manager-bookstore.com - LeisureDistrict.net introduces Ancient China to the dotcom era

First it was Helston, in Cornwall, and then Stoke City FC. An Isle of Wight tomato crop was the next to benefit earlier this year. For the first time, however, May 2000 sees the 4000-year old Chinese art of feng shui find its place on the World Wide Web.

LeisureDistrict.net has consulted top UK feng shui consultant, Suzie Jayes, to redesign its virtual district in a bid to maximise the fortune and happiness of its 1.9 million member-strong online community.

Feng shui is used to find the best locations for a harmonious life, whether it be the layout of a room or the siting of a building. And with dotcom fever the current talk of the town, LeisureDistrict didn't want its community members to miss out. A feng shui-ed virtual district with ying and yang in balance would heighten the happiness and prosperity of their members and serve to increase the site's already impressive traffic figures.

Since the implementation of Suzie's recommendations (see her rationale overleaf), not only has LeisureDistrict.net's traffic increased by 100,000, but users have also reported increased fortune in their feedback to the site. And such has been its popularity, Suzie has been commissioned to host regular live chats on LeisureDistrict.net for all its members.

Suzie Jayes said: "Never before in the history of feng shui has one consultation had the potential to affect so many people at once - and that's the exciting thing. The beauty of feng shui is its versatility and although I have been asked in the past to consult on commercial properties, private yachts, corporate aeroplanes and national museums, LeisureDistrict has proved one of my most fascinating projects to date. I can see this spreading throughout the whole of the internet."

Steve Laitman, Chief Executive of e-district.net (LeisureDistrict's owner and developer) added: "Given all the diverse places feng shui has been used in the past, we thought it would be fun to see how a professional would deal with LeisureDistrict. It was incredibly interesting to hear what Suzie had to say and we have been amazed by our user feedback. Maybe we will start a world wide trend in web page design!"

Feng shui is about creating harmony and balance so that energy surrounding us works in our favour rather than against us. Using a well-known design tool - the bagua - I divided the LeisureDistrict home page into nine equal squares, thus reading the environment as a grid of invisible but real lines connecting people, places and spaces. Each square is associated with a different aspect of life - be that relationships, career, prosperity or health.

- The Community Centre, redesigned as a coffee cup symbolising a steaming cup of delicious smelling freshly brewed coffee, is now situated in box number 9. This box represents fame and recognition and LeisureDistrict are famous for being the biggest global online community - so we put our coffee cup right there. It's who they are and what they represent.

- Suzie saw the Pet Zone, where users can adopt their own cyber pet and nurture it through its life, as symbolising relationships. The perfect place for this was box 2 - the relationship box.

- With a website's energy source or chi situated in the centre of the home page (box 5), a green park with a pond was designed to occupy this area, allowing users to relax. The use of greenery symbolises growth, freshness and tranquillity and again the water symbolises wealth.

- The Shopping Mall and the Flower Stall were relocated between boxes 5,6, and 9 in order to bring vitality and energy into important areas of the site. These areas energetically symbolise creativity and thus one is now naturally drawn into the mall. Flowers always energise any space and here they are perfectly placed adding vitality and enjoyment.

- Square 1 represents communications. The creation of the Governor's House allows the site both to communicate with its users and act as the help manual. I added water in this section as it symbolises wealth for all users and encourages a greater flow of chi.

- The Airport, where users are able to book travel online, is placed in box 6. Feng shui sees this as helpful friends. Thus once again energetically the airport is best suited to being situated here. The more we travel the more we make friends and thus our online community spreads into the real world.

Feng Shui, translated literally from Chinese, means, 'wind and water'. It is based on the idea of balancing energy or 'chi'. Feng Shui is a philosophy that creates an environment which is ergonomic; it lets us work efficiently, comfortably and successfully by following the patterns of nature.

Feng Shui has been used for thousands of years. For the first time ever Suzie Jayes and Leisuredistrict bring the secrets of health wealth and happiness into 1.9million people's lives.

e-district is quoted on the Alternative Investment Market. e-district is the owner and developer of the LeisureDistrict global interactive entertainment network, a family leisure environment capable of being delivered through multiple platforms including the internet and interactive TV.

LeisureDistrict continues to attract significant numbers of new registered users. The annualised compound rate of growth in the first calendar quarter of 2000 was 99% to 1.8 million as at 31 March 2000 with 60% in North America, 28% in the UK and the balance of 12% in continental Europe and around the world. Total page impressions in March 2000 were 121.4 million, an increase of 109% on the comparable period in 1999.

In addition to the distribution agreements with Cable & Wireless Communications plc and Worldgate Communications Inc., e-district has arrangements with a number of other strategic partners including Unity Pictures, WH Smiths Online, Expedia Inc. and Remarq Inc.

LeisureDistrict is accessible via PC through http://www.LeisureDistrict.net More information on e-district.net plc is available through the company's web site (http://www.e-district.net).

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