The event plans to be an interactive gathering of the brightest brains in content creation and delivery, including many businesses providing the sector with essential products and services for traditional and new media.
To coincide with the show’s launch, the organisers have created the Specialist Media Pioneer Awards, recognising innovation and entrepreneurial thinking by media owners in these challenging times.
According to the organisers, whilst newspapers and mass media are struggling to find new business models, independent specialist media are applying innovation and entrepreneurial thinking to beat the recession in the UK and even expand internationally, tempting enthusiasts from athletes to cricketers and ex-pats in France to crafty types.
Athletics Weekly sets the pace on iphone
Athletics Weekly, a weekly magazine for elite runners and athletes, which launched in 1945, is still setting the pace. AW believed there was great potential for iPhone and iTouch users to read the newsstand magazine electronically. They believe they have become the first magazine in the world to start selling subscriptions to full digital editions via the iPhone e-app store. Subscribers pay £1.19 per week for unlimited access to the current and past issues.
Editor, Jason Henderson, says “So far, feedback has been great. AW just needs to spread the word and let more people try it for themselves.”
Grantham publisher broadcasts to 1 million cricket enthusiasts worldwide
Cricket World, originally a specialist magazine publisher based in Grantham, has established itself as a multi-media business. Their website, www.cricketworld.com has grown from launch in 1996 to attract over 1.1 million unique users worldwide with 200,000 in the UK. Three years ago, adding to its news and scores, the site started delivering live TV webcasting, audio commentaries, breaking news and interviews to cricket fans all over the world.
Alastair Symondson, Publisher, explains: “Cricket World Live enables enthusiasts to interact via email, photo exchange and live text chat. Videos have proved popular, not just on the website, but also on video-sharing sites enabling fans to embed Cricket World video all over the web”.
Brits launch French ex-pat newspaper
Launching a national, monthly English language newspaper for ex-pats in France might sound like madness right now but it seems to have worked. Ex-Emap Director, Nicki Wade and her small but talented team have launched and established TheFrenchPaper, a multi-section 'broadloid' with national daily production standards, out of their idyllic French countryside home.
“Moving to or working in a foreign country can be an incredibly daunting experience. TheFrenchPaper offers English-speaking expatriates - whether retired or working - a real insight into the culture, lifestyle and procedures of their new home. We have first hand experience of these things having moved to France 6 years ago, and along with our team of expats and French colleagues, we feel that we are well placed to help English speakers make living in France a rich and rewarding experience” says Nicki. “We have fast built a reputation as the essential read and our quality journalism and production standards has resulted in us beating budgeted copy sales”.
MyHobbystore supplies hobby and craft enthusiasts worldwide
MyHobbyStore, originally publishers of modelling, woodworking and craft magazines, have expanded to become online retailers and event organisers. Hobbyist consumers are highly engaged in their activities and contribute to magazines, online communities and live events but the products they need have often been hard to find. MyHobbystore now has an ecommerce business, supplying thousands of products from multiple suppliers. The magazines create the interest and direct the readers to the store. There is a strong focus on customer service, with a dedicated in-house team. Online ecommerce revenues are up by 75% year on year, and make up 80% of all online revenues, with a growing international business.
MyHobbystore are also developing online communities and offering subscription-based content, including an online TV channel, competitions and digital editions of the magazines.
Owen Davies, CEO, says “We know that the content in our magazines drives the ecommerce revenue. However, we have had to acquire new skills in retail sourcing and merchandising, and change the culture of the organisation from the top down.”
Racing Post signs up 15% of web users to online subscriptions
Racing Post’s website attracts 750,000 users a month. In July they put 10% of their content behind a pay-wall; the rest remaining free to drive traffic. They now have over 10,000 active subscribers.
Mark Renshaw, Head of Online at Racing Post, commented: “Only five months into the project our expectations have been greatly exceeded with over 10,000 active subscribers and customer value levels increasing month on month. We now have 15% of our committed customers (daily site visitors) signed up and expect to double this number during 2010”.
Read the full story of all these winners on the Specialist Media Network group on Linked-in, and look out for further Media Pioneer awards winners in the months leading up to the Specialist Media Show in May, where the final will take place.
“Specialist media owners have always been close to their communities, so they have an advantage in understanding what content is considered valuable” says Carolyn Morgan (pictured), Media Consultant and co-founder of the Specialist Media Network and Show. “Independents are prepared to innovate and experiment with all the new media channels now available, and we want to celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit, and inspire others to emulate their success.”
According to Morgan the original specialist media revolution dates from the birth of MotorCycle News, Angling Times and Garden News out of East Midlands Allied Press (later Emap). Emap in turn has spawned its own regional ecosystem of independent media owners across the Midlands, East and North East; totalling an estimated 500 print, events and digital media businesses.
It’s no surprise then, say the organisers, that the Exec exhibition centre in Peterborough is hosting the Specialist Media Show. Independent and major media businesses from specialist consumer and b2b magazine, digital and events sectors are expected to attend the conference, exhibition and workshops. Conference speakers from Econsultancy, Magicalia, Centaur, Time Out and RBI have been confirmed.
“There are just as many passionate enthusiasts consuming specialist media as there ever were”, adds Morgan. “The challenge for content creators is to deliver in ever more useful and valuable ways, whether through digital, mobile, events or print. Bringing together the network of Directors, managers, editors and advertising and marketing professionals plus the many businesses that supply them to share ideas and best practice can’t fail to boost innovation further.”
About the Specialist Media Show
The Specialist Media Show says: "The Specialist Media Show is taking place at Exec Peterborough on 25 May 2010. InPublishing is a media sponsor.
The Specialist Media Network, established on Linked-in provides a forum for specialist media owners to swap ideas and tips and make new business contacts.
These awards are designed to be an informal ongoing celebration of achievements. There are no formal nominations, anyone can put forward suggestions for those deserving recognition and the organizers and partners of The Specialist Media Show will put it to the vote.
The Specialist Media Pioneers winners’ stories will be published on the Specialist Media Network, the Show website, e-newsletter and in InPublishing. The final will take place at the Show. Members of the network are encouraged to put forward names for future Awards.
The founding directors of the Specialist Media Show are:
Carolyn Morgan, Managing Consultant of Penmaen Media who has 20 years of experience in senior publishing, marketing, events, digital and strategic roles in Emap’s specialist markets,
Paul Sloggett and Aran Beesley – Directors of marketing agency Copper Kite, background in senior marketing, events and publishing roles at Emap and Future.
For more information please contact: carolyn@thespecialistmediashow.com"
