11/14/2006: Experience Life Wins Multiple Industry Awards
Experience Life was competing in the category of “General Interest” with a circulation over 60,000, which put it in direct competition with the longstanding and highly-awarded publications Utne Reader and Minnesota Monthly. Experience Life is a healthy-way-of life magazine published 10 times a year by Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LTM), a national operator of distinctive and large health and fitness centers. While in many respects a “custom-published” magazine, Experience Life is also available on select newsstands nationwide, and is aimed at a mass-market audience of health-motivated individuals. The magazine currently reaches a mixed member and general-consumer audience, with a total circulation of more than 550,000. This hybrid publishing model, combined with its “crossover” award appeal, large circulation and national newsstand presence, make it unique in both the custom-published and general-consumer magazine worlds. “Experience Life breaks down a lot of publishing and editorial conventions,” says Pilar Gerasimo, the magazine’s founding editor in chief. “From the beginning, it was designed around a very strong, service-oriented mission — to help people lead healthier, happier lives — as opposed to the primarily business-driven motives that give so many conventional magazines their start. It also rejected the superficiality and unrealistic promises that tend to characterize so much of the health and fitness sector. Instead, Experience Life consciously embraced some quieter, more discerning editorial attributes, including authenticity, credibility and depth. That allowed us to put our emphasis on high-quality editorial aimed at helping our readers resolve real-life challenges. It also empowered us to cover some very important territory that was being under-served by many health and fitness magazines — things like emotional fitness and personal wisdom, environmental topics, and perspectives on the culture at large. “I think Experience Life connects with its readers,” continues Gerasimo, “because we meet them where they really are, as opposed to lecturing them about how they ought to be. We also respect their intelligence by delivering the very best editorial and design we can, and telling the whole story about important topics, not reducing our stories to bite-size snippets and sound bytes that tend to raise more questions than they answer. Being honored with these MMPA awards feels like a wonderful affirmation of the terrific work our editorial and design folks turn out on a daily basis. It also feels like an affirmation that we’re on track with our mission of helping others live healthier, happier, more satisfying lives.” Held on Nov. 2, 2006, in Minneapolis, the MMPA Awards Gala is the largest magazine publishing event in the state. Within the areas of editorial, design and overall excellence, three awards – gold, silver and bronze – are available in each category. In addition to the MMPA’s top award for overall general excellence, Experience Life also took home:
Available at most Barnes and Noble, Borders and B. Dalton locations nationwide, Experience Life is also available by subscription. It covers a wide variety of quality-of-life topics, including health and nutrition, fitness and athletics, personal wisdom, stress-management, sustainable lifestyle, active adventures and more. The magazine’s in-depth features provoke the interest of fitness enthusiasts as well as those seeking a natural, healthier and happier way of life. |
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