CONSULTANTS TO MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION COMPANIES
 

QM Events

May 18, 2021     ARCHIVES

VIRTUAL Media Guru Speaker: Graydon Carter, Editor Extraordinaire and Founder of Air Mail

Graydon Carter

Air Mail, Carter’s weekly digital magazine, launched in July 2019 is “the weekend edition of a nonexistent international daily.” It has both a strong paywall and robust advertising : So how does Graydon Carter do it? 

Graydon Carter, the award-winning 25-year editor of Vanity Fair and founder of the iconic Spy Magazine has been a leader in popular cultural editing and reporting for a long time.  Of late he founded  and co-edits Air Mail -- which is completely digital and according to the company, brings you “news and culture at a civilized pace” covering “with sophistication, authority and wit” a wide range of subjects from politics to business, to arts, to food to society and crime. 

Carter’s Air Mail business model is similar to many digital publications with multiple revenue streams, including direct-to-consumer retail.  Editorially it is a mix of original reporting and republished curated stories. The special sauce, according to one media critic,  comes from Carter’s fantastic publishing instincts, its “magnetic pull” and compelling design. 

We will discuss with Carter how he leads this relatively small and creative media enterprise differently than he led as Editor of Vanity Fair.  Who is the audience that Air Mail is targeting and how are they finding them? What are the ways the company is growing? How has it expanded advertising, subscriptions and merchandise sales?  When staffing, how is it different for a small company versus a large organization like Conde Nast? What has been Carter’s priorities during the first 2 years and how they are changing?  

Media Guru events are well-known for their “no speeches, no Power Point” promise: Just compelling one-on-one conversation with a fascinating personality making news in the media business, followed by Q+A.  Quantum Principal Ava Seave will be moderating the event on Tuesday May 18 at 6:00 pm.  More information and to sign up on the Harvard Business School Club site. 


Quantum Media organizes both the Media Guru and Media Disruptor series in conjunction with the Harvard Business School Club of Greater New York. Occasionally, we may also recommend other media events to our mailing list.

The Media Guru and Media Disruptor series feature top business leaders and innovators speaking to club members and guests in informal sessions about the art and business of media. The talks are formatted as question and answer and are generally off the record. Media Guru and Media Disruptor events are breakfasts or after work events and are held at different venues around the city. Subscribe to the mailing list for schedule and details.

About Media Guru

SPEAKER EVENTS WITH MEDIA INDUSTRY LEADERS

Quantum Media organizes both the Media Guru and Media Disruptor series in conjunction with the Harvard Business School Club of Greater New York. Occasionally, we may also recommend other media events to our mailing list.

The Media Guru and Media Disruptor series feature top business leaders and innovators speaking to club members and guests in informal sessions about the art and business of media. The talks are formatted as question and answer and are generally off the record. Media Guru and Media Disruptor events are breakfasts or after work events and are held at different venues around the city. Subscribe to the mailing list for schedule and details.