Quote from Toastie on February 8, 2024, 8:39 am

I went through and examined all of the e-Mersion press releases still available online for the world to see.  As we’ve seen though John and Chris have begun deleting press releases to cover their tracks, so many have been removed from sources they could manipulate (they’ve deleted their website and their linkedin, for starters).

I have not cherry picked these press releases. These are all them and each one is filled with lies or announcements that went absolutely no where.

• 22 November 2017 – New MOU Between I Synery Connect and Box Explores the Potential for E-Mersion Technology
  This goes back to the Box Media Digital days and says that “ISN plans to introduce the digital format into iSYNERGY’s affiliate marketing business model through the development of an interactive digital publication to target its community of users and advertisers.” This wasn’t real.

• 22 June 2018 – Asian Integrated Media concludes the purchase of Perspective Media Group
  This is a press release from Asian Integrated Media, for whom Vince Viola (more on him later) was Non-Executive Director. The press release mentioned that E-Mersion Media would publish the digital version of Perspective Magazine. This wasn’t real.

• 29 March 2019 – e-Mersion Media successfully settles dispute with Cool Time Equity Pty Ltd and Box International Pty Ltd
  Interestingly this is where they began to spin news to shareholders. The use of the word “successfully” in the title suggests e-Mersion won the case, but they actually didn’t. Yes, 246 shares were canceled, but e-Mersion had to pay the plaintiff the original sale price, PLUS damages. Winners don’t pay damages. e-Mersion didn’t win anything, they had to return the money and pay damages, the plaintiff won their lawsuit to get their money back obviously identifying e-Mersion was a scam early on and wanting a refund. Something I am sure all of us wish we could do.

• 1 April 2019 – e-Mersion Media appoints inaugural CEO
  e-Mersion appointed Vincenzo Viola as CEO. John said “The directors and stakeholders of e-Mersion Media are thrilled to have someone of Vincenzo’s calibre and vast global brand experience to lead our team.” A year later Viola would sue e-Mersion, John and Chris, for bullying, and his investment back. He won and was awarded damages. 
  
  
• 19 June 2019 – e-Mersion Media Announces Key Senior Hires
  While still there Vince brought in a local team of matter experts to develop the technology and business. Jane left soon after, and Greg and Mike left when wages stopped being paid as per the news.com.au article and operational report circulating.
• 25 June 2019 – e-Mersion Media partners with Concierge Grand Prix Magazine for additional F1 races in 2020
  The press release reads that “following the recent successful launch on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store of the Concierge Monaco 2019 Grand Prix digital enhanced magazine app, e-Mersion Media and SEO International have entered into an agreement to roll out the Concierge Grand Prix Magazine app across further Formula One races in 2020.”
  
  Let’s explore:
  a) Why mention “the Apple App Store and Google Play Store?” Whoever wrote this obviously just wanted to cram Apple and Google into the press release any way they could. Of course they’re on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, along with a billion other apps, this was 2019, we weren’t using Blackberrys anymore.
  b) How successful was the actual launch? I can’t find any trending data and they never released any download numbers which they would have had it been truly successful.
  c) This “deal” went nowhere past this PR stunt, e-Mersion never created any further issues of Concierge. So this “news” is totally fake. This wasn’t real.

• 15 July 2019 – e-Mersion Media expands with opening of London office
  In hindsight opening a physical location in London with zero staff and more importantly zero revenue seems like an odd choice but a good excuse for an all expenses paid holiday to London. According to the photo, it seems this was also an office for Box Ibiza, Box being John’s other magazine business. With Ibiza being closer to London this makes some sense for that business, but not for e-Mersion, but I guess someone had to pay for it. 
  
  The press release once again says that “an agreement recently signed to publish the Concierge Grand Prix Magazine app across further Formula One races in 2020.” This never happened, Concierge Monaco 2019 Grand Prix was one single issue so there was no agreement and this was a lie.
  
  The press release also goes on to mention that the “London office will be responsible for publishing and advertising sales of e-Mersion’s latest project, Box Ibiza Magazine.” Hold on, I thought e-Mersion was a technology business not an ad sales agency? Regardless, as above Concierge, this “project” went no where past one issue so no ads were ever sold. This wasn’t real.

• 22 July 2019 – Mark Buckman joins board of e-Mersion Media
  Mark, who is one of Vince Viola’s personal friends and who was according to this press release “recognised as Australia’s most influential person in Marketing” left the board when Vince left the company. It is unclear how involved he was in the dodgy operation, but the board should definitely have had some more control. My guess is this was another PR stunt with little substance and Mark had little responsibility other than lending his photo to this release and some investment decks.

• 31 December 2019 – Authorised Investment Fund Limited Interim Report
  This is a press release from the Authorised Investment Fund, who invested had invested in E-Mersion back when it was still Box Digital Media Pty Ltd. It lists $9.8million in losses and lists their investment in E-Mersion Media as one of their major “write downs” as E-Mersion had failed to provide any of the requested financial information (sounds familiar! exactly what they’ve kept doing to all other investors) and therefore could not justify it’s previous carrying value. It clearly states that AIY no longer believed that e-Mersion could generate the cash flows it promised. So E-Mersion has been documented as being in financial trouble and unable to generate any cash flow since 2019 and has somehow only continued operating by raising more money with false promises and lies.  “These matters have been passed on to the relevant regulatory authorities…” who clearly did nothing about it allowing the rest of us to get conned.

• 6 July 2020 – Goodwood Magazine goes digital
  In my opinion this represents the peak potential for the business. With a solid team in place they released two years worth of magazines. I know Formula 1 is presented as the best case client, but as it has been revealed the business paid an utterly unsustainable £1million in license fees for F1. Let’s not even talk about FIFA. Goodwood was peak E-Mersion.
• 2 November 2020 – Digital publishing platform enters partnership to enhance in-flight magazine and online shopping experience
  This was the release that John and Chris touted as being a deal with Lufthansa, because RetailInMotion was owned by Lufthansa Services Group (it was sold to Aurelius Group in May 2023, proving just how far away to a Lufthansa deal this really was). This is also the “Lufthansa deal” that promised us $0.10 per passenger; two lies in one. This wasn’t real.

• 13 May 2021 – Advanced Human Imaging Signs Binding Term Sheet with e-Mersion Media
  According to the PR, “Advanced Human Imaging (AHI) and e-Mersion have concluded a Binding Terms Sheet, that will see eMersion’s interactive platform deliver the AHI technology via their in-publication portal. The intention is to offer the AHI technology for health and health related scans along with apparel sizing directly embedded into the e-Mersion digital magazines for its customers.”
  
  This never went ahead and Advanced Human Imaging has now stopped trading and is out of business. In short, like all the others THIS WASN’T REAL.

Dozens of other press releases (F1, Newsweek, CEO Magazine, Red Bull) have been deleted, but the story seems to be the same. Big announcement, big potential, big money raised, and then either nothing happens, or there is zero effort to monetise the client to full potential and they instead use the announcement to raise more investment rather than making any project a success.

So much wasted potential and so many wasted millions of OUR money just to stroke John’s ego and pay for his holidays around the world.