For this edition of “Caffin’s Corner,” Facilitiesonline takes the opportunity to interview its Associate Publisher. Caffin’s Corner is a special Blog that appears periodically to fill everybody in on some of the new things The Facilities Media Group has been up to. This time out, Caffin talks about the new Facilities Booking Guide, will be introduced this summer.

The news is that Facilities SuperBook, the industry resource guide that showcases arenas, stadiums, PACS, theaters and other public assembly facilities, will now be a Biannual publication. In addition, Facilities Booking Guide is an exciting new publication that will soon become an essential tool to booking agents, talent buyers, promoters and special event planners.

Facilitiesonline: Why make Facilities a biannual magazine?

Michael Caffin: Demand. Readers—event bookers of all stripes—talent buyers, agents, promoters and special event planners—as well as the entertainment venues demanded a second issue. With an industry this dynamic and competitive, suppliers and buyers wanted and needed more than one directory per year. We saw an opportunity and decided to produce the publication on a biannual basis, which is similar to what we used to do.

FOL: There use to be more than one issue of your Facilities Resource Directory per year?

M.C.: Yes. For years, we produced six issues of Facilities & Event Management per year. The Facilities Media Group has been around since 1988, and like most media companies, we’ve evolved and gone through a few transitions—sometimes tough transitions. Of course, part of this transitions was our commitment to develop a serious web presence with our online publication, facilitiesonline. Also, in its first incarnation during the early-to-mid-90s, Facilities & Event Management covered both the venues as well as the venue products and services. So, first we spun off “Facilities,” as our annual directory with a focus on the Prime Site Awards. Then we resurrected the venue product and services component with the “rebooted” Facilities & Event Management, which was another transition. The natural evolution now is to introduce a second Facilities issue, the Facilities Booking Guide.

FOL: How has this new Facilities & Event Management been doing?

M.C.: Fantastic! The response to the premier issue of the new Facilities & Event Management last year was pretty exciting. The publication has a circulation of more than 6,000, and goes to every public assembly manager in North America. The magazine fills an important niche. It is a buyer’s guide featuring all the important products and services instrumental in successful productions in all categories of  events—concerts, theater, sports, expositions and consumer exhibitions and trade shows. We just wrapped up this publication and we are all pretty excited about it. Facilities & Event Management premiers at this year’s IAAM trade show and then is mailed to our circulation the following month.

FOL: How will the Facilities Booking Guide be different from the Facilities SuperBook?

M.C.: Our Awards of Excellence have become such an important part of the events industry that it really takes one magazine to fully present the awards and showcase the winners. That magazine is the Facilities SuperBook.  In a sense, the Facilities Booking Guide will be everything but the awards. Of course, the primary purpose of the Booking Guide is a comprehensive presentation of arenas, theaters, civic centers, PACs and other public assembly facilities. We will also expanded our Products & Services Resource Directory, which are our Yellow Pages featuring concert and touring support suppliers. We will be offering in-depth interviews and a few new columns as well as other articles. The editorial mission is to provide a snapshot of the state-of-the-industry, current industry trends, and other tips to optimize success.  Facilities Booking Guide will be an essential tool for bookers looking for to rout a tour, add additional stops on an existing tour or to find venues for one-time events.

FOL: How do think the economy will effect this new publication?

M.C.: Of course, the economy is on everybody’s mind and as anyone who has been around for a while knows, these things are cyclical. Yes there is apprehension about rising costs. But there is also a lot of optimism. People have to work smarter, book better and market better. Maybe it’s because there’s been some slow down in the economy that we have gotten such upbeat feedback about the need for another issue of Facilities. A slowdown is time for more marketing, not less, because marketing makes you more competitive.

FOL: So lets get down to some basic questions venues want to know about the new publication.  How many of these event bookers will the Guide reach?

M.C.: The new Facilities Booking Guide will be mailed and distributed to more than 12,000 agents, promoters and talent buyers, a higher circulation than any other industry publication serving the facility market.

FOL:  What other added value will venues receive?

M.C.: Each display advertiser receives a free ¼-page expanded listing, with full contact info about your facility, a picture, logo and more. We’ve also developed several different packages for advertisers as well as an attractive discount for advertising in both the Facilities Booking Guide as well as the 2009 Facilities SuperBook.

FOL:  When does the publication come out?

M.C.: The new Facilities Booking Guide will hit event bookers hands this Summer, six months before the 2009 Facilities SuperBook, which will feature the 2008 Prime Site Awards. Every six months a new Facilities will be in front of the industry.

To find out more information about the Facilities Booking Guide, contact:

Michael Caffin
Associate Publisher
(212) 532-4150 ext 103
mcaffin@facilitiesonline.com

Andrew Reeves
Account Executive
(646) 688-5229
Areeves@facilitiesonline.com