Canadian Business Media decides to get back into member services for b2b sector

After three years in which it solely concentrated on administering the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards and appeared to get out of the membership business, Canadian Business Media (CBM) -- previously Canadian Business Press (CBP) -- has announced it will once again be a membership service-based trade organization. In a release it says

"In order to boost and sustain a vibrant, supportive organization within the business-to-business publishing industry, CBM is launching an array of initiatives concerning marketing, promotion, communication, education, networking and recognition.

"This will be achieved through a variety of first-rate training sessions, networking events, Q&A forums, interviews, webinars and tutorials, including some member-only activities and resources. CBM will also continue to produce the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards, a recognition program celebrating outstanding achievements in business-to-business magazine content."

In addition, the organization will be launching a B2Blog for B2B Publishers.

The board of directors of the resurgent organization is headed by John Kerr, CEO of Kerwill Publications Limited, Treasurer James O. Hall, President & COO, Keith Communications, Inc., and directors Alex Papanou, President, Annex Newcom LP, Michael Swan, President of Swan Erickson Publishing Inc., and Kevin Brown, President of MediaEdge Communications.

CBP was Canada's oldest b2b trade publishing organization when, in May 2011 it announced that a unanimous decision by members was to reliquish being a member-driven organization in favour of a foundation that would ensure the future of the KRWs, its most important asset. 

At the time, John Kerr said the goal was to better service the business publishing industry:

"As we looked forward from the past several years experience, it had become evident the scope and scale of the programs we wish to provide to our members are either duplicated elsewhere or will require a tremendous commitment of time by our membership and that the ongoing value we could continue to deliver was going to be sacrificed in favour of maintaining balanced budgets.”

Faced with an increasingly difficult time maintaining both programming and a balanced budget in the face of a shrinking membership (many of its members having decamped to become members of the Magazines Canada trade division), it was decided that the CBP would continue to be an ongoing entity, but as a foundation.

“The concept and drivers for the foundation are to preserve an existing capital base, allow an operating structure for the KRWs, honour and protect it’s brand and provide a forum to celebrate the tremendous efforts of so many great publishers who worked tirelessly on the industry’s behalf’ said Jim Hall CBP Vice Chair. In short, maintaining the CBP and KRW banners in one place was an important outcome."

Now, it has apparently changed its mind.

Related post:

• Magazines Canada grows by 45 new member magazines, including two b2b groups