After the success of the first leg in Giulianova (with almost 10 thousand viewers), young people’s idols will be in Mirandola (MO) on Saturday, 6 September, in the Piazza della Costituente, for the last leg of Webboh Fest 2024, the summer music event organised by Webboh, the first Italian community dedicated to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with more than 4 million followers on social networks.

A star-studded stage for the last leg of Webboh Fest

An evening of music and fun, during which many artists, including Rosa Chemical, one of the most talked-about artists on the music scene, will take turns on stage from 8 p.m. From Spain comes Victor Perez, aka VYPERR, the idol with 10 million followers who will showcase his hits to the Italian public. Also from the charts of this summer’s most streamed songs is El Matador, a breakout star from ‘Nuova Scena’, the Netflix rap show, and Serena Brancale with her viral hits.

Rappers Vale Pain and Fasma, whose hit, ‘Mille notti’ was a smash hit on TikTok this summer, will also be on stage, along with Le-One, whose summer hit ‘Addo staje’ has already gone gold and is this summer’s song with millions of streams. From the world of ‘Amici di Maria de Filippi’, Niveo will premiere his new single about bullying. Some of the idols of the very young generation will also be there. They will get the audience singing along to their most famous hits. We’ll meet Il Rosso, Luk3 and Ascanio, Lorenz Simonetti, Rondine, and Cioffi.

 Andrea Prada will host the last leg of Webboh Fest, with the help of Sara Esposito, a creator and YouTuber with millions of followers. Also, on stage (and backstage) will be young people’s favourite creators, like the Housegram crew, i.e. Cristiano Borsi, Fabio Ferrucci, Giulia Bizzarri and Viola Silvi; as well as Gabriele Greco and Anastasiia Pazzeska. At the end of the evening, fans can continue the fun with a DJ set by Matteo Robert, one of the most famous Gen Z TikTokers in Italy.

Challenges and surprises… with a look behind the scenes

And it’s not only music: during the evening of Webboh Fest, Webboh will also entertain the audience with challenges and lots of fun (free admission). Backstage access will be narrated by creator Lisa Luchetta, star of Webboh Backstage Secrets Summer Tour, the format born from the collaboration between Webboh and DeAKids (Sky Channel 601). Lisa will interview the stars of the event and report on the tour with exclusive content: clips will be available on the TV channel’s social media. From the afternoon onwards you’ll also get to receive numbered gadgets, which will allow you to take part in a special draw that will give you access to Webboh Fest backstage and follow the entire event from a special location: the backstage area. Radio Bruno, a partner for the festival, will follow Webboh on its tour, and in the grand finale will reveal on the Mirandola stage the songs most loved by young people in the summer of 2024 with the official ranking.

This leg’s sponsor is La Casa de las Carcasas, who along with Webboh have created a collection of smartphone covers that will be on sale from September and will be launched from the Webboh Fest stage on 6 September in Mirandola. There will be a stand in the square with a giant cover where you can take a selfie and receive a free gadget.

Webboh is the flagship media for Gen Z. Created in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fanbase of 4.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, 70% of which are under 24. The website receives 3 million unique monthly users (source: Audiweb Last Quarter 2024). It is in the top ten most influential Italian media companies on social media, as well as the first targeting Gen Z for engagement and video views (source: Italian Top Media Rankings for First Communication made by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest generated by the content is guaranteed by the bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.

Webboh Lab, the first permanent observatory on Gen Z stemming from an encounter between Webboh and the Sylla research institute, has partnered with Farmitalia to conduct a survey via an online smart poll involving 500 young Italians aged between 14 and 17. The results provide a picture of the perceptions, knowledge and doubts of younger generations regarding sexuality and contraception in Italy.

The results show how the very young face a lot of exposure to these issues, which is also attributed to the numerous information channels available, and how they would like to experience sex education in general, that is, with fewer taboos and more clarity.

How Gen Z stays informed

The details of the data collected by Webboh Lab show that the sources most consulted by respondents are friends (53.4%) and social media (46%), followed by school (43.2%) and the Internet (40.4%). The family is in fifth place with 27.6%, while doctors and advice centres are mentioned by only 5.6% of young people.

Sex education at school

 Sex education at school is considered a key issue by the very young. They would like it to be addressed more, with particular emphasis on certain aspects:

• sexually transmitted diseases (importance score: 8.47/10);
• relationships, affection and partner consent (score: 8.40/10);
• contraceptive methods (score: 7.81/10);
• anatomy of the human body (score: 7.78/10).

Gen Z’s suggetions for better information

The Webboh Lab smart pool also showed that the way in which this issue is dealt with could be improved through various initiatives. Besides more school involvement (score 8.36/10), the main activities identified by respondents were:

• counselling services (score 7.87/10);
• discussions with adults (score 7.59/10);
• access to reliable online resources (score 7.49/10).

Contraceptive methods

The survey also highlighted condoms as the most popular method of contraception among Gen Z (98.2%), followed by the pill (88.4%). Much more limited knowledge is found, however, for IUDs (49.3%) and coitus interruptus (17%).

Emergency contraception: the concept of emergency contraception is familiar to 44.2% of young people. More specifically,86% know about the morning-after pill, while only 41.8% know about the five-day-after pill. The main sources of information for emergency contraception include:

• Internet (25.1%);
• social media (24.4%);
• school (15.6%):
• friends (12.4%):
• family (6.9%).

Furthermore, 23.9% of young respondents admitted to knowing someone who had used the morning-after pill, while only 8.3% knew someone who had used the five-day-after pill.

The research shows a clear need for a more integrated approach to sex education involving not only schools, but also counselling services and families.

Webboh Lab, which came about after a meeting between Webboh (4 million followers on social media) and the Sylla research institute, directed by Furio Camillo, is the first permanent observatory on Gen Z. Webboh Labs is committed to hearing the voice of the younger generation, investigating and exploring their issues and bringing them to the table of people making decisions for them, the adults of tomorrow.

Webboh is the flagship media for Gen Z. Created in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fanbase of 4.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, 70% of which are under 24. The website receives 3 million unique monthly users (source: Audiweb last quarter 2024). It is in the top ten most influential Italian media companies on social media, as well as the first targeting Gen Z for engagement and video views (source: Italian Top Media Rankings for First Communication made by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest generated by the content is guaranteed by a bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.

Tony Blair’s On Leadership, François Furet’s The Passing of an Illusion: The Idea of Communism in the Twentieth Century and Voltaire’s Letters on the English are the first three releases of the new publishing house.

Tony Blair’s On Leadership is part of the Libera series dedicated to works that discuss current affairs. Furet’s The Passing of an Illusion and Voltaire’s Letters on the English, translated into Italian for the first time by Antonio Gurrado, were conceived in the Biblioteca series, focusing on great classics that have stood the test of time.

How can we set priorities and deal with crises? How can we balance short-term victories with long-term structural changes? What is the best way to attract investment, to reform healthcare or education, and to ensure public safety? These are just some of the most significant questions that constitute the cornerstone of Tony Blair’s essay on the art of governing. The former British prime minister draws on more than a decade of experience in government, refusing to avoid the major issues that are still unresolved on the world stage and must be tackled head-on in order to assist the leaders of our time. The author’s track record, his commitment to supporting developing countries, working for peace in the Middle East and combating extremism have provided him with the tools to make a lucid and disenchanted judgement on today’s political situation. Never before has the quality of a nation’s government been as crucial to its success as it is today. There are countries that have the same population, similar resources and the same growth potential, yet some perform well, while others implode: the nature of leadership therefore becomes a decisive factor between growing and struggling states.

In On Leadership, technology is a voice in its own right, which is not considered one of the phenomena that leaders must manage, but rather the “epochal transformation” that affects all governments, which requires a decision on which side to take and whether to harbour outdated prejudices or to be open to change, first and foremost of ourselves. In chapter 19, we read: [generative AI represents] a radical alteration of the fundamental principles on which [the system] is based.” According to Blair, the technological revolution “makes it possible to implement measures that have real consequences in a reasonably short period of time – within an election cycle”, as “artificial intelligence is the only realistic way to improve productivity in the private sector [and] in the public service.” At the same time, Blair wants to emphasise that “it is up to each leader to decide how they want to use this all-encompassing revolution.”

On the historical front, the Biblioteca series features the figure of François Furet, known for his seminal works on the French Revolution and Communism, and for having directed the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris during his long career. The historian, in his work The Passing of an Illusion, edited by Marina Valensise, discusses the communist idea by analysing the difficult relationship between the expectations raised in terms of socio-economic conditions and what was achieved until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The author clarifies this paradox by pointing out as a hallmark of Leninism “the idea that old Russia, fresh out of Czarism, invents a social and political regime that can and should serve as an example to Europe and the whole world, placing itself moreover in continuity with the history of the West.” This claim nurtured by the Bolsheviks from 1918 onwards is still echoed in Furet’s words: “illusion does not <accompany> communist history: it is constitutive of it.” The denial of the facts makes “the story of the illusion of communism” even more compelling. This is the theme of the book and not the history of communism, as the author seeks to emphasize in the preface.

Also included in the Biblioteca series, Voltaire’s Letters on the English (Italian edition edited by Antonio Gurrado) is a highly topical work despite the different scenario that accompanied its inception.  Voltaire’s focus is the theme of overcoming the logic of feudal government to arrive at a more liberated society, free of superstition and passionate about scientific knowledge. The pivotal theme underlying the publisher’s approach, namely freedom, therefore returns, contextualising Letters on the English in the most suitable cultural context for its enhancement.
In its attack on religious and political intolerance and, at the same time, in its defence of empirical thinking and the experimental method, Letters on the English, originally written in England between 1727 and 1728 and published in London in August 1733, constitutes one of the very first expressions of Enlightenment thought, a manifesto of the values that shaped the emergence of 18th-century culture. It is no coincidence that Oliver Goldsmith, the Irish writer and playwright, described Voltaire as “the poet and philosopher of Europe”.
The work, translated for the first time directly from the original written almost entirely in English, is presented to the public in the knowledge that Voltaire decided to spend two years in England in order to become an English author, with a plan that therefore went beyond the motivations of mere travel.
At the same time, Voltaire was also a pioneer in terms of knowledge dissemination, since he was one of the first to successfully convey the ideas of English philosophers to the general public.
For these reasons, Letters on the English undoubtedly ranked among the best-selling 18th-century books in the British Isles: fourteen more editions were published over the course of the century.
Voltaire therefore managed to establish himself not ‘in spite of’ having written in a foreign language, but ‘because’ he had written in a foreign language such as English “the language of a free nation […] the only one that could express with vigour what I could only sketch faintly in my native tongue.”

Only a few days remain until the long-awaited opening of the Mondadori Bookstore | MA in Naples. The bookstore, located in the city’s central Galleria Umberto I, will open on Monday, 5 August with Mayor Gaetano Manfredi in attendance for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10.30 am.

“We have always wanted the Mondadori Bookstore | MA flagship store to be in Naples, an ideal city as Neapolitans are passionate readers”, said Antonio Serpe, Chief Retail Officer of Mondadori Bookstore | MA Italy.

“The project, in a symbolic place like Galleria Umberto I, also represents the highest expression of our philosophy: to place culture and art, in all its forms of expression, at the heart of things and to draw people, especially young people, as near to it as possible. That’s why we’ve worked diligently and passionately at the technical committee set up by the Mayor in collaboration with all the institutional figures involved, in order to solve the problems related to the location and make all the energy that characterises this extraordinary and colourful city, a landmark dedicated to culture and entertainment, available to the public”, Serpe concluded.

“Like Mondadori Retail, we’re proud of completing this project, and the vision and goals which we shared from the very beginning: to create a cultural and experiential centre at the service of the community, which will become a place where we can promote reading, entertainment, eco-sustainability and culture in its broadest sense”, said Carmine Perna, Mondadori Retail’s Director. “We believe that the strength of the MA format proves how important it is to invest in cultural initiatives that can adapt to present and future challenges by developing new business models”, concluded Perna.

The Mondadori Bookstore | MA in Naples has an area of 1,000 m², with an offer of 148,000 volumes from the great classics to best sellers – including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous -, from the We are Junior area, which includes children’s books, educational games and illustrated fairy tales to stimulate children’s imagination, to the innovative department dedicated to manga and comics, Just Comics, which winks at Gen Z.

Overlooking the historic Teatro Salone Margherita in the San Ferdinando district in the heart of Naples, the bookstore features furnishings that harmonise with the Art Nouveau atmosphere of the spot, respecting the architectural features of the time and combining them with the company philosophy of MA (間): smart, young, and eco-friendly. An ideal space where one can take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, devote oneself to reading and harmonise with nature, thus representing a completely innovative way of understanding, promoting and creating culture. The bookstore is also very focused on and sensitive to contemporary social and environmental issues by organising various initiatives.

“Naples is the ideal city to host one of Italy’s largest smart, young, eco-friendly bookstores because it has always been a cultural centre”, said Nello Nunziata, Head of the Point of Sales’ Development Division. “It’s no coincidence that, along with the vast Mondadori Store offer, the bookstore has a space dedicated to music and cinema, book buvette areas, free coworking hubs and reading spaces reserved for reading and study, as well as a space for wine tastings and an exclusive area reserved for events, ready to host some of the most important personalities on the local, national and international art scene”, Nunziata finished.

Two large touch screen totems allow for social interaction, while self-checkout click & collect services allow customers to make their purchases online on the bookstore website and collect them in-store. There’s also Trovalibro, which gives customers the chance of finding the text they want from among those available in store, simplifying the reader’s experience in the bookstore and make it more pleasant.

The store also has a large photo gallery area, dedicated to the art and contemporary photography of young emerging talents, giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work in the heart of the gallery from time to time. This is the case for Michele De Cesare, Gerardo Massaro, Fabio Monk and Davide Orfeo, who will open the exhibition, Metamorfosi napoletana.

The Mondadori Bookstore | MA is a completely innovative fusion concept, inspired by Japanese culture and translated from simple ideas into concrete projects by the Ricciardi Architetti studio, in collaboration with architect, Selene Amico. Tall furniture that echoes the natural line of tree trunks, creating a gallery that envelops visitors and invites them to soak up a culture and make it their own, stimulating and satisfying their curiosity. Combined with bonsai trees and sansevierias – chosen on purpose because they purify the air of benzene -, everything inside the bookstore recalls nature and eco-sustainability: from the lamps to the design fittings, from the architectural choices to the quality of the materials – marine poplar wood and recycled iron -, skilfully worked by master carpenters and Coppola’s historical partners. The walls are also painted using eco water paints, which reduce the amount of free formaldehyde in the atmosphere by 80%, and with the floating floors, the store is guaranteed to have a lower environmental impact in the installation of all systems.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE | MA expresses a young, smart, innovative, eco-friendly bookstore concept for Gen Z and beyond. The philosophy is expressed through architectural choices and the materials used to create them, and in publishing ideas and initiatives. The eco-sustainable cultural concept grew out of the entrepreneurial background of the Neapolitan-minded creators and Mondadori Retail, the managing company of the largest network of bookstores in Italy, Mondadori Store. Mondadori Bookstores can be found throughout Italy with 14 stores in Udine, Gravellona, Milan, Turin, Arma Di Taggia, Reggio Emilia, Grosseto, Rome, Salerno, Sassari, Sestu, Catania and Naples. Other openings are planned for 2024 across important Italian cities.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE I MA
Address: Galleria Umberto I, 45/46 Naples (NA)
Opening hours: Mon–Sun 10:00–21:00
Phone: +39,081 4241243
Email: napoli@mabooks.it
IG: @choose.ma – TikTok: @mondadori_ma
https://www.mondadoristore.it/negozi

Reading is a journey that leads us to discover new worlds, different cultures and, most importantly, ourselves. What better time to indulge in this practice than during the summer?

Why is summer reading so special?

With its long days and more relaxed pace, summer offers the ideal time and attitude for reading. Without the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can finally indulge in the pleasure of leafing through a book, letting ourselves be captivated by the stories and losing ourselves in the words. Reading during the summer helps us expand our horizons, stimulating our imagination, keeping our minds exercised and reducing stress.

Here are our recommendations for holiday reading

Whatever your destination, we thought we’d offer you a collection of books selected from the most read and appreciated titles of our publishing houses (Battello a vapore, De Agostini, Einaudi, Electa, Mondadori, Mondadori Electa, Mondadori Children’s Books, Piemme, Rizzoli and Sperling & Kupfer, Star Comics and Utet), designed to satisfy readers of all ages.

The Mondadori Group reports that Mondadori Libri S.p.A. has signed mutual put and call options over a 10% stake in the share capital of Adelphi with Josephine Calasso – holder of a total shareholding of 23.88%.
The put/call options will be exercisable as of May 2027 at an exercise price reflecting an equity value for 100% of Adelphi of € 50 million.

“I chose the Mondadori Group because I care about the future of Adelphi, because it has proved to be a straightforward and transparent interlocutor, and because I truly believe that its proximity can make a valuable contribution to the evolution and growth of our publishing house, thanks to its skills, proven management expertise, size and, above all, the open manner of interaction and appreciation it has always shown towards publishing houses”, commented Josephine Calasso.
“I trust that this decision will be appreciated by the other shareholders, also with a view to restoring balance to the ownership structure, and am certain it will help make my dream for an Adelphi led by Roberto Calasso’s heirs, come true, as it looks forward to a bright future, worthy of its history, which can be seen in the extraordinary catalogue, my father’s legacy”, concluded Josephine Calasso.

“The agreement defined stems from a recognition and appreciation by the Mondadori Group of the extraordinary unique value of Adelphi, one of Italy’s true cultural assets. It is, for us, therefore a great honour to have been offered the chance to be part of its ownership structure in the future: we do so with the aim, together with all the other shareholders, of supporting its natural evolution and with a view to creating further value”, declared Antonio Porro, Chief Executive Officer of the Mondadori Group. “All this while leveraging the fully shared vision, which sees the identity of the catalogue and the autonomy and independence of the publishing choices as the essential cornerstones in the development of a major, historic publishing house, in complete coherence with our philosophy whereby each publishing context is encouraged to preserve its identity and its own, specific characteristics”, Antonio Porro stressed. “Ultimately, we seek to make a contribution and share an inclusive path in due time with all those wishing to collaborate on the project for further enhancing the value of one of Italy’s most prestigious publishing houses”.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. hereby informs that the Half-Year Financial Report at 30 June 2024, comprising the Independent Auditors’ report, is now available at the Company’s registered office, at the authorized storage mechanism 1info (www.1info.it) and on the website www.gruppomondadori.it (Investors section).

Today, the meeting of the Board of Directors of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., chaired by Marina Berlusconi, reviewed and approved the Half-Year Report at 30 June 2024 presented by CEO Antonio Porro.

“The first half of 2024 ended with solid operating and financial performance, which allows us to confirm our forecasts for FY 2024. The growth recorded by the Trade Books and Retail business units was higher than that of the Book market, with a consequent increase in the market shares in the respective areas. We also continued to develop our core businesses, focusing in particular on consolidating the Mondadori Group’s leadership in book publishing, thanks to the finalisation of the acquisition of 51% of Star Shop and the conclusion of the acquisition of 100% of Chelsea Green Publishing, which strengthens our presence in the United States and the United Kingdom”, commented Antonio Porro, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of the Mondadori Group. “During the period, the Group also launched the PLAI, the start-up accelerator with which we aim to play a leading role in the ecosystem of generative artificial intelligence in the publishing industry”, concluded Porro.

Performance at 30 June 2024

Net consolidated revenue in the first half of 2024 amounted to € 387.2 million and showed growth of 6.8% compared to € 362.4 million in the first half of 2023. Net of the change in consolidation scope between the two periods under review, resulting from the consolidation of the company Star Shop (from 1 February 2024) and of Chelsea Green Publishing (from 1 May 2024), organic revenue growth was 3.8%.

Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2024 was € 40.9 million, up 7% compared to € 38.2 million in the first half of 2023, mainly thanks to the Trade Books, Retail and Media areas.

EBITDA in the first half of 2024 amounted to € 42.4 million, compared to € 40.3 million in the first half of 2023, which had benefited from the net capital gain (€ 2.9 million) linked to the sale of the brands Grazia and Icon. The improvement shown of around € 2.1 million is attributable to the favourable trend in the operating components and the recognition in the current year, in the Media area, of the release of certain provisions for risk allocated to cover liabilities that did not ultimately arise.

The Mondadori Group’s EBIT for the first half of 2024 was positive for € 12.7 million, a slight decrease (€ -1.2 million) compared to the same period in 2023, caused by higher amortisation and depreciation recorded in the period in question, for approximately € 3 million.

Neutralising extraordinary items and the impact of the Purchase Price Allocation (PPA) process, the adjusted EBIT for the period was € 15.4 million, up by approximately 5% compared to € 14.7 million in the first half of the previous year.

Financial charges recorded an overall increase of € 0.2 million, despite a reduction in bank expenses, caused by higher IFRS 16 debt.

The consolidated result before tax in the first half of FY 2024 was positive for € 9.4 million, compared to € 12.3 million in the corresponding period of 2023. The decrease of approximately € 3 million is attributable to the above dynamics, as well as the lower contribution – approximately € 1.6 million – from the earnings of associates, which in the first half of 2023 had benefited from the fair value revaluation (€ 1.3 million) of the investment in the company A.L.I. and the net capital gain (€ 0.4 million) arising from the sale of the investment in SEE (publisher of il Giornale).

The Group’s net profit in the first half of 2024, after minority interests, was positive for € 7.1 million, down by approximately € 5 million compared to the € 12.2 million in the first half of 2023. This decrease is attributable for approximately € 3 million to the non-ordinary dynamics described previously and, for the remaining € 2 million, to a greater share of the profit attributable to minority interests (€ +0.7 million) and higher tax expense.

The tax component for the first half of 2024 amounted to € -1.4 million compared to € +0.1 million in the same period of 2023: the result from the first half of 2023 had benefited from the recognition of non-taxable income or income subject to reduced taxation such as the capital gains arising from the sales of magazines and of the investment in SEE, as well as the contributions in the Media area (in FY 2023 not subject to taxation).

The Adjusted Net Profit, having neutralised extraordinary items (including capital gains) and the impacts deriving from the PPA process, was € 9 million, approximately 6% higher than € 8.5 million in the first half of 2023.

Net Financial Position excluding IFRS 16 at 30 June 2024 was € -211.9 million (net debt), an improvement of approximately € 3 million compared to € -215.2 million in the first half of 2023, due to significant cash generation by the business and despite the recognition of about € 31 million in dividends – of which 50% has already been distributed – and the cash-out for the acquisitions of Star Shop and Chelsea Green Publishing.

Net Financial Position gross of IFRS 16 at 30 June 2024 stood at € -293.3 million (net debt), from € -285.5 million at 30 June 2023, due to an IFRS 16 debt component of € -81.4 million, up by approximately € 11 million due to the renovation and development of the network of directly-managed bookshops in the Retail area, as well as acquisitions (particularly with reference to the Star Shop comic shops) finalised in 2024.

Cash flow from ordinary operations (after cash-out for financial expense and tax) in the twelve months prior to 30 June 2024 amounted to approximately € 67 million and allows the Group to continue to strengthen its financial structure.

At 30 June 2024, extraordinary cash flow was negative by approximately € 28 million, mainly due to net cash-outs related to merger & acquisition activities (around € 15 million), restructuring costs (around € 6 million) and the renovation of the Segrate headquarters (approximately € 3 million).

Free Cash Flow LTM at 30 June 2024, positive for € 39 million, confirmed the ongoing efficiency of the Group’s structures and resulting capacity of the Group to finance its growth policy by external lines.

Outlook for the year

In light of the results achieved in the first six months, the outlook for 2024 remains confirmed.

Income Statement

• low single-digit revenue growth;
• mid single-digit growth in the Adjusted EBITDA, with margins expected to remain stable at around 17%, thanks to targeted pricing policies and the further reduction of paper and printing costs.

Financial data

In the financial year 2024, the Group is expected to confirm the significant cash generation capacity and therefore an Ordinary Cash Flow of around € 70 million, despite higher investments for approximately € 4 million allocated to the renovation and energy efficiency measures of a printing facility of the Group, including from a sustainable perspective.

Performance of Business Areas

Trade BOOKS Area

The first six months showed a substantially stable trend on the book market in terms of value compared to the previous year (-0.1%): following the drop in the first part of the year, attributable to the comparison with 2023 which had benefited from the publication of “Spare. Il minore” (Spare) (Mondadori), the second quarter of 2024 recorded 4.1% growth in terms of value.

In this context, the publishing houses of the Mondadori Group recorded, in the second quarter, growth of 7.6%, nearly twice as much as the reference market: thanks to this performance, the Group reported growth across the entire six months of 1% and strengthened its national leadership with a market share in June 2024 of 27.7% (27.4% in June 2023).

As proof of the quality of the publishing plan and its catalogue, during the first six months of the year, the Mondadori Group was able to place 6 titles in the classification of the top ten bestsellers. We also note that in July the Mondadori Group, through Einaudi, won the 78th edition of the Strega Prize with “L’età fragile” by Donatella Di Pietrantonio.

Revenue in the first half of 2024 in the Trade BOOKS area amounted to € 188.5 million, recording growth compared to the previous year of approximately 9% (+3.4% on a like-for-like basis).

Adjusted EBITDA in the first six months of FY 2024 stood at € 27.7 million, an increase of € 1.5 million (+5.6%) compared to the first six months of 2023, largely due to the improved profitability of the publishing houses, deriving in particular from higher digital revenues and lower industrial costs (primarily paper).

Education BOOKS Area

School textbook publishing experiences a typical seasonal performance that sees sales squeezed into the second half of the year following the adoption campaign: as a result, the relating market shares for 2024 are unavailable at this time.

In the first six months of 2024, the school textbooks business reported overall revenue of € 61.1 million (€ 57.9 million in the corresponding period of 2023), increasing by 5.7% due to the advance on supplies to top accounts.

Adjusted EBITDA in the Education BOOKS area in the first half of 2024 stood at € 1.9 million, down on the € 2.3 million recorded in the first half of 2023, mainly due to the advanced production of the new textbooks made available to the sales network to support their promotion.

RETAIL Area

The RETAIL area showed 2.3% growth in the sell-out of the Book product in the first half of 2024, outperforming the market; as a result, the market share of Mondadori Retail rose to 12.7% (+0.3% compared to 30 June 2023), driven by an excellent performance of the direct and franchised retail outlets and a good performance of the online channel.

The renovation and development of the network of direct bookshops continued, numbering 47 units at the end of June 2024. For the franchised stores the progressive focus on the Bookstore format continued – with medium-sized bookshops offering considerable turnover – as did and the opening of new shops and the refitting of existing ones.

In the first six months of the year, the RETAIL area recorded revenue for € 91.4 million, with an 8.9% increase (€ +7.5 million), which is 3.6% net of the revenue of the Star Shop comic shops, consolidated from 1 February 2024. The organic growth would have been 4.9%, without the negative effect of the temporary closure of the Bookstore in Marcianise (CE) – subject to renovations, but already reopened by mid-July – which accounted for over € 1 million in lost sales in the first half of the current year.

An analysis of sales by channel in the first six months of 2024 shows a further increase in revenue from directly managed bookstores (+6.6% compared to the same period in the previous year) and from franchised bookstores (+4% compared to the first half of 2023) and, at the same time, a substantial stability in the online channel.

The Book area, which is the Mondadori Group’s core business, was the main component of product revenue (more than 80% of the total), up comprehensively by 3.9% on the first half of 2023.

The RETAIL area posted a positive Adjusted EBITDA for € 5.3 million, + 25.5% compared to the first half of 2023.

MEDIA Area

The advertising market (excluding searches, social networks, classified and OTT) in the first five months of 2024 showed an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year. The magazine circulation market dropped by 6% and the add-ons market by 12.3%.

In the first half of 2024, revenue in the MEDIA area amounted to € 72 million, and posted an increase of 5% since the previous year, stemming from the strong growth in the digital component, which, for the first time, more than offset the structural downturn of the component linked to traditional activities.

Digital activities, which account for approximately 43% of the area’s total revenue, showed a 26.5% growth in advertising revenues, resulting in particular from the positive performance of the MarTech segment and the excellent results of the agencies and Webboh, operations for which began at the start of 2023; the traditional print business declined by 7%, mainly due to the structural drop during the six months in add-on sales and readership, which nevertheless showed an improvement in the second quarter compared to the trend of the first quarter.

The Adjusted EBITDA for the MEDIA area in the first half of 2024 amounted to € 10.1 million and showed approximately 12% growth compared to the corresponding period in 2023 attributable to the segment of digital activities. The EBITDA margin for the area rose from 13.1% to 14.1%.

The presentation of the results at 30 June 2024, approved today by the Board of Directors, is available on www.1info.it and on www.mondadorigroup.com (Investors section). A Q&A session will be held in conference call mode at 4.00 pm for the financial community, attended by the CEO of the Mondadori Group, Antonio Porro, and the CFO, Alessandro Franzosi. Journalists will be able to follow the meeting in listening mode only, by connecting to the following phone number +39.02.8020927 or via web at: https://hditalia.choruscall.com/?calltype=2&info=company. 

The Financial Reporting Manager – Alessandro Franzosi – hereby declares, pursuant to Article 154 bis, paragraph 2, of the Consolidated Finance Law, that the accounting information contained herein corresponds to the Company’s records, books and accounting entries. 

Annexes (in the complete pdf): 

1. Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
2. Consolidated Income Statement
3. Consolidated income statement – II quarter
4. Group cash flow
5. Glossary of terms and alternative performance measures used

Changes in the reports were calculated on amounts expressed in Euro thousands

Mondadori Bookstore | MA, the eco-sustainable bookstore concept, will open its doors to the public on Sunday, 28 July at 4 p.m. inside the Tanit Shopping Centre in Sassari, taking a new step in its development path in the area.

The bookstore’s “young, green and smart” format is inspired by the Japanese philosophical concept of MA (間), “an undefined space between heaven and earth where man can empty his mind and nourish his soul”, as described by Antonio Serpe, Chief Retail Officer of the Mondadori Bookstore | MA Italia bookstores. “It’s a place dedicated to oneself, where you can feel free from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and focus on the well-being of the mind, representing a whole new way of making and spreading culture”, Serpe concluded.

The new bookstore opening in Sestu, which expands Mondadori Bookstore | MA presence in Sardinia, has an eco-friendly vibe, from the materials used for its construction — marine poplar, recycled iron and sustainable water-based paints — to the design itself — tall, curved furniture reminiscent of tree trunks, bonsai trees and sansevieria that personalises the 250 m² space. Another important aspect of the young & smart concept can’t be overlooked: thanks to the presence of multimedia and interactive totems, readers can interact on social media and answer questions about the current hottest titles. The store also has self-checkout, click&collect and Trovalibro services, which allows customers to find the title they’re after from those available in the store. There is also a free coworking and reading hub dedicated to readers and a forum, ready to host events, presentations and signings. Finally, there is a space used as a photo gallery for exhibitions and shows, which will host “Il Ricamo Delle Mani” by artist Roberta Uras for the opening.

The new Mondadori Bookstore | MA offers future readers a choice of more than 49,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers – including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous – with areas reserved for the youngest readers – We are Junior – featuring interactive books, educational games and illustrated fairy tales to stimulate their imagination and curiosity. Finally, there is the Just Comics department, dedicated to manga and comics, with a nod to Gen Z readers.

MONDADORI | MA expresses an innovative, young, smart, eco-friendly bookstore concept for Gen Z and beyond. The philosophy is expressed through architectural choices and the materials used to create them, and in publishing ideas and initiatives. The eco-sustainable cultural concept grew out of the entrepreneurial background of the Neapolitan-minded creators and Mondadori Retail, the managing company of the largest network of bookstores in Italy, Mondadori Store. Mondadori Bookstores can be found throughout Italy with 13 stores in Udine, Gravellona, Milan, Turin, Arma Di Taggia, Reggio Emilia, Grosseto, Rome, Salerno, Sassari, Sestu and Catania. Further openings are planned in major Italian cities in 2024, including Naples (Galleria Umberto I).

MONDADORI | MA
Galleria Tanit Shopping Centre
Address: Via Caniga 1, 07100 Sassari (SS)
Hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–20:30
Telephone: 079.6764704
Email address: sassari@mabooks.it
IG: choose_ma-TikTok: mondadori_ma
https://www.mondadoristore.it/negozi

Benedetta Serpe
mondadorima.social@gmail.com
Tel: +39 333.9008660

Mondadori Group Press Office
pressoffice@mondadori.it
Tel. +39 02.75423159

After the success of the first leg in Giulianova (with more than 5 thousand viewers), young people’s idols will be in Rimini on Saturday, 3 August, in Piazzale Federico Fellini, for the second stop of Webboh Fest, the summer music event organised by Webboh, the first Italian community dedicated to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with more than 4 million followers on social networks.

An evening of music and entertainment, where many artists will take turns on stage from 8 p.m., including Sarah Toscano, winner of the last edition of ‘Amici di Maria De Filippi’, who is establishing herself as the new pop star on the Italian scene. Also, from the world of ‘Amici’ are Cricca and, straight from Malta, Emma Muscat. Then there’ll be Aka 7even, one of the most promising talents of the new Italian urban-pop singer-songwriting scene with 280 million audio and video streams, and Ditonellapiaga who’ll get the audience dancing to the rhythm of her most recent hits. There’ll also be some of the younger people’s idols, like Pucho, Il Fubbe, Luk3 and Ascanio, Lorenz Simonetti, and Michelle Cavallaro, who’ll have the audience singing along to their viral social media hits.
And it’s not only music: during the evening of Webboh Fest, Webboh will also entertain the audience with challenges and lots of fun (free admission).

Andrea Prada will be the host of this unmissable stage, with help from Sara Esposito, a creator and YouTuber with millions of followers. Both on-stage and backstage will also be hosted by young people’s favourite creators, like Arienne Makeup, a creator with over 4.7 million followers from the Power Talent Agency roster, Giorgia and Alice Mordenti. At the end of the evening, viewers can continue the fun with a DJ set by Matteo Robert, one of the most famous Gen Z TikTokers in Italy.

The backstage will be hosted by creator Alberto Tozzi, star of Webboh Backstage Secrets Summer Tour, the format created from the collaboration between Webboh and DeAKids (Sky Channel 601), who will interview the stars of the event and narrate a tour with exclusive content available on the TV channel’s social networks.

From the afternoon you’ll be able to get numbered gadgets, which will allow you to take part in a special draw that will give you access to Webboh Fest backstage where you’ll be able to follow the entire event from a special location: the backstage area. Radio Bruno, a partner for the festival, will follow Webboh on its tour, revealing on stage in Rimini what the most popular songs of Summer 2024 are.

The event’s sponsor is essence, the famous cosmetics brand from cosnova Italia, which will showcase the products of the Spring-Summer 2024 collection together with popular creator, Arienne Makeup. In the square, as part of the event which was also coordinated with the collaboration of Brand On Solution, Mediamond’s design area, a totem station equipped with a mirror has been installed, where it will be possible to take ‘a selfie for a summer full of kisses’ and receive the iconic Juicy Bomb lipstick, one of the most popular products among the very young.

Webboh Fest: to be continued…

After the first two stops in Giulianova and Rimini, the most entertaining music tour of the summer will end on 6 September in Mirandola (MO). Numerous unmissable events are also planned for this occasion: lots of surprise guests, with unmissable performances, music and shows, thanks to Webboh, which is always working alongside its web and social media audience, as well as live and in-person.

Webboh is the flagship media for Gen Z. Created in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fanbase of 4.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, 70% of which are under 24. The website receives 3 million unique monthly users (source: Audiweb Last Quarter 2024). It is in the top ten most influential Italian media companies on social media, as well as the first targeting Gen Z for engagement and video views (source: Italian Top Media Rankings for First Communication made by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest generated by the content is guaranteed by the bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.