Almost Summer Water Cooler Update

Time to confab about peeps in publishing! Thanks for sharing your people news. As the weather heats up, so too will the gossip, or so I hope! 

If you know of any other such news, please do let me know. Or, if you’re wondering what someone is up to these days and would like me to get the scoop, drop me a line as well!

• In case you haven’t been watching already, check out My Rona Home on Citytv where Avenue Calgary’s Käthe Lemon is one of the show’s judges. There are only two episodes left to air on upcoming Sunday nights, but you can view all past episodes online.  
• Welcome to Venture Publishing’s new editors! Mike Ganley is now at the helm of the editorial team at Alberta Venture. He was formerly editor of Up Here Business magazine in Yellowknife. Darren Campbell took over as editor of Alberta Oil magazine from Gord Jaremko back in January. See full details here.
• Congrats to Redpoint Media editors Abby Miller and Tony Charron who tied the knot last month. Best wishes to the happy couple.
• AMPA’s former RAMM coordinator and all-around events specialist Angy McIntyre has recently joined the Calgary WordFest team on contract to manage volunteers. So, if you’re interested in volunteering, let us know and we’ll connect you.
• Bon voyage to Kelie Jensen, former associate publisher for Alberta Views, who wrapped things up at the magazine earlier this month to prepare to move to New Zealand in July with husband Stephen and two-year-old son, Finn. Kelie worked at Views since 2004 in a few different positions including controller. Kelie, who is perhaps best known for her role as "orc no. 8" in Lord of the Rings, will be missed by her Views coworkers as well as others in Calgary’s magazine and arts community. All the best, Kelie!

--- Colleen Seto AMPA Blogger-in-Residence

Alberta Views Wants Readers To Get Involved

by Andrea Cubala

It’s no mystery that readers feel a strong connection to their favourite magazines. To keep this bond strong, it is important that readers be provided the opportunity to access magazines easily and conveniently. A Magazines Canada podcast, on the topic of reaching readers, describes a part of the reader-magazine connection: “Consumers access magazines on their own terms. They read their magazines when they’re ready. They read their magazines when—and where—they want to.” To learn more, watch their informative video.

In our web-driven society, the opportunities for magazines to enhance their accessibility are sky-high, and publishers truly are reaching. Just take a look around (on the internet, of course). How many magazine websites are under construction, or have even gone fully digital? Alberta Views is the perfect example of this new trend.

Recently, Alberta Views restructured its website to a digital-friendly version. With much more of its content now online, the multi-award winning magazine is hoping to increase its readers’ involvement. New and exciting features include a blog, a digital preview of the latest issue, a “Meet the Minister” page, and a “Brews & Views” section to keep up with the latest happenings. Each of the ten issues (per year) focuses on the social, political, and artistic views of Albertans. So if you’re an Albertan and you’re itching to contribute your views—whether they’re feature stories, book reviews, photos, or contest submissions—don’t hesitate. See the contributor’s guidelines and get involved!

To learn more about Alberta Views magazine, in the convenience of your own home (or anywhere, really), visit http://www.albertaviews.ab.ca

So many job opportunities!

Need proof that the magazine industry is alive and kicking? Check out all of these job postings!

• Web Designer, RedPoint Media Group

• Editorial Internship, Avenue Calgary

• Web Internship, Avenue Calgary

• Volunteer Managing Editor, Calgary Compact

• Account Executive, Avenue Edmonton

• Advertising Sales Representative, Alberta Views

• Editorial Internship, up! magazine

• Web Internship, up! magazine

An Albertan View is Appreciated: Announcing the NMA Winners

The 33rd National Magazine Awards were handed out on June 4 in Toronto, with Gold, Silver and Honourable Mentions in 46 categories going to 84 magazines across the country. As always, Alberta magazines represented a strong contingent of the winners from out west.

Alberta Views was the big winner, with a whopping two medals and three Honourable Mentions. Jeremy Klaszus’ “Mr. Tree”, a three-part feature about his grandfather’s wartime memories, received Gold in the One of a Kind category. Silver, in the Society category, was awarded for “The Big Squeeze”, Karsten Heuer’s account of the threat of development to wildlife in the Bow Valley. Honourable Mentions went to Chris Turner’s “Prodigal Band” in Arts & Entertainment; Maurice Yacowar’s “Double Life” for Best Short Feature; and the Views team behind the July/August 2009 issue for Best Single Issue.

Alberta Venture received an Honourable Mention, in the category of Best Repurposed or Adapted Content, for “Alberta’s 10 Best Communities for Business”. (Sister magazine, Alberta Oil was recognized as Canada's 2010 Business Magazine of the Year a couple of days earlier by Canadian Business Press and Magazines Canada at the 56th annual Kenneth R. Wilson Awards).

Finally, esteemed Calgary-based photographer George Webber was the much-deserved winner of a Gold medal in the Photojournalism & Photo Essay category.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!

For links to all of the Alberta Views winners, visit:
http://www.albertamagazines.com/news_and_events/news.php#NMAwinners