Rest Magazine
About the Magazine
We set ourselves apart by taking a conceptual approach to the creation of our magazine: from the r&r-inspired "anti-cover" to the content and articles; each with its own dynamic personality.
Our magazine is differentiated not only by its compelling design but also by its ability to establish an emotional connection with readers by catering to their psychographic rather than demographic profile.
REST Magazine is a new publication that
reaches into the surging interest in Boutique Hotels. Boutique hotels account for only
1% of total hospitality inventory, but demand
has long-since outstripped the current supply.
This is why many hospitality analysts expect boutique hotels to grow by a phenomenal 500% in less than 10 years.
Our readers appreciate the unique design
and high-touch amenities found at these
hotels. They enjoy the exclusivity of staying at
a hotel that doesn’t look like the one down
the street. And they pay a premium for this
kind of service.
Our audience is upwardly mobile, well-educated, and a frequent lifestyle traveler. They are interested in fine living and they have a steady pursuit of style, fashion and comfort.
Current Issue -
Restless Minds
It’s the kind of meeting of minds that conjures greatness in the making: an award-winning art director, a talented author/publisher, and a well-respected and seasoned commercial real estate developer.
The minds, Michael K. Wollner, Ray Wyman Jr, and Gary Bedian respectively, have their eyes on REST – but not for themselves. At least, not yet.
Wollner is the founder and creative director of WollnerStudios, Inc. (www.wollnerstudios.com) based in Huntington Beach and Buena Park, CA. Wyman is his partner and editorial director. The two lead a very busy high-end corporate branding and advertising firm that delivers advertising, branding and marketing services to their lodging and hospitality clients among others.
Gary Bedian is the founder of Bedian International (www.gbedian.com). On an average day, he is managing assets and investment portfolios representing a cumulative value of more than $1.2 billion in capitalization. His work also entails representing owner-management interests for his hospitality and lodging deals, which includes driving marketing and promotion programs. Bedian has been referring work to Wollner for nearly 15 years. “Michael is so easy to work with – even with the most difficult clients. I have never seen him get angry or frustrated with anybody. Add to this, his design work is impeccable and his work ethic is unimpeachable,” says Bedian.
When Wyman joined Wollner, he added an extensive resume in publishing including two published books, decades as a freelance journalist, and even a stint as a storywriter for the Star Trek television series. The fit was apparent from the beginning, according to Wollner. The first major Wollner-Wyman project was Hands and Dove, a contract art book for world-class artist Alexandra Nechita. A few years later, they won a contract to design and manage Color and Aroma (www.colorandaroma.com), a popular wine and food magazine for the Southern Californian “epicurious.” “Michael and I had been talking about how we might continue our work into the publishing arena,” recalls Wyman. “Color and Aroma came along at just the right moment; the first issue proved that we had a solid team.” “I know we have a great production team,” agrees Wollner. “Adding Gary’s incredible day-to-day drive for business and his extensive contacts within the hospitality industry, I feel we can accomplish anything.”
The trio just launched a new partnership; W2B Publishing LLC based in Los Angeles; and will soon begin publishing and distributing monthly issues of REST MAGAZINE (www.restmagazine.com), “a bold undertaking that will illustrate the consumer’s love affair with luxury boutique hotels,” comments Wyman. A test issue of the magazine will be launched and distributed during the 14th Annual Lodging Conference 2008 held in Phoenix, AZ.
According to Bedian, who is driving the business development side of the project, raising money for the project has been surprisingly easy. He also says that they are in discussion with new partners who want to publish and distribute a version of the magazine in Europe. “The market need is clearly identified and growth among boutiques is expected to be strong for the next 10 years, we couldn’t have picked a better time,” says Bedian.
“Editorially speaking, REST is more than a travel magazine,” says Wyman. “We’re writing for the upscale global nomad – cool people who love hot hotels, restaurants, spas plus the hard-to define cultural lifestyle stuff that travel magazines generally don’t bother with. And the photography will be absolutely killer.” Meanwhile, the partners agree that they will be keeping their “day jobs” even as their new magazine launches, which means that any semblance of rest for them will be a long way off.
Magazine Staff
Andy Devendorf
LEAD PRODUCTION DESIGNER
For nearly 10 years Andy has worked closely with clients in the fields of publishing, bio-technology and advertising. He has a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the California State University in Fullerton. In addition to his interactive past, he also has extensive experience in traditional print production with magazines, identity, advertising, and more.
Rita Robinson
Senior Editor
Rita started her journalistic career as a reporter for the Orange County Register. She moved to Colorado and became an editor and writer for Denver and Rocky Mountain magazines, finishing her career there as senior copy writer for an advertising agency. She then worked as the principal writer for a natural health care research and development company before returning to So Cal, where her byline has also appeared in several lifestyle magazines. Rita has also edited numerous health publications. She is a summa cum laude graduate in journalism from California State University, Long Beach.
Stan Brin
Columnist
Before Stan began his career in writing, he was a software pioneer during the personal computer revolution of the 1980s. He is credited with inventing a type of application software still in use today. Stan has built a solid reputation as a thorough and detailed investigative reporter for numerous regional newspapers and magazines. He is a graduate of the American Film Institute’s writers’ program.
Ken Friedenreich
Columnist
Ken has been an author, columnist and editor in print and electronic media for more than 30 years. His books include standards on Andrew Marvell, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton and Henry Vaughan. He has also produced books on wide-ranging topics including healthcare, insurance law, luxury resorts and sales techniques. He is also known for his expertise and his breadth of knowledge in the culinary arts and wine.
Frank Cutrona
Columnist
Frank has been working in the wine industry for 30 years. He has worked with many of the finest restaurants in the United States, helping them procure the best wines available in the world. His nearly daily experiences with food and wine helped inspire his syndicated column Best Table in the House®. He is currently writing a book that will chronicle his experiences and offer some insight on how to design a restaurant so that every table in the house is a best table.
Eric Stoner
Photographer
Eric considers himself a landscape photographer at heart, but his professional career has been largely spent documenting the performing and visual arts, both regionally and internationally. In addition, Eric has been involved in numerous editorial, commercial and visual media projects. His genuine enthusiasm is exploring the interrelationship between subject, environment and available light. Working as a fine art photojournalist, he has acquired expertise in his use of natural settings and textures to bring an artistic perspective to his work.
Advertising Info
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Magazine Directors
Gary H. Bedian
Business Development
For more than 20 years, Gary H. Bedian has been developing unique and effective Strategic Business Alliances that have consistently produced significant capital gains and increased market share for his employers, clients and associates. His ability to cultivate reliable global contacts, experts and resources is evidenced by an equally impressive portfolio of business including The Walt Disney Company (USA), The Prudential (USA), American International Bank (USA), Haseko (Japan), Paramount Group (USA & Germany), and many more,
Michael K. Wollner
Creative Director
With over 30 years of international experience from high-profile agencies and Fortune 500 clients, Michael brings a combination of excellent creative and marketing ideas across a broad spectrum of consumer and b2b categories. He is a passionate exponent of ideas based design, advocating the delivery of creatively executed, single-minded solutions working across all communication levels. As an international award-winning designer, he has served as a judge for the prestigious Clio Awards in NY, and received awards from several international and domestic award shows.
Ray Wyman Jr
Executive Editor
Ray began his career in publishing as a pressman’s assistant. In the 30 years since, he has amassed considerable experience as a journalist and as a publisher. He has written and published three books – The Art of Jack Kirby, Companion to Rare Coin Collecting, and Hands and Dove: The Art of Alexandra Nichita. He also wrote stories for the Star Trek television show (Voyager, DS9). In his spare time, which has grown increasingly spare, Ray plays the trombone, baritone and tuba in various brass ensembles.
Torstein Wollner
EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE
Torstein is one of 5 founders and Senior Partners of the Verdispar Group in Norway. He also acts as the administrative Product and Sales Manager for of one of their more successful sales offices. Torstein has been working in the European finance market for over 9 years. As a former student of the acclaimed business school BI in Oslo, he has achieved the equivalent of an MBA in accounting and finance. Torstein also other finance and design corporations in Europe such as Mentor Invest AS and Value IT Consult AS out of Oslo and Pixelwork Productions, a design firm.