Darizi undergoes a major makeover

After nine years in Hong Kong, wedding magazine Darizi is expanding its business to include a wedding fair and a digital hub of regional, and soon, global vendors.Dubbed "Go Around the World", the regional hub is whatDarizi director of business development and marketing Winnie Chan calls "a bridge for the Asian market to touch the Chinese audience".Though the new protocol's first project, Go Bali, will run only on Facebook until its October launch, the hub will extend past wedding-related information to venues, honeymoon destinations and aims to be a travel website offered in traditional and simplified Chinese as well as English."We are a monopoly in the [monthly] wedding magazine category in both Hong Kong and China," said Chan, citing that she sees monthly wedding magazines like Modern Bride and the Japanese-originated Zexy as competition while seasonal or themed wedding issues like Elle Wedding or Cosmo Bride are off her radar."Cosmo Bride, for example, doesn't really do what we do, so we can't compare apple to apple," she said."In the future of Darizi, we want to incorporate print, event, online and social media in a 360-degree unique service."Chan said "Go Around the World" will later expand to include Macau (which is set to launch in November), Cambodia, Switzerland and Maldives; aside from information and photos, the portal will also feature a pool of travel bloggers as well as interactive elements like a picture wall.She added that existing Darizi clients - such as the likes of Le Méridien Hotel, Conrad Hotel and Bulgari Hotels and Resorts - will transfer over to "Go Around the World".Also in Darizi's pipeline is a website revamp.Launched last month, phase one boasts a more user-friendly interface and a change in aesthetics. The second phase in November will incorporate more interactive elements like a Facebook share button, a forum and an ad-free e-magazine offering.By early 2014, tablet and mobile versions will be available; it will also include an e-commerce hub where Darizi helps line up a set of discounted vendors after couples input their priorities in spending.Aside from digital expansions, the magazine is finally manifesting itself into a luxury wedding fair, dubbed Pinnacle Wedding Fair, set for early November at the ICC.The location, said Darizi CEO Andy Ann, goes with the magazine's goal in "organising top-notch events".The setting for next year's wedding fair, he added, is already set in Shanghai.When asked about how the fair will stand out from that of its competitors, Chan said that Pinnacle will house luxury brands - while existing ones are usually targeted to the mass - and is not partnered with a hotel, which is common practice in the industry to minimise costs from the venue.