Nightclub & Bar magazine’s new look was lauded by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), which awarded the magazine a national award for best publication redesign at the 31st Annual Azbee Awards of Excellence. NCB’s designers, Rob J. Ghosh and Joseph W. Kalinowski earned the silver award for redesign of a publication with circulation under 80,000.
The magazine underwent a dramatic transformation in May 2008, after acquisition by Questex Media Group. The new design incorporates elements from other industry publications as well as consumer magazines like Maxim and Fast Company. The idea was to create a clean, simple, yet cutting-edge design that was uniform throughout; a sharp change in direction from the previous layout.
“We did a complete 180º from where the magazine used to be…Our new design left no room for confusion,” Ghosh said. “We’re both proud and excited to have won an award like this, and it just makes us want to try a bit harder for next year’s best design of the year.”
In September, the redesign also won Folio: magazine’s silver Ozzie award for best B-to-B redesign.
The awards were announced on July 16, the first evening of the two-day ASBPE National Editorial Conference, at the Washington, D.C., Marriott Hotel.
Founded in 1964, the 750-member ASBPE is the only professional association in the United States exclusively for full-time and freelance editors and writers employed by business, professional, association, and trade magazines, newsletters, and digital publications. Its headquarters are located at 214 N. Hale St., Wheaton, Ill. Executive director Janet Svazas is reachable at (630) 510-4588.