Singapore, 10 May 2007 - SPH Magazines Pte Ltd, publisher of Shape Singapore, the leading monthly mind and body guide for women here, will co-host the first ever Shape Summit 2007 World Conference in Singapore with American Media, Inc. (AMI), one of the largest media companies in the US. This World Conference will be held from May 9 to 11, 2007 at News Centre, the headquarters of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, the parent company of SPH Magazines.

There will be over 35 delegates, including Shape editors and publishers from countries which have international Shape editions – China, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Greece and Latvia.

SPH Magazines publishes Shape Singapore under a licensing deal with Weider Publications, LLC, which is owned by AMI.

AMI´s Vice President for Global Licensing & Product Development, Jonathan Bingham says that SPH Magazines was chosen to co-host the inaugural Shape World Summit because it was AMI´s very first Asian Shape licensee in 2004 after it acquired Weider Publications, LLC, in 2003.

“In addition, SPH Magazines´ intention for Shape parallels AMI´s, and this has been validated through the expansion of this mutually beneficial partnership to two additional territories, China and Malaysia. A strong belief and commitment to Shape, along with SPH Magazines´ global media conglomerate stature, were the foundation for this success and the reason for choosing SPH Magazines and Singapore as the host and location for the very first Shape Global Summit.” added Mr Keith Khanlian, AMI´s Vice President and International Business Director.

Shape Singapore was audited by Audit Bureau for Circulation in 2006 and achieved a respectable circulation of 28,657 after just two years in the market. Subscriptions have increased by 60 per cent since launch. This confirms Shape Singapore´s positioning as Singapore’s No.1 Mind and Body Guide. SPH Magazines pioneered Singapore´s first-ever women-only run in July 2006 under the banner of Shape Run, which garnered 5,000 sign-ups for its 2,500 available spots. The run has since sparked off a series of other women-only runs by other organizers.

The Summit comes at a significant time. For the past year and a half, AMI has launched six Shape international editions, bringing the total number of international editions to 15. SPH Magazines has been instrumental in helping to grow the Shape brand in the region. In China, through SPH Magazines, Shape penetrated the market through collaboration in content. And through its associate company, Blu Inc Holdings Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Shape Malaysia will be launched next month.

“By keeping ourselves constantly updated on other markets, we saw the potential for Shape and its content in China and Malaysia. We did not hesitate to put AMI in contact with our associate companies and sealed our further collaborations in China and Malaysia. It is our philosophy to ensure that our platforms, infra-structure and resources are always ready so that our business partners can appreciate that we are not only a valuable local partner but a choice partner which can offer them regional opportunities to grow their products and services. This would be in line with our vision of a world class Publisher of Choice,” says SPH Magazines CEO, Mr Loh Yew Seng.

Mr Loh further adds that he is proud that AMI has demonstrated their confidence in SPH Magazines by choosing Singapore as the venue for its inaugural Shape World Summit and says “This affirms that Singapore is becoming a preferred venue by many around the world, for premium conferences.”

Through the Shape World Summit, AMI intends to “strengthen the inter-edition dynamics and stimulate creative synergy to take the Shape brand to greater heights in the global arena.”

Mr Khanlian says, “This Shape World Summit is a critical component in delivering this goal, as well as AMI´s commitment to Shape licensees around the world.”

In the US, Shape´s circulation and ad sales are performing at historical highs. “With recent successes in each market, we felt that this is the right juncture to gather the editions to share the success stories and elevate the Shape brand to the next level in the global stage,” adds Mr Bingham.

Ms Elisabeth Gwee, Editor of Shape Singapore said: “We are very happy to have this opportunity to meet all our foreign counterparts and share our experiences. Shape Singapore pioneered the first woman-only run with the Shape Run, and we hope our foreign counterparts will come to Singapore in September for our second Shape Run. Who knows, we could even consider doing a Regional Shape Run in the near future.”

Singapore Tourism Board, NIKE, Paragon and M1 sponsored some gifts and services for the summit.



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MEDIA CONTACT
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About SPH Magazines Pte Ltd
A leading publisher in Singapore and the region, SPH Magazines Pte Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of media giant Singapore Press Holdings Limited.

With a proven track record for sterling editorial content & award-winning designs, SPH Magazines raises the bar as a dynamic magazine publisher. In its stable are over 90 titles in English and Chinese, covering lifestyle, fashion, beauty, society, bridal, health, men´s lifestyle, movies, automobile, parenting, decor, new media and business. All the newsstand publications, including flagship title Her World, and other well-known titles such as Female, The Peak, Home and Decor, Nuyou, Torque, HWM and GameAxis are among the highest-circulating titles and best-read in their respective lifestyle category.

In addition, an established editorial unit provides excellent custom publishing services to major corporate clients by producing custom lifestyle magazines, newsletters and other collateral to meet their business needs.

With a vision to continue growth regionally, SPH Magazines is set to become Asia´s publishing powerhouse. It has editorial offices in China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Magazines in its fold have achieved strong market presence in their respective sectors, as well as distinguished track records and solid reputations.

At SPH Magazines, the promise is to deliver its best to meet the diverse needs and interests of readers and advertisers.

About America Media Inc
American Media, Inc. is the leading publisher of celebrity journalism and health and fitness magazines in the U.S. These include Star, Shape, Men´s Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Natural Health, and The National Enquirer. In addition to print properties, AMI owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country´s number one in-store magazine merchandising company.

About Shape
Shape is America’s number one selling active lifestyle magazine for women. With over 5 million readers a month, Shape is the most trusted name in women’s health and fitness magazines.

From diet and exercise to psychology and health, Shape presents only scientifically sound and research based articles. Readers can feel certain that they are getting the most current and reliable information with every issue.

Shape also recognizes that fitness is much more than simply shaping a better body; it is creating a better life. Each issue offers a wide range of tools designed to help the reader become healthier, more energetic, confident and motivated, and less stressed. Meanwhile, beauty and fashion features offer women dynamic new ways to feel good about themselves, inside and out.

Inspiring, uplifting and informative, Shape is the magazine for today’s active woman.

About Shape Singapore
Shape Singapore is the only local monthly motivational lifestyle guide to the latest news and expert advice on health, wellness, nutrition, beauty and fitness. Its readers are young, well-educated and middle income women, in their 20s and 30s. It inspires and motivates readers who are health conscious, smart, affluent and lead a health lifestyle, with its credible and current coverage of health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and beauty.