In 2019, the BMW CCA Board of Directors, after almost two years of study and testing, repealed the quarterly newsletter requirement for individual chapters in favor of a new, regional approach. This new effort is designed to collect and publish chapter information, profiles, and news in a way that reaches more members and prospective members, shows BMW CCA membership at its best, serves as a tool for outreach and recruitment, and is published in a premium format.
DOWNLOAD PDF: 2019 BMW CCA Chapter Congress Presentation: Welcome to BimmerLife Magazine
DOWNLOAD PDF: 2019 BimmerLife Magazine Chapter Content Criteria Sheet Handout
Questions? Send to Len Rayburn, Creative Director, lrayburn@bmwcca.org
BimmerLife Magazine: Celebrating the BMW Enthusiast Lifestyle
Welcome to BimmerLife Magazine: Celebrating the BMW Enthusiast Lifestyle.
Published twice a year in five regional editions, BimmerLife Magazine will be published as a premium, large format publication featuring art book level photography and BMW CCA lifestyle articles, along with chapter profiles, events, and news.
For BMW CCA Chapters, this means that your information, news, and events will now be shared with the entire membership of your region. It means that each edition of BimmerLife can serve as a publication to showcase your chapter’s accomplishments. And it means that each edition of BimmerLife can become a tool to communicate with members, prospective members, sponsors and more. We’ll also be distributing it to dealers and at many events to help others learn about the many benefits of joining the world’s largest community of BMW enthusiasts!
What it does require to be successful is your information: a chapter introduction, a schedule of annual events, and articles that show off the best of your chapter. You’ll find a Chapter Content Criteria sheet accompanying this message that will give you more details about the information needed for each issue.
So while the requirement for creating and publishing a quarterly newsletter has been rescinded, we still want your chapters and the rest of your region to read the good news coming from your chapter. Each chapter is now required to submit their updated information, high-quality photos, events, and articles highlighting the best of your chapter (from member profiles to event coverage) twice a year.
Each chapter automatically gets a two-page spread to fill for each issue of BimmerLife. Once the basic information has been covered, you’re encouraged to fill the space with exciting photography, articles, road trips, event coverage and more that shows the best of your chapter and members’ experiences, and camaraderie. (Note that is your chapter is doing so many amazing things that more space is needed to cover it, contact our Regions Editor and we will try to accommodate it if space allows).
Mock-up of an example Chapter two-page spread.
Here’s a short list with the basics we’ll need for each submission (both to make sure we can keep it consistent and well organized for publication) :
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- Chapter name and logo (if updated recently)
- Current list of chapter officers with contact information
- Website and chapter social media info (Facebook page, Instagram, etc)
- List of major or annually recurring chapter events
- Articles and high-quality pictures to fill rest of the spread (suggestions follow):
- letter from president/chapter introduction
- coverage of recent event(s)
- notable roads/venues/activities special to that chapter’s area (eg: wine country, ice-crossing, wildflower viewing, windy roads) and how the chapter utilizes that resource
DOWNLOAD PDF: Prototype Issue Sample.
Use this prototype to get a better idea of the types of articles and photos that can work for your chapter! (NOTE: This prototype is an unpublished proof-of-concept using an anthology of Roundel features, Chapter submissions from BMW CCA Heritage regional magazine, chapter websites, and placeholder advertisements. Not for redistribution. )
Get a preview of how BimmerLife Magazine will look and feel in this short video.
PHOTOGRAPHY
As BimmerLife is a very photo-centric publication, the quality and resolution of your submitted photos will impact how or if they can be used. The terms can be quite confusing. Megapixels, DPI, PPI, full-hd, etc. can be a challenge to keep straight. Always send original or full resolution files if sending from an iPhone or Android device. If you use a point-and-shoot or more advanced camera, please be sure to send the full-resolution files. Learn more about resolution for printing.
CHAPTER NEWSLETTERS
Note that the publication of BimmerLife does not preclude any chapter from continuing to produce a newsletter for their membership. That simply is no longer a requirement to remain a chapter in good standing.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: DECEMBER 15, 2019
Help us spread the great news about your chapter, its members, and experiences! The first deadline for submitting your information for the launch issue of BimmerLife is fast approaching. Chapters are encouraged to get their complete submissions to the Regions Editor by December 15, 2019. Showcase your chapter and show everyone your best!
HOW TO SUBMIT
- Via email directly to RegionsEditor@bimmerlife.com
- Be sure to provide chapter identifying information in the subject line (for example: “Sandlapper Chapter – BimmerLife Newsletter Submission”). This will make it much easier for our Regions Editor to keep your information organized.
- Large photos may need to be emailed individually if over 10MB in size.
- Via an upload link. If you have large files or multiple large photos to submit, contact us at RegionsEditor@bimmerlife.com to receive a chapter-specific file-request link that will allow you to upload multiple or large files easily.
Questions? Send to Len Rayburn, Creative Director, lrayburn@bmwcca.org
