on the water
Island Life - June/July 2010
200 known users of Ribs at
the time, and we thought if
we could get every one of
them to subscribe we could
probably last a year.
“We were very naive, and
thought if we could get
all the advertisers to pay
in advance it would fund
the first copy. Surprisingly
they did – every single one
of them paid up front. We
had no mock-up and no
previous experience, but
knew the people involved
and the manufacturers of an
emerging market.
“The first edition was a
40-page black and white
our market the weather doesn’t make
of a group of 600 or so enthusiastic
too much difference.
job that cost a fortune to
onlookers with his rock band Swans In
produce. We soldiered on and a year
“As for the best RIB – I can't answer
Flight. He hopes to expand it next year,
later IPC brought out a rival that was
that because they are very varied. One
but accepts it might never be a rival to
better than ours. It made us pull our
will be the ultimate for one purpose,
the Isle of Wight Festival!
socks up, but the advertisers stuck with
and one for another. It depends
He says: “I want to build on RIBFEST,
us.
whether you are, for example, in Poole
but I want it to work on the current site
“We took the leap of faith and went
Harbour or a mile off Sandown.
to accommodate around 1,500 to 2,000
‘colour’ but never knew what we were
people. It was well supported this year,
going to get. Technology makes it much
I will tell them what’s good and what’s
and although every inch gained requires
easier now, but there were a lot of
bad. If they explain to me what’s on
a massive amount of work we will be
hurdles to jump.
their shortlist and what they want to
moving it forward.”
“I offer private advice, so if people call
use it for, then it becomes a process of
elimination.”
Away from Ribex and RIBFEST, Hugo
“Rib International was very basic, and
then we stepped up to the plate. Others
is a successful publisher. Under the
fell by the wayside and now we stand
umbrella of Oyster House Media his
alone as the only genuine Rib magazine
I think ribs are too expensive. It is a
company are the biggest independent
with 17,000 readership with 1,200
specialist market therefore most of
publishers of music instrument
subscribers, plus trade on top of that.”
the products built and made are for
magazines in the United Kingdom.
a limited number of units being sold,
There is Drummer mag; Acoustic Guitar
therefore production costs are high.
Buyer and Base guitar mag – and RIB.
Materials costs are on the increase all
Apart from RIB the rest deal with
the time, and prices are going up.”
specialist areas of music – virtually all
However, Hugo accepts: “Generally
Even so, the annual event is now
eagerly-awaited by everyone connected
types apart from
classical.
with RIBS, and while it is being staged
He recalls: “We
it gives the Island the added bonus
started our first
of generating around £500,000 in
magazine 17 years
revenue.
ago. That was
Hugo introd V6VB$