SOUTH AFRICAN B2B EDITORS’ CHAPTER LAUNCHES
TABPI funds B2B professionals group

CLEVELAND – The international business-to-business media organisation, TABPI, is funding the creation of a new b2b media professionals group in South Africa which will serve as the organisation’s first chapter outside of the United States. TABPI South Africa will operate independently out of a base in Johannesburg and is being set up by joint co-ordinators, Louise Marsland of Bizcommunity.com and Natalia Thomson of Now Media.

Based in Cleveland, the Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI), is a worldwide organisation dedicated to bringing together editors working for English-language publications worldwide, and encouraging a common dedication to editorial ethics and excellence.

Paul Heney, TABPI President, explains, “One of the main long-range goals of TABPI has been to foster groups that promote b2b journalistic integrity in different countries. This new organisation that Natalia and Louise are spearheading will be a great new resource for the growing b2b industry in South Africa and throughout the continent. Both of them care deeply about the B2B industry and are hoping to give something back.”

The role of the TABPI South Africa will be:

• To raise the professionalism of b2b editors in South Africa.
• To facilitate relevant training opportunities.
• To provide a networking platform for b2b editors in South Africa.
• To provide pertinent research for the b2b industry.
• To raise the profile of the b2b media sector in South Africa.
• To liaise with current industry and regulatory online and publication structures for the greater good of the industry.

Research

Natalia Thomson explains: “We see this new group as a think-tank for b2b editors in South Africa and are hoping to host quarterly breakfasts with speakers, hold training workshops and conduct research. Less formal, more frequent networking functions are also planned.”

Adds Louise Marsland, “Business-to-business media is a sector which needs attention. It is an important contributor to the economy when done right and with credibility. Online has changed the media paradigm completely and b2b media can specifically harness online innovation and industry peer networks for future sustainability. We also plan to raise the profile of the b2b industry amongst media training institutions, advertising agencies, the general media sector, public relations professionals and marketers across a wide spectrum of industry throughout Africa.”

There has been little to no research and upliftment of the trade/business-to-business media sector in South Africa in recent times and both Marsland and Thompson have set benchmarks with their research into this vital media sector in the past two years for the completion of their respective Masters degrees. In addition, Thompson was a recipient of the TABPI Young Leaders scholarship and Marsland has spent 20 years in the media sector in South Africa, focusing on b2b media in the past 13 years.

Bizcommunity.com will provide TABPI South Africa with a free press office, which will be set up shortly, along with a Facebook group page. For more information, or to make sure you are on the new group’s database, please email: nataliat@nowmedia.co.za, or editor@bizcommunity.com.


*TABPI's editorial and design awards program, the Tabbies, is open to English language b2b publications in more than 40 countries. Its Young Leaders Scholarship program makes editorial training possible for selected B2B editors each year. TABPI also conducts industry research, sponsors an annual Magazine Critique Service and provides a free b2b forum at tabpi.evecommunity.com/eve. For more: www.tabpi.org.