In its first year as a member of The Alliance of Area Business Publishers (AABP), Biz 417 took home a bronze in the multimedia category at the AABP summer conference for its take on the annual 20 Under 30 feature.
Biz 417 highlighted the area’s brightest up-and-comers through its 20 Under 30 issue. The 16-page editorial feature showcased finance whizzes, advertising and computer programming standouts and a healthy number of entrepreneurs that help put Springfield and the Ozarks on the map. To highlight the winners, Biz 417 created an elaborate microsite with GIF headshots that linked to the editorial profiles of each winner. The moving photos surprised readers, brought the editorial feature’s design to life and let the personalities of each winner shine. Finally, Biz 417 honored these vision-driven leaders at its 20 Under 30 Party. Between the award ceremony, more than 200 attendees listened to live music while enjoying complimentary beer and food. A live social media stream throughout the event pulled attendee photos featuring the #20Under30 hashtag, adding an element of user generated content.
According to the AABP judges, "Group profiles of young achievers is a staple of business publications, but this example offers a fresh approach to the annual feature by creating a grid of animated photos that engages readers with this class of young professionals."
AABP serves more than 70 business publications, including Arkansas Business and Springfield Business Journal, delivering news to over 1.2 million business professionals in the United States, Canada and Australia. Biz 417 has been a member since November 2016.