• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 11, 2013

ABM, SIIA Plan Merger

ABM, the industry association for business information and media companies, is planning a merger with the Software & Information Industry Association’s Content Division, with the goal of creating an all-encompassing trade organization equipped for the digital age and the growing range of business-to-business media models.

ABM President and CEO Clark Pettit stated: “Our members are rapidly evolving and expanding their businesses with new capabilities, business models and platforms -- and that requires access to new thought leadership, research and networking. The combination of SIIA and ABM creates the breadth and scale required to powerfully represent, promote and defend the entire business information and media industry.”

Among other things, the two organizations will join forces on political lobbying to protect members’ interests in the legal and public policy arenas. ABM will continue to offer member services including events, awards programs and Committees & Councils.

The plan has already been approved unanimously by both the ABM and SIIA boards of directors, and is now subject to approval by the ABM membership later this month at the ABM’s annual conference.
 
Style Coalition, Esquire Team Up for Men’s Lifestyle Vertical

Style Coalition is expanding its partnership with Hearst Digital Media through a new collaboration with Esquire, which will join forces with Style Coalition to create a men’s lifestyle vertical. The new vertical will aggregate online “influencers” and market men’s lifestyle and fashion products through a variety of channels, including branded content, online video, and events. The first campaign in the partnership, “A Kick of Color,” promotes Johnston & Murphy through branded content created by four of SC’s lifestyle bloggers: Style Girlfriend, Scout Sixteen, Trend Styles, and TSBMen.
 
Game Over: Game Developer Magazine Closing
 
Game Developer, the professional magazine for game makers, is closing after its June-July issue, ending a 19-year-long publishing run, according to MIN Online. Sister site Gamasutra will continue to cover the game industry, per owner UBM, which recently closed several other print magazines in its Tech Group. UBM will continue hosting the annual Game Developers Conference associated with the magazine.
 
Outside Bows Outside Live App

Outside is launching a new app, Outside Live, which allows readers to access augmented reality content by aiming their iPhone or iPad cameras at ads and editorial content in the print edition. The free app can be used with the magazine’s first “print-to-mobile” issue (May), which hit newsstands on April 9. The issue offers exclusive digital content for features, including interviews with survivors of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition, footage of Spanish endurance star Kilian Jornet, movie clips, and a behind-the-scenes look at horse riders competing in a race across Mongolia, as well as live ad pages from Hyundai, Dial for Men, Birkenstock, GoPro, and Merrell Boots, among others.

Penton Hires, Promotions

Penton announced a number of promotions and new hires this week. In Penton’s Agriculture, Food, Restaurant and Meetings division, Michael Hahn has joined the company as the Food Group’s Western regional advertising director. He previously served as senior vice president for sales for Maple Farm Media. Eric Stoessel is rejoining Penton’s Restaurant Hospitality team as senior editor. In Penton’s industry division, Greg Lutz has been appointed product manager with the EquipmentWatch team. Evan Skaggs has joined Penton as sales coordinator in its Atlanta office.

Sergenian To SVP Sales, Dash

Dana Sergenian has joined Parade Publications as senior vice president of sales for Dash, the company’s monthly food publication launched in February 2011 in collaboration with Condé Nast titles Bon Appétit, Epicurious.com and Gourmet. Sergenian previously served as executive director of Condé Nast’s Architectural Digest, a position she held for five years. Before that, she served as luxury goods director at Gourmet for five years.