CWA 2004 Midyear Meeting A Hit With Participants

November, 2004

(Buffalo Grove, IL) The Construction Writers Association's 2004 Midyear Meeting, held in Chicago October 13-15, was one of the best attended and highest-rated of CWA's meetings. Attendees started on Wednesday with an informal tour of Chicago's newest tourist attraction, Millennium Park, followed by a pizza party at Primedia Business Magazines & Media.

On Thursday, our "Fundamentals of Construction Writing" session filled the morning. Members of the CWA Board of Directors met in the conference room at Primedia where lunch was hosted by CWA's president, Don Marsh. A highlight of the meeting was a tour of the offices of Lohan, Caprille, Goettsch followed by a catered dinner in their conference room. The Lohan firm is located in the space once occupied by architect Daniel Burnham, creator of the Chicago lakefront preservation plan. Attendees enjoyed their magnificent view of the lakefront and also viewed models and drawings of their buildings, both built and planned.

On Friday, attendees focused on construction-related topics during the Midyear Meeting program. The morning session was followed by the CWA Marketing Communications and Website Awards Luncheon. (The awards are thoroughly described in a separate article that can be found on CWA's website, www.constructionwriters.org. A "scrapbook" of photos from the meeting is also posted on the website.)

Fundamentals Explored on Thursday

The educational sessions at this year's meeting offered learning opportunities for every type of construction writer - journalist, publicist or marketer. Once again, CWA was able to call on its members to share their knowledge of basic writing principles, organizing press events and using technology to its best advantage.

Rod Sutton, editor of Construction Equipment, began with a session on "Proofreading, Punctuation and Style Issues" by reminding attendees that the best writing is clear and concise. Citing examples from various publications and press releases, Sutton pointed out that Strunk & White's Elements of Style will never be obsolete and is an important part of any writer's reference library. He also suggested turning off the grammar function in Word. "It's a machine; you're a writer," he said.

Most members of CWA have either planned a press event or attended one. In either case, the session on "Planning Press Events" offered good advice to everyone on the "how to's and why's" of these functions. Sharon Holling, Caterpillar's marketing administrator for trade publications, Scott Melnick, vice president of communications for the American Institute of Steel Construction, and Roy Diez, account executive with James O. Ahtes Inc., explained the organization, execution and follow-up of a press event. Each offered a different and valuable perspective on the subject.

Finally, Tom Kuennen, principal of ExpresswaysOnline.com, spoke about "Working Smarter: Leveraging Technology for Increased Productivity." With a perspective that the time machines envisioned yesterday are really the timesaving technologies of today, Tom offered personal accounts of how computers, digital phones, faxes, etc., help make our jobs easier and faster, creating more time in the process.

As the morning concluded, it was evident that each session offered something for every CWA member, regardless of profession. PR and marketing representatives need to know how to write well; editors and journalists should understand what to expect at a press event in order to learn the most from it; and everyone can learn to leverage technology to gain a bit more of that precious commodity - time.

Marketing, Safety & Ethics

Lee Bey, who is responsible for business development for architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, observed that government affairs is a bigger part of his job than shaping his firm's media image. "You have to know what City Hall is thinking about" before you get too far along with a project, he said. Bey spent 13 years as a journalist, starting as a reporter and ending as architecture critic of the Chicago Sun-Times. Then he spent three years working for Chicago's Mayor Daley, "a fascinating way to see government." Bey also discussed SOM's involvement with Chicago's Trump Tower and New York's Freedom Tower.

Tom Broderick, executive director of the Construction Safety Council was invited to help editors identify photos showing unsafe conditions, and he did that. But first he noted that four construction workers die on the job each day. Hispanic workers are dying at a disproportionate rate, and under-reporting of these fatalities is likely. The typical construction accident is the result of a series of events - missed opportunities to prevent an injury, he said.

Broderick recommended that construction writers get a copy of the OSHA Standards and read them, both for self-preservation on the jobsite and for general construction knowledge. He said that in Chicago there are probably 100 instructors who can provide a 10-hour safety training class for about $65 per person, and he urged construction writers to attend such classes. Broderick showed many photos of unsafe construction practices, several relating to improper methods of preventing falls. He noted that OSHA has used published photos to find problems and initiate inspections.

Our ethics panel generated enthusiastic audience participation after our panelists gave their sometimes-divergent views.

Wayne Curtis, publisher of the Associated Construction Publications (Reed), reported that a survey by American Business Media (ABM) showed that 68 percent of editors described a cordial and cooperative relationship with sales but did not go on sales calls regularly. Six percent of editors said they avoid contact with the sales department. Curtis said that "the separation of church and state does not have to divide an organization." He believes in leveraging all of a publication's assets. "The best sales leads a magazine gets come from editors," he said.

Curtis outlined several ways editors can help promote their publications: When they make editorial visits, they should realize they create a perception of the magazine. Editors can create magazine dominance by creating strong editorial. An editor's active involvement in associations creates greater visibility for the publication. Editors should cover as much as possible, managing their calendars to attend trade shows and press events. Joint calls can be made with sales if the sales person understands that his/her role is to listen and to learn. Curtis believes in frequent meetings between editors and sales where issues and events are identified that can enhance the visibility of the magazines.

Kirk Landers, editorial director of Better Roads, said his company, James Informational Media, is the smallest member of ABM because "we wanted in on the ethics debate." Previously editor of Construction Equipment, he said that travel perks and editorial calls on advertisers were long-standing issues. He also said he thinks that size is an issue-divider. Larger publications must be very judicious because they have tremendous influence. But, he said, "We are in an intimate industry; we all know each other; that makes a difference."

Outsourcing of articles is typical of smaller publications, and sometimes these writers are also working for public relations clients, posing a potential conflict. Contributed articles are okay if the information is of value to the readers and does not sell a product for the contributor, Landers said. In the US, most editors pay for their own travel but accept hotel and meals at sponsored press events. On foreign travel, editors may also accept airline tickets. This is a pragmatic approach, in Landers opinion. He described himself as a "fiercely commercial editor." You are part of a business environment, he said. "I have never sold an ad page, but I will position a magazine, and that's marketing," he concluded.

Jason Meyers is editor of Telephony and Wireless Review. He is also chair of the Primedia editorial council, which is charged with guiding strategy and giving ethics advice to editors throughout the company. It's important for our practices to be consistent across the company, he said, noting that collaboration should be viewed in a positive light. Among his opinions: The editor and publisher are a strategic team. We should not link editorial and sales because there is a perception issue. Advertising and editorial should meet with clients separately. Magazine publishers and editors should be visible in the markets they cover.

Construction Writers Association is a non-profit, non-partisan, international organization for professional journalists, writers, editors, publicists, and marketers serving the information needs of the construction industry. The group strives to provide educational benefits and networking to its membership. CWA's website is www.constructionwriters.org.

Read about award Winners

View meeting scrapbook.

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