The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) presented its Henry Johnson Fisher Awards in a rather staid ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria. Despite the nature of their business--covering fast-breaking news and hair trigger trends--the group of glossy publishers presented a black-tie dinner that was pretty traditional, compared to some of the events we've seen recently. It wasn't lacking in influential, powerful personalities, though, with countless editors and business executives from big-name publications crowding the event.
After a cocktail hour full of de rigueur schmoozing and air kisses, attendees shuffled in a long line to the grand ballroom, where Cathleen Black, chairwoman of the MPA and president of Hearst Magazines, did her best to quiet the nattering crowd. But only a school marmish "Shh" had any effect on anyone. (This is the so-called "chattering class," remember.) After everyone sat down, Black and Nina Link, president and CEO of the MPA, welcomed everyone and acknowledged past recipients of the award (given to magazine bigwigs) in the audience, including Helen Gurley Brown and Myrna Blyth.
After dinner (organic roasted beet salad, sliced filet of beef), Black and Link introduced John Huey, managing editor of Fortune, who presented the Henry Johnson Fisher Award to Don Logan, Time Inc.'s chairman and CEO. Logan's speech was rife with down-home Southern charm as well as some Time Inc.-style chest thumping. (At one point he asked everyone who currently works for Time Inc. or who had ever worked at Time Inc. to stand, clearly proud when about half the people in the room were out of their chairs.)
Many of those Time employees left after Logan finished, missing the speech from Edward Kosner, editor in chief of The New York Daily News, who presented a Fisher award to Stephen Shepard, editor in chief of Business Week. Kosners big joke: Only one of the crystal urns given to the honorees (from Steuben) was on the stage. So if Huey or Logan dropped it, Kosner would have to fake it. But there was no such tomfoolery here.
--Chad Kaydo
After a cocktail hour full of de rigueur schmoozing and air kisses, attendees shuffled in a long line to the grand ballroom, where Cathleen Black, chairwoman of the MPA and president of Hearst Magazines, did her best to quiet the nattering crowd. But only a school marmish "Shh" had any effect on anyone. (This is the so-called "chattering class," remember.) After everyone sat down, Black and Nina Link, president and CEO of the MPA, welcomed everyone and acknowledged past recipients of the award (given to magazine bigwigs) in the audience, including Helen Gurley Brown and Myrna Blyth.
After dinner (organic roasted beet salad, sliced filet of beef), Black and Link introduced John Huey, managing editor of Fortune, who presented the Henry Johnson Fisher Award to Don Logan, Time Inc.'s chairman and CEO. Logan's speech was rife with down-home Southern charm as well as some Time Inc.-style chest thumping. (At one point he asked everyone who currently works for Time Inc. or who had ever worked at Time Inc. to stand, clearly proud when about half the people in the room were out of their chairs.)
Many of those Time employees left after Logan finished, missing the speech from Edward Kosner, editor in chief of The New York Daily News, who presented a Fisher award to Stephen Shepard, editor in chief of Business Week. Kosners big joke: Only one of the crystal urns given to the honorees (from Steuben) was on the stage. So if Huey or Logan dropped it, Kosner would have to fake it. But there was no such tomfoolery here.
--Chad Kaydo
During the cocktail reception before the dinner and awards ceremony, honoree Stephen Shepard (left), editor in chief of Business Week, sat with John Huey, managing editor of Fortune, who presented an award to Time Inc.'s Don Logan, and Edward Kosner, editor in chief of The New York Daily News, who presented an award to Shepard.
Many of the attendees at the MPA event plan numerous events of their own: Jill Bernstein, director of PR for Meredith Corporation; Sue Geramian, director of corporate communications for Gruner & Jahr USA; and Diane Stefani, director of PR for Ziff Davis Media's Expedia Travels and Yahoo! Internet Life magazines, at the MPA's awards reception.
Susan Ollinick, director of public affairs at People, and B2B reporter Matthew Schwartz at the MPA's awards reception.
Magazine event photographer Doug Goodman shot a picture of Rodale's Robert Tuefel, international magazine publishing veteran Didier Guerin and Edward Kosner.
