The Alberta Magazines Conference welcomed over 200 industry professionals last week at the largest event of its kind in western Canada. The  conference provided an opportunity for people to connect in the province, which is home to many small independent publishers, says Alberta Magazine Publishers Association’s communications specialist Anh Chu.

Ina Saltz (in blue) critiques magazine covers during CSI: Creative Scene Investigation. Photo by Don Molyneaux.

The two day event offered informative speakers and sessions while showcasing and awarding excellence in Alberta magazines.

The opening keynote was delivered by Ina Saltz, a design expert who has worked at Time, Worth and Golf magazines in the U.S. “She was just a really dynamic speaker who is an expert in her field, not only in the U.S but she’s an international expert,” says Chu.

Other speakers from throughout Canada and the US addressed the conference and participated in professional development sessions. The topics addressed at the conference are based on feedback from the industry, says Chu. “This year we focused a little bit more on sales and design.”

The third annual Alberta Editor of the Year award, open to any publisher working in Alberta or for an Alberta magazine, was given to Tom Gierasimczuk of Up! WestJet’s in-flight magazine, published by RedPoint. The award, judged by an independent panel, is a way “to give editors, who are often working behind the scenes, a bit of shine time,” says Chu.

Alberta Editor of the Year, Up! magazine’s Tom Gierasimczuk. Photo by Don Molyneaux.

Three other Showcase awards were given out at the conference. Best feature layout went to techlife for “A Promise to a Tree,” by Andrea Yury. Best editorial short was won by Western Living for “The Peaks of Despair” by Neal McLennan. And Where Calgary grabbed best cover for its May/June 2009 issue.