Often Imitated, But Never Duplicated

This year, Ingram's embarks on its fifteenth annual "best of" awards program, now expanded well beyond its first decade as the Silver Ladle Awards and known since the late 90s as Ingram's "Best of Business Kansas City."

Forgive the pride here, but we think ours is the best of the "best of's." There are several reasons why. One is that we actually poll our readers. We count only original ballots and keep a critical eye on potential foul play. We don't just talk to a few celebrities or influence the selections. This distinguishes us from some of our competitors. The readers' comments, in turn, coupled with some thorough research by our own staff, provides the basis for the text that supports why a given entity was chosen. There is nothing arbitrary about these choices.

Another reason is the nature of our readership. Ingram's has arguably the highest reader profile of any city or business regional publication-- or any daily newspaper for that matter throughout the region. Affluence, of course, does not necessarily make our readers better human beings than those of other publications. It does, however, make their choices more meaningful. Our readers tend to support the restaurants and theaters and country clubs and banks they nominate. And that support, in turn, makes Ingram's and regional business work.

While we are speaking "best of," we might want to challenge a couple of magazines both local--the flatteringly imitative Kansas City Magazine comes to mind--and national--Forbes magazine. Credit here goes to the local alternative publication, The Pitch, for smoking out Forbes magazine on this score.

Last month, Forbes' web site picked Kansas City as the nation's 36th best city for singles out of a shallow pool of 40. When The Pitch reporters inquired as to how Forbes had done its "best of" picking, they learned that the producer of the Forbes' project had never even been to Kansas City and relied for information on a handful of unreliable passer-throughs.

Those looking for first-hand evidence on this same subject can find it from an unlikely source, author Ann Coulter, the pin-up girl of the political right whose most recent book, Treason, has been vying with Hillary Clinton's Living History for top spot on the best seller lists.

We understand that, politically at least, the tall, blonde Coulter is not every one's cup of tea, no more than Hillary Clinton is. But the kudos Coulter ladles on Kansas City transcends politics.

When asked to cite her "favorite" place, Coulter responded, "I love Kansas City. It's like my favorite place in the world. Oh, I think it is so great out there." As a single, Coulter prefers Kansas City to New York. "In Kansas City," she said, "all the parties were always organized around, like, a softball game, water skiing, going on a ski trip together. Oh, I so loved it."

We agree with Coulter. And unlike the Forbes' guy, Ingram's readers know what we they're talking about. I'll be sure the guy from Forbes receives a copy of this "best of" edition and an invitation to visit KC and experience it for himself.

So much for analysis. Sit back and enjoy Ingram's 15th Annual Silver Ladle Awards and the celebration of the first five years of an annual tradition known around here as Best of Business Kansas City.

Any thoughts? Let us know.

Editor-In-Chief & Publisher
jsweeney@ingramsonline.com