welcomeThe past several months have been the most unsettling of my nearly 40 years in the business world. No doubt that the coming year will be challenging for all of us. Fortu-nately, Network, through the opportunities you have provided us, continues to grow, increasing staff in both 2008 and 2009. Thank you for your trust in us.

In difficult times, we are all forced to look harder at efficiencies and cost savings. Wikis and online business forums offer opportunities and competition. Delivery of content digitally versus print is a tempt-ing cost-saving option. It is as important as ever to make wise choices, not just the choices that save money. Positioning for the future is imperative.

The good news is that we have had the opportunity to work with some of you to continue to streamline work flows, develop more cost-effective member communications, and concentrate on building member-value propositions. This is sort of “back-to-basics” thinking, but in a new world in which com-munication and content delivery options are rapidly changing with new technologies.

To all, best wishes for a productive new year. May we look back a year from now and see 2009 as a year in which we fine tuned our businesses, continued to wisely

integrate the next wave of technol-ogy, and see that new growth is well underway.

Best,

Vol. 2 Issue 2 Winter 2008 1

MEET JENNI PAGE 2 THINKING PHILANTHROPIC PAGE 3 MORE GREEN TIPS PAGE 3 EXECUTIVE IDEAS PAGE 4

From the President

By Jen SmithIt doesn’t really matter if you think being green is trendy. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s just a passing phase or a new way of doing business. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve already been green for years and you think the rest of the world is just now catching up.

The fact is that this surge of environ-mentally conscious thinking has flooded the U.S. workplace—especially publish-ing—and now it’s up to everybody to get on board.

And if you’re tired of yet another “green issue,” please bear with us for just a few more lines. The fact is that being green is good—for the world, for your business, for your association’s image. But how can you make that process easy on your workflow, transparent to your members, and most of all, within your budget?

What does being green really mean?Anything can be labeled “green.” Green is a catch-all. What’s important to know is if the practices you implement and the prod-ucts you use are considered to be made sustainably and are easier on the environ-ment (meaning use less energy and are not wasteful). It’s not always easy to tell.

“It’s still the wild, wild west,” said Chris Charbonneau of Sappi Paper, at a recent SNAP Lunch and Learn session on green publishing. We need to be careful not to make sweeping generalizations, he said, about what is and is not best for the environment.

What does it mean to an association? As leaders in your industry, members rely on their associations to be at the forefront of issues, including the issue of “being green.”

Some associations have implemented a green philosophy (which is the best first step to take), as a response to the inevitable question: “What are you doing to be green?”

The Association for Healthcare Data Integrity has launched a Go Green Initia-tive for 2009 that includes awareness and strategies for its members and staff.

From adopting The Arbor Foundation as the 2009 philanthropic initiative to seeking greener solutions for its annual convention, AHDI has mapped out a plan for the year’s initiative, knowing that many of the things put in place in 2009 will continue in the future.

“All of the strategies will be commu-nicated throughout the year in myriad ways, with the goal of reporting to the membership some concrete ways that go-ing green has impacted and/or saved the association money by year’s end (where possible),” said Lea Sims, AHDI’s Director of Communications.

What does it mean in publishing?As publishers of member magazines and journals, as well as various printed pieces for member communication, every as-sociation should take steps to evaluate the best ways to incorporate environmentally sound practices in to its printed pieces.

Oh brother, not another green issueLet’s face it, it’s good [for business] to be green

continued on page 3

Sharing Knowledge. Forging Partnerships.The quarterly newsletter of Network Media Partners, Inc. Connect.

meet

2 Winter 2008 Network Media Partners, Inc.

Jenni MayerSince June 2006

What do you do?I’m a graphic designer in Network Design Group. I design two bi-monthly magazines, Commonwealth and Health Data Matrix, as well as other association marketing and event pieces throughout the year.

Why do you like Network?Every day is different, and Network contin-ues to provide new opportunities for me to grow as a designer. The creative environ-ment and my co-workers make it enjoyable to come to work each day.

Quotation to live by? Always be a first-rate version of yourself, in-stead of a second-rate version of somebody else. –Judy Garland

What motivates you?I am motivated by who inspires me. My family motivates me to always reach higher and be bold. I’ve never felt like something is impossible, and that keeps me going. Past favorite projects?My favorite projects always end up being Commonwealth covers or feature spread designs because I love that ‘ah-ha!’ moment when the message and the images work together just right.

Any significant career moments to share?It’s only the start of what I hope to be a wonderful career at Network, but receiving a SNAP award this year is a moment that I like to look back on and remember.

By Shannon ReidMaking volunteer work and philanthropic contributions a mainstay of your corporate culture strengthens your organizations standing in the community and increases em-ployee satisfaction and retention. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when instituting or expanding an official Philanthropy effort in the workplace:

➼ Take a survey of employees to see what is currently happening. You may find that you have a wealth of experience and activity in philanthropy already happening with current staff.

➼ Give staff as much input as possible when instituting any giving campaigns in office. The more ownership they have over the process, the more involved they will be. Selecting a team leader and meeting quarterly on philanthropy objectives is a reason-able place to start.

➼ Be sure to institute a non-monetary opportunity as well as ones involving financial donations. Especially in these tight economic times, be sensitive to the fact that not all employees may be able to fully participate in any activities involving financial donations. Examples of strong alternatives would be working the sign-in table at a charity run, or spending a few hours at a food bank on a Saturday morning.

➼ Know your limits; employees don’t want to feel pressured or burnt out on giving op-portunities. A few key events throughout the year that reflect on staff interests and causes strikes the right balance.

➼ Consider incorporating paid time off for volunteer hours throughout the year. Employ-ees will feel good about the time they have to give back, and they will come back to the office with great feedback for their co-workers!

➼ Document the philanthropy outreach that is done by your staff. Having photos to look back on can be a great source of future inspiration. ;

Shannon Reid is a sales manager. E-mail her at sreid@networkmediapartners.com.

Philanthropy in the workplaceMake contributing part of the culture with these tips

Halloween at Network

Halloween in the Network office is always a festive occasion. At left, Sean Soth as Karate Kid’s Johnny and Jeff Rhodes as Popeye. Center, Keith Price as Michael Phelps. Above, Heather Winkel (C), Jenni Mayer (M), Austin Stahl (Y) and Jen Smith (K), as 4-color process.

Vol. 2 Issue 2 Winter 2008 3

You’d be hard pressed to find a printer who isn’t certified these days. Those cer-tifications are great for ensuring that the paper we’re using is made with fiber from a sustainable forest, and that it’s processed in an earth-friendly way, but it doesn’t cover everything. As publishers, it’s wise to take time to talk with your printers about their environmental policies, which should go far beyond being certified.

Sheridan Magazine Groups, the com-pany that owns United Litho in Ashburn, Va., eagerly shares its environmental policy with clients. The policy explains that United Litho uses inks that are “free of heavy metal,” “produces small amounts of hazard-ous waste, all of which is shipped to an approved facility and disposed of according to strict guidelines,” and “recycles plates, paper, cardboard and roll cores.”

In addition, Sheridan Magazine Group rep April Sellers says that the paperless proofing process that many of her clients are moving to is another way to save en-ergy...as well as time and money.

“We are working fast and furious to move most of our clients to a proofless (a.k.a. paperless) workflow which saves transportation costs for picking up files, dropping off and picking up proof, saves proofing materials/paper/toners, etc.,” Sell-ers said recently. “Some clients are not ready for this yet so we do not require it but we are doing what we can to help move this along.”

Virginia Association of REALTORS® publishes Commonwealth magazine, which

is designed by Network, and saves between $250 and $1000 per issue by using United Litho’s proofless workflow.

Whitmore Printing Corporation in Baltimore, which prints Connect, stresses efficiency.

“The biggest trend: operating more ef-ficiently,” said Joe Wagner, VP of Marketing for Whitmore.

“More efficient presses can help consume up to 18% less energy, computer-to-plate technology coupled with electronic ink pro-file systems integrated into presses enable faster press make ready using less energy and raw materials,” Wagner said.

What does it mean for conferences and meetings?We know that using a LEED-certified meet-ing space is a great step toward sound green practices for meetings, but there are plenty of other things that can be done.

In the exhibit hall, try offering a green solution to exhibitors. Offer a turnkey (and environmentally friendly) booth that’s ready to go when exhibitors check in, conspicu-ous receptacles for recycling throughout the hall, or provide a green product showcase on the trade show floor.

Reusable water bottles and water coolers for refills are green and can be sponsored by an industry partner. Also, encourage exhibitors to reduce wasteful tchotchkes and to opt for more useful give-aways like reusable bags.

What does it mean in the workplace?It also makes sense to put green practices in place in your office space. Turning off computer monitors at night and using blinds to cool down an office are easy ways to use less of your building’s energy.

At Network, some environmentally conscious perks include a stash of reus-

able grocery bags that can be borrowed for errands, as well as an email awareness campaign to staff. We’re also looking for opportunities to add some green to our team-building events, like planting trees at a local school or park.

There’s no doubt that being green makes good business sense for a lot of reasons. As associations, you are stewards and leaders in your field, with members who look to you for direction. “Green” is becoming a regular part of doing business. Associations large and small can easily incorporate a few new practices each year that save resources and have a positive impact for all. ; Jen Smith is the creative director. She’s also the editor of Connect. E-mail her with your comments at jsmith@networkmediapartners.com

Things to consider when speaking with your printer:Is there a better size to fit on the sheet you’ve selected? Trimming maybe a half-inch may allow for more pieces to run up on a sheet.

How about a smaller press run? Do you really need those extra 200 pieces?

Don’t use large areas of solid ink coverage or completely print every page in a bro-chure or book. This alone can save monies in ink that print buyers over look.

Use a flood aqueous instead of flood varnish for a faster drying time and press run. Meet with your printer earlier in the production process.—From Whitmore Printing Corporation

The biggest trend: operating more efficiently.

continued from front

FSC certificationThe Forest Stewardry Council promotes the responsible manage-ment of the world’s forests. A certification means that you and your industry partners adhere to the FSC’s social and environ-mental standards for forest products. That means using fiber from a sustainable forest, but also using fiber that has been harvested with the social and economic impact of the workers in mind.Visit www.fsc.org.

SFI certificationThe Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s focus is on promoting well-managed forests, backed by a rigorous, third-party certification audit. To be SFI-certified, the “chain of custody” from forest, to paper mill, to printer must meet their standards.Visit www.sfiprogram.org.

What do those certifications mean anyway?There are two non-governmental agencies that regulate the United States forest product and paper industry’s environmental impact. Printers do not have to comply, but most are getting certified if they haven’t already.

Connect. is published by Network Media Partners, Inc. for its clients. For more information about any of Network’s services, please call Chip Boyce, President, at 410-584-1904 or Carrie Hartin, Chief Operating Officer, at 410-584-1919.

Please share and recycle after you’ve enjoyed your copy of Connect.

MEDIA PARTNERS,

executiveidea

Resolve to reflectThe turn of the year is the best time for reflection. As a design group, we take an opportunity to pause from our day- to-day design projects and tasks and take time to study our work from the past year. The exercise is intense and thoughtful, energizing and motivating, and often elicits a design epiphany from at least one designer in our group.

Last year’s exercise was a study on feature spreads: spreads we’d designed in the last year and spreads we ad-mired from other magazines (consumer, B-to-B, and association magazines). We had the conference room table piled three and four books deep with opened spreads, and we focused on “points of entry,” those little parts of the page that pull a reader in (sidebars, pull quotes and call outs, blocks or shapes of color that direct you where to start reading).

The result: consistently well designed magazines. As creative direc-tor, I’ve seen the lessons learned used in every single issue (In 2008, that was more than 30 issues).

This year, we’ll do the same type of reflective study, but we’ll focus on covers and their corresponding opening spreads.

I encourage every design team (or team of editors and designers) to take some time in the next few weeks to reflect on their work. It’s helpful to sit down with a full year of issues in front of you, to see both the evolution and the consistency of the design. You may decide to scrap a certain element that you’ve struggled to make work. Or you may find that your pages need a new element to be incorpo-rated. Whatever the case, it’s a productive teambuilding exercise that can have a lasting impression on your publication. ; —Jen Smith

Trading one green for another in digital publishingThinking about ways to save money head-ing into 2009? Of course, who isn’t? Some publishers are tempted to substitute digital circulation for print circulation, giving mem-bers the opportunity to receive a digital magazine instead of print. But before you start banking the cost savings, it is impor-tant to look at the impact to the bottom line. Our experience has been that the lost ad revenue exceeds the potential savings.

Print advertisers buy based on hard copy circulation that is distributed to a quali-fied audience. An advertiser’s print buy is wrapped around the readers’ experience with the printed piece—how it is received in a mailbox, how they navigate based on content, how they share it with a colleague or save it for future reference. Advertis-ers tend to place a lower value on digital ads and have a different expectation (read: response). Having part of your membership move away from print would mean fewer advertisers and reduced ad revenue.

Advertisers who are buying print and brand exposure want just that. There are other more valuable ways to buy electronic exposure that are more cost effective and provide higher traffic.

Digital magazines have an appropri-ate place in association publishing, but we encourage publishers to develop their digital versions in order to further the reach of the printed piece rather than as a way to reduce print circulation. This is both a valu-able way to attract prospective members and a way to up-sell advertisers with ex-panded circulation and increased exposure. Carrie Hartin is Chief Operating Officer. E-mail her at chartin@networkmediapartners.com.

Talking points:Are you consistently keeping the overall look and feel of the magazine?

What are some elements of design that can be refined or polished?

Think about your “visual communication.” How are the words and images working together? Can that be improved upon?

How can editorial and design work together to make every page even better?

Are your “points of entry” consistently punchy and eye catching?

What new idea can be incorporated into the design for the year ahead?

What new idea for content can be incorpo-rated for the year ahead?

Did You Know?Consider offering a ready-made, eco-friendly booth for your exhibitors. Companies like boothster.com offer booths made from recyclable and biodegradable materials, which can be offered to your exhibitors for a premium that includes the costs of set up and break down. You’ll ensure that the materials used at your show are green, and your exhibitors will be happy they don’t have to ship a booth to your show. Visit sustain-a-booth.com or www.exhibitsusa.com.

The lost ad revenue exceeds the

potential savings.