Month: October 2015

On newsstands on October 15th, the new issue of Icon Design, magazine the design, architecture and interiors magazine, a spin-off of Icon, Mondadori’s upscale male fashion and lifestyle title, edited by Michele Lupi.

Following the success of the first issue, published in April as a free supplement with Panorama to mark the Milan Design Week, the magazine will now hit the newsstands as a stand-alone title with a launch price of €3.50. After three weeks on newsstands, it will then be distributed as a free supplement with Panorama from 12 November, in addition to targeted distribution at a 150 design and fashion showrooms and luxury and super luxury hotels in Milan.

Once again the focus of Icon Design is the stories behind the objects, homes and cutting edge design projects, covered in the now consolidated Icon style, with a special focus on the development of some of the design world’s most creative personalities: architects visionaries, as well as great photographers, artists and designers of outstanding talent, among the most original creations from around the world.

The cover story of this second issue of Icon Design features Martino Gamper, the Italian interpreter of artisanal design 2.0, who, from his studio in London, discusses how the design profession must keep freedom, curiosity and research at the core of its vocation.

On the advertising front, the new issue of Icon Design has had an excellent response from the market with 77 pages and the inclusion of over fifty leading Italian and international brands from the ‘living’ and other sectors. The launch will coincide with the Milano Design Film Festival (for which the magazine is a media partner), at which the editor Michele Lupi will present, on, 18 October at 6 pm at the Anteo Spazio Cinema, the film Andermatt – Global Village by Leonidas Bieri, selected, in collaboration with Samsung, among the films on the festival programme.

Its title will be The name of God is Mercy and it will be published worldwide in January 2016 on the occasion of the Jubilee. The Italian publisher is Piemme, which has world rights.

In a conversation with the Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli, Pope Francis discloses the core of his papacy and, in his simple and straight words, conveys the great message of the Holy Year of Mercy.

For the first time, in a book interview signed by himself, Pope Francis addresses each woman and each man on Earth in a deep, simple and intimate dialogue. Through his own experience as a priest and shepherd, the pope talks about Mercy, a subject of central importance in his teaching and testimony. He explains the reasons for this extraordinary Holy Year that he has so strongly promoted, and in doing so he speaks to all the souls – inside and outside the Church – who are looking for a meaning in life, for a road to peace and reconciliation, for a healing to their physical and spiritual wounds. It is the summing up of his teachings and papacy.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio Born in Buenos Aires the 17th of December 1936, since the 13th of March 2013 he is the Bishop of Rome and the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. On the 13th of March 2015 he decided to give a decisive turn to his papacy by announcing the Holy Year of Mercy that will begin on December 8th 2015 and will end on November 20th 2016.

Andrea Tornielli Vatican expert, journalist at the newspaper La stampa and responsible for the website Vatican Insider, he collaborates with several Italian and international newspapers. He has written many books, among which the first biography of the Pope, Francis. Together (2013), translated into 16 languages, and Pope Francis. This economy kills, translated into 9 languages.

[Photo credits: MONDADORI PORTFOLIO/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Grzegorz Galazka]

Donna Moderna, CasaFacile and Sale&Pepe have announced the launch of Digital School. The three Mondadori magazines, leaders in the women’s, interiors and food sectors are making their skills and experience in the digital field and social media available with a classroom and online training course in content and social media management aimed at all those who want to transform their passion for the web into a job.

The course in content and social media management, with classroom lessons at two levels, basic and advanced, will teach the skills required to work on the web and communicate in the large digital world. The basic course is organised in five lessons: from the creation of an editorial plan to the secrets of the social media manager, online writing, and photo and video editing for blogs and social networks.

The advanced course is designed for those with some professional digital experience who want to perfect their skillset in order to become autonomous in online brand management: five lessons to learn how to plan and design content, analyse and interpret data, and create and expand your personal social network.

Annalisa Monfreda, editor of Donna Moderna, Giusi Silighini, editor of Casa Facile, and Laura Maragliano, editor of Sale&Pepe, will be in class to talk about the digital evolution of the three magazines. The course includes lessons and the testimony by the digital professionals of the three Mondadori brands, with tutoring in class over the entire duration of the course, the study of case histories and the development of a final project. At the end of the course participants will receive a certificate of attendance and the possibility of becoming a social contributor to Donna Moderna, CasaFacile and Sale&Pepe.

The basic course will be held in Milan from 24 October at the Sale&Pepe Scuola di Cucina (Piazza Diaz, 5), while the advanced course will be held at Publitalia ’80 (Viale Europa 44, Cologno Monzese) from 15 January.

In addition, from the end of November, the lesson of the Donna Moderna, CasaFacile and Sale&Pepe course can also be followed online everywhere in Italy on the e-learning platform www.lavorasulweb.it.

For information about the course, enrolment and costs, please go to: www.lavorasulweb.it.

The official hashtag of the project is: #progettodigitalschool.

Following the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired today by Marina Berlusconi, CEO Ernesto Mauri has signed the agreement to acquire RCS Libri S.p.A.

The agreement will allow Mondadori Group to strengthen its foothold in the trade books market and educational publishing field in Italy, and in the illustrated books segment on an international level.

The scope of the transaction includes the entire interest, amounting to 99.99% held by RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. in RCS Libri S.p.A., with the underlying subsidiaries – which, at closing date, will include 94.71% of Marsilio Editore S.p.A. – with the exception of 58% held in Adelphi Edizioni S.p.A.

In FY 2014, this scope reported the following pro-forma figures: revenues of euro 221.6 million; EBITDA before non-recurring items of euro 8.8 million, and capex of euro 11 million, euro 1.7 million of which made to renew the Rizzoli bookstores.

Consideration for the transaction amounts to euro 127.5 million, and reflects an average NFP (to counter the effects of business seasonality) and adjusted (also to include the buy-back of minorities of Marsilio), amounting to euro -2.5 million.

Since the consideration reflects expectations on this year’s result, price adjustment mechanisms of up to +/- euro 5 million have been included, based on the achievement of pre-set financial targets in 2015.

The agreement also provides for an earn-out of up to euro 2.5 million to RCS MediaGroup S.p.A., based on the achievement of specific results in the books segment in 2017.

The transaction provides the customary representations and warranties in favour of the acquiror.

The acquisition, the consideration of which will be settled in cash at closing date, will be financed by credit lines; the Group has recently signed an agreement with the lending banks in order to reschedule the existing lines in connection with the transaction, reviewing deadlines and conditions.

By the transaction, Mondadori will acquire exclusive ownership over all the trademarks in the books segment, including Rizzoli. Under the agreement, RCS MediaGroup media titles are allowed to carry on their book publishing business in line with their existing activities.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the appropriate regulatory authorities; any conditional clearance provisions will not compromise the completion of the transaction.

The presentation of the transaction will be made available tomorrow at the authorized storage system 1Info (www.1info.it) and on www.gruppomondadori.it (Investor Relations section).

Donna Moderna and Starbene will take part in the 5th edition of Frecciarosa, the campaign for women’s health and the prevention of breast cancer, promoted by Trenitalia, the transport company of the FS Italiane Group and the IncontraDonna Association, with the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Expo Milano 2015.

The initiative, that will take place from 2 to 20 October 2015 (Monday to Friday) on board two Frecciarossa trains on the Rome-Milan line, will offer travellers free advice from medical specialists and, on request, mammography tests.

The two Mondadori magazines will contribute directly to the calendar of Frecciarosa events with a series of activities for travellers, who will be invited to “show your face”: i.e. to be photographed and lend their faces to the #scelgolaprevenzione initiative.

The photographs will be uploaded daily in a special section on the Donnamoderna.com site dedicated to prevention and can be shared on social networks. The initiative will reach out not only travellers but also readers: and all women will be able to upload a picture and share their experiences on the website and social networks.

“Donna Moderna and Starbene have made prevention a way of life. A way of loving ourselves. And also the pleasure of taking care of ourselves and, therefore, also of those who love us,” said Annalisa Monfreda editor-in-chief of Donna Moderna and Starbene. “Every week we report all the new research that advance and simplify prevention. We are delighted to be able to do so for a whole month in direct contact with our readers in a situation, that of a journey, which more than any other encourages curiosity, exchange and open-mindedness towards external stimuli,” Monfreda concluded.

But the events dedicated to women’s health do not end here, in fact, at the railway stations of Milan, Naples and Bari a series of “Meetings in Pink” will be held providing opportunities to discuss directly with experts in the field of prevention.

During these meetings – moderated and led by experts from Donna Moderna and Starbene – travellers can explore the themes and talk about their experiences with Professor Adriana Bonifacino, a leading oncologist and president of the association. (Milan Central Station, Friday, 9 October at 5.30 pm; Bari Central Station Friday, 16 October at 6.00 pm, Naples Central Station Tuesday, 20 October at 4.30pm).

For more information and a list of events, please go to: www.donnamoderna.com