Happy New Year!
You might notice something a bit different when you open the January/February issue of Athletic Business. We’ve redesigned, refined and reinvigorated our print publication to better serve you, our readers.
Though we timed the unveiling of our new look to coincide with the new year, the planning has been in the works for more than six months. The process has involved a lot of introspection and discussion of what Athletic Business means to you and how we can serve you best. We surveyed our readers to learn what you like, what you don’t, what you want more of. We brought in nationally renowned design consultant Ron Reason to help us put all of that information into perspective.
Forty years ago, Athletic Business magazine was founded on the need for a strong voice to serve the dedicated needs of sports facilities and administrators. Since then, the way people consume and communicate has been constantly and ever more rapidly changing. Athletic Business has evolved to keep up with these through our website, daily e-news, social media and other digital offerings.
Amid this deluge of information, however, the need for a strong, clear industry voice has become more imperative. Our readers value the Athletic Business print publication as a source of quality information and ideas, a resource to keep and reference, one that won’t be lost and forgotten with the rest of the day’s news feeds.
“Think of the rebranded magazine like an athletic or rec facility that just received a major renovation,” Ron Reason says. “We’ve made it easier for people to find their way in, find what they’re looking for, keep them engaged while they’re there and keep them coming back.”
You’ll find the new design of Athletic Business cleaner and more consistent. You’ll notice some new fonts, and headlines that tell you exactly what you’re about to read. Layouts are more thoughtful, offering a balance between text and visual elements and inviting readers to spend more time with each article. Assisting us in this pursuit is our new art director, Nicole Bell, who grew up in a photography studio before starting a career in graphic design.
We’ve also restored order to the organization of the pages so that you can find what you’re looking for more quickly. We’ve brought longtime favorites like Rob and Barry and our Legal Action contributors up front in our Voices section.
We’ve also added some new content based on our reader feedback. You told us you wanted more career-oriented leadership content so we’ve added a “Personal Best” leadership column. You asked for more input from professionals working in the industry, so we created a “Perspectives” page with fresh takes from your peers. Safety and security continues to be a growing issue for facility leaders, so we’ve enlisted the help of our partners at the NCS4 to bring you more information devoted to keeping your facilities and users safe.
There are more changes, of course, some more subtle than others. Overall, we hope you have a more enjoyable reading experience. Thank you to everyone who shared their input!
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Emily Attwood
Editor
emily@athleticbusiness.com
