I am waiting when the announcements will start roll in, already 2 weeks after this announcement:
2 additional screens in Spain –(in addition to the Maremagnum sign). 6 screens in Germany; 4 screens in Scandinavia; 8 screens in Russia (this does not include the strategically important direct sale to Pepsi in Moscow) 2 screens in Greece – (giving us an opportunity during the Olympics); 4 screens for Turkey; and a further 20 others covering the Mega and non affiliate members throughout Europe. Those for Istanbul are for 2 of the Company’s LumaPanel screens totalling 260 sqm (total value US$780,000). This site has been secured, regulatory approval is pending and negotiations with advertisers are underway. My visit to Istanbul last month, provided me the opportunity to evaluate that market as a burgeoning and valuable market to Lumacom in cooperation with The Kiska Group, whose strength, connections and influence in Istanbul as the largest, privately owned building, construction and land investment group in Istanbul is likely to see the region developed swiftly for Lumacom. Kiska’s building, construction projects and land owning interests (valued at US$5 billion) also include its property activities in New York, and it was through Totius Media’s property connections that the Kiska deal was achieved. Lumacom is now in the final stages of negotiations in relation to purchase order agreements for signs that will be the subject of two joint revenue advertising deals for high profile sites in the centre of Athens as a part of its lead up to the 2004 Olympic Games. Negotiations are underway with the building owners in relation to these sites. This is with local Athens film & television group “Safe Company Limited” via its affiliate Astra International, which has initially ordered 1 Lumacom screen (with another anticipated shortly) under the 50/50 joint ownership/revenue share model. One screen is a LumaPanel screen destined for a “roof top” application on a high profile government building and the second for a video LumaSign in the centre of Athens. In addition, negotiations have now progressed to a point that we are soon to finalise a wholly owned advertising revenue deal for a 100 sqm sign in an equally high profile site in Berlin Germany, with Mega’s German member for the region and 2 additional screens in Barcelona on the back of its successful first installation there. The specific nature of these deals; actual locations, revenues and values cannot be released as yet for commercial reasons, but by example; the Berlin screen, expected to be operational in January, 2004, will be break even with only 15% of the available space sold. Already a major German retail chain is committed to take ad space for an initial minimum period of 2 years. Lumacom marketing officers and myself will be returning to Europe in the new year to continue the progress of turning existing identified sites into finalised deals. 3 L United States of America Totius Media has been focussed on its flag ship site located at Number 4 Times Square. To refresh, this involves the installation of approximately 1,200 square metres of LumaPanel screens for the top of the Conde Naste Building, the ONLY building in New York that has approval for roof-top signage of this magnitude. The site was originally sourced and negotiated by Lumacom under a “no rent” advertising revenue share deal direct with the building owner, The Durst Organization – a major NY property owner which Lumacom and Totius will develop further Lumacom sites owned by them. Since the appointment of Totius, their specialised team has renegotiated the arrangement with Durst to that of a straight lease deal on terms providing more favourable financial benefits to the Joint Venture and in turn, Lumacom. Totius has also focussed its efforts through the appointment of its specialist advertising sales Executive; Mr Donn Bennett (previously marketing manager for Sony Jumbotron) on “A-grade” advertisers for this flag ship site. Currently, negotiations are centred on 5 very high profile and highly prized international companies for the advertising rights atop of #4 Times Square. The Lumacom/Totius Joint Venture is very confident in selecting one of these very shortly. It is important to stress at this point, that the company has already obtained interest from other advertisers for the site but focus has been to secure these A-grade advertisers for the all important strategic reason that this iconic site will represent a major spring board for the rest of the United States and indeed internationally. A number of sites in addition to the Durst owned Conde Naste building have now been identified and in the process of negotiation, including others as nearby as Times Square and stretching across the US to Hollywood, California. Upon the finalisation of the advertising contract and installation of 4 LumaPanel signs on Conde Naste, we expect the “spread” of installations to grow similarly to that occurring now in Europe after the official launch of the Maremagnum screen in Barcelona.
LUM Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held