Revenge of the Nerds

Last week, I attended the min Editorial & Design Awards [2] at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. A leading trade publication in my “other” industry (magazine publishing), min [3] (Media Industry Newsletter) had named the April 2011 issue [4] of Residential Lighting a finalist for Best Single Issue of a Magazine, and our sister publication Home Fashion Forecast [5] was a finalist for Best Launch.

Looking around the room at the breakfast event, I had a sinking feeling of "Ugly Betty" awkwardness amidst the heavy hitters who surrounded me. Harper's Bazaar [6] Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey stood with me in the buffet line making far more sensible choices as I ladled another dollop of syrup on my French toast. David Granger sat at my table with fellow Hearst folks. He was about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame [7] for his work as Editor-in-Chief of Esquire [8] as well as his many years at GQ [9]. The lovely ladies next to me from Food Network Magazine [10] leaned in politely to ask me: “And who are you with?”

They may not have heard of Residential Lighting before, but they were about to hear it announced as the winner for Best Single Issue [11]! (Not to be outdone, Home Fashion Forecast also won for Best Launch [12].) When it comes to content, the “cool kids” these days are apparently the ones who can take a technical subject and make it accessible, just as our Managing Editor Shanna Casey did with LED lighting technology and applications in that award-winning Lightfair Preview issue.

If your customers are equally curious about emerging light sources, seek out education about them — the American Lighting Assn. [13] (ALA) offers a number of on-demand webinars [14], including one on LED fundamentals [15]. And the International Assn. of Lighting Designers [16] (IALD) is about to host its latest live workshop on SSL Technology [17] in New York City on Dec. 1. Now is the time to embrace your inner geek. I can attest it is the peak of chic.