lest we forget

As has become a tradition in our November issue, we devote this space this month to the many things for which we are thankful. This year, allow me to start by offering a heartfelt "Thank You" to you, yes you, the readers and sponsors of DC VELOCITY.

Just 45 days ago, we passed a bit of a milestone here at DC VELOCITY. On Sept. 16, 2006, we marked the fourth anniversary of the launch of AGiLE Business Media, LLC, the company that publishes this magazine, its Web site and its e-newsletters, and sponsors all the seminars, Webcasts, and online video feeds that come to you under the DC VELOCITY brand.

From the outset, DC VELOCITY has been shaped by your feedback. As the key players in the broad logistics field, you told us that you wanted a magazine that reflected that, well, broadness. You said you didn't want to have to read one magazine to learn about developments in transportation, another for coverage of material handling (warehouse and DC) topics, and still others to keep up with trends in management and technology.

At DC VELOCITY, we set out to provide a single, comprehensive resource for information on all those topics and sometimes more. The fact that we're still here four years later tells us your input was sound. Keep in mind that only one out of 10 magazines launched even makes it to year three, and here we are (proudly, I must admit) just weeks away from the start of our fifth publishing year.

Though we typically set aside just one column each year for the purpose of giving thanks, we do try to remember to say thank you on a regular basis. Let me explain.

In the magazine publishing business, it's common practice to create self-promotional pages known as "house ads."House ads serve a couple of purposes. If a problem develops—like a last-minute shortage of paid advertisements or articles—they can be dropped in as fillers. When things go smoothly (and we're happy to say they do more often than not here at Camp DCV), magazine publishers use them simply to promote themselves, announce upcoming events, publicize new services, that sort of thing. The majority of our house ads fall into the latter category. They give us a chance to highlight things we think are special about the magazine and developments we want to be particularly sure our readers and advertisers are aware of. A typical house ad might tout new features on our Web site or explain how to obtain reprints of articles for marketing or training purposes.

Why this little tutorial on the devilish details of magazine publishing? Alert readers may have noticed that for the past few months, we've regularly run a house ad whose message is nothing more than a sincere thank you to you, our readers. It doesn't urge you to sign up for an e-newsletter, visit our Web site, or register for a seminar. We'd love to encourage you to do those things, of course, but the thank you ad is just that. It's our expression of gratitude for allowing us to establish a new and lively brand in a market that's fast becoming the key to the 21st century economy.

It's simple common courtesy to say thank you. It's also easily overlooked in the bustle of daily life. But it's nonetheless important. So there it is, lest we forget.