Last night, as a past president of the IES, your humble editor received a press release from Colleen Harper, the CEO and executive director of IES. It detailed an exciting new partnership between LD+A magazine and Sage Publications. This collaboration announcement, embargoed until this morning, underscores IES’s dedication to advancing the lighting industry and, perhaps, improving its financial footprint. LD+A magazine stands to gain significantly from Sage’s extensive publishing experience and global reach.
Confirming the Sale
While the press release emphasized partnership and collaboration, my discussions over the past seven months revealed more. Late last night, Colleen confirmed to me that this move is actually an outright sale.
A History of Collaboration
Sage and IES have a long history together. For many years, Sage has managed advertising sales for LD+A in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Western Regions. The Southeast region was not included in Sage’s responsibilities. It remains to be seen if Sage will take over this area or keep longtime salesman Bill Middleton in that role.
Sage’s Role and Vision
Sage is a global academic publisher that provides books, journals, and library resources. They also offer a range of technologies to enhance discovery, access, and engagement. Bob Howard, Executive Vice President of Research at Sage, stated, “We are thrilled to welcome LD+A to our esteemed portfolio. LD+A’s dedication to thought leadership in the lighting and design space perfectly aligns with our mission of building bridges to knowledge. We look forward to fostering new opportunities for content and collaboration while continuing to elevate the standard of excellence in publishing.”
The Future of LD+A
LD+A has been a trusted source of information and inspiration within the lighting community for decades. With 20-year editor Paul Tarricone having retired at the end of 2023, Craig Causer is doing an excellent job as the new Editor-in-Chief. We hope Sage will retain him in this role. One of the major questions is whether LD+A will continue its print edition or transition to a digital format, printing only for tradeshows like designing lighting (dl) magazine.
Assurance for Subscribers
I was pleased that the press release states the transition is expected to be seamless for LD+A subscribers, advertisers, and contributors. The magazine will continue to be a free member benefit and a valuable resource for industry professionals. It will offer insights into emerging trends, technological advancements, and best practices in lighting design and application.
Commitment to Excellence
In the press release, Colleen emphasized the strategic nature of this move. “This strategic move aligns with our mission to continually elevate the field of lighting and provide valuable resources to our members and the broader lighting community,” she said. “We are confident that Sage’s commitment to publishing excellence and global reach will propel LD+A to new heights, ensuring its continued undeniable impact on the industry.”
Under Colleen’s leadership, IES has made significant strides in improving its financial situation. If LD+A was experiencing a financial deficit, which I suspect, this sale to Sage would be an intelligent move. It follows other smart decisions like ANDMORE’s sale of LightFair to Messe Frankfurt and IES exiting the Wall Street lease. All three of these events, occurring in the past 12 months, should improve IES’s financial footing.
Developing…
Read the press release below.
LD+A and Sage Press Release