Vivid Travel Network to seek affiliates for worldwide system of travel Web sites

A leading San Francisco-based Internet developer announced a new method of providing travel information through the Internet last week.

vivid studios said it is seeking "affiliates" throughout the world to create travel content for a series of affiliate-owned, geographically centered Web sites. vivid would bring to the program, called Vivid Travel Network, technology and a series of methodologies.

The affiliates would control the sites and be able to generate revenue through a variety of means: advertising sales and site sponsorships, web development contracts, tourism transactions and merchandise, and licensing content. vivid would collect what it described as a "modest" affiliation fee to provide the initial technology and methodology, and would retain the right to sell a small amount of "pixel space" as advertising on the interconnected sites located around the world.

Eventually, all the affiliate sites would be linked to each other through the Internet.

vivid would not discuss the amount of the affiliation fees; a company spokeswoman said the fees would be negotiated individually. Nevertheless, printed reports peg the fees at between $50,000 and $250,000.

vivid said the fee amount would vary depending on the popularity of the destinations in the affiliate geographical region and the density of the Internet population in that region.

vivid president Henri Poole said the affiliate regions would cover populations of between 3 million and 8 million. He said the company wants to keep the regions small enough that affiliates can provide deep and valuable local content but make them large enough for economies of scale to take effect.

Poole told ITR the financial arrangement is similar to syndicated television, where local stations pay a fee for programs and sell local advertising segments for resale.

"As opposed to distributing content,...we're distributing technology," Poole said of vivid's role in the process.

vivid thinks the distributed nature of its program works best for it, its affiliates, and site users. "The locals are going to be able to develop the best contacts to get the best information for the Web sites," Poole said.

Evidence of vivid's commitment to local content is found on its current Web site, which is presented in six different languages.

In addition to the technology and methodology behind the individual sites, vivid will connect the sites together using a consistent interface in what it calls "one global network." Poole said he expects to see a large database that users can access seamlessly from one site to another, providing immediate links to travel information on any site.

vivid said several types of companies might be interested in joining VTN, including travel-related firms, Internet developers, telephone companies, television-related companies, and publishing firms.

In addition to technology, vivid will provide affiliates with introductory materials, sales materials, merchant and vendor forms, technical implementation standards, and general project management standards, including everything from budgets and schedules to training guides.

vivid has been involved in Web site development for several years. It created the site used to launch Microsoft's Windows 95, has worked with other major companies, and is probably best known for a series of "net hunts" that have caused users to scurry around the Web in search of clues for contest prizes.

The company is now actively soliciting affiliates, having made presentations throughout Europe and planning a major introduction at the Internet World convention.

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