Record numbers attend the 35th FIPP World Magazine Congress in New York
Nearly 1,000 delegates, representing magazine companies from around the world, gathered at New York' s Waldorf Astoria, on 23-24 May, for the 35th FIPP World Magazine Congress. With 970 registrants from six continents and 51 countries, the two-day event, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, represented the largest collection of international magazine publishers ever seen.
In his opening address, William T. Kerr, chairman of FIPP and chairman and CEO of Meredith Corporation, said: "While we may speak different languages, at the end of the day we are still brought together by a common bond of creating editorial products that entertain, engage, excite and enlighten our readers. As I look around this room, I see that diversity and common bond brought to life".
In a review of the past year, Kerr -who, as head of Meredith oversees more than 200 magazine titles- noted reasons for optimism even in the mature markets of Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. "On the advertising front, we finally witnessed the long awaited recovery in magazine advertising", he said. Kerr recognized that while growth has been solid, it was not spectacular when compared to the boom years in the late 1990s, referring to it as "a period of growth I suspect we may not see replicated again anytime soon".
On the circulation front, sales were said to have remained relatively flat for most magazines in the mature markets, as consumers continue to tap into the plethora of media and entertainment sources. Despite such challenges, the CEO said the vitality of the industry was still widely apparent in the number of innovative new launches. Said Kerr: "If one thing is clear, it' s that, even in more mature western markets, magazine readers continue to respond to editorial that speaks directly to their lifestyles and aspirations".
The younger magazine markets were also reported to have experienced growth in the past year, albeit unevenly and from smaller base levels. The burgeoning countries of China, Russia and much of Eastern Europe were said to be of continued interest to international publishers.
Kerr concluded his presentation by asserting there are signs that global publishing remains a vital and vibrant industry, adding: "These signals make it more important than ever before that FIPP commits itself to strengthening its member services and resources to help our members achieve their publishing goals. In this respect, I' m pleased to report that FIPP is stronger than ever".
During the Congress of the International Federation of the Periodical Press, more than 50 editors and world leaders gave their point of view, including the following keynote presenters: Robert Civita, president and editor, Editora Abril SA; William Lauder, president and CEO, Estee Lauder Companies; Don Logan, chairman, Media and Communications Group, Time Warner; Renetta McCann, CEO, The Americas. Starcom Worldwide; Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO, the McGraw-Hill Companies; Jonathan Newhouse, chairman, the Conde Nast Publications Inc/International.
By: N. Peter Kramer
