Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
As promised in my last Publisher's Message, Black Meetings & Tourism has now launched the digital version of its award-winning bi-month- ly magazine. The digital magazine is the exact replica of the print version, including all ads, providing excellent added value to our adver- tising partners since there will be no addition- al charge for this service. There is even more added value for our advertisers considering that all website addresses included in editorial or ads will be live links to the websites of destinations, facilities and other suppliers or organizations included in the issue. We now also have the capability of inserting hot but- tons throughout the magazine that activate videos for the destinations and facilities included in articles or display advertising. Additionally, there is a pre-cover, full-page ad available that provides the maximum exposure for advertising clients interested in maintaining a high profile presence in the African-American meetings, incentives and leisure travel market that we serve. This pre-cover is the one ad placement that is viewed by every single per- son visiting the digital magazine site, making it a coveted position for anyone with a product or service to sell. Each month a link to the digital version of Black Meetings & Tourism will be e-mailed to our large data base of meeting, event and incentive planners, as well as travel agents, tour operators, group travel leaders and others within our industry. The link will be included in our soon-to-be launched newsletter, which will include timely news items, preview editorial content for the next digital magazine issue, and provide additional advertising opportunities for those serious about growing their share of the African-American market. This new distribution platform will now expose Black Meetings & Tourism to a much larger international audience than previously possi- ble due to prohibitive postage/shipping rates. The link will also be available on the homepage of our website at www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com. A visitor to the digital magazine site will not only have access to the current issue, but also to archived back issues, as well as be able to forward individual pages or stories to anyone on their e-mail mailing list. This capability can be an especially useful tool for advertising partners, or destinations, facilities or individuals featured in the magazine. In addition to the new digital magazine and the upcoming newsletter, BM&T is also revamping and upgrading its website. With the digital magazine in place, we will be able to utilize our website to focus and expand our editorial coverage in several ways. For starters, we will be adding new on-line columns that will not appear in the print or digital magazine. We will also be able to include more information about current and upcoming events on the web, since on-line lead time can only be a week or two, while it remains two to three months for the print and digital magazine. We'll also pro- vide opportunities for high-level industry guest bloggers to tell their stories and voice their opinions at the BM&T site. The revamped website will have a video library and extensive video capability throughout each department to provide our advertising partners with the maximum visi- bility within our market. We anticipate that the inaugural newsletter will be e- mailed around the beginning of December, if not sooner, and the first phase of our website makeover completed within the same timeframe. We are here to serve you, so if you have any thoughts on what you'd like to see included on BM&T's website or any suggestions for the newsletter content, I welcome your comments. Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-In-Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by SunGlo Enterprises, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 •Telephone: (818)709-0646/Fax: (818) 709-4753 Copyright 2009 by SunGlo Enterprises. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 4