Robert Goyen said...
This is great news for the event, Lancelin and sport of windsurfing as he has guaranteed event coverage in all the major Windsurfing magazines in the world as well as other mainstream mag’s.
Robert, you obviously don't know much about the editorial process in the publishing world. No one has a publishing guarantee. Not even if your name is Annie Leibowitz and you do the gig for free.
John might have an agreement in place that they will consider a mention in the "feel good section" at the beginning of the mag if there is space and the editor sees it fit but that's about it. Any other space in a mag is generally booked 6 to 12 months in advance.
There are other ways around this of course (eg brand x buys x pages of advertising and in return gets a story which is essence is an advertorial without actually calling it that). It's common place in the computer and entertainment industry. I believe similar forced where at work with that F2 sponsored West OZ dvd a few years ago which got huge coverage in disguise as a travel report in a number of European Magazines.
Not sure if John still works for Boards Magazine. I guess if he does that would mean a 2 or more page coverage because the editor would get the photos at no cost.