A.E. Engine was responsible for the total project management of the 2021 edition of Sarasota Polo Club Magazine, commemorating the club’s 30th anniversary.
The 2021 edition serves as the all-encompassing program of record for all of the matches at one of the most beautiful settings in Sarasota, Fla. The publication is a keepsake item for the club’s members and staff.
A.E. Engine provided turnkey services as an extension of the Sarasota Polo Club staff throughout the production process. In choosing to work with A.E. Engine, Sarasota Polo Club added a staff of writers, designers, marketing consultants and print vendors to its sales and operations staff. A.E. Engine staff provided total project management from inception to completion by providing a blueprint for how a 128-page print magazine should be executed. Through this project, A.E. Engine showcased its ability to handle all aspects of custom publishing, including budgeting, design, print and shipping.
A.E. Engine’s contributions to this custom publishing process included:
Print Coordination and Production Schedule Management
After an initial meeting in which the SPC staff relayed the goals for the 128-page publication, the A.E. Engine staff assumed a command role — drafting an editorial plan with theme stories commemorating the momentous anniversary and planning a schedule with dates for each step of the production process (i.e. editorial copy due, article and photo approval date, advertisement deadline, print deadline, shipment date).
A.E. Engine staff then managed the project to ensure that all deadlines were met, and the programs were shipped to SPC before the first match of the season in December. Throughout this process, the A.E. Engine staff communicated directly with writers, photographers and advertisers to keep everyone on schedule.
A.E. Engine also leveraged its pre-existing partnerships by negotiating the printing on behalf of the client. We also coordinated print production and distribution.
Design
A.E. Engine’s design team put its stamp on the magazine by creating layouts that are both creative and classic. The A.E. Engine staff coordinated photoshoots on site at Sarasota Polo Club — and provided the photographer — to ensure the highest quality layouts. A.E. Engine staff also collaborated with on-site photographers to select the most complementary images for each feature story.
The A.E. Engine staff fulfilled the requests of the SPC staff to make several of the pages keepsake collectibles (posters, schedules) that can be removed from the magazine and placed on the refrigerator or in coffee shops. Each page of the Sarasota Polo Club Magazine is unique, offering a visual experience that is matched only by the beauty of the club itself. Some of the designed pages are used on social media by the client to promote the game day experience.
Advertising Coordination and Design
A.E. Engine worked directly with SPC partners to ensure the quality of the advertisements in the program exceeded the expectations of the clients. The A.E. Engine staff served as a conduit between the client and its advertising partners by providing advertising specs and working with the advertising partners to ensure that the submitted ads matched the quality of the print publication. In the instances when the advertisements did not match the specs for the magazine, A.E. Engine staff worked directly with the advertising partners to make it a win-win for all parties.
A.E. Engine’s advertisement design helped strengthen the partnerships between Sarasota Polo Club and its clients. In the case of each advertisement, the A.E. Engine staff sought out and received approval from the client before going to press.
Editing and Writing
A.E. Engine staff met with the SPC marketing team at the start of the project to draft an editorial plan for the magazine. A.E. Engine then hired writers and photographers to contribute, and oversaw all aspects of the editorial process including assigning stories and photos, arranging interviews, adhering to editorial deadlines, editing, photo collection and proofing.
In the case of the magazine’s People of Polo features in which SPC partners were featured with biographies, A.E. Engine staff conducted the interviews, set up and staffed photoshoots, and wrote the stories to ensure that the expectations of SPC partners were surpassed.
Collateral Creation
In addition to producing the annual Sarasota Polo Club Magazine, A.E. Engine produced a sponsor poster, 30th anniversary logo and a Spectator’s Guide. The sponsor poster recognized all of the SPC partners who made the publication of the magazine possible. The 30th anniversary logo will be used throughout the SPC’s landmark season. The Spectator’s Guide includes infographics and FAQs about the club to enhance the viewing experience for SPC patrons.
Through this project, A.E. Engine showcased its ability to guide the customer through the publishing and production process.
If you would like to learn about how A.E. Engine can manage your custom publishing project, contact Craig Baroncelli and [email protected]
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