Publishing Events a Point of Emphasis for New Ogden CEO

Bryan Welch’s successor, Bill Uhler, aims for more publishing events and ecommerce content strategy; plus, an industry update halfway through the year

Publishing events comprise a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to the Mequoda Method and multi-platform publishing, which itself has become the predominant piece of publishing success. Publishing events scale well: It doesn’t cost a lot, proportionately, to put on a great event, but when the grander conferences and summits do demand resources, they come through with serious revenue via registrations, product opportunity, social media impact, and lasting professional relationships.

Folio: recently interviewed new Ogden Publications CEO Bill Uhler about how he sees the growth of his already-strong brand playing out, and it’s a must-read for Mequoda Members and other digital magazines looking to become more competitive in a crowded field. Let’s start today by taking a look at what Uhler has to say!

Succeeding a Mequoda Master, Sticking With Mequoda Method

Talk about a tough act to follow: Uhler recently succeeded Mequoda Master Bryan Welch at Ogden, which publishes the likes of Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, Mother Earth Living, and Grit.

So, how does Uhler plan to maintain and even outperform the guy who grew Ogden’s niche publishing powerhouse nine-fold during his tenure? According to Folio:, his plan involves ecommerce and more publishing events.

“We’re rolling out a new ecommerce system this summer. We have over 2,000 products we sell to audiences we’ve put together through the magazine channel. We do a very good job of targeting and knowing which audiences to send certain offers to. And we’re hopeful that a new ecommerce system will improve on that,” Uhler told Michael Rondon.

“Events, too. Each year for the past five years, we’ve launched a new event in a new location, and they’ve been hugely successful operations for us. So, right now, we’re trying to figure out the future of that. Twenty years down the road, will we have 20 new events? Or do we change the makeup of the ones we already have? So we’ll come up with a few different models. It’s something that how-to and lifestyle magazines like we have here – titles that really speak to a subject and have a very loyal audience – can be quite profitable in.”

We couldn’t agree more!

Taking Stock of the Magazine Publishing Industry at Midpoint of 2015

Another recent must-read from Folio:, this one covering the state of the industry halfway through the year. This article interviews heavy hitting CEOs like Rebecca Darwin (Garden & Gun), Tim Andrews (ASI), Jonathan Moffly (Moffly Media), Scott Dickey (The Enthusiast Network), Bonnie Kintzer (Reader’s Digest Association), Scott Coopwood (Delta Magazine), Steve Palm (New Bay Media), Andy Clurman (Active Interest Media), Dan McCarthy (Taunton), Andy Weber (Farm Journal Media), and Peter Goldstone (Hanley Wood), as well as Mr. Magazine himself, Samir Husni.

Rodale Publishing Releases Runner’s World Mobile App

A new digital magazine app from Rodale was built in house using a third-party developer, Folio: reports, signalling a trend in multiplatform, mobile tactics. Runner’s World’s “Go” will offer subscription and sponsorship opportunities, according to Folio:.

Are publishing events and apps people want a part of your approach? No? Let’s fix that. Download our free Multiplatform Publishing Strategy Handbook today!

To read more about publishing events and other industry trends, visit FolioMag.com.

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