, Printmark | |||
| Place: Crawford | |||
| Description: Have you ever wanted to know how other IRMA magazines work out their schedule or staff for particular tasks? Well, now’s your chance, because Dedra will be polling individual IRMA magazines for insights into how articles are stepped through production, who does what, and where the snags exist. She’ll bring some comparisons we can discuss, as well as some expertise on solving workflow issues. Dedra promises it will be an “Ann Landers” moment! | |||
| Targeted to: Production, Design—or anyone involved in the nuts-and-bolts of putting their publication together. | |||
| Session B | |||
| Topic: Recruiting & Working with Freelance Writers | |||
| Moderator: Kelly Roberson, The Iowan | |||
| Place: Skyline | |||
| Description: Depending on the size of one’s staff, freelance writers can be the editorial life blood of a magazine. Here’s a round-table on how to recruit and best utilize freelance talent. Issues covered will include assessing and matching up writers’ expertise and style with editorial needs, negotiating pay, and more. | |||
| Targeted to: Editorial | |||
| Session C | |||
| Topic: Copy that Sells | |||
| Moderator: Denise Koff, Blue Ridge Country | |||
| Place: Nelson | |||
| Description: Just like an advertiser, we have a product to sell, too—our magazines. Whether it’s copy used in your media kit, promotional subscription pages/inserts, or cover copy that beefs up newsstand sales, language is key to closing the sale. This session will be an exchange of ideas—tips, tricks and techniques involving language that helps to sell your magazine. | |||
| Targeted to: Advertising, Marketing | |||
| 2:15 p.m. | Break | ||
| 2:30 p.m. | Nature Experience: In reviewing many of the titles that make up IRMA, one thing is abundantly clear: a considerable amount of space is devoted to featuring the natural world and our regional environments and eco-cultures. | ||
| Description: Take Wintergreen's on-demand shuttle service to the Wintergreen Nature Foundation (a five-minute ride) or use a provided map if you prefer to drive yourself. See a short presentation, then choose Option "A" or "B," as follows. | |||
| Option A: Join a guided hike through Wintergreen to talk about native species, indigenous plants and wildlife, and to discuss the importance of the media’s focus on the environment. Please Note: This will be a walking/hiking lecture through the nature trails and mountain area where Wintergreen Resort is located. Please dress accordingly. | |||
| Option B: Stay indoors and we’ll bring the outdoors to you, with examples of native species, imagery from the Blue Ridge Mountains and, as mentioned above, the importance of emphasizing the environment in regional media. | |||
| 4:15 p.m. | Free Time | ||
| Optional Activities: Swimming, the spa (call for reservations), horseback riding, and more. | |||
| 6:30 p.m. | Cocktails and Dinner | ||
| Place: Blue Ridge Terrace | |||
| Guest Speaker: Ed Clark, Executive Director, Wildlife Center of Virginia | |||
| Description: Enjoy this well-known wildlife expert who has appeared on the Today Show and the Animal Planet channel. Meet one of his large feathered friends from the Wildlife Center. | |||
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Monday, August 25 |
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| 7:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast Buffet | ||
| Place: Ballroom Lobby | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Display Room Opens | ||
| Place: Piedmont | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | General Session | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
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Topic: Lemons into Lemonade―The Seven Habits of Highly Cost-efficient Magazine Editors |
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| Guest Speaker: John (Jack) Brady, Brady & Paul Communications | |||
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Description: What distinguishes a great editor? Two words: cost
control. Here you will learn the traits that can make you an effective
leader―and a winner in today's tight-budget environment. Publishers want to
spend less on editorial. Readers want shorter stories. Editors have to
squeeze more copy into fewer pages. Here are tips and techniques sure to
please all parties by doing more with less; hard-nosed guidelines on how to write tight; how to trim long-winded pieces down so that they have more punch and reader appeal. |
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| Targeted to: Everyone | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Box lunch picnic at Wintergreen Resort | ||
| 1:15 p.m. | Bus leaves for Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia Rotunda and Lawn. Don't forget your camera. | ||
| Place: Mountain Inn Lower Lobby | |||
| 6:00 p.m. | Arrive at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello | ||
| 6:30 p.m. | Private Tour, including the Lewis and Clark Special Exhibitions | ||
| 7:45 p.m. |
Ash Lawn Highland Home of President James Monroe. Gather for cocktails and catered dinner. |
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| 10:30 p.m. | Back on the bus to Wintergreen (about a one-hour drive) | ||
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Tuesday, August 26 |
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| 7:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast Buffet | ||
| Place: Ballroom Lobby | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Display Room Opens | ||
| Place: Piedmont | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | General Session | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: The Photo Essay from Start to Finish | |||
| Guest Speaker: Russell Hart, American Photo magazine | |||
| Description: Explore the particulars of this unique form of editorial, from conception to execution. Issues discussed will include selecting images, generating text, and bringing it all together to create a feature with impact. | |||
| Targeted to: Everyone, especially editorial and design | |||
| 10:15 a.m. | Break | ||
| 10:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (see A and B next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Buying or Selling Your Magazine: An Interactive Workshop | |||
| Guest Speaker: Jeffrey Dearth, DeSilva & Phillips, Inc. | |||
| Description: Ever wondered what it takes to buy another magazine, or to sell one you already own? What does the buying/selling process entail? Who are the advisors you need to hire? What king of value drivers will determine the price? What are some of the hidden pitfalls involved? These and other practical questions will be answered in this roundtable session--a hands-on session where attendees will be encouraged to share their experiences and case histories. | |||
| Targeted to: Marketing, publishers | |||
| Session B | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Editorial Headaches and Nightmares | |||
| Moderator: Tim Sayles, Chesapeake Bay Magazine and Offshore | |||
| Description: How do you handle missed deadlines? Killing articles? Contract/pay issues for writers? And yes, even plagiarizing? (Sad to say that some of us have had to deal with that unfortunate business.) These and other head-banging issues will be addressed in this roundtable session. Bring your horror stories, and how you managed to resolve them. | |||
| Targeted to: Editorial | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch | ||
| Place: Pryors Fortune Shropshire | |||
| 1:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions (see A and B next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Everyone on the Same Page―Keeping Up with Technology | |||
| Speaker: Matt Carson, Carden Jennings Publishing | |||
| Description: Like it or
not, it’s critically important that everyone on a magazine staff have basic
working knowledge of How Things Get Done, especially as it concerns the
software/computer end of things. Learn the nuts-and-bolts essentials of the
technical whys-and-wherefores, and how to keep everyone up to speed with rapidly-changing technology. |
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| Targeted to: Design, production―and all technophobes! | |||
| Session B | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Effective Interviewing Techniques | |||
| Guest Moderator: Russell Hart, American Photo magazine | |||
| Description: Whether quoting sources for a feature or interviewing for a personal profile, there are practical ways to make the interviewing process easier – and consequently more successful – for the writer/interviewer. Consider your background preparation for interviews, taking some of the pain out of transcribing, putting an unknown interviewee at ease, interviewing on the phone, and more. | |||
| Targeted to: Editorial | |||
| 2:15 p.m. | Break | ||
| 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions (see A and B next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Look at the Bottom Line | |||
| Guest Moderator: Dedra Smith, Printmark | |||
| Description: Look at real questions from IRMA members that have to do with postage, paper, production and the utilization of resources. The specific topics will be determined by participants. Part brain storming, part consulting session; look for a dynamic exchange of ideas here! | |||
| Targeted to: Circulation, production, publishers | |||
| Session B | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Editors Talk to Publishers | |||
| Moderator: Tom Hughes, Adirondack Life | |||
| Description: How can editors and publishers be teams, yet respect each others’ separate roles and maintain editorial integrity? How to be supportive without meddling, without forgetting the bottom line, or sacrificing quality. Participants should be prepared to discuss—candidly!—how they work with their opposite partner, the successes, the challenges and the pitfalls to avoid. | |||
| Targeted to: Editors, publishers | |||
| 3:45 p.m. | Break | ||
| 6:30 p.m. | Dinner | ||
| Place: Lake Monacan (about 4-5 miles from the Wintergreen's Mountain Inn, but still on Wintergreen's grounds) | |||
| Entertainment: Douglas Day, Executive Director, The Historical Society | |||
| Description: Douglas will entertain us with folk tales, songs (his specialty), and other stuff you'll love. | |||
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Wednesday, August 27 |
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| 7:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast Buffet | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| 9:00 a.m. | Display Room Opens | ||
| Place: Piedmont | |||
| 8:30 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (see A, B, and C next) | ||
| Session A | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Developing Magazine Web Sites to Increase Circulation/Subscriptions | |||
| Moderator: Andrew Jackson, Vermont Life | |||
| Description: A good well-maintained Web site is the most cost-effective and immediate way to increase circulation and attract potential subscribers. Learn about managing your Web site content, what to include and not, as the case may be, and how to make it user friendly. | |||
| Targeted to: Circulation | |||
| Session B | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Raising and Maintaining Your Magazine's Profile | |||
| Moderators: Bryan McGill and Don Foxgord, British Columbia Magazine | |||
| Description: Should you change your magazine’s name? What’s involved in maintaining and building a publication’s image and branding while living through a name change—and how is this applicable to marketing and promoting our magazines. What are the benefits, perils and pitfalls? A great session for those in search of an infusion of marketing and public relations ideas. | |||
| Targeted to: Editorial, circulation, publishers, business staff | |||
| Session C | |||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Ancillary Products and Special Advertising Sections | |||
| Moderator: Tom Slayton, Vermont Life | |||
| Description: Special advertising sections, advertorial and ancillary products are great ways to generate revenue—but what ideas are worth pursuing and what aren’t? What’s appropriate for your magazine? How do you manage the additional workload? These issues and more await you in this session. Bring examples of what you've done in this area, what's worked for you, and what hasn't. | |||
| Targeted to: Advertising, Marketing, Publishers | |||
| 10:15 a.m. | Break | ||
| 10:30 a.m. | General Session | ||
| Place: Ballroom | |||
| Topic: Hits and Misses | |||
| Moderator: Joan Henderson, Oklahoma Today | |||
| Description: It wouldn’t be an IRMA conference without this perennial favorite. As always, this is the opportunity to share our triumphs and tragedies. Be prepared to crow—or laugh and cry! | |||
| Targeted to: Everyone | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch on your own | ||
| Places: Wintergreen Resort has several dining places. | |||
| Afternoon | Free | ||
| Enjoy swimming, hiking, golf, spa and, most of all, each other! | |||
| 6:00 p.m. | Cocktail Reception | ||
| Place: Skyline Terrace | |||
| 6:30 p.m. | Gala Awards Dinner | ||
| Place: Skyline Terrace | |||
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Thursday, August 28 |
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| 7:30 a.m. | Breakfast on your own | ||
| 11:00 a.m. | Check-out at Mountain Inn Front Desk | ||
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Things You Need to Know |
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| July 15, for the discount registration fee. (Absolute Deadline: August 8, though you need to reserve your room at Wintergreen Resort by July 22.) | |||
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Conference Site |
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| Wintergreen Resort, PO Box 706, Wintergreen, Virginia 22958. Phone: (800) 266-2444. | |||
| See Wintergreen Resort's Web site. | |||
| To Book Your Room: Download the special IRMA Conference reservation form from the this site's Members Only Section. The form has room rates and other information you'll want to see. | |||
| Conference Registration | |||
| Submit the completed Conference Registration Form for your organization and an Individual Preferences Form for each attendee. You may download the appropriate forms for your organization from this site's Members Only Section. | |||
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Shipping Materials |
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| You are encouraged to send magazines and other materials, as always. Limited storage requires that they arrive at Wintergreen Resort no earlier than August 8, 2003. Clearly mark all packages, "HOLD FOR IRMA CONFERENCE." Ship them to... | |||
| Page Bowman Conference Services Wintergreen Resort Route 664 Wintergreen VA 22958 |
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| Weather and Clothing | |||
| Summer in Virginia is usually
hot and humid, although average daily temperatures in the mountains (where
Wintergreen Resort is located) are cooler than at lower altitudes. The
temperature ranges from 70-90º F (21-32º
C). Rain is always a possibility, so pack a raincoat or rain gear.
Bring clothing that is casual and comfortable. The evenings may be a little
cool so bring along a light jacket or sweater as well. Bring good hiking
boots or good walking shoes for the beautiful Wintergreen Mountain setting,
and for our day trip (Monday) A Day in Jefferson’s Virginia. Bring your
swimsuit if you’d like to take advantage of the pool. Appropriate attire is
required for golf and tennis. And finally, bring your festive attire
(especially Tom Hughes) for the Awards Gala Evening. [P.S. from Ruth Hart: for those who love birding, the fall hawk migration will be taking place during the conference, and the Blue Ridge mountains are the best for witnessing this. Bring your binoculars!] |
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| Flight Planning (and ground transportation to/from Wintergreen) | |||
| Charlottesville-Albemarle is the
nearest airport to Wintergreen. Please arrange your flight to arrive by
Saturday evening, August 23. (Board of Directors and Presidents Council
should arrive by Friday evening, August 22.) Arrival shuttles will depart from Charlottesville and Richmond to Wintergreen.* After the conference, Thursday morning shuttles will depart from Wintergreen Resort for the Charlottesville and Richmond Airports.* Allow at least one hour and 20 minutes driving time to reach the Charlottesville Airport. *Once we receive IRMA participants’ Individual Preferences forms indicating flight arrival and departure times, we will schedule shuttles to and from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport. Stay tuned to eSignature and the IRMA Web site for details. |
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Airline Information |
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| US Airways Express:
800-428-4322 United Express: 800-241-6522 Comair, the Delta Connection: 800-354-9822 Colgan Air: 800-272-5488 |
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| Car Rental | |||
| Enterprise Rent A Car is located in Charlottesville and Waynesboro. The Waynesboro location will deliver and pick up cars at Wintergreen, 540-943-9714. | |||
| Amtrak | |||
| Charlottesville Passenger Station, 810 West Main Street. Reservations and information, 800-872-7245. | |||
| Directions from Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport | |||
| Proceed from Airport through stop sign to first stoplight. Turn right onto Highway 29 south and follow six miles. Take Route 250 west bypass exit, proceed 4.5 miles. Exit on I-64 WEST (Toward Staunton) and follow 10 miles to Exit 107 Crozet, Route 250. Follow 250 west five miles to Route 151 south. Turn left. Continue on Route 151 south for 14.2 miles to Route 664. Turn right and proceed 4.5 miles to the Wintergreen entrance. | |||
| Directions from Richmond International Airport | |||
| Take I-64 west (toward Staunton) and to Exit 107 Crozet, Route 250,. Follow 250 west five miles to Route 151 south. Turn left. Continue on Route 151 south for 14.2 miles to Route 664. Turn right and proceed 4.5 miles to the Wintergreen Entrance. | |||
| Approximate Driving Times to Wintergreen Resort | |||
| New York, NY:
7 Hours Washington, D.C.: 3 Hours Richmond, VA: 2 Hours Virginia Beach, VA: 4 Hours Raleigh/Durham, NC: 3.5 Hours Greensboro, NC: 3 Hours Philadelphia, PA: 5 Hours Pittsburgh, PA: 5 Hours Baltimore, MD: 3.5 Hours |
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Jeffrey Dearth is a partner in the media investment banking firm of DeSilva & Phillips, Inc.; member of MPA’s Small Magazine Advisory Committee and MPA’s New Media Advisory Committee, and founder of electronic Newsstand in 1993, one of the first e-commerce sites on the Internet. A speaker that was so well received in Montana at last year’s conference, Jeffrey was a “top-of-the-list” choice for this conference. |
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Dedra Smith joined Printmark in 1993. Her previous production supervision included a semi-weekly newsmagazine at Reed Travel Group, two monthlies at Murdoch Magazines, and dozens of annuals and semiannuals for a Folio:, FMA, and the MPA, as well as serving on the Magazine Week educational advisory board. Her columns on production appear in Folio:. Dedra is highly energetic and entertaining—and knowledgeable to boot. |
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Russell Hart, Executive Editor of American Photo magazine, grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia (home to albemarle magazine) and is now a highly regarded writer and photographer. He has written about photography for the New York Times, Men’s Journal and US magazine, and has authored a number of books on photographic subjects, including William Albert Allard: The Photographic Essay, the New Joy of Photography and Photography for Dummies. He has also taught photography at Tufts University and the Boston Museum School. Russell’s landscape photographs have been shown in galleries and museums around the country and are in the permanent collections of Boston Museum of Fine Arts, New York’s Hudson River Museum, and DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts and the Readers Digest Collection. |
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Doug Coleman is the Executive Director of The Wintergreen Nature Foundation, the environmental nonprofit organization affiliated with the Wintergreen Resort. |
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Jack Brady, the “magazine doctor,” lives and works in Newburyport, Massachusetts. As author of The Craft of Interviewing, he has long been known as the engaging leader of workshops on reporting and editing techniques for professionals. He also teaches magazine writing and editing at Boston University, and is a partner in Brady & Paul Communications, a publishing consultancy that helps magazines to help themselves. He is former editor-in-chief at Boston Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and founding editor of The Artist’s Magazine. He is a longtime presenter at Folio: shows and conducts seminars and workshops for associations and publishing companies. Since 1975, over 35,000 professionals have attended his presentations. |
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Matt Carson, VP, Custom Media, Carden Jennings (publishers of albemarle) Alison Dickie, Publisher, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia Don Foxgord, Publisher, British Columbia Magazine Ruth Hart, Editor, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia Cindy Hayden, Publisher, Lake Superior Magazine Joan Henderson, Publisher, Oklahoma Today Ethel Hess, Publisher, New Mexico Magazine Tom Hughes, Publisher, Adirondack Life Andrew Jackson, Director of Operations, Vermont Life Denise Koff, Marketing Director, Blue Ridge Country Bryan McGill, Editor, British Columbia Magazine Kelly Roberson, Editor, The Iowan Tim Sayles, Editorial Director, Chesapeake Bay Magazine and Offshore Tom Slayton, Editor-in-Chief, Vermont Life Al Zikovitz, Publisher, Cottage Life |
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Thanks, Most of All |
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Alison Dickie, Publisher, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia Ruth Hart, Editor, albemarle: Living in Jefferson's Virginia And the entire staff at Carden Jennings Publishing (our wonderful hosts) |
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| See you next year in | |||
| Bar Harbor, Maine | |||
| Down East, Host | |||
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