Month: May 2011

Interni Russia: Artcom Media is title’s new publisher

From next September the new publisher of Interni Russia will be ArtCom Media, to which Mondadori has entrusted the publication of the local edition of INTERNI, the magazine of interiors and contemporary design.

ArtCom Media, one of Russia’s most interesting publishing houses in the living and furnishing area, has a portfolio of titles that includes the local editions of international titles such as OBJEKT, EXTERIEURS DESIGN, GOLF DIGEST and SNC. ArtCom Media is also active online with the website www.russiandesignhub.ru, the country’s leading portal for design and architecture.

The new INTERNI Russia will be presented to the market during the “Moscow Design Week” to be held in Moscow in October at the same time as the “Saloni WorldWide Moscow”, the most anticipated furniture and design event in Eastern Europe.
The magazine will be published monthly and distributed through newsstands and on subscription with a print run of 60,000 copies.

The all new Donnamoderna.con is now online

New design, dynamic and increasingly social schedule and content

A completely new DonnaModerna.com is now online, with a new design and with even more authoritative content geared increasingly to the users.
An authentic transformation for the Mondadori women’s web portal web which aims to further consolidate its leadership in the panorama of editorial sites aimed at women.

The renewal is exemplified by a more immediate approach that aims to enhance, with particular attention to the world of social media, the wealth of the editorial offer.
“It is a radical change, offering more content, a more evolved graphic look and a schedule that can be modified in real time on the basis of online trends,” declared Daniela Cerrato, head of DonnaModerna.com.
“In terms of numbers, a single figure is enough: a daily average of 213,270 unique users. A pool of users that places DonnaModerna.com in the top position among editorial sites for women and among the top ten in news, and achievement that, in our plans, is merely the starting point for continued development,” concluded Cerrato.

The web site of Donna Moderna – Italy’s leading women’s weekly – consequently confirms its role as the preferred choice also online for women to share experiences and where they can find every day the news and services they need to simplify their daily lives.

“With the new features introduced today we will enhance the possibilities for our clients,” claimed Davide Mondo, managing director of Mediamond. “For us, women users are a fundamental asset, particularly for the key role they play as drivers of consumer spending. And Mediamond once again confirms its position as the leader in this segment of the Italian web market,” concluded Mondo.

The content is organised in 12 thematic channels, with special attention to Beauty, Fashion, Mothers and Cooking produced by a team of web editors, and the News channel edited by the magazine’s editorial staff.
In order to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding audience with little time to spare, DonnaModerna.com offers a dynamic schedule that changes continuously during the day, with services, reviews and surveys. A team of web and social editors dedicated to keeping the site up to date will ensure that every day the most searched issues and subjects on the net will get adequate coverage using sophisticated tools that make it possible to immediately respond to the preferences and needs of users.

The site can also be rapidly and easily accessed in mobile on tablet devices, thanks to a shorter and essential home page and content that has been designed for multi-device use.
The new site also has additional space for video content and above all for interaction with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. It will be possible for users to share, in real time, all of the content, from leading news stories to fashion tips and advice about beauty products and the best recipes.
Also more interactive, DonnaModerna.com has a variety of innovative and amusing widgets: from a slot machine for recipes to a box for quotations, a calorie counter and virtual make-up.
The community of users will play an even bigger role through comments, forums, blogs and groups that will be increasingly highlighted. The most popular user-generated content will consequently become an added value that will enhance the overall appeal of the site.

Mondadori: “Virtual History – The Last Supper”

A new application to discover the secrets of the masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan

An innovative interactive guide that gives users a three-dimensional experience of the wonders of Leonardo’s Last Supper

Mondadori has expanded its digital Virtual History series with a new iPad application: the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.

The app has an innovative format, the key strength of the Virtual History products, that allows users to discover the secrets of works of art through a 360° journey, featuring 3D illustrations and, in the case of the Last Supper, the possibility to learn about a number of unknown elements about the masterpiece by the genius of the Italian renaissance.

Thanks to this new application it is possible to discover details about the painting technique used by the Tuscan master – the preparation of the plaster, the preparatory designs, the landscape, the gestures of the guests at the table – and to understand the background surrounding the invention of perspective, the core of the cultural revolution of the Renaissance.
The work is put into its historical context, which makes it possible to learn a great deal about fifteenth century Milan and the relationship that Leonardo da Vinci had with both the city itself and its governors.

But the Last Supper is above all famous for the mysteries that have always surrounded it and which have contributed to the worldwide renown of the work. An entire chapter of the app is dedicated to the “Mysteries of the Code”, with sections that compare the different theories that have been developed over the centuries.
Finally, a specific guided tour takes visitors through the history of the Last Supper post-Leonardo right up to the Pinin Brambilla restoration that, just a few decades ago, returned the masterpiece to its ancient glory.

“After the success of Virtual History – Rome, which won wide acclaim also in the USA, we are delighted to present a new app that will help users to appreciate the smallest details of a work of global cultural significance in an experience that combines learning, games and discovery,” declared Vittorio Veltroni, general manager of Mondadori Digital.
“Virtual History gives life to a new form of spreading knowledge and culture that is accessible to everyone: families, students, teachers, tourists and art lovers who will now be able to really get inside the mysteries of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, and to see the work with new eyes and in ways made possible by the use of innovative technologies,” concluded Veltroni.

As with the “Virtual History – Rome” app, Mondadori has worked together with Applix, using its proprietary “bubble viewer” technology, created and developed in Italy and patented in the USA, which enhances the sensors in tablet-type devices (accelerometer and compass) to create a new generation of illustrations in the form of a digital bubble. The use of this technology, which offers and “immersive” experience, transforms the iPad into a sort of telescope, allowing the user to explore a virtual world projected around people. The “Last Supper” is the second in the “Virtual History” series and is available from the Apple App Store, in Italian and English, at €7.99.

Mondadori and Vodafone: magazines and digital books for the first time on a tablet

Bertoluzzo: a innovative model, open to all tablet devices and operating systems
Costa: providing easy and ubiquitous access to content is part of the role of a publisher

Mondadori and Vodafone Italia are launching the first digital newsstand for tablet devices: an authentic aggregator for digital magazines that will provide access to Italy’s best magazines and, with the Bol.it, to more than 110,000 ebooks.

Two markets with great potential side by side: the media industry, which in Italy, between digital and “physical” is worth around €21 billion (Source: PWC “Entertainment & Media Outlook in Italy) and a sector that is undergoing a profound transformation. At the same time, the mobile telecoms sector, currently worth about €21 billion (Source: Deutsche Bank), has been involved in the rapid spread of the most advanced communication services and devices, creating the conditions for the development of new ways of exploiting a vast array of content.

Mondadori and Vodafone, both market leaders, have combined their efforts to offer their customers and readers the most effective way of accessing paid content. The partnership opens the way to an innovative model in which digital editorial content will be made available on all kinds of device (tablets and smartphones), regardless of the operating system or technology.

With this agreement Mondadori and Vodafone will, from the beginning of June, open a digital newsstand with all of Italy’s leading magazines: from the start it will be possible to download for free, on devices running the Android operating system, six digital editions of Panorama, Panorama Economy and Grazia; other titles will be added from summer the weeklies Chi, Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, Donna Moderna and Tu Style and the monthlies Cucina Moderna, Casaviva, Panoramauto and Pc Professionale.
And through an application for Bol.it – the Italian online bookstore with over 6 million products including books, CDs, DVDs, games and ebooks, Vodafone clients will also be able to access a catalogue of over 110,000 digital books, available at a 30% discount.

Vodafone Italia, which already since last summer has developed solutions to accompany the world of publishing towards a new business model for paid digital content, aims to be the best possible partner for digital media with its portfolio of products that is a model of excellent service with pre and post sales assistance and advice at all points of contact with the client and a network performance that makes them available always and everywhere.

Mondadori’s Digital area, which was created in September 2010 and is focused on the development of the publishing market through technology, is concentrating on the dual effort of creating new areas of business and the digital distribution of magazines, books and the Group’s other editorial products. In addition to its e-commerce and digital multimedia activities, the Digital area has recently added the development of applications for mobile devices.

“In a world in which cultural consumption is increasing and permeating the physical and digital lives of people, ensuring that access to content is easy and ubiquitous is part of the role of a publisher,” underlined Maurizio Costa, deputy chairman and chief executive of the Mondadori Group. “Increasing the value of what Mondadori can give to its customers/readers is at the heart of our development policies, and we are creating partnerships with telecom operators, device manufacturers and the leading internet brands precisely to ensure that customers can have access and buying opportunities everywhere. In this sense, the agreement with Vodafone is an important stage in the construction of our growth strategy,” Costa concluded.

“This agreement with Mondadori is a key element in our strategy,” stated Paolo Bertoluzzo, chief executive of Vodafone Italia, “because it is based on an open and horizontal model that allows us to offer, regardless of the type of device or operating system, not only digital newspapers, but also the widest range of magazines and ebooks. 2011 is the year of the tablet and the spread of these products will encourage the evolution of the business models of media companies. We want to facilitate this process by providing the best solutions in terms of connectivity, service, assistance and payment systems,” concluded Bertoluzzo.

The magazines available on the digital newsstand can be purchased easily and securely with telephone credit and a click, using one’s telephone number and password.
To make access to the digital newsstand and Bol.it simpler for customers, an application will be pre-installed on tables and available from “Vodafone Apps” where all applications of Vodafone and its partners (magazines, Bol.it, and newspapers) can be downloaded directly onto any device.

The Bol.it Donabol operation brings writers and the web together to provide an ideal library for four italian schools

At the XXIV International Book Fair in Turin, Bol.it will launch DonaBol – Books donated by the web, a new charitable initiative that will involve the donation by Bol.it of a library to four Italian schools. The aim is to provide the schools with the texts that have had the biggest impact on the lives of readers and net users by sharing their favourite titles with friends, passing on emotions, tastes and opinions that are, in fact, exchanged and give users the sense of being a part of a community and being involved in an important initiative.

Through DonaBol, and along with those taking part, Bol.it will bring a passion for books and reading to others who can enjoy the positive effects of the actions of others. To support the schools and to give everyone the opportunity of helping kids and students become familiar with the books they deem fundamental.

The schools that will benefit from the initiative – among the most need in Milan, Turin, Naples and Palermo – have been selected thanks to the collaboration of the CGM cooperative, Italy’s largest network of social enterprises, operating across the country since 1987, which has more than 10,000 operating units and a staff of 45,000 in the various regions.

To take part in DonaBol all you need to do is visit the Bol.it stand at the Turin Book Fair (from 12 to 16 May 2011, pavilion 2, stand H126-J125) and sign up, or go to the web site www.bol.it where, from 12 May, there will be a dedicated page for Donabol, and indicate the five titles that you consider the most important in your life. When you have completed your list, the user will be invited to indicate the initiative to as many people as possible, sharing the titles on Facebook and Twitter and inviting their friends to take part. Everyone is invited to make their selection of books for DonaBol: the more contributions, the more books will be donated and the more the dream of donating a library to the four schools will become a reality.

The initiative will be launched on 12 May, with the opening of the Turin Book Fair, and will go on until the end of the month. When the collection of titles has been completed, the most selected titles will join those to be donated to the schools and Bol.it will support the head teachers of the selected schools, who will evaluate their suitability with the schools’ syllabus and needs.

Board of Directors approves interim report for the first quarter of 2011

  • Consolidated revenues of €355.6 million: +3.2% compared with the €344.7 million at 31 March 2010
  • Gross operating profit of €21.8 million: +2.8% compared with the €21.2 million at 31 March 2010
  • Consolidated pre-tax profit of €10.9 million: +26.7% on the €8.6 million at 31 March 2010
  • Consolidated net profit of €5 million: more than double the €2.4 million at 31 March 2010
  • Net financial position of -€320.7 million an improvement of €21.7 million compared with the end of 2010

The Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori S.p.A. met today, under the chairmanship of Marina Berlusconi, to examine and approve the interim report for the first three months of the year to 31st March 2011, as presented by the Group’s Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, Maurizio Costa.

The market scenario
At the macro-economic level, there were no particular signs in the first three months of 2011 of a change in the underlying trends seen in the closing months of last year. Production gains were modest, there was still no real signs of a recovery in consumer spending and unemployment levels remained high.

GROUP PERFORAMCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2011
In this market context, the Mondadori Group produced results that were up on the figures for the first quarter of last year, with an increase in revenues of 3.2%, thanks to business performances that were generally above the respective markets of reference, as well as the consolidation of Mondolibri.
In terms of profitability, there was a 2.8% increase in gross operating profit, achieved despite increase investments for the development of the international magazine network and in new digital activities. A significant contribution was also made in the period by the plan for the reduction of operating costs, which, three quarters ahead of schedule, has already reach its target saving of €170 million, on a like-for-like basis, for the three-year period 2009-2011.

Consolidated revenues in the first quarter of 2011 amounted to €355.6 million, a rise of 3.2% on the €344.7 million of the first three months of 2010.

Consolidated gross operating profit came to €21.8 million, an increase of 2.8% on the €21.2 million of the previous year, despite, as indicated, increased investments for development.

Consolidated operating profit amounted to €16.3 million, up by 3.8% on the €15.7 million of the first quarter of 2010, in both quarters amortizations and depreciations of tangible and intangible assets amounted to €5.5 million.

Consolidated profit before taxation came to €10.9 million, a 26.7% rise on the €8.6 million of Q1 2010, thanks to a reduction in financial charges resulting form a lower cost of money following the debt restructuring completed at the end of 2010, and a lower level of average indebtedness.

Consolidated net profit came to €5 million, more than double the €2.4 million of the same period of the previous year.

Gross cash flow in the first three months amounted to €10.5 million, compared with €7.9 million in 2010.

The Group’s net financial position at 31 March 2011 stood at -€320.7 million, compared with -€342.4 million at the end of 2010, an improvement over the quarter of €21.7 million.
In the period from March 2008 to March 2011, the total reductions has been of around €250 million.

Information regarding personnel
As of 31 March 2011, the personnel employed by companies of the Group (both on temporary and permanent contracts) amounted to 3,674, compared with 3,852 in March 2010 (3,649 in December 2010).

The trend in workforce numbers clearly shows the results achieved over the last 12 months following the completion of most of the restructuring plan launched in 2010 which has resulted, as of today and also considering the consolidation of Mondolibri last year, an overall reduction in the headcount of 178 (or 4.6% of the total workforce).
Compared with 31.12.2010 the change in the headcount (+0.6%) is the result, on the one hand, of reductions deriving from the reorganisation and restructuring of traditional businesses, which is still ongoing, and, on the other, an increase for the Group’s development in the web and digital areas.

In France a reorganisation plan for TV guides was recently presented that will result in a reduction of the headcount of 37, a response to the sharp fall in revenues from this sector.
In Italy, meanwhile, it should be noted that the figures presented in the report do not include the effects of the renewal of national labour contracts in the publishing and trade and services sectors. The former is still being negotiated and the latter was redefined at the beginning of April.

RESULTS OF THE BUSINESS AREAS
· BOOKS
Revenues in the Books area in the first quarter amounted to €78 million, compared with €79.8 million in the same period of last year (-2.3%).
Trade books revenues, the area’s main revenue stream (accounting for around 78% of the total), grew by 0.5%. While total revenues were affected by shortfalls in the art and exhibitions segments (-16.9%) and distribution for third-party publishers (-9%), the education area was stable.

Of note during the period was the launch of “Numeri Primi”, a new brand in the quality paperback segment, the first 13 titles of which recorded sales of almost 800,000 copies through the bookshop and large-scale retail channels.
In the still embryonic ebook market, Mondadori expanded its offer with a catalogue that, as of 30 March 2011, included around 1,700 titles (compared with 1,500 at the end of 2010).

Nielsen figures for the first three months of 2011 confirm the Group’s leadership in the Trade books segment, with a market share of around 26.1%. Compared with 2010, the single publishing houses d Edizioni Mondadori, Sperling & Kupfer and Piemme were slightly down, while Einaudi grew.

· MAGAZINES ITALY
In the first quarter of the year Magazines Italy generated revenues of €122 million, a slight fall (-1.1%) compared with the €123.4 million of the first quarter of 2010.
The trend in revenues was the combined result of a fall in circulation (-5.8%) and an increase in advertising (+4.8%), supported, as well as by the efforts of the sales network and numerous new initiatives, also by an excellent performance by the international network and sales in the digital area. Meanwhile, revenues from add-ons were stable compared with the first quarter of 2010, with an improvement in margins.

Regarding circulation, Mondadori performed better than its market of reference performance (-7.5% to February, internal figures), containing the fall in the first quarter at 6.4% in terms of volume, mainly the result of the reduction of promotional copies and the planned downsizing of the subscription channel (-11%), which was begun last year to counteract significant increase in postal charges.
Among the most significant features of the first quarter were the relaunch of Casaviva and the redesign of Ciak.

Regarding the web sites of Mondadori titles, advertising sales in the first quarter increased by more than 20% compared with the same period of 2010: particularly encouraging was www.donnamoderna.com; while also www.grazia.it and www.panorama.it performed well.
Online metrics for the titles were also very positive during the period, with donnamoderna.com and the sites of its network once again standing out with an increase in unique visitors of more than 26% (around 4 million), while there was a 25% increase in page views (around 52 million) and a 57% jump in the unique visitors for the new Grazia site.

· MAGAZINES FRANCE
Mondadori France ended the first quarter of 2011 with revenues of €82.6 million, an increase of 1.9% on the €81.1 million of the corresponding period of 2010.

The advertising market for French consumer magazines showed a volume increase in the first quarter of 2011 of 4% (Source: Kantar Media): in the same period Mondadori France recorded an excellent performance with an increase of 13% in terms of volume, raising its market share by 0.8%.

In terms of value, the advertising sales of Mondadori France saw a sharp upturn compared with the same period of the previous year (+10.2%).
This excellent result was due – in addition to the generally favourable performance of women’s “haut de gamme” titles in the portfolio, which account for 32.5% of total advertising revenues (24.6% in the first quarter of 2010) – also to a significant increase in advertising in Grazia (+68%), which with 539 pages in the first quarter is now in second place in the consumer magazine market. Also performing well in the period were Sciences, Closer and l’Ami des Jardins.

Circulation revenues, which combine newsstand sales and subscriptions, make up 71% of the total and were essentially stable at the consolidated level (+0.5%): this performance is even more positive if account is taken of the ongoing decline in the market of reference.
During the first quarter Mondadori France launched three new formulas for Science & Vie, Auto Plus and Le Film Français and a new quarterly, Guerre & Histoire. Since the end of March Grazia has also been available in a pocket-sized version at a price of €1.50, while the price of the traditional format has risen to €1.70.

International activities
In the first quarter of 2011 a recovery in the advertising market in the countries of the Group’s international network led to an increase of over 50% in licensing revenues.
The positive performance of all editions, in particular of weeklies, also helped to drive revenues from advertising sales to Italian clients for all of the titles. There was also further growth in the number of Mondadori Group editions published under licence and June will see the publication of Casaviva Ukraine; while in October, the Russian edition of Interni will be published with a new partner, Artcom Media.
There was also a decided improvement compared with last year in the results of the 50-50 joint ventures in Russia and China, thanks to a marked increase in advertising sales, while the Attica subsidiary continued in the period to be affected by the ongoing financial crisis that has resulted in a marked downturn in advertising revenues.

· ADVERTISING
Indications in Italy in the first quarter of 2001 show a slight fall in advertising investments (Nielsen figures on total ad spending show a fall of 2%). In particular, the biggest slide came, somewhat unexpectedly, from newspapers (-8.7%), which had a negative knock-on effect on magazines (-4.3%), which felt the impact of a slump in specialised titles.
Also of note was the essential stability of radio and TV, the latter showing a slight decline (-0.5%), while in the first months of the year the internet was the only medium that showed a significantly different trend (+15.5%).

Mondadori Pubblicità ended the first quarter with total revenues of €49.5 million, a slight improvement (+0.2%) on the €49.4 million of Q1 2010.
For magazines, the titles published by Mondadori saw an increase of 3%, attributable mainly to weeklies (+5.6%), in particular positive performances by Grazia (+18%), Donna Moderna (+4%), Tu Style (+46.4%) and Panorama (including supplements: +3.2%).
Among the monthlies, which in general continued to suffer in the early months of the year, there was however an excellent performance by Starbene (+23.4%) while also Flair (+4.7%) performed well.
Gross advertising revenues for R101 were in line with Q1 2010.

· DIGITAL
As is well known, at the end of 2010 the company created a business area for Digital, focused on the development of a range of activities in the area of new technology. From this quarter account will also be given in business and economic terms of a digital segment which, as a result of the matrix organisation adopted by the Mondadori Group at the beginning of 2011, also operates in support of other business units.
Consequently, while the digital segment records the performance of directly managed activities (a total of €4.4 million in the period), such as e-commerce (bol.it and easyshop.it), gaming, applications and CRM, other activities (e-books, online book clubs, web sites, subscriptions and digital advertising) are booked to the Magazines Italy and Books business areas (for a further €7.6 million), for a total of €12 million.
Direct revenues generated by the Digital area are largely from the www.bol.it site which recorded excellent results, also in terms of traffic, compared with the first quarter of 2010, with 835,000 unique visitors (+14%) and more than 6.3 million page views; the remainder of revenues derive from services and applications linked to mobile phones and services for the management of internet sites.
In addition, from the second half of the year, it is expected that a contribution will be made by the e-commerce activities of the website www.easyshop.it – with which, at the end of March, Mondadori began sales of products from leading brands in fashion, furniture, design and technology – and online games, for which the company has applied for a government licence.
Another important activity in the digital area is the elaboration and implementation of an adequate system of customer relationship management (CRM), aimed at sharing the Group’s client databases in such a ways as to make them even more exploitable.

· DIRECT and RETAIL
Total revenues generated by the Direct and Retail area in the first quarter of 2011 amounted to €61.5 million, an increase of 24.2% on the €49.5 million to 30 March 2011, also as a result of the consolidation of Mondolibri SpA from May 2010, net of which there would have been a fall, mainly due to the closure of two shops in the second half of last year.
In the network of sales outlets there was a further expansion in the number of franchise outlets, which now total 487, recording an increase in sales of around 5%. The Multicenter channel saw agreements reached with leading producers for the development of the so-called corner shop (in-store concessions).
It should also be noted that the board of directors of Mondadori Retail, Mondadori Franchising and Mondolibri approved a project to merge the companies that will, from 1 July 2011, trade under one name with the aim of pursuing greater management efficiency and facilitating the development of internal synergies.

· RADIO
R101 generated net revenues of €3.3 million (€3.1 million in Q1 2010) on gross advertising revenues of €4.4 million, in line with the previous year.
The radio market in the first quarter of 2011 saw a fall in revenues of 5% compared with the same period of the previous year (Source: FCP Assoradio).
On the ratings front, the publication of national Audiradio figures remains suspended.

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FULL YEAR
The first three months of the year provided no clear signals of any possible short-term changes in the general economic scenario or in the markets of reference for the Mondadori Group, where there continues to be a generalised decline in business volumes.
Mondadori has, nevertheless, and for the fifth consecutive quarter, presented improved results, thanks to the close attention paid to product quality, the defence of the brands and the ongoing optimisation of the operational structure.
To all of this, the Mondadori Group has added an growing commitment to the development of its digital activities, with a view to exploiting the potential of its product portfolio and communities and to respond to new demands from consumers, also deriving from technological changes.
Assuming no particular or unexpected changes in the markets of reference, over the coming quarters Mondadori expects to confirm the improvements recorded from the beginning of 2010, which will allow the Group to maintain levels of operating profitability, despite continued investments for the development of new digital activities.

§

The executive responsible for the preparation of the company’s accounts, Carlo Maria Vismara, declares that, as per art. 2, 154 bis of the Single Finance Text, the accounting information contained in this release corresponds to that contained in the company’s formal accounts.

§

The report for the first quarter of 2011 will be available at the company’s corporate headquarters, Borsa Italiana SpA and on the web site www.gruppomondadori.it (Investor relations section) from today

Also available from today, at the company’s corporate headquarters, Borsa Italiana SpA and on the web site www.gruppomondadori.it (Corporate section), will be the minutes of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Meeting of the Shareholders held on 21 April 2011.

The launch of Panoramaeconomy.com the new frontier of made in Italy

Mondadori launches the site of the weekly in English to enhance the image of Italian companies in the US market

Panoramaeconomy.com, the new website, in English and aimed at the American market, of the Mondadori business weekly edited by Giorgio Mulè was presented on Thursday 5 May in New York, during the Italian Innovation Day.

The meeting, for which Panorama Economy is an official partner, also involved Fedele Confalonieri, the chairman of Mediaset, and Fulvio Conti, chief executive of Enel.

Panoramaeconomy.com is the new frontier of Made in Italy and has been developed with the aim of promoting the development of start-ups and to enhance the image and prospects of Italian businesses in the United States and to inform US investors about the points of excellence and innovation in the Italian economy.

The new site will offer users across the ocean background detail and case histories from the weekly Panorama Economy. The articles will be translated into English and updated daily. The essential and authoritative layout will highlight the immediate accessibility of the most important content, organised along thematic lines: Case Study, People, Opinions, Education and Facts.

Once registered, users will be able to comment on the articles, receive constant updates through the newsletter and, above all, will have the advantage of access to the download area, which will include reports, statistics and significant data about business and companies.

This publishing initiative has been developed in collaboration with Why Italy Matters to the World, the company founded by Fernando Napolitano on the basis of years of experience of the Mind the Bridge Foundation for the promotion of innovation at Italian companies; it also enjoys the support of the Italian Consulate General in New York and the Italian Embassy in Washington.

Tu Style in the City: the weekly Tu Style on the lookout for the coolest look

A street hunting tour by the Mondadori magazine, that has already visited the streets of the centre of Verona, Padua, Bologna and Florence, and will conclude in Ancona and Naples

Tu Style in the City is the itinerant tour on the lookout for the coolest female looks in the streets of six Italian cities look (Verona, Padua, Bologna, Florence, Ancona and Naples) proposed by Tu Style, the Mondadori women’s weekly, edited by Marisa Deimichei has a marked orientation towards shopping,

At every stage Tu Style in the City a photographer, a stylist from the magazine’s editorial staff and a guerrilla fashion team will scour the most fashionable streets of the cities, engaging women in the creation of an on-the-road style laboratory. All of the outfits photographed will be posted on Tu Style’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/home.php#!/tustylemagazine) and the coolest, selected by the editorial staff, will be published in the magazine.

The innovative format of Tu Style in the City allows readers to have a direct experience of the magazine’s fashion soul with an open-air fashion set.
After Verona, Padua, Bologna and Florence, the Tu Style in the City tour will move to Ancona (6 and 7 May) and Naples (13 and 14 May).

Each stage of the initiative takes place from Friday, from 11 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm, where women, showing off the most glamorous looks, can be photographed by the Tu Style fashion team in Ancona (Corso Mazzini – Corso Garibaldi – Corso Stamira) and in Naples (on Friday 13 May at Chiaia and on Saturday 14 May at the Vomero).

Mondadori: Antonio Porro appointed new general manager Educational

Antonio Porro will be the Mondadori Group’s new General Manager Educational from June.
Porro will also be proposed to the respective boards of Mondadori Education and Mondadori Electa for the position of managing director.

Porro, who is from Milan, is 46 and has a degree in economics and business administration. Since January 2009 he has been in charge of Mergers & Acquisitions for the Mondadori Group, reporting directly to the deputy chairman and chief executive, Maurizio Costa.

Porro worked previously at Telecom Italia for a period of more than ten years; since 1995 with responsibilities in the Business Division, where he worked, among other things, on strategic marketing, and, from 2001 at the International Division, where he held a number of positions and focused on support and operations for subsidiaries.
He first worked at Mondadori in the early 1990 when he was responsible for development projects.

The Mondadori Group would like to thank Antonio Baravalle for his precious contribution and the seriousness and competence shown, and wishes him the very best in all his future professional endeavours.