October 12, 2011

Meister Media Launches Meister Interactive:
New Custom Digital Marketing Services Division

Meister Media Worldwide has announced the full market launch of Meister Interactive, a new company division offering custom digital marketing service based in the company's headquarters in Willoughby.

Answering a call from many of Meister Media's advertising partners for assistance with digital strategies and implementation, Meister Interactive is built to respond to projects both big and small, from the beginning to the end of online marketing campaigns.

The division's services revolve around a simple tagline - "Conceive & Plan. Design & Create. Build & Analyze." They include:

• Strategic eMedia business development - tied to the client's specific sales and marketing objectives and to broader, cross-media efforts
• Custom digital platforms and vehicles - including custom sites, microsites and landing pages; custom enewsletters and e-blasts; and lead generation
• Custom content - built on the editorial heritage and deep market knowledge Meister Media has acquired after more than 75 years in the agriculture industry.
• Creative services / design
• Video and audio
• Campaign management and analytics

"We heard from a wide swath of Meister Media's advertisers - big and small, across all of our markets - that they are seeking help in their move to online marketing," says Jim Sulecki, Meister Media's Director of eMedia who also heads up Meister Interactive and Meister's video/audio facility, Studio M. "Given Meister's content and design heritage, deep market knowledge and growing expertise in digital platforms, it seems natural that we should form Meister Interactive to help fill this growing market demand."

Meister Interactive services are available to all marketers in U.S. and global agricultural and horticultural markets. Clients of Meister Interactive also are eligible for preferred rates and placement on Meister Media's branded websites and enewsletters, on other media platforms and in integrated marketing programs also managed by Meister Media.

September 8, 2011

Today's Garden Center Wins 2nd National Award in Three Years

For the second time in three years, Today's Garden Center earned the American Society of Business Publication Editors' (ASBPE) national "Multi-Platform Presentation of the Year" honor. Editors Richard Jones, Sara Tambascio and Jennifer Polanz were recognized for the brand's "Steal This Idea" program.

"Steal This Idea," a feature that shares successful ideas gleaned from independent garden centers, has grown from a short feature in Today's Garden Center eNews to a year-round program incorporating the print magazine, webinars and trade shows and conferences across the U.S.

ASBPE's "Multi-Platform Presentation of the Year" is one of two premier digital content awards, along with "Website of the Year." Today's Garden Center also won the award in 2009 and was a runner up in 2010.

Other Meister Media award winners this year at ASBPE:

• Greenhouse Grower, Today's Garden Center sister publication, garnered ASBPE's Silver Award for best "Special Supplement." Managing editor Kevin Yanik's "Peat Report" addressed both sides of the controversy surrounding the sustainability of peat moss as a horticultural growing media.
• Three Meister graphic designers won National AZBEE Design Awards. Brad Kish earned a Silver Award for his work on the "Greenhouse Grower Peat Report Cover," Patrick Brickman collected a Gold Award for "Today's Garden Center - Contents Page," and Tyler Hatch earned a Gold Award for the Computer Generated Front Cover of Cotton International Magazine's "Meetings of the Minds" Issue. The competition in the latter category alone pitted Cotton International's cover against 26 other National finalists. Meister Media's Creative Services design team has been recognized 13 times since 1999 for excellence in print design for business publications.

July 26, 2010

The ICAC Organizing Committee names Cotton International and Cotton Grower magazines the Official Publications of its 69th Plenary Meeting

Lubbock, Texas, and Willoughby, Ohio - July 26, 2010 - The Organizing Committee for one of cotton's premier annual events has reached an agreement with Meister Media Worldwide that will facilitate the delivery of timely, high-level industry intelligence to cotton professionals around the world. By designating Cotton International and Cotton Grower magazines the official publications of the International Cotton Advisory Committee's (ICAC) 69th Plenary Meeting (Sept. 20-25 in Lubbock, Texas), the Organizing Committee has enhanced its ability to provide critical industry information through integrated media to all sectors of the cotton industry across the globe.

As part of the agreement, Cotton International magazine will publish a series of pre-event Special Edition e-newsletters investigating key topics from among the Meeting's major sessions, including interviews with session moderators and panelists. In addition, both Cotton International and Cotton Grower magazines will provide on-site coverage of Plenary Meeting events from the host city of Lubbock, Texas, including video and in-depth reporting on issues driving the revitalization of the global cotton market.

"Meister Media has offered to provide an impressive array of coverage of all aspects of the 69th ICAC Plenary Meeting," says Dean Ethridge, chair of the ICAC Organizing Committee. "Based on these considerations, the Organizing Committee is pleased to grant them the status of The Official Media Partner of the 69th Plenary Meeting in Lubbock. The Committee understands that their coverage will come under the auspices of both their Cotton International and Cotton Grower magazines. A global outreach is essential for informing about an ICAC Plenary Meeting. We are counting on Meister Media to help provide this outreach."

"We're honored to be The Official Media Partner of ICAC's 69th Plenary Meeting," says Gary T. Fitzgerald, Meister Media Worldwide CEO. "ICAC is a catalyst not only for collaboration, but for constructive change. This agreement gives our domestic and global audience an insider's look at that collaborative process, and helps us fulfill our mission of delivering actionable information that allows our readers to operate their businesses more efficiently and profitably."

Terry Townsend, Executive Director of ICAC, added, "I welcome this coordination between the Organizing Committee and Meister Media, and I appreciate the support of Cotton International and Cotton Grower magazines in helping to raise awareness of issues affecting the world of cotton."

To learn more about ICAC's 69th Plenary Meeting, please visit http://www.icac.org.

Cotton industry professionals who want to receive weekly newsletters from Cotton International and Cotton Grower can sign up for a free subscription at http://cotton247.com/subscribe/.

January 13, 2010

Meister Media Worldwide Launches Event Group
To meet ever-growing market demands as well as complement its strategy of offering readers and clients a complete suite of integrated informational and marketing solutions, Meister Media Worldwide (MMW) announces the creation of the Meister Events Group.

Meister Events will provide logistical, marketing and event management to MMW's current stable of trade shows, summits and conferences, and work to develop new in-person opportunities across the company's specialty agriculture markets. The group will accelerate the blending of MMW's live-events with print and eMedia offerings to provide fully integrated marketing and business-building solutions.

Leading MMW's event group is Jeff Fenner. Fenner, with 14 years of business-to-business media and event management, has spent the past two years with Meister's Clear Window integrated solutions group.

MMW's current event offerings reach thousands of specialty agriculture professionals across the globe and serve as a source for unique content for the markets served. Key offerings include the 2010 Florida Citrus Show and 2010 Florida Ag Expo in the U.S., the International Tomato Congress and International Cucurbit Congress in Mexico and FCI Trade Summits in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

"This is another step in our continued growth as an integrated media company serving these specialty markets around the world," said Michael DeLuca, president of Meister Media Worldwide. "Even as our eMedia capabilities grow, the need for face-to-face learning and networking experiences for our reader and clients have met high demand."

December 23, 2009

Meister Media Realigns for Integrated Media Growth
Meister Media Worldwide (MMW), global communication and information center for specialized agriculture worldwide, today announced executive management changes to lead the company's continued global growth and diversification:

Michael L. DeLuca is promoted to President to lead the global expansion of integrated media and business solutions for all Meister markets. DeLuca was formerly Vice President, Sales and Integrated Marketing at Meister, and prior to that held digital, events, PR, and editorial management positions in the media industry.

William J. Miller takes on the role of Vice Chairman to lead new strategic geographic and market initiatives. He also assumes executive responsibility for Meister's affiliated companies. Miller was formerly President at Meister.

Elliott Nowels, Vice President, Business Development, will expand his role in executing components of MMW's long-term growth strategy. He will also continue his work as director of Clear Window MultiMedia, Meister's creative integrated solutions group.

"The volatile business climate and dramatic shifts in global agriculture have created exciting new opportunities for Meister to extend its leadership in serving these markets around the world." says Gary T. Fitzgerald, Chairman and CEO. "We are committed to developing new integrated media and business solutions to support global agriculture in meeting the challenge of supplying quality food and fiber for an expanding world population."

November 6, 2009

TodaysGardenCenter.com Website Earns Honors
Meister Media's website, TodaysGardenCenter.com, was presented with the Multi-Platform Gold Award in the 2009 Digital Azbee Awards of Excellence, conducted by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE).

One judge commented that the branding of Today's Garden Center, also a monthly magazine, is consistent in both print and online and that the content was complementary to each platform. The judge also remarked that the online content is interesting and easily navigable.

Another Meister website, GreenhouseGrower.com, received Honorable Mention in the Multi-Platform category. Greenhouse Grower also received a Silver award, in the Podcast: Step-By-Step/How-To category, for its FloriCAST series on greenhouse production issues.

October 7, 2009

Meister Media Opens "Studio M" Video/Audio Facility
Meister Media Worldwide has announced the opening of "Studio M," a video/audio production and editing facility for agribusiness media.

The new 500-square-foot space, located at Meister Media's headquarters in Willoughby, Ohio, features open production space and an editing facility, along with built-in flexibility to expand and change as business and technology needs evolve. Current studio features include high-definition video and audio equipment, professional lighting, a green screen, teleprompter and editing software. Studio M also is equipped to go on the road for on-location productions.

"A key use of the studio will be by the company's editors and other content providers as we stock our websites with video and audio content," says Jim Sulecki, eMedia director for Meister Media. Meister currently hosts nearly a half-dozen online video "networks" including CropLife TV, Greenhouse Grower TV, Growing Produce TV, and PrecisionAg TV.

The company is also devoting its digital facilities to the increasing needs of advertisers and other commercial clients for production and editing of custom projects including sponsored webinars and video/audio efforts. Meister additionally offers turnkey creative services including storyboarding, scripting, voiceovers and editing. Meister's eMedia staff is also available for the rapid upload of video/audio productions to websites or download to other digital distribution vehicles.

Gary T. Fitzgerald, chairman/CEO for Meister Media, cites a boom in adoption in online video and audio by Meister's agricultural audiences and advertiser communities, along with increasing demand for multi-channel content in general, as reasons for the company's investment in the facility.

"We anticipate digital media will continue to grow steadily in importance in the specialty agriculture markets that Meister serves and act as complementary offerings to the 16 print publications in Meister's portfolio," Fitzgerald says. "Our investment in Studio M is an important strategic decision which we are certain will pay off in the near term as well as longer term, as an increasingly greater share of our audiences and advertisers integrate digital media into their daily lives."

September 29, 2009

Growing Produce Named Top B-to-B Website
GrowingProduce.com, a hub website designed to serve as the news and market information source for the U.S. fruit and vegetable markets, has been named as one of the "10 Great Media Sites" by Media Business magazine.

The site, which was launched in January 2009, is the online home for American/Western Fruit Grower, American Vegetable Grower and Florida Grower brands, and features an array of valuable content resources for fruit, vegetable and citrus growers across the United States.

"By aggregating the audiences and content of the three titles, GrowingProduce.com has greater appeal to both advertisers and users," said Media Business about the site in their September 2009 issue.

Sites were separated into categories - GrowingProduce.com was best in class for Portal sites - and judged on their appearance, organization and navigation, search functionality, video and multimedia content and community/social media features. Special emphasis was placed in the judging on recent and regular participation by users of the site. Other sites recognized by Media Business included PC World, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and BusinessWeek.

"The award validates our approach to providing the content that unites all specialty crop growers under one hub site while also enabling our grower readers to drill down to the content that is more specific to their growing operation" said Joe Monahan, Group Publisher for Meister Media's Fruit & Vegetable Media Group. "We are pleased to have delivered a valuable product to our readers."

August 10, 2009

Today's Garden Center Wins National Award
The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) awarded Today's Garden Center magazine a National Gold Award for its 2008 Revolutionary 100 Roundtable Special Report.

Today's Garden Center earned the top spot in the Special Section category for publications with a circulation under 80,000 subscribers. The award was presented July 16, 2009, during the ASBPE National Editorial Conference in Washington, DC.

The special report was a comprehensive compilation of the proceedings from the magazine's 2008 Revolutionary 100 Roundtable event that brought together a select group of the United States' top independent garden center owners and managers for two days of discussions and exchanging ideas on current issues impacting the industry.

"Today's Garden Center is proud to be recognized for our efforts to provide our readers with the most current and meaningful information to help them better run their garden centers," said Richard Jones, Group Editor of Today's Garden Center.

May 6, 2009

Meister CEO Honored For Service as Media Association Chair
In recognition of his leadership as 2008-2009 Chairman of American Business Media (ABM), Meister CEO and Chairman Gary Fitzgerald was presented with a handsome Tiffany tray signed by members of the executive committee and committee chairs at the association's 2009 annual meeting. Fitzgerald continues to serve as immediate past chairman.

American Business Media, founded in 1906, is the association of business information providers, delivering business intelligence to industry, Madison Avenue, Wall Street and the Beltway.

May 4, 2009

Meister eMedia Wins 'Innovator' Award
Citing a catapulting of Meister Media Worldwide's websites to the "cutting edge," BtoB Media Business magazine named Jim Sulecki, Meister's Director of eMedia, among its "Top Innovators in Business Publishing." Sulecki was one of three Online Executives recognized in Media Business' May 2009 issue.

The award lauded Meister for its "aggressive immersion in Web 2.0 in the past two years," the "modern look" of its websites, an internally built Web content management system, and "a host of Web 2.0 features, including community forums, comments, blogs and video."

Sulecki is a 21-year veteran of Meister Media who previously has worked in editorial and business management roles within the company.

Meister was recognized in the "Small" division of media companies. Other Online Media winners were The Wall Street Journal Digital Network (General) and Incisive Media (Large).

April 4, 2008

Meister Launches New Corporate Website
Meister Media Worldwide today announced the launch of a redesigned corporate website. The new www.MeisterMedia.com is designed to better serve and inform an array of global visitors who are interested in the specialty agriculture markets that Meister serves as well as in the corporation and its many products and services. The site also provides convenient links to Meister's branded websites.

Users who access www.MeisterMedia.com from around the world and from many global cultures will now find a website that's easily navigable via three main pathways:

• Markets -- organized by Cotton, Crop Input Channel, Fruits & Vegetables, Latin America, Ornamentals, and Precision Ag. Offered are general descriptions of each market and links to more specific information about each Meister brand in that market. From brand-specific web pages, users can link to each of Meister's branded sites to access a full complement of subscription, advertising, contact, and market information.
• Offerings -- Visitors also can navigate MeisterMedia.com through a Publications pull-down menu of the company's 17 well-known brands. Additional menu options take users to listings and examples of the company's wide array of products and services in online media, reference materials, custom media, events and market initiatives.
• Our Company -- Information about the Meister Media Worldwide parent organization is accessible through five menu options: Careers, Contact Us, Company News, History and Management Team.

"Our redesigned online home aggregates a wealth of market and product and service information but is also easy to access and navigate," says Jim Sulecki, Director, eMedia for Meister Media Worldwide. "For anyone interested in global specialty agriculture, MeisterMedia.com provides visitors with a ‘high level' look at all that Meister has to offer. At the same time our corporate site also provides entrée to in-depth information on our brand websites within our markets, where Meister will be devoting considerable emedia resources and attention in 2008 and 2009."

January 7, 2008

Meister Media Worldwide Realigns Management for Growth
Meister Media Worldwide today announced a structural reorganization in management to more effectively leverage its strengths and capitalize on growth opportunities:

• Michael L. DeLuca becomes Vice President of Sales and Integrated Marketing, with sales management responsibility for Meister's business teams. DeLuca had handled digital media development for Meister and before that held roles at Advanstar and Penton Media.
• Joe Monahan takes on the role of Director, XChange events, and also Group Publisher for Meister's Fruit and Vegetable Group, with media brands including American Fruit Grower, American Vegetable Grower, Florida Grower and two events. Monahan has held a number of sales management and sales positions with Meister.
• James C. Sulecki becomes Director, eMedia for Meister Media Worldwide, overseeing digital media development at the corporate level and across all of Meister's business teams. Sulecki formerly directed editorial and sales activities within Meister's Cotton and CropLife media groups at Meister, and prior to that had served in editorial roles in most of the markets that Meister serves.

"The future holds great promise for Meister as we accelerate our transformation to a global multimedia company," says Gary T. Fitzgerald, chairman/CEO. "Transformation requires that we adapt our business structure and practices to fuel our growth in providing integrated media solutions for our markets and clients."