Newcity

What Newcity does

Newcity Communications, Inc. is a privately held, family-led Chicago arts and culture publishing company founded in 1986 and operating from a single headquarters at 47 West Polk Street. The company produces a flagship monthly magazine (Newcity Magazine, published ten times per year) covering visual arts, dance, design, dining, film, literature, music, and theater, supported by a suite of annual and biennial signature issues including Film 50, Art 50, Design 50, Lit 50, Music 45, Players, and Breakout Artists. The publication is distributed through retail partnerships, complimentary placement at 60+ Chicago cultural institutions, regional distribution to 40+ Great Lakes museums, and direct subscriptions via newcityshop.com.

The company's product portfolio comprises three lines: the core print/digital magazine, the Newcity Custom Publishing services unit that produces custom magazines and event guides for institutional clients, and the Chicago Film Project sub-brand focused on film production. Newcity monetizes through four primary revenue streams: print and digital advertising sold directly to galleries, theaters, restaurants, and cultural organizations; print subscriptions; single-copy retail sales; and custom publishing professional services. Key institutional clients include EXPO CHICAGO (official guide publisher since 2007 with 100,000+ press runs), Music Box Theatre, University of Chicago, Navy Pier, City of Chicago, and Terra Foundation.

Go-to-market is sales-led for advertising, leveraging dedicated email contacts and an online advertising portal, alongside direct-to-consumer distribution through subscriptions and retail. Marketing is conducted through a multi-platform digital presence (section-specific websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Hype.co newsletters) plus event activations including the annual Breakout Artists exhibition during EXPO Art Week. The company is led by the Hieggelke family, with Brian Hieggelke as editor and publisher, Jan Hieggelke as managing editor and publisher, and Todd Hieggelke as associate managing editor for digital.

Name

Newcity

Legal name

Newcity Communications, Inc.

Website

https://newcitynetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Newcity Communications is a privately held Chicago arts and culture publisher producing a ten-times-yearly print/digital magazine, custom publishing services for cultural institutions, and the Chicago Film Project, serving Chicago and the Great Lakes region since 1986.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Culture Media Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)

Keywords

• Arts magazine publishing
• Custom publishing services
• Cultural journalism
• Print advertising media
• Arts and culture media

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Primary revenue stream from selling print advertising space in the monthly magazine. Advertisers include arts institutions, galleries, theaters, restaurants, and cultural organizations targeting Chicago's arts-oriented audience.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising opportunities across Newcity's website and digital platforms, including newsletter placements and web-specific ad packages.
3. Print Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from readers subscribing to the print magazine, offered at various subscription tiers including bulk institutional subscriptions.
4. Custom Publishing Services: Full-service custom publishing for organizations including project management, distribution and logistics, advertising sales, and content creation. Clients include cultural institutions, art fairs, and entertainment venues.
5. Single Copy Sales: Newsstand and retail sales of individual magazine issues at partner locations throughout Chicago and regional cities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Newcity publishes a flagship Chicago arts and culture magazine ten times per year in print and digital formats, covering visual arts, dance, design, dining, film, literature, music, and theater. The company also produces annual and biennial special issues (Film 50, Art 50, Design 50, Lit 50, Music 45, Players, Breakout Artists) and offers full-service custom publishing for cultural institutions, art fairs, theaters, universities, and municipal clients. Advertising in print and digital channels is the primary revenue driver alongside subscriptions and custom publishing services.

Product overview

Newcity is a Chicago-based arts and culture magazine operating as a unified media platform consisting of its flagship print and digital publication (Newcity Magazine), custom publishing services (Newcity Custom Publishing), and film production (Chicago Film Project). The core magazine publishes ten times annually and is supplemented by a suite of annual and biennial special issues including Film 50, Art 50, Design 50, Lit 50, Music 45, Players, and Breakout Artists. The company also produces custom publications for institutional clients and manages related digital properties for different cultural coverage areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newcity Magazine Flagship print and digital publication dedicated to Chicago's cultural communities, covering visual arts, dance, design, dining, film, literature, music, and theater, published ten times per year.
• Newcity Custom Publishing Full-service custom magazine publishing services for organizations, including project management, distribution and logistics, advertising sales, and content creation. Clients include EXPO CHICAGO, Music Box Theatre, Navy Pier, City of Chicago, Terra Foundation, and University of Chicago.
• Chicago Film Project Film production services operated under the Newcity Network umbrella.
• Film 50 Annual survey of Chicago's film and television world, profiling the top 50 people and forces shaping the city's cinematic industry. The tenth edition was published in November 2024.
• Art 50 Annual feature highlighting the behind-the-scenes forces shaping Chicago's visual arts world, including curators, gallerists, collectors, and artists.
• Design 50 Annual edition showcasing Chicago's creative forces in architecture, home, fashion, product, and graphic design.
• Lit 50 Annual literary feature focusing on Chicago's writers, editors, publishers, and booksellers who bring the written word to the city.
• Music 45 Biennial survey of Chicago's music world, highlighting behind-the-scenes figures and musicians shaping the city's music landscape from hip-hop to classical.
• Players Annual feature profiling the fifty leading characters in Chicago's theater, dance, comedy, and opera communities.
• Breakout Artists Annual showcase of Chicago's top emerging artists, now in its twenty-first edition, serving as an early indicator of the Chicago art world's future stars.
• Newcity Today Daily email newsletter covering everything culture-related in the Midwest.
• EXPO Chicago Official Guide Official guide to EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, published annually since 2007 and distributed at Navy Pier and through Newcity magazine insertions.
• UChicago Arts Magazine Quarterly guide to arts and culture at the University of Chicago, covering the Logan Center, Arts Incubator, Court Theatre, Smart Museum, and other cultural venues, distributed via insert in Newcity and key cultural venues.
• Music Box Theatre Calendar Bimonthly pocket-sized glossy magazine calendar for Music Box Theatre, printed as a visitors guide and marketing tool with 30,000 circulation and distribution to 200+ standalone locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• EXPO Chicago guide reaches 100,000+ with three-phase distribution
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EXPO CHICAGOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewcity has published the official guide to EXPO CHICAGO art fair annually since 2007 (originally as Art Chicago). The partnership includes comprehensive coverage and distribution of 100,000+ guide copies with three-phase distribution including fair site, magazine insertion, and standalone distribution.
• Music Box TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly/bimonthly custom publishing partnership producing the Music Box Theatre calendar magazine with 30,000 circulation distributed to Music Box patrons and 200+ standalone locations.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly custom publishing of UChicago Arts magazine covering arts & culture at the University of Chicago, distributed via insert in Newcity, street teaming, and key cultural venues including the Logan Center and Arts Incubator.
• Chicago Artists CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for annual Breakout Artists exhibition at Chicago Artists Coalition, opening during EXPO Art Week with copies distributed at the venue and EXPO Chicago fair booth.
• Navy PierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom publishing services for event programs and materials at Navy Pier, including distribution opportunities during events.
• City of ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom publishing services for City of Chicago arts and cultural initiatives.
• Terra FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom publishing partnership for arts foundation initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Block Club Chicago: Chicago-focused nonprofit digital news outlet covering neighborhoods, arts, and culture. Competes for Chicago cultural audience and limited advertising dollars, with a stronger neighborhood news focus but overlap in arts and event coverage.
• Austin Chronicle: Long-running alternative weekly covering Austin's arts, music, food, and culture. Comparable model as an independent, locally owned city arts and culture publication with print and digital properties, but serving a different metro market.
• Crain's Chicago Business: Chicago-focused business publication covering local business, real estate, and politics. Overlaps with Newcity in covering Chicago's cultural economy and competing for institutional advertising, though focused on B2B rather than arts audience.
• Pittsburgh City Paper: Alternative weekly covering Pittsburgh's arts, music, and culture scene. Comparable business model (local arts-and-culture publication with print and digital properties) but serving a different geographic market.

Direct peers

• Chicago Magazine: Chicago-focused regional magazine covering city life, dining, culture, and arts. Direct competitor for Chicago consumer advertising dollars and cultural audience attention, with overlapping advertising base among local arts institutions and restaurants.
• Time Out Chicago (Time Out Market/Time Out US): Global city-lifestyle media brand covering dining, arts, culture, and entertainment. Direct competitor in Chicago for arts and culture advertising and audience reach, with a stronger digital-first orientation but similar content verticals.
• Chicago Reader: Long-running Chicago alternative weekly covering arts, culture, music, film, and food. Direct competitor in Chicago arts coverage and advertising, with similar mission to cover the city's creative community, though historically more alternative and political in editorial stance.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Tribune: Major Chicago daily newspaper with substantial arts and culture coverage. Broader incumbent that competes for cultural advertising and audience attention, but as part of a much larger news portfolio rather than specializing in arts.
• New York Magazine (Vulture/The Cut): Major city magazine with deep arts and culture verticals (Vulture for film/TV, The Cut, etc.). Comparable in editorial structure (vertical-specific coverage like Newcity's art/film/music/stage subsections) but at national scale and part of a much larger media company.
• Sun-Times (Chicago Sun-Times): Chicago daily newspaper with arts and entertainment coverage. Broader incumbent competing for cultural advertising and audience, but as part of a general-interest publication rather than arts-specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newcity
• Facebookfacebook.com/newcity
• Instagraminstagram.com/newcitymag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newcity