The Americas divison of the global B2B information firm, which has not been shy about its aggressive transition from trade publisher to “events-first” company, confirmed to Folio: today that Design News, MD+DI, Qmed, and Packaging Digest will cease print production following their respective December issues and enter 2017 as digital-only brands.
“Our publications will be dedicating resources to developing more community-tailored and substantive content, and we are reinforcing our vibrant digital channels and communities because of the natural synergy between online and live, in-person experiences,” a UBM spokeswoman tells Folio:. “Not to mention, it’s important to proactively evolve alongside the ever changing media landscape.”
CEO Tom Cobbold inaugurated the “events-first” push in late 2014, but UBM has dramatically ramped up the strategic shift over the past year since agreeing to sell off PR Newswire for $841 million last December. Following comparatively smaller deals like the offloading of its electronics media portfolio and the purchase of the event-driven Content Marketing Institute, over 80 percent of the company’s revenues are now driven by live events.