Society of American Business Editors and Writers ventures into Canada

As a first step in expanding its membership reach outside of the United States, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) is holding an event in Toronto headlined by the managing editor of Fortune magazine, Andy Serwer. Serwer has been managing editor of the bi-weekly since 2006 and is a regular contributor on CNN, CNBC and MSNBC.

The event is sponsored by the Financial Times and the Rotman School of Management and will be held at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, October 18 at the Rotman School, 105 St. George St.

Extending its programming and increasing its membership outside the United States is a strategic goal for SABEW [says a release].

“To state the obvious, business is global,” said Lisa Gibbs, chair of SABEW’s international committee. “Many media organizations are expanding beyond U.S. borders, and we want to make sure our programs and training reflect the global nature of business news.

In addition, she said, SABEW wants to recognize excellent business journalism in other countries; it plans to add international categories in its next annual Best in Business competition.

Canada is a natural first step for this effort, noted committee co-chair Kevin Hall, given the two nations’ common language and shared border.

There is no exact equivalent of SABEW in Canada; the closest is the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME), which included editors of trade and b2b titles.