Print media is the best way to make a small operation seem really big and so more trustworthy.

I have extensive experience investing over $100,000 in the enclosed magazine “CAPE VILLAS” I made 35,000 October 2008, In January 2009, 28,000 were distributed with Conde Nast Traveller Magazine UK (Which is the travel industry & lifestyle magazine across the world, save America which produce their own version.

Within a week of distribution, one single request generated $55,000, how many other enquires we had is hard to tell. I charged (bartered) Villa Owners $1,000 a page to be taken off booking Cape Villas generated. This recouped about $45,000.

With my costs covered plus additional enquiries the costing made sense. Plus the benefits of sending or giving our magazine to new clients and database of old clients, all in all a very profitable venture.

One conclusion I made was that if the magazine was less localised, if it covered all of Africa it would attract more readers, so we started work on the LEADING VILLAS OF AFRICA (LV Africa pty) Coffee Table Book a very very lavish affair with thick hardback cover, oversized pages, spot vanished images on the heaviest paper possible. MY intention was to print 10,000 or so and distribute them by direct contact with cooperate company bosses and placement by Gold Key Media London. We wanted it to be distributed before the Fifa World Cup draw in December 2009. From Jan 2009 we worked for about 6 months researching, writing & Gathering images. As we added Game Lodge Villas and looked for Mauritius and Seychelles villas, It came apparent there was no organised Villa Retal agencies outside Cape Town, so e needed to add hotels, we picked a few of the best, as we had added hotels there it made sense to add them everywhere and once we had done that there was no point leaving out the Private Game Reserves. A team of 4 staff and very experienced consultants gathered information on the best benues, really researched through Trip Advisor, Conde Nast, awards, press and personal knowledge/
Unfortunately finances were making the $100,000 needed for production and distribution risky and With Fifa Club 2010 (Fifa’s invite only Private networking club), wishing to work with me I decided to shelve the book and put the information on a website and so ExperienceAfrica.com was created. Which actually made more sense because a travel agent book should follow a website not supersede it, otherwise how can they book there accommodation.

There are many ideas for magazines, Within a year we will average one a month and a quarterly Book.

Magazines will be similar to the Cape Villas Magazine

We have done the groundwork and Africa, Luxury Sector will be our target.

We will use the Cape Villas & Experience Africa content as groundwork and start to data link with 20 or so villa rental companies and 30 tour operators, 50 individual non GDS venues, 100 top hotels from the GDS, Car Hire, Flights, package and bespoke holidays (tailor made)

From these suppliers we will select 100 hundred of the best but easiest to sell accommodation. We approach them offering 1 page at $3000 barter (we have a credit voucher) or $1500 cash. Most will take barter.

$3000 X 100 Pages = $300 000

Add 15 Pages for General Add’s Gucci etc. at $8,000 = 120 000

Main Sponsor Bulgari $100,000

 (After reading our Cape Villas broacher Bulgari contacted us and were informed about the production of Leading Villas of Africa. They offered a sum over $100,000 for main branding rights)

75 pages of excellent editorial, maps and stunning photographs. $-40,000

Total Revenue $480,000

Name “Experience Africa was deliberately bought to sound good on a book.

Distribution
30 000 Conde Nast UK
80 000 Conde Nast UK
80 000 Other Magazines
50 000 Gold Key
100 000 White Label
100 000 Bespoke

440 000 mags $400,000
longer print run will balance out extra weight
Bespoke Covers $40,000
Distribution and postage $90,000

Total cost $530,000 deduct $480 000

Total cost after credits $50,000

Once the Africa magazine has been produced, Thailand & South Asia will have already been researched and template website made (we can give operators the chance to do the Conde Nast distribution in there name, if they pay of course.) This book will be released 3 months after at the same cost.

Then the Caribbean Islands, Miami, LA, Mexico, Cuba after 3 months

Lastly Southern Europe in 12 Months

There after a new magazine every month.

1 Hardback made after each year at the same price we vill brake even at least

Im sure there is a way to make profit not loss on the mags but for now I’ll just mark it as a marketing expence.

Virgin sits behind all the conde Nast advertised broaches, when reader dials a company or website it will  be virgin tacking enquiries from a specialist site, I E we make Experiance Africa a virgin portal, broacure is made and sent along side some PPC clicks. Experiance Africa will appear nich, and indipendednt but when enquires come in Virgin Holidays talks with the client.

For Every magazine, a site, all bringing in enquiries, thousands of enquiries from Virgin Holiday, will surley give virgin holidays the largest market share of all luxury 4 & 5 by any majour travel agent.