So I have summarised my impressions from Tuesday's symposium presentation. I have tried to render what was said, as accurately as possible, though not necessarily with word-for-word fidelity. In the latter case, please bear with me.
While the evening was clearly focused on mining, I could not tell how many investors came to see the mining talks, and how many were more interested in Newzulu.
Presentation time was not much of an issue for the mining companies, as their business model is well-known. Who needs an explanation for digging holes, anyway? Obviously, those talks covered mostly details about the progress with, and their plans for, current and future mining projects.
Newzulu's presentation, on the other hand, was a briefing on the company's business model. We all know that there are many aspects to it, and a variety of revenue streams to explain, so it meant breaking down this information, and to squeeze it into a relatively short amount of time. I wonder if Newzulu should host a dedicated "Newzulu Open Night" one day, with more time for presentation and open discussion.
Newzulu's Alex Hartman ("Alex") was first to speak and was introduced by the host as the Executive Chairman of "what I [the presenter] believe is going to be 'the Uber of the media industry'".
Alex started with the NewZulu showreel video. I found it online on YouTube last night when visiting the NewZulu Youtube channel: . Subsequently, Alex talked about the various parts of the business model. This gave an overview, while stressing how disruptive Newzulu could become. I think it served the purpose; those who had not known Newzulu got a good intro. Personally, I had known most of what was being presented, and still found it interesting.
One aspect Alex talked about was how capable the platform actually is. He outlined the flow of information and data, pointing out that Newzulu can locate freelance journalists and instantly request them to report on location, on a particular topic. Newzulu's "control panel" reveals who is near a news spot, by using the geolocation data of the freelancers' smartphones. This way, it is possible to systematically, selectively, and quickly address the reporters who are closest to the news scene. When a journalist reports live, the content is streamed from the smartphone to Newzulu's infrastructure. It is instantly reviewed by the editorial team to ensure the quality, truthfulness and accuracy of the news. This way, "Within 15 minutes, [the video] is made available to more than 7,000 news outlets" (such as TV channels, newspapers, web magazines, et cetera). While I suppose this is known by most of us here on hotcopper, for those who had not known, it should have made clear where Newzulu is heading.
The following are some statements I remember:
- The Getty Images and Tribune Media deals were mentioned several times, also the role of partners like AFP.
- Events like the US presidential election in 2016 were mentioned as big opportunities for Newzulu, particularly as sending a news truck/coverage to all the small communities is not possible.
- Newzulu is an opportunity for journalists who lost their jobs because of cost cutting in the industry, to generate income with their material and keep doing what they were doing. He said, "We see us as the freelancers' friend", or something like that.
- The tremendous savings potential for media companies was explained. One example used was comparing the cost of drone mounted GoPros versus the cost of a news helicopter.
Furthermore, two statements caught my attention:
- "[Newzulu] are making great progress in rolling out the platform."
- "[Newzulu] believe that we will create a billion dollar business in the next few years."
Alex also pointed out that a lot of partner deals had been signed recently, including with giants like Getty Images, and that they were working on signing more partners.
I think the presentation did spark some interest. I was sitting next to a gentleman who was taking written notes in a notebook.
When the presentation was over, one attendee got to ask a question, which turned out slightly awkward. He was actually very agitated. If I recall correctly, he was totally upset about the disruptive nature of Newzulu. Newzulu's chairman attempted multiple times to give an answer, to no avail, because he got interrupted every time. The event host finally stopped the other gentleman's monologue because he would not calm down.
To me, this confirms the big waves Newzulu is able to make in the media industry. Newzulu really has the potential to be a media industry revolution.
To conclude, Newzulu got some stage to present their business idea, and people took note. I would recommend to attend such a roadshow at least once, even as a veteran follower of Newzulu. This is because it is a chance to revisit what you know about your investment, and to hear about the business model first-hand.
More importantly to me, it was a great opportunity to chat with the executive team and (major) shareholders. This way, you can get a feel for the progress they are making, and you can discuss your own ideas and impressions.
