2024

Mondadori Media, the leading Italian multimedia publisher on social media and digital, will feature at “Intersections 2024” on 29 and 30 October, the new event resulting from the union of IAB Forum and IF! Italians Festival, dedicated to digital innovation, marketing, communication, creativity and technology.

Mondadori Media will be present at stand 36 with the innovative experience “Immergiti. Direzione futuro.” experience for completely new discovery, and with its top media brands, including Fatto in casa da Benedetta, which has just joined the Group, and at stand L3 with the latest innovations in the MarTech area. Another unmissable event is the PLAI workshop that will present some of the AI startups selected for the first acceleration cycle (Yellow Room 1).

“IMMERGITI. DIREZIONE FUTURO.” – STORYTELLING TO DISCOVER MONDADORI MEDIA’S TOP MEDIA BRANDS

Thanks to the excellent setting offered by Intersections, Mondadori Media will offer participants the opportunity to discover behind the scenes of GialloZafferano, MypersonalTrainer, The Wom and Webboh through four interactive apps created with Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s mixed reality viewer (Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality), which has not yet been released in Italy.
This is an innovative spatial computing experience which, by eliminating the distance between the screen and the visitor, will make it possible for the first time to enter the heart of content creation processes and to immersively explore the potential of successful brands in the fields of food, the world of women and beauty, wellness and new generations. Visitors, wearing the visor, will be able to enjoy a first-hand experience of all the stages of storytelling used to create projects of all kinds and virtually interact with the creators involved. Whether it is social content or live activities, the direct and immersive contact between guests and brands will leave an intense impression of the various facets and forms through which content created by individual brands is brought to life.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD OF BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Offering a comprehensive and original overview integrating the latest technologies with creativity and value proposition, the four immersive paths will also illustrate successful case histories in the world of branded content and entertainment in a captivating manner. These projects and sponsored content are created by Mondadori Media in collaboration with Mediamond and its unit dedicated to special initiatives, Brand On Solutions, and numerous partner companies.

NEW GEN AND AI: THE WEBBOH LAB SURVEY

Intersections 2024 will also be an opportunity to present the new survey revealing the truth about AI, carried out by Webboh Lab, the first scientific and marketing research panel focusing on Italian youth and teenagers. Of the 12,000 respondents, 55% said they had concerns about both the tool’s reliability and the potential risk to employment. The full research will be unveiled during the event at the Mondadori Media stand.

ON THE MAIN STAGE: THE OPENING OF INTERSECTIONS WITH NICOLÒ FAMIGLIETTI

Intersections 2024 will be opened by Nicolò Famiglietti, the first Italian Beauty Fitness Trainer Ambassador of MypersonalTrainer and part of the Power Talent Agency team. With an energising workout, Famiglietti, from the main stage of the plenary, will help the audience to start the day with the right physical and mental energy and to fully experience the event by exploiting the intersections with inspiration, creativity and innovation.

PLAI AT INTERSECTIONS 2024

PLAI, the Mondadori Group’s startup accelerator aimed at transforming ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful entrepreneurial ventures, will also attend Intersections 2024: PLAI’s CEO Stefano Argiolas will give a talk entitled “Unveiling Innovation: Generative AI as a Tool for Crafting New Business Ventures” on 29 October at 10.30 in Yellow Room 1. 5 of the 11 startups selected for the first acceleration cycle will join him on stage.

ADKAORA AND THE MARTECH AREA: APPOINTMENT WITH MOBILE INNOVATION

AdKaora and Hej!, the digital companies of Mondadori Media’s MarTech area, leaders in mobile innovation and proximity marketing, will exhibit the latest in conversational marketing and integrated campaigns at stand L3.
On 29 October at 3 p.m. in Blue Room 2 there will also be a workshop by AdKaora entitled “From online to in-store with mobile coupons: L’Oréal’s multi-channel retail strategy” in which the following topic will be addressed: how to engage loyal shoppers by transforming the drive to store into an in-store retail strategy.
The Apple Vision Pro apps were created in collaboration with Impersive, an agency specializing in the production of immersive videos for virtual reality, and film production company Brandon Box.

Mondadori Media is Italy’s leading social and digital publisher, with a distinctive positioning and audience on the publishing market. The Mondadori Group’s social multimedia company caters to the passions of the Italian people through its brands – food, beauty, fashion, health and wellness, science and tech – and reaches more than 25.5 million unique users every month (source: Audiweb Total Digital Audience average month 2024) and over 128 million followers (source: Comscore Shareablee and social insights September 2024). 

Webboh Lab, a partnership between  Webboh and the Sylla research institute, with scientific director Professor Furio Camillo, is the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z. The Webboh Lab’s commitment is to gather the voice of the younger generation, investigate and explore issues to convey them to those who make decisions for them, the adults of tomorrow.

PLAI is the Mondadori Group startup accelerator that aims to transform ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful entrepreneurial ventures. PLAI offers them a distinctive field of application and an industrial market both within the Group and with the initiative’s partners. PLAI operates in the pre-seed and seed phases, selecting and investing in Italian and international startups. In addition to capital, the accelerator provides startups with concrete areas to apply AI, structured training and mentorship courses, and the opportunity to participate in networking events, partly thanks to the unique set of skills and assets provided by major Italian and international partners.

AdKaora is a digital company leading in mobile innovation which offers effective tools and solutions from a multi-channel perspective to brands and publishers to reach, engage and influence their target audience, bringing concrete and measurable results. AdKaora mixes data-driven qualitative audiences with exclusive adv formats, created by AdKaora Creative Studio, which record high results in viewability and engagement, certified by third parties. Depending on the objective, activate the right audience through first-party data from the proprietary DMP or location-behavioural, vertical and premium publishers of the AdKaora Value Network. The strong technological component is the plus for Proximity Marketing strategies. AdKaora enables and integrates the best technologies on the market with consolidated proprietary assets, offering an end-to-end Advanced Proximity Suite. Savi’s mobile couponing integration makes it possible to reach the last mile of the consumer shopping experience, influencing consumer behaviour, and measuring user activation from online to offline.

Hej! is a tech company specialised in conversational marketing. It has reinvented the conversational experience, exploiting artificial intelligence on different levels. Through its unique proprietary platform, Hej! offers innovative advertising solutions covering the entire customer journey, with the goal of achieving tangible and measurable results for brands. Hej!’s advertising formats and engaging marketing tools create a direct channel with consumers by activating authentic conversations that guide users all the way down the purchase funnel. Hej!’s conversational marketing is an effective tool for profiling a target that is openly interested in brands and proactively interacts in a one-to-one conversation that makes it possible to obtain valuable information on their identikit and generate leads or hyper-qualified sales linked to specific campaign objectives and measurement KPIs.

Mondadori Media, Italy’s leading multimedia publisher in digital and social media, is taking a new step in its growth strategy by joining Meaningfool, the new generation, high-tech creative agency founded by Fabio Padoan.

Meaningfool was born as a response to the market’s new needs to integrate the most popular channels, languages and formats – such as TikTok and vertical videos with the involvement of creators – within brand and communication strategies and brand storytelling, with an omnichannel creative approach, which is also performance-oriented.

In addition to having a highly experienced and talented team, starting with its founding partners, Meaningfool is also an innovative start-up that invests in the creation of new AI models to help with efficiency, productivity, content scalability, but also to increase the creative and productive possibilities of social advertising campaigns.

Meaningfool’s vision is encapsulated in its name: on the one hand, the importance of the meaning, not only of the communication content produced for companies, but also of why it is produced; on the other hand, the idea that in order to win the challenge of garnering attention and emerge from the background noise of content, it is necessary to create something ‘foolish’, i.e. creative.

“In an increasingly articulate and rapidly changing market, it is essential for a publisher like Mondadori Media, even after the recent acquisition of Fatto in casa da Benedetta, to also have a dedicated creative structure, with a highly qualified team specialised in the world of social advertising and new video languages”, stated Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Media and Chief Innovation Officer of the Mondadori Group. “In this context, Meaningfool represents an innovative reality with high development potential, whose growth we want to support, but also because of its ability to generate synergies with the activities we already take part in, with talent agencies such as Zenzero and Power, the social brands of Mondadori Media and Hej!, our agency specialising in AI and performance advertising”, concluded Santagata.

For Meaningfool – which as of today sees Mondadori Media as a new shareholder, with a minority stake – this is a second round of investment: the first took place when the company was founded thanks to the support of a group of angel investors from the media and tech world.

“We have only been in existence for a few months and Mondadori Media’s decision to invest in Meaningfool is a great act of trust but also a sign that we are on the right path”, says Fabio Padoan. “For us, entering an advanced digital system like Mondadori Media’s means multiplying synergies and presenting companies with increasingly complete and effective solutions and projects. It is only by joining forces, skills and diversity that we can create tangible changes and generate a positive impact in companies but also in the lives of the people we address every day”, concluded Padoan. 

On Saturday, 26 October, Mondadori Store – the most extensive network of bookstores in Italy –, will make its return to Frosinone with a bookstore, which will allow it to once again provide the city with a hub dedicated to reading and entertainment and a true socio-cultural stronghold. The new Mondadori Bookstore will open to the public at 5.00 p.m. on Via Aldo Moro, one of the main shopping areas.

“The decision to open a new bookstore in Frosinone with a key strategic partner like Mondadori Store not only responds to the desire to create a stronghold that serves the local community, but is also in line with the goal of enhancing, spreading and setting-up new cultural hubs throughout the country”, declared Felice Paparello, a franchisee now opening his seventh bookstore with Mondadori Store.

The new Mondadori Bookstore covers an area of 150 square metres with a catalogue of over 10,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers, including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous. Special attention has been paid to younger readers with the We are Junior format, which includes educational games and picture books to stimulate their imagination with the strangest stories, and the department dedicated to manga and comics, Just Comics. Areas dedicated to #BookTok, for the new generation of readers, as well as stationery, gift boxes and gift cards, also expand the store’s offer.

The Mondadori Bookstore in Frosinone also serves readers online: customers can be updated on all the activities and events planned through the Facebook and Instagram pages. They will also be able to get in touch with the store through Mondadoristore.it digital services to check if a book is available, order it and pick it up in the store, choosing from a catalogue of over 1 million titles. The bookstore will also offer customers the opportunity to place orders via telephone.

The new Mondadori Bookstore follows the plan for renewal and development of Mondadori Store, the largest bookstore network in Italy, with more than 500 stores in cities and smaller towns. The cultural organisation is active throughout the country, online with the e-commerce site Mondadoristore.it and the book club. In addition to books, its primary service, it also provides entertainment, events and multichannel services, reaching more than 20 million customers every year.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE
Via Aldo Moro 5, 03100, Frosinone (FR)
Hours: Mon–Sun 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Tel: 0775.960677
Email: mondadoristorefrosinone@gmail.com
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GialloZafferano, Italy’s number-one food media brand with more than 70 million followers worldwide, announces an autumn filled with exciting news that once again confirms the strong, multi-channel, innovative approach that has made the brand a major benchmark for cooking enthusiasts, including at an international level.

Launch of GZ Lab

Building on its relationship of trust with its community, which in Italy alone numbers more than 35 million followers and 17 million unique monthly users, GialloZafferano is launching GZ Lab, the first digital observatory of consumption and trends related to cooking in Italy, a tool to investigate and learn about Italians’ opinions, interests and habits when it comes to cooking.

As a first step, GZ Lab explored Italians’ relationship with food and cooking in cultural, social and personal terms through a questionnaire, developed together with the Sylla research institute, which received more than 8,000 answers in one week. Various interesting aspects emerged:

• food as a fundamental resource for physical and mental well-being: for 84% of those surveyed, food choices are guided by weight control, allergies or intolerances, and ethical or religious reasons;
• the return to a domestic approach to meals, experienced as a time to express your creativity and show affection towards others: in the past year, 27% of people have increased the number of times they eat at home and 54% have decreased their online food orders;
• a focus on limiting expenses: for 21% this is a factor that guides their food choices, without compromising on exploring new horizons and discovering new flavours thanks to high-quality ingredients and attention to the way dishes are presented;
• more than 30% of the respondents associated cooking and meal preparation with a gesture of love and care directed towards others, as a connection with the world to build and consolidate bonds, and towards themselves as personal growth, a path of experimentation, curiosity and discovery.

Full results are available here.

An all new version for GialloZafferano Magazine

Starting this month, Italy’s most popular cookery magazine with over 80,000 copies per month and more than 1.5 million readers, is presenting itself to the public in a new version adapted to readers’ demands.

Its pages devote even more space to recipes, with a step-by-step approach that ensures that they are easy to follow and more closely linked to GialloZafferano’s website and social media channels. There will also be even more contributions from ambassadors, resident chefs, bloggers and brand creators, including Luisa Orizio, Sebastian Fitarau and Azzuchef, who are all featured in this month’s issue. GialloZafferano Magazine also presents new columns and special features, such as themed sections dedicated to the local area and industry events, offering visibility opportunities for partner companies.

To mark the magazine’s renewal, a digital campaign was carried out involving more than 50 GialloZafferano bloggers and strong visibility in retail outlets and large-scale retail trade.

GialloZafferano in the United States

After taking centre stage at the recent Summer Fancy Food Show in New York with showcooking, original content and performances designed and staged for major Italian food brands, GialloZafferano is expanding its roster of chefs and culinary talents active in the United States with the addition of Bilena Settepani and Daniele Uditi to the team. Awarded by Iginio Massari in 2023 as one of the best pastry chefs on an international level, Bilena Settepani is Executive Pastry Chef of the famous Settepani Bakery in New York, whose creations based on the Italian confectionery tradition are appreciated throughout the United States. After moving from Caserta to Los Angeles in 2010, in 2017 Daniele Uditi opened the first “Pizzana”, a brand that has now become a chain with 7 locations in California and Texas, which are frequented by prominent figures from the American jet set.

The new chef creators of GialloZafferano, managed by Zenzero, Mondadori Media’s talent agency, will further strengthen the presence of Italian cuisine in America, including through the creation with Universal Marketing – the exclusive organiser of Italian companies’ presence in the Fancy Food Show halls – of a new trade fair experience for our cuisine, already starting from the next Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, in January 2025.

GialloZafferano is also announcing the start of an editorial collaboration with Alessandra Ciuffo, known on social media as Flavors by Ale. Alessandra, whose profile now has over 900,000 followers, grew up in New York, started cooking when she was just three years old and has made a name for herself in the industry by sharing her passion for cooking, cooking techniques and everyday moments with her close-knit Italian-American family.

GialloZafferano is Italy’s leading food media brand on the Internet. 1 in 2 Italians cooks with GialloZafferano, which reaches an average of 17 million people every month (average month Audicom 2024). It is the fourth largest food media brand in the world on social media, with a fanbase of almost 71.5 million followers (source: Shareablee-Comscore and Social Insights, August 24). Thanks to recipes within everyone’s grasp, it is available to people 24/7 on all channels: from the Internet to social media, from apps to smart devices, as well as magazines, books and local events nationwide.

To guarantee an increasingly widespread presence across the country through a new bookstore format matching current trends and readers’ interests; to make a social-cultural service dedicated to books and entertainment available to the entire community; to use innovation and multichannel options to enrich the bookstore experience. These are the objectives of Mondadori Retail, which today opened a new bookstore in Rome in the Galleria Alberto Sordi, just a few yards from Palazzo Chigi.

With the latest store, the Mondadori Group company – which has opened more than 30 new bookstores in 2024, both directly managed and franchised outlets – thus takes another step in its strategic development plan, confirming its position as the most extensive bookshop network in Italy with more than 500 bookstores.

“The new Mondadori Bookstore in Rome is a milestone in the expansion of our network. We intend to continue strengthening our role as the key player in the business by creating socio-cultural centres throughout the country, from large cities to the smallest villages, for the widest possible audience,” said Mondadori Retail CEO Carmine Perna. “Reading and entertainment are essential tools for us to encourage sharing and interaction and promote dialogue between the generations. The new Mondadori Bookstore in Rome also demonstrates our ability to systematically integrate all our sales channels – direct, franchised and online bookstores – and the importance of the synergy among everyone in the network. This approach was decisive in achieving a result that is particularly important for us, the opening of our 50^th directly owned bookstore, which we are delighted to celebrate today,” Perna concluded.

The new Mondadori Bookstore

With the opening of the new Mondadori Retail bookstore in the Galleria Alberto Sordi, Mondadori Retail also consolidates its presence in Rome, where it has been active for more than twenty years with 6 direct bookstores and 17 franchised outlets.

The new Mondadori Bookstore is located in the Tritone arm of the monumental Galleria Alberto Sordi owned by Fondo Megas, a fund held 100% by Fondazione Enasarco and managed by Prelios SGR – a company in the Prelios Group and one of Italy’s leading asset managers – which in 2023 launched a major redevelopment and restyling project to turn Rome’s historic “drawing room” into a meeting place and landmark of the capital, as well as a strategic crossroads for shopping and tourism.

The store offers an assortment of 20,000 titles, from classics to contemporary fiction, and occupies a total area of 450 square metres. The format applies the distinctive Mondadori Store concept, in full harmony with the architectural elements of the Galleria. The bright spacious environment is distributed over three floors, providing perfect visual continuity with the surroundings and the city with its mixture of ancient and modern.

The ground floor displays all the latest from the book world – bestsellers, BookToks, thrillers, novels and local publications – and also has a stationery department.
The first floor offers the entire catalogue, from the great classics of literature to non-fiction, international books and Kobo eReaders, as well as a space for cultural events.
The basement is the domain of the younger generation, with the We are Junior department, where even the smallest children can find a rich selection of books, illustrated fairy tales and educational games, and the Just Comics department, with a wide selection of titles for fans of comics and manga, superheroes and graphic novels, as well as music products like CDs, vinyls and K-pop. Each floor of the bookstore is equipped with Trovalibro touch screens to help customers explore the merchandise, and automatic checkouts to simplify the shopping experience.

The store’s architectural design and layout is by Kallipigia Architetti, a firm founded by Elisa Innocenti and Giovanni Cipriani. Kallipigia Architetti are known for their ability to combine creativity and efficiency, handling every stage in a project, from the initial survey to completion, with meticulous care.

Events

Starting immediately after the opening, the new bookstore will host a rich calendar of events, including book signings and meetings with authors and personalities from the world of entertainment. The aim is to actively engage readers and foster cultural dialogue, establishing the store as a socio-cultural centre for the entire community. The program of presentations includes: 28 October, Sisters (Rizzoli), the first book by Paola and Chiara; 30 October, Cambio vita cercasi (Garzanti) by Francesca Safina; 5 November, Cento parole per raccontare una vita (Sperling & Kupfer) by Red Canzian; on 6 November, author Claire Dee will sign copies of her book Beyond the surface (Sperling & Kupfer). Subsequent dates on the calendar are 11 November, Il premierato non è di destra (De Agostini) by Nicola Drago, 12 November, Il sentiero dei dieci. Una storia tra Israele e Gaza (Piemme) by Davide Lerner, and 14 November, when Iginio Massari will sign copies of his new book, Giorni mesi anni di una vita intensa (Baldini & Castoldi). The first series of events concludes with the following presentations: 22 November, Il cielo su via Padova (Sperling & Kupfer) by Daria Colombo; 26 November, Bambino (Einaudi) by Marco Balzano, who will be joined by presenter Michela Ponzani; 2 December, La malacarne (Einaudi) by Beatrice Salvioni.

Partners

The partners of the new Mondadori Bookstore are: Altavia (for the communication concept and event organisation), Kallipigia Architetti (for the architectural design and bookstore layout), Res Contract S.r.l. (general contractor) and Mecad S.r.l. (bookstore interiors).

Mondadori Store, the largest network of bookstores in Italy, has opened a new store at Scalo Milano Outlet & More inside the shopping centre’s new hub.

The new area – designed and planned by architecture firm Design International – is the result of an expansion of the outlet following an urban redevelopment project: it spans over three levels where some of the most important brands on the Italian and international scenes can also be found. These include a Mondadori Bookstore, thus enriching Scalo Milano Outlet & More’s offering with an area dedicated to the world of books and entertainment.

The new bookstore expands the already extensive Mondadori Store network in the area, in line with the network’s strategy of spreading culture and promoting reading, creating an interactive meeting point and a true cultural garrison in a commercial space.

“It is with pride and satisfaction that we inaugurate the first bookstore inside Scalo Milano Outlet & More by Mondadori Store: an opening that promotes the dissemination of culture in all its forms and that is part of our strategy of continuous renewal and development of our network, which includes more than 500 stores, both directly operated and franchised, throughout Italy,” says Carmine Perna, Managing Director of Mondadori Retail.

The new Mondadori Bookstore covers 300 square metres and offers a selection of 15,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers, including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous. Special attention is given to younger readers with the We are Junior format, which includes educational games and picture books to stimulate their imagination with the most intriguing stories, and a department dedicated to Just Comic and the manga phenomenon. Areas dedicated to #BookTok, for the new generation of readers, as well as stationery, toys, and gift cards, also expand the store’s offer.
The Scalo Milano Outlet & More bookstore is also serving readers online: customers will find information and news on Facebook and Instagram. They will also be able to get in touch with the store throughMondadoristore.it digital services to check if a book is available, order and pick it up in store, choosing from a catalogue of over 1 million titles.

The new Mondadori Bookstore follows the plan for the renewal and development of Mondadori Store, the largest bookstore network in Italy, with more than 500 stores in cities and smaller towns. The cultural organisation is active throughout the country, online with the e-commerce site Mondadoristore.it and the book club. In addition to books, its primary service, it also provides entertainment, events and multichannel services, reaching more than 20 million customers every year.

MONDADORI BOOKSTORE
Scalo Milano Outlet & More
Via Milano 5, 20085 Locate di Triulzi (MI)
Opening hours: Mon–Sun 10am – 9pm
Phone: 02.49493800
Email: ibreria.milanoscalo@mondadori.it
https://www.mondadoristore.it/negozi
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PLAI, the Mondadori Group startup accelerator aimed at transforming ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful companies, has selected 11 startups for its first accelerator programme.

The startups were chosen from among 520 applications based on the quality of the team, the potential for business integration, level of scalability, technological innovation, roadmap, and go-to-market.

‘The decision was incredibly difficult, starting with the first round of selection from the more than 500 applications received. Each startup was full of innovation and ambition. The selection reflected our commitment to supporting the most revolutionary and sustainable ideas, highlighting the fierce competition and high quality of the projects submitted. We selected 11 of them in the end, and we are very eager to work together with the different teams and help them transform their ideas into successful businesses,’ says Stefano Argiolas, CEO of PLAI.

Startups entering in BATCH 2024

AD cube – new media & advertising
Companies waste up to 26 per cent of their advertising budgets due to inefficiencies in channel allocation. AD cube is an AI-driven director that optimizes ad campaigns across multiple platforms, including Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, and more. It meticulously manages budget allocation, creative content, and targeting strategies throughout the entire marketing funnel, leading to increases in ROI of up to 30 per cent.

Ahilab – new media & advertising
SEM and SEO are decreasing as they are progressively replaced by Gen AI. Ahilab is a native ads network for AI apps, connecting AI developers to digital advertisers. Developers use the Ahilab API to display ads in any AI-generated content (images, text, or video). Advertisers can run ads and reach only the target audience that interacts with Gen AI apps.

Aidamask – books and publishing
Options to optimize processes through new technologies are often blocked by fears that data protection is not ensured. Aidamask offers an API-based intelligent de-identification system integrated with Gen AI solutions; it is available as both a cloud (SaaS) and on-premises option. The zero-trust approach to data protection enables companies to harness the power of leading Gen AI models safely and effortlessly.

Alfred – education
Preparing for oral exams is challenging for many students. Due to a lack of personalized feedback and limited interaction with teachers, it often results in anxiety and poor performance. Prof. Alfred is an innovative e-learning platform that revolutionizes exam preparation through an intelligent virtual assistant. The platform provides personalized feedback in real time, is accessible 24/7, dynamically adapts to the specific educational content uploaded, and offers an experience that transcends traditional student-teacher interaction.

Equal Education – education
The unguided use of AI risks obscuring students’ and teachers’ actual abilities, and schools are struggling to ensure widespread mathematical literacy. Equal enhances math education with its challenge-based platform: math problems become interactive experiences for students to grow, with assistance and progress analysis. Supported by AI, Equal generates theoretical support and personalized exercises, while providing teachers with learning analysis tools to effectively address individual needs.

IStory – books and publishing
Children’s reading habits are changing due to passive time spent in front of screens, and parents are struggling to find engaging solutions that encourage reading and promote active and positive digital use. Istory provides a unique and personalized reading experience that combines AI-guided print books with interactive digital content that encourages safe, positive reading and use of technology.

Olivia – retail
Demand analysis at retail stores today requires a data-driven approach. Olivia is a retail data analytics platform that enables future demand forecasting through machine learning algorithms and sentiment analysis tools to better allocate budgets and plan commercial offerings appropriately at stores.

Paperbox Health – education
Paperbox’s DINO addresses challenges related to delayed or missed identification of learning disorders by offering an efficient and engaging screening and intervention tool that is highly accessible for children aged 5 to 7. Using Monte Carlo simulations for assessment and monitoring and employing Gen AI to personalize the learning pathway, DINO identifies each child’s learning needs, including potential disorders, and defines the most effective approach to interaction.

Pathway English – education
Preparation for exams and certifications is a challenge, both due to a lack of personalization if done independently and because private tutoring services are expensive. This Digital Academy is AI-based and offers continuous 24/7 personalized support. The virtual tutor analyzes student performance, identifies areas for improvement, and provides real-time feedback, creating a custom learning experience for each user.

Similar – books and publishing
Books based on movies attract fans but adapting a movie for a novel can take up to 6 months, limiting the author’s creativity to the confines of the original screenplay. Similar’s Bookify is a state-of-the-art deep learning system that converts movies to books in a single day and eliminates the need for manual effort.

Stip – retail
AI for customer service is not just about chatbots. Unless supported by additional AI models, chatbots only lead to partial improvements in efficiency. Stip has developed 15 AI models, each dedicated to a specific stage of the customer service process. With Stip, companies can automate content moderation, find similar requests and check how they were handled, generate response suggestions, automatically collect missing information from the customer, categorize requests, and more. All in their CRM software.

What the selected startups will do now

The four-month acceleration cycle for these 11 startups begins this afternoon with the kick-off at PL7 (WAO, Milan).

During this period, each startup will participate in workshops, dedicated operating and hands-on sessions, inspirational masterclasses led by Italian and international experts — divided into General AI Trends and Industry Verticals to help them understand their industry — and tailored mentorship sessions.

In addition, the startups will be able to participate in ecosystem events, networking meetings with partners, and company visits to stimulate collaboration and provide new opportunities for business development and growth.

The first appointment is with Milano Digital Week, the popular event that opens a discussion on new technologies with citizens and businesses. On Monday, October 14, all the startups in the PLAI accelerator programme will have the unique opportunity to present their innovative ideas to the professionals in the city of Milan at the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti.

On October 22 and 23, the 11 startups will also have the opportunity to preside over a booth entirely dedicated to them at the Codemotion Conference in Milan.

This will be followed — in parallel with training and mentorship — by other presentations at SMAU Milan 2024 (October 28 and 29), Italy’s reference event on innovation and startups. The startups will also participate in Intersections 2024, the largest event in Italy dedicated to marketing, communication, creativity, and technology, stemming from the collaboration between IAB Forum and IF! Italian Festivals (October 29 and 30).

At the end of the acceleration period in early 2025, the startups will be featured at Demo Day, a full day where they can make themselves known to investors and companies, kicking off another important stage of development.

PLAI is the Mondadori Group startup accelerator that aims to transform ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful entrepreneurial ventures. PLAI offers them a distinctive field of application and an industrial market both within the Group and with the initiative’s partners. PLAI operates in the pre-seed and seed phases, selecting and investing in Italian and international startups. In addition to capital, the accelerator provides startups with concrete areas to apply AI, structured training and mentorship courses, and the opportunity to participate in networking events, partly thanks to the unique set of skills and assets provided by major Italian and international partners.

Qeeboo and INTERNI, the interior and contemporary design magazine published by Mondadori Group, commemorate Andrea Branzi with Equilibri Instabili, a special event to inaugurate an exhibition of unpublished objects and present a new book dedicated to the designer.

Thursday, October 10, Qeeboo Loft in Milan will become an exceptional stage for remembering the great architect and internationally renowned designer one year after his death. On display will be four unreleased collections, some in limited editions — carpets, cushions, ceramics, and metal objects — designed by Branzi for Qeeboo, a brand founded by Stefano Giovannoni, Andrea’s friend for more than thirty years.

‘Qeeboo once again confirms its focus on innovation and research, keeping the memory of one of the brightest minds in the world of design and architecture alive,’ says Stefano Giovannoni.

For the event, the volume Equilibri Instabili, curated by the architect Matteo Vercelloni for INTERNI and published by Electa, will be presented. The volume collects more than two hundred texts by Andrea Branzi written and published in INTERNI, a permanent observatory on the culture of design and architecture that the author collaborated with from 1979 to 2023. This anthology of articles and essays is accompanied by a few of his drawings, retracing forty years of reflections on the ‘project’ and broader changes in society through dialogues, portraits, and interviews with leading figures in design and criticism. Topics such as the city and the metropolis, modernity balanced between technology and animism, but also reflections on teaching, art, and suggestions for politicians are just some of the numerous ‘acrobatic’ topics — as Branzi liked to define them — and cultural fields that the author approached and always presented in clear and immediate prose.

‘This collection, unlike other publications by Andrea Branzi, may appear eclectic, but it actually expresses a wide-ranging freedom of thought, unconstrained by a specific topic and therefore fruitful and rich with references, synergies, and skilful interdisciplinary elixirs,’ explains Gilda Bojardi, Director of the INTERNI System. ‘His approach to the world of the project, which is revealed in these writings presented in clear prose understandable to every reader, has always been based on close observation tied to the anthropological-cultural scene around us. As Branzi reminds us, the history of design has never been just a history of objects, but also a history consisting of thoughts, religions, politics, and people.’ For Gilda Bojardi, hers with Branzi was ‘a special friendship that lasted over time, contributing to my professional growth from the very beginning through discreet but indispensable advice. His advice accompanied me in a world that did not belong to me and where the directions he suggested constituted valuable forays into new and unexplored territories. So a big thank you, Andrea, for always giving us not writings, but capsules of wisdom.’

This extraordinary event represents an important moment to highlight the value and role of Branzi’s thought in architecture, urban planning, and contemporary design, with the participation of Stefano Giovannoni, designer and founder of Qeeboo, Gilda Bojardi, Director of the INTERNI System, Matteo Vercelloni, architect and curator of the book Equilibri Instabili, and Nicoletta Morozzi, among others.

The objects on display, including the limited editions, can be purchased at www.qeeboo.com. Equilibri Instabili will be available in bookstores starting on October 22.

ABOUT QEEBOO

Founded in 2016 in Milan by Stefano Giovannoni, Qeeboo is an Italian design brand. His objects are the result of a design culture that combines thought, vision, and emotion, leading individuals to feel free to reconnect with their creative side. With a touch of pop, wonder, and culture, Qeeboo creations are designed to enhance each individual’s style, bringing originality to every environment while maintaining a strict attention to detail and final quality.
For more information, visit www.qeeboo.com

INTERNI

A monthly magazine with a circulation of 50,000 copies, publishing began in 1954 as the first Italian periodical dedicated to interior decoration. Today INTERNI is one of the main communication tools in contemporary Italian and international design, essential for professionals and design enthusiasts. In 2024 it will be celebrating its first seventy years, during which it has been fortunate enough to share in the fantastic and adventurous history of Italian furniture and interior design. It has closely followed the growth expressed by design through the intuition and work of brilliant cultural figures, capable and courageous architects, designers and entrepreneurs. In the early 1990s, the monthly magazine became part of Mondadori Group, Italy’s leading publishing group, and a system of parallel publications have developed over time under the editorship of Gilda Bojardi, transforming the magazine from elite media to mass media. Activities by INTERNI also include the development and coordination of events and exhibitions organised to foster interaction between the different people involved in design, production and distribution. The famous FuoriSalone, an urban event that enlivens the city of Milan during the week of Salone del Mobile, was organised by INTERNI in 1990. It celebrated its 30th edition in 2021 with the publication of Volume XXX-Y 30 anni di FuoriSalone | 1990-2020 Milano Design Stories (Electa). Following the start of publication of INTERNI in China (2015), the expansion of international editions is planned. INTERNI is a communications partner of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka | The Ideal City.

PLAI, the Mondadori Group startup accelerator aimed at transforming ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful companies, will make a strong contribution to the 7^th edition of Milan Digital Week.

This widespread, collective event — with more than 190 events in more than 100 locations —will be held from October 11 to 14 in Milan, focusing on artificial intelligence as a driver of digital development and innovation for the benefit of people and the business community. The Central Hub of this event will be Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, a meeting place for conferences, workshops and round tables in the heart of Milan, serving to connect citizens and businesses to create a constant interaction between them.

PLAI will be present for the entire duration of the event, with a desk in the Expo area. Together with Mondadori Group, it will also enrich the schedule of activities and meetings planned for Milano Digital Week, delving into new aspects of digital Milan through its experience both as a multimedia publishing group and in the selection and acceleration of business ideas that impact different areas of people’s lives.

The morning of Monday, Oct. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be completely dedicated to artificial intelligence, under the title: ‘Italy’s Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’. At this session, Andrea Santagata, the Managing Director of the Digital and MarTech Units at Mondadori Media S.p.A. and Chief Innovation Officer of Mondadori Group, will give a keynote speech at 10 a.m. entitled ‘Turning artificial intelligence into a driver of change: The Mondadori Case’ and will then participate in the round table moderated by Emilio Mango (TIG, The Innovation Group) entitled ‘The Ethics of Algorithms and The Ethics of Speed’.

In the afternoon, Stefano Argiolas, CEO of PLAI, will introduce the workshop ‘Unveiling Innovation: Generative AI as a Tool for Crafting New Business Ventures’, while the startups selected for PLAI’s first acceleration round — which were announced on Oct. 7 — will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience of professionals attending Milan Digital Week at Palazzo Giureconsulti from 4 to 4:30 p.m.

PLAI is the Mondadori Group startup accelerator that aims to transform ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence into successful entrepreneurial ventures. PLAI offers them a distinctive field of application and an industrial market both within the Group and with the initiative’s partners. PLAI operates in the pre-seed and seed phases, selecting and investing in Italian and international startups. In addition to capital, the accelerator provides startups with concrete areas to apply AI, structured training and mentorship courses, and the opportunity to participate in networking events, partly thanks to the unique set of skills and assets provided by major Italian and international partners.

Its title is “HOPE”, the autobiography of Pope Francis, the first in history to be written by a pope, and it will appear simultaneously worldwide in principal languages and in over 80 countries next January. The announcement of the event took place today at the Frankfurt Book Fair by Mondadori, which manages world rights.

“The book of my life is the story of a journey of hope, a journey that I cannot separate from the journey of my family, of my people, of all God’s people. In every page, in every passage, it is also the book of those who have traveled with me, of those who came before, of those who will follow,” comments Pope Francis in the note that announces the publication of the book. “An autobiography is not our own private story, but rather the baggage we carry with us. And memory is not just what we recall, but what surrounds us. It doesn’t speak only about what has been, but about what will be. It seems like yesterday, and yet it’s tomorrow. All is born to blossom in an eternal springtime. In the end, we will say only: I don’t recall anything in which You are not there.”

With a wealth of revelations and unpublished stories, moving and very human, poignant and dramatic, but also capable of real humor, Francis’s memoir starts off in the early years of the twentieth century with the story of his Italian roots and his ancestors’ adventure of emigration to Latin America, moving on to his childhood, adolescence, choice of vocation, adult life, covering the whole of his papacy up to the present day. A text of great narrative force in which the Pope through his autobiographical account addresses candidly, courageously and prophetically some of the most important and controversial questions of our current times, as well as the crucial moments of his service as universal pastor of the Church.

Written with Carlo Musso, former non-fiction editorial director of Piemme and Sperling & Kupfer, and then founder of the independent publisher Libreria Pienogiorno, in accordance with the wishes of Pope Francis this exceptional document was originally intended to be published after his death, but the new Jubilee of Hope announced for 2025, and the needs of our times, have moved him to make this precious legacy available now. “It has been a long, intense adventure that has taken up the past six years: work on writing it began in March 2019 and will be completed in the forthcoming weeks,” Musso comments.

The book, destined to fascinate readers throughout the world and to represent a legacy of hope for future generations, is enhanced by some remarkable photographs, including private and unpublished material made personally available by the Pope himself.

These are the publishers now involved in the publication: Italy Mondadori, USA Random House, UK Viking, Canada Penguin Random House, France Albin Michel, Germany Penguin Random House / Kösel-Verlag, Spain Penguin Random House, Portugal Penguin Random House, Brazil Companhia das letras, Croatia Znanje, Slovakia Ikar, Hungary Kossuth Kiado, Romania Polirom, Greece Gutenberg Dardanos, Korea Catholic Publishing House, Catalonia Penguin Random House / Rosa del vents, Poland Swiat Ksiazki, Lithuania Lithuanian Writers Union, Czechia Euromedia.