Looking forward to it. TCI Expo
Published in: Arbor Age
Date: 1/1/2004
By: Kmitta, John
IT’S HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT I’M ALREADY WRITING MY FIRST COLUMN of 2004. In actuality, as I write this, I’ve just recently returned from Baltimore and the Tree Care Industry (TCI) Expo. Today I’m thinking less about resolutions and “Auld Lang Syne,” and more about turkey, football and repeated trips to the refrigerator this weekend for leftovers. However, in the wild world of publishing and deadlines, as with many aspects of business, we must always be looking ahead.
This issue of Arbor Age is, in part, about looking ahead. That is why, for the first time, we have included upcoming products–new in 2004–as part of our annual product guide. At press time, many manufacturers and suppliers were not ready to look that far forward and discuss all the products they have in store in this new year. However, the option of a 2004 New Product Preview was provided, and several seized that opportunity to give you a sneak peak at their upcoming offerings.
As always, this issue is also about looking back. January typically brings a look back at the year that has passed. In this case, as is customary in our annual product guide, we provide our 2003 New Product Recap. This detailed section is a comprehensive list of products that were introduced in 2003 (only those companies that responded were included). In many cases, the retrospective did not have to look far, because many of the products in this issue were announced at the aforementioned TCI Expo, and this is the first time that those items are appearing in Arbor Age.
Bigger, Better, More
Each month, when we send out our call for products to our list of manufacturers and suppliers, we stress that product releases be as “non-advertorial” as possible. We try to get less fluff and more “meat and potatoes” information (I’m not talking about Thanksgiving dinner again). The specifications and facts about the product go a long way toward promoting it. Although we will occasionally leave in descriptive terms, we typically try to edit out adjectives such as “greatest,” “fastest,” “strongest,” and “best,” (unless they are comparing the product to another item in that company’s line). One reason is that such terms are subjective, and do not lend much to the release.
That said, this issue of Arbor Age fits the subhead above in that it is bigger than past product guides we have run because of the sneak preview at the new year’s products, and better in that there are more products included within. And, although we may have edited it out of the product listings, many of the products listed in this guide are better, easier to use and more efficient. It is the nature of moving ahead. It is the result of the quest for improvement. It is the spawn of innovation.
So, as you thumb through these pages, you can decide for yourself if what you find is truly bigger and better, and look forward to the improvements that are yet to come.
John Kmitta
Editor, Integrated Content
Tel. 847.253.8127
Fax. 847.253.8145
Email. jkmitta@mail.aip.com
COPYRIGHT 2004 Adams Business Media