CREATION: Miller Freeman to launch new sites, seek further acquisitions for online expansion

<p>Miller Freeman Asia is to launch two new sites and develop its </p><p>online B2B communities through acquisitions with other regional </p><p>companies, a senior executive at the company said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Peter Sutton, CEO of Miller Freeman Asia, told CReATION the recent </p><p>acquisition of the group's travel and tourism division by hongkong.com </p><p>was the first of many that would allow the publisher to focus its </p><p>efforts online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We haven't looked into publishing much recently. We find it more </p><p>suitable to move into online, not print. This is based on the market, </p><p>not the medium. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In mainland China and Hong Kong, we have an extensive list of companies </p><p>we are talking with in terms of acquisitions. We are big and rich enough </p><p>to do this." Mr Sutton said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added the company would leverage on its trade titles, including </p><p>Jewellery News Asia and Asia Pacific Leather, to launch two new sites by </p><p>the end of this year, which would gradually be developed to facilitate </p><p>online transactions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Publishers are now waking to the need to have a good, strong presence </p><p>online. Moving online is inevitable, but the whole sponsorship and </p><p>advertising side remains unclear at the moment ... What we hope is to </p><p>develop this into incremental revenue for the group, not as a </p><p>replacement," Mr Sutton said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The new websites would give Miller Freeman another channel to promote </p><p>its fairs and events. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>