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AWARDS, PLEASE: Third time's a charm for Glamour vice president and publisher William Wackermann. The executive was given the Publisher of the Year award from Condé Nast Publications chief executive officer Chuck Townsend Tuesday night during dinner at the annual publishers' meeting. Wackermann had been passed over for the top honors two years in a row, losing out to Vogue publishing director Tom Florio and Lucky vice president and publisher Gina Sanders (who was publisher of Teen Vogue two years ago). Wackermann earlier this year received a promotion to senior vice president, publishing director, with additional oversight of Condé Nast's Bridal Group. Glamour's ad pages grew 11 percent to 2,090 last year, boosted in part by the magazine's large marketing programs Reel Moments, Reel Music and Reel Docs.
Townsend also gave performance honors to several other publishers and magazine teams for their ad page strength in 2007 — a platinum award to Vanity Fair and vice president and publisher Edward Menicheschi; gold to Glamour and Wackermann; silver to Vogue and Florio; and a bronze award to Condé Nast Traveler and vice president and publisher Lisa Hughes. — Stephanie D. Smith
FISH OR FOUL?: The awards weren't the only big news to come out of the Condé Nast publishers' meeting: Richard Beckman will never eat fish again. The Condé Nast Media Group president thought he was going to have an uneventful dinner with colleagues Monday night at the meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. Instead, he ended up in the hospital. Beckman was dining on a fillet of red snapper when a bone got lodged in his throat. "It was really scary," said Beckman, who coughed out the bone. "When you're looking down at your hands and they're covered in blood, it's scary," he added in graphic understatement. Tom Florio, Vogue's senior vice president and publishing director, accompanied Beckman to the hospital, where technicians examined him, took X-rays and released him within an hour. Beckman gave his presentation to Condé executives on Tuesday afternoon, and laughed about the incident afterward. "It's amazing the lengths that my competitors will go to," he joked. Monday's accident wasn't the first time Beckman has bitten off more than he can chew — around the time he was named publisher of Vogue, he choked on a sole bone while eating at The Four Seasons. "I'm eating steak from now on," he declared. But, presumably, he's still being circled by sharks. — S.D.S.
Townsend also gave performance honors to several other publishers and magazine teams for their ad page strength in 2007 — a platinum award to Vanity Fair and vice president and publisher Edward Menicheschi; gold to Glamour and Wackermann; silver to Vogue and Florio; and a bronze award to Condé Nast Traveler and vice president and publisher Lisa Hughes. — Stephanie D. Smith
FISH OR FOUL?: The awards weren't the only big news to come out of the Condé Nast publishers' meeting: Richard Beckman will never eat fish again. The Condé Nast Media Group president thought he was going to have an uneventful dinner with colleagues Monday night at the meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. Instead, he ended up in the hospital. Beckman was dining on a fillet of red snapper when a bone got lodged in his throat. "It was really scary," said Beckman, who coughed out the bone. "When you're looking down at your hands and they're covered in blood, it's scary," he added in graphic understatement. Tom Florio, Vogue's senior vice president and publishing director, accompanied Beckman to the hospital, where technicians examined him, took X-rays and released him within an hour. Beckman gave his presentation to Condé executives on Tuesday afternoon, and laughed about the incident afterward. "It's amazing the lengths that my competitors will go to," he joked. Monday's accident wasn't the first time Beckman has bitten off more than he can chew — around the time he was named publisher of Vogue, he choked on a sole bone while eating at The Four Seasons. "I'm eating steak from now on," he declared. But, presumably, he's still being circled by sharks. — S.D.S.
