INTOUCH : NZ Management’s management change

Management magazine’s publisher of the past 23 years, Profile Publishing, is now part of the newly created business-to-business publishing enterprise, 3media Group.
3media came into being at the beginning of the month with the merging of Profile and two other Auckland-based publishers, Review Publishing and Marketplace Press. The three companies are equal one third shareholders in what is now New Zealand’s newest and largest business-to-business media group.
The new company will employ around 75 people and publish at least 15 leading b2b and consumer magazine titles, plus range of directories, books, newsletters and websites. It also owns, manages and promotes several of New Zealand’s most prestigious industry awards and events such as the Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Awards which includes the NZIM/Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year Award.
The CEOs and principal shareholders of the three merging companies are executive directors of 3media. Profile’s Reg Birchfield is managing director, Review’s Peter Mitchell is editorial director and Marketplace’s Bud Little is production and sales director.
“The merger is good news for Management readers,” says Birchfield. “With greater critical mass, more editorial resources and enhanced online facilities we will be able to deliver even better information services to our subscribers. This is very exciting development for us.
“We merged our companies to build New Zealand’s strongest and most dynamic b2b media company, to grow the original businesses and to create more career opportunities for our people. And we believe there are good reasons why b2b publishing is currently the fastest growing sector in the traditional US media marketplace.
“The name 3media is based on our vision of remaining strong on page, and becoming strong online and on stage. We will enhance our magazines which are already leaders in each of their specialist areas, build our online services including our websites and our editorial archives and electronic newsletters and we’ll build our event and awards management business.”
Management magazine’s editorial archive is already major resource for the magazine’s readers and 3media plans to expand the title’s electronic information services. “The media marketplace is changing,” says Birchfield. “The fittest and most adaptive media enterprises will survive and prosper. Players in the media marketplace are also changing and by creating 3media we can meet the challenges presented by the new technologies, the shift away from traditional marketing approaches, the drive to online information and the globalisation of media ownership.”
3media will move to new offices at 67 Symonds Street, Auckland in April.