IDG’s Bio-IT World, Inc.

 

IDG is the world’s leading technology media, research and events company.

Brand Assignments

Bio-ITworld.com (50,000 online audience)

Bio-IT World (27,000 magazine subscribers), leading diversified media portfolio addressing life science professionals’ utilization and purchase of indispensable technologies for drug discovery, development and clinical trials

Bio-IT World Conference + Expo (3,000 attendees to an annual three-day event in Boston)

Health-ITWorld.com and Health-IT World News (35,000 health-IT medical technology buyers)

From Multi-Platform Launch, to Sale of the Operating Group

Challenges included launching a publishing company right after the “perfect storm” of the bursting dot-com bubble, the post-Y2K declining technology ad market, the rapid change in media preference from print to online and the terrorism attacks of 9/11.

Alan Bergstein’s role:

  • Four years as Publisher and President
  • Publisher, functioning as chief operating officer from inception of these brands.
  • Promoted to president in April 2004.

Skilled in rigorous profit-and-loss budget fiscal management, recruiting, training and retaining top talent, developing and implementing comprehensive strategic plans, increasing value of the brand via product and revenue diversification. Areas of focus included: developing products/technologies and driving revenues across online, digital and print media, as well as conferences/expos, Webcast programs and non-advertising areas.

Solutions: Developed editorial content products geared to professionals at pharmaceutical, biotech and health care organizations, and set their sales and marketing strategies; identified and organized advertiser/reader customers; optimized, packaged and marketed company for recent sale.

Achievements:

• Received 34 editorial and design awards (Neal, ASBPE, Web Marketing Assoc., Folio magazine) since launch.
• Bio-IT World named Best New Launch by Business Marketing; Health-IT World named Best eNewsletter by ASBPE.
• Simultaneous launch of Web site, eNewsletters, monthly print magazine and expo in less than six months of development.
• Grew revenue by 72 percent in second full year of publishing; achieved 24 percent ad page share against 11 publications.
• Developed products that appealed to a broad group of revenue clients, including information technology, informatics and software, equipment and instrumentation, business and legal services.
• Grew sales to more than 300 customers since launch, including bellwethers IBM, Microsoft, EMC, HP, General Electric, Apple, Oracle, Applied Biosystems, Amersham, Thermo, Sprint, CapGemini, Bearing Point, Waters and SAS.
• Audience development was completed in record time and under budget yielding a BPA-verified, controlled, mostly management circulation.
• Established three-pronged approach guiding use of digital publishing technologies: low-priced subs pushing growth into new markets, cost savings on controlled and complimentary copies, rapid launch of new titles.
• Continuously expanded electronic product line, from acustom web seminars to niche-topic e-newsletters to robust Web site, generating more than 40 percent of company revenues. Expanded franchise to include more buy-in levels, revenue sources.
• Redesigned and relaunched website on a flexible, open-standards platform, stimulating a fourfold increase in ad impressions, resulting in a major increase in revenue. Reorganized ad ops to optimize campaigns using Web analytics.
• Infused lead-generation devices throughout product portfolio.
• Prepared formal presentations to Board of Directors three times per year over four-year period.
• Trimmed over $1 million in launch and developmental expenses over last fiscal year.
Bottom line: self-sufficient run-rate achieved in three years.
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