I like history. In fact, I even minored in it in college. I guess I am a firm believer in the old adage, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Actually, there is some history that is worth repeating. For instance, I’d be happy to take another 15 years like the first 15 years of PLSN. Yes, with this issue of PLSN we are now officially 15 years old — smack dab in the middle of adolescence!
At this point, our teenage angst is well under control. The pitfalls of starting a new business are in the rearview mirror. We got through the hard part — whew!
I know in the scope of things, 15 years is a relatively small number. Many companies are well beyond the 15-year mark. On the audio side of the industry, Shure, the microphone company, is celebrating 90 years this year. American DJ just hit the 30-year mark. Congratulations to both of these companies. Those are milestone numbers to aspire to.
Even so, any anniversary is important if it is yours. So for the 15th Anniversary of our company’s flagship publication, PLSN, it is certainly a joyous occasion that I take great pride in marking. For our anniversary is a celebration and a great testimony to those individuals who have helped make this company what it is today.
Loyal Advertisers
Our associates, advertisers and subscribers have all played a major role in making PLSN a viable entity each month. I grabbed an original issue the other day and went through it, looking at all the advertisers who are still here. These companies had the courage to believe in PLSN from the beginning. They included A.C.T. Lighting, American DJ, Apollo Design, Applied Electronics, Bandit Lites, Creative Stage, High End Systems and Martin Professional. We can never thank you enough for coming on board from the start. You can hear from many of them in Kevin Mitchell’s feature story (CLICK HERE).
Of course, this isn’t a one-man show. Even in the beginning, there were four of us. Bruce Jordahl, Jeff Gallardo and Sara Elliot played instrumental roles in getting the launch going. There have been many that have played a major role in the success of the company through the years. Now, there are 25 employees with the company. Many of them have been here for a long time.
Longtime Employees
One of the greatest joys of having a company is providing a workplace that people come to and stay at. Greg Gallardo, our Group Publisher, has been here fourteen and a half years. William Vanyo, our VP, has been here 13 years. Our Art Director, Garrett Petrov, has been here nine years. Josh Harris, our webmaster, has been here 11 years, and our senior writer, Kevin Mitchell, has been here for nearly all of that 15 year span. All of these individuals have been key to the success of PLSN and the company as a whole.
So the last element in our equation is you, our readers. PLSN has 20,000 subscribers, but when you include all the affiliated magazines published along with PLSN under Timeless Communications, which was launched with PLSN, there are more than 100,000 subscribers in 125 different countries around the world.
This number includes readers of titles including PLSN, FRONT of HOUSE, Stage Directions, Musical Merchandise Review (MMR), School Band & Orchestra (SBO), JAZZed and Choral Director. And in addition to those monthly magazine subscribers, many more read our weekly electronic newsletters, visit our websites, download our apps and read both the printed and electronic versions of out annual reference guides (including the Event Production Directory) on a regular basis. And, of course, our company hosts the annual Parnelli Awards as well.
The worldwide impact that our publications have is another astonishing reality. In fact, we have even licensed our sister title, FRONT of HOUSE magazine, to a company in Korea that started publishing a Korean edition in January. It really gives all of us a lot of joy to realize how many people depend on us to stay informed about the industries they have devoted their lives to.
Through the years, many of you have reached out to share how the magazine has played a role in your professional development. This is what it is all about. Making a difference in people’s lives. So again, let me thank our advertisers and staff for giving me the tools to provide you this information every month.
We appreciate the opportunity to help inspire and inform some of the hardest working people in the world — event production professionals.
