TRAVELZOO - Quarter Report: 2009 June (Form 10-Q)
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-Q
(Mark One)
þ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2009
or
o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File No.: 000-50171
TRAVELZOO INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE | 36-4415727 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. employer | |
incorporation or organization) | identification no.) | |
590 Madison Avenue, 37th Floor, | 10022 | |
New York, New York | (Zip code) | |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (212) 484-4900
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed
by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or
for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its
corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted
pursuant to Rule 405 of regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period
that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated
filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large
accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated filer þ | Non-accelerated filer o | Smaller reporting company o | |||
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
The number of shares of Travelzoo common stock outstanding as of August 5, 2009 was 16,443,828
shares.
TRAVELZOO INC.
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PART IFINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Current assets: |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 15,544 | $ | 14,179 | ||||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $617 and $358 as of June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively |
12,480 | 11,582 | ||||||
Deposits |
280 | 226 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
3,066 | 2,726 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
1,089 | 1,089 | ||||||
Total current assets |
32,459 | 29,802 | ||||||
Deposits, less current portion |
323 | 341 | ||||||
Restricted cash |
875 | 875 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net |
4,344 | 4,259 | ||||||
Intangible assets, net |
1,624 | 45 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 39,625 | $ | 35,322 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Current liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts payable |
$ | 8,284 | $ | 6,605 | ||||
Accrued expenses |
4,787 | 4,962 | ||||||
Deferred revenue |
828 | 703 | ||||||
Deferred rent |
125 | 125 | ||||||
Total current liabilities |
14,024 | 12,395 | ||||||
Deferred tax liabilities long-term |
465 | 465 | ||||||
Long-term tax liabilities |
918 | 900 | ||||||
Deferred rent, less current portion |
700 | 799 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies |
||||||||
Stockholders equity: |
||||||||
Common stock, $
0.01 par value (40,000 shares authorized; 16,444 and 14,285 shares
issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively) |
164 | 143 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
2,322 | 185 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
21,969 | 21,823 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
(937 | ) | (1,388 | ) | ||||
Total stockholders equity |
23,518 | 20,763 | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 39,625 | $ | 35,322 | ||||
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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TRAVELZOO INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Revenues |
$ | 24,279 | $ | 21,769 | $ | 47,647 | $ | 42,718 | ||||||||
Cost of revenues |
1,511 | 637 | 2,774 | 1,166 | ||||||||||||
Gross profit |
22,768 | 21,132 | 44,873 | 41,552 | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
13,800 | 12,520 | 26,136 | 25,914 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
7,417 | 6,930 | 14,365 | 12,676 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses |
21,217 | 19,450 | 40,501 | 38,590 | ||||||||||||
Income from operations |
1,551 | 1,682 | 4,372 | 2,962 | ||||||||||||
Other income and expense: |
||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
13 | 77 | 33 | 213 | ||||||||||||
Gain (loss) on foreign currency |
(114 | ) | (6 | ) | (317 | ) | 145 | |||||||||
Income before income taxes |
1,450 | 1,753 | 4,088 | 3,320 | ||||||||||||
Income taxes |
1,641 | 2,946 | 3,942 | 5,519 | ||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (191 | ) | $ | (1,193 | ) | $ | 146 | $ | (2,199 | ) | |||||
Basic net income (loss) per share |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.15 | ) | |||||
Diluted net income (loss) per share |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.15 | ) | |||||
Shares used in computing basic net income (loss) per share |
16,444 | 14,269 | 16,372 | 14,260 | ||||||||||||
Shares used in computing diluted net income (loss) per share |
16,444 | 14,269 | 16,379 | 14,260 |
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 146 | $ | (2,199 | ) | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by
operating activities: |
||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
926 | 233 | ||||||
Provision for losses on accounts receivable |
316 | 66 | ||||||
Tax benefit from exercise of stock options |
| (110 | ) | |||||
Net foreign currency effect |
317 | |||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts receivable |
(983 | ) | (1,657 | ) | ||||
Deposits |
(24 | ) | 42 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
1,636 | 196 | ||||||
Accounts payable |
2,029 | 2,332 | ||||||
Accrued expenses |
(369 | ) | 629 | |||||
Deferred revenue |
105 | 305 | ||||||
Deferred rent |
(102 | ) | 714 | |||||
Income tax payable |
(1,945 | ) | | |||||
Other non-current liabilities |
19 | 33 | ||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
2,071 | 584 | ||||||
Cash flows from investing activities: |
||||||||
Purchases of property and equipment |
(1,204 | ) | (1,357 | ) | ||||
Restricted cash |
| (875 | ) | |||||
Purchases of intangible assets |
(1,760 | ) | | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(2,964 | ) | (2,232 | ) | ||||
Cash flows from financing activities: |
||||||||
Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
2,158 | 75 | ||||||
Tax benefit from exercise of stock options |
| 110 | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
2,158 | 185 | ||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents |
100 | (161 | ) | |||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |
1,365 | (1,624 | ) | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period |
14,179 | 22,641 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period |
$ | 15,544 | $ | 21,017 | ||||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
||||||||
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received |
$ | 4,179 | $ | 5,018 |
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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Note 1: The Company and Basis of Presentation
Travelzoo Inc. (the Company or Travelzoo) is a global Internet media company. Travelzoos
mission is to provide its subscribers and users with the highest quality information on outstanding
deals in travel and entertainment. Our publications and products include the Travelzoo Web sites
(www.travelzoo.com, cn.travelzoo.com, www.travelzoo.ca, www.travelzoo.co.jp, www.travelzoo.com.au,
www.travelzoo.com.hk, www.travelzoo.com.tw, www.travelzoo.co.uk, www.travelzoo.de,
www.travelzoo.es, www.travelzoo.fr, among others), the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter, the
Newsflash e-mail alert service, the SuperSearch pay-per-click travel search tool, and the Travelzoo
Network, a network of third-party Web sites that list travel deals published by Travelzoo. We also
operate Fly.com, a travel search engine that allows users to quickly and easily find the best
prices on flights from hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies.
Travelzoo is controlled by Ralph Bartel, who held beneficially approximately 66.3% of the
outstanding shares as of August 1, 2009.
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by
the Company in accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in consolidated
financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States of America have been condensed or omitted in accordance with such rules and
regulations. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated
financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments,
necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company, and its results of operations
and cash flows. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction
with the Companys audited consolidated financial statements and related notes as of and for the
year ended December 31, 2008, included in the Companys Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16,
2009.
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its
wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been
eliminated in consolidation. All foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective
countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at
exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues, costs and expenses are translated
into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates for the period.
The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009 are not necessarily
indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2009 or any other
future period, and the Company makes no representations related thereto.
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.
Specifically, $335,000 for the six month period ended June 30, 2008 has been reclassified from cost
of revenues to general and administrative expense. These amounts are primarily costs associated
with salary and benefits for software developers and professional services related to software
development.
Subsequent events have been evaluated through the report issuance date,
August 10, 2009.
The Company was formed as a result of a combination and merger of entities founded by the
Companys majority stockholder, Ralph Bartel. In 1998, Mr. Bartel founded Travelzoo.com
Corporation, a Bahamas corporation, which issued 5,155,874 shares via the Internet to approximately
700,000 Netsurfer stockholders for no cash consideration. In 1998, Mr. Bartel also founded
Silicon Channels Corporation, a California corporation, to operate the Travelzoo Web site. During
2001, Travelzoo Inc. was formed as a subsidiary of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and Mr. Bartel
contributed all of the outstanding shares of Silicon Channels Corporation to Travelzoo Inc. in
exchange for 8,129,273 shares of Travelzoo Inc. and options to acquire an additional 2,158,349
shares at $1.00. Mr. Bartel exercised these options in January 2009.
During January 2001, the Board of Directors of Travelzoo.com Corporation proposed that
Travelzoo.com Corporation be merged with Travelzoo Inc. whereby Travelzoo Inc. would be the
surviving entity. On March 15, 2002, the stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation approved the
merger with Travelzoo Inc. On April 25, 2002, the certificate of merger was filed in Delaware upon
which the
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merger became effective and Travelzoo.com Corporation ceased to exist. Each outstanding share
of common stock of Travelzoo.com Corporation was converted into the right to receive one share of
common stock of Travelzoo Inc. Under and subject to the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders
were allowed a period of two years following the effective date of the merger to receive shares of
Travelzoo Inc. The records of Travelzoo.com Corporation showed that, assuming all of the shares
applied for by the Netsurfer stockholders were validly issued, there were 11,295,874 shares of
Travelzoo.com Corporation outstanding. As of April 25, 2004, two years following the effective date
of the merger, 7,180,342 shares of Travelzoo.com Corporation had been exchanged for shares of
Travelzoo Inc. Prior to that date, the remaining shares which were available for issuance pursuant
to the merger agreement were included in the issued and outstanding common stock of Travelzoo Inc.
and included in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share. After April 25, 2004, the
Company ceased issuing shares to the former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and no
additional shares are reserved for issuance to any former stockholders, because their right to
receive shares has now expired. On April 25, 2004, the number of shares reported as outstanding was
reduced from 19,425,147 to 15,309,615 to reflect actual shares issued as of the expiration date.
Earnings per share calculations reflect this reduction of the number of shares reported as
outstanding. As of June 30, 2009, there were 16,443,828 shares of common stock outstanding.
It is possible that claims may be asserted against the Company in the future by former
stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation seeking to receive shares in the Company, whether based
on a claim that the two-year deadline for exchanging their shares was unenforceable or otherwise.
In addition, one or more jurisdictions, including the Bahamas or the State of Delaware, may assert
rights to unclaimed shares of the Company under escheat statutes. If such escheat claims are
asserted, the Company intends to challenge the applicability of escheat rights, in that, among
other reasons, the identity, residency, and eligibility of the holders in question cannot be
determined. There were certain conditions applicable to the issuance of shares to the Netsurfer
stockholders, including requirements that (i) they be at least 18 years of age, (ii) they be
residents of the U.S. or Canada, and (iii) they not apply for shares more than once. The Netsurfer
stockholders were required to confirm their compliance with these conditions, and were advised that
failure to comply could result in cancellation of their shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation.
Travelzoo.com Corporation was not able to verify that the applicants met the requirements referred
to above at the time of their applications for issuance of shares. If claims are asserted by
persons claiming to be former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, the Company intends to
assert that their rights to receive their shares expired two years following the effective date of
the merger, as provided in the merger agreement. The Company also expects to take the position, if
escheat or similar claims are asserted in respect of the unissued shares in the future, that it is
not required to issue such shares. Further, even if it were established that unissued shares were
subject to escheat claims, the Company would assert that the claimant must establish that the
original Netsurfer stockholders complied with the conditions to issuance of their shares. The
Company is not able to predict the outcome of any future claims which might be asserted relating to
the unissued shares. If such claims were asserted, and were fully successful, that could result in
the Company being required to issue up to an additional approximately 4,068,000 shares of common
stock for no additional payment.
On October 15, 2004, the Company announced a program under which it would make cash payments
to people who establish that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who
failed to submit requests to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required
time period. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include a charge in
general and administrative expenses of $2,000 for these cash payments for the six months ended June
30, 2009. The total cost of this program is not reliably estimable because it is based on the
ultimate number of valid requests received and future levels of the Companys common stock price.
The Companys common stock price affects the liability because the amount of cash payments under
the program is based in part on the recent level of the stock price at the date valid requests are
received. The Company does not know how many of the requests for shares originally received by
Travelzoo.com Corporation in 1998 were valid, but the Company believes that only a portion of such
requests were valid. As noted above, in order to receive payment under the program, a person is
required to establish that such person validly held shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation. Assuming
100% of the requests from 1998 were valid, former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation holding
an additional approximately 4,068,000 shares had not submitted claims under the program as of June
30, 2009.
Note 2: Revenue Recognition
All revenue consists of advertising sales. Advertising insertions are either sold by fixed-fee
arrangements or sold by variable-fee arrangements.
The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff
Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 104, Revenue Recognition. Advertising revenues are recognized in
the period in which the advertisement is displayed, provided that evidence of an arrangement
exists, the fees are fixed or determinable, and collection of the resulting receivable is
reasonably assured.
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Where collectibility is not reasonably assured, the revenue will be recognized upon cash
collection, provided that the other criteria for revenue recognition have been met. The Company
recognizes revenue for fixed-fee advertising arrangements ratably over the term of the insertion
order as described below, with the exception of Travelzoo Top 20 or Newsflash insertions, which are
recognized upon delivery. The majority of insertion orders have terms that begin and end in a
quarterly reporting period. In the cases where at the end of a quarterly reporting period the term
of an insertion order is not complete, the Company recognizes revenue for the period by pro-rating
the total arrangement fee to revenue and deferred revenue based on a measure of proportionate
performance of its obligation under the insertion order. The Company measures proportionate
performance by the number of placements delivered and undelivered as of the reporting date. The
Company uses prices stated on its internal rate card for measuring the value of delivered and
undelivered placements. Fees for variable-fee advertising arrangements are recognized based on the
number of impressions displayed, number of clicks delivered, or number of referrals generated
during the period.
Under these policies, no revenue is recognized unless persuasive evidence of an arrangement
exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection is deemed
reasonably assured. The Company evaluates each of these criteria as follows:
| Evidence of an arrangement. The Company considers an insertion order signed by the client or its agency to be evidence of an arrangement. | ||
| Delivery. Delivery is considered to occur when the advertising has been displayed and, if applicable, the click-throughs have been delivered. | ||
| Fixed or determinable fee. The Company considers the fee to be fixed or determinable if the fee is not subject to refund or adjustment and payment terms are standard. | ||
| Collection is deemed reasonably assured. The Company conducts a credit review for all transactions at the time of the arrangement to determine the creditworthiness of the client. Collection is deemed reasonably assured if it is expected that the client will be able to pay amounts under the arrangement as payments become due. If it is determined that collection is not reasonably assured, then revenue is deferred and recognized upon cash collection. Collection is deemed not reasonably assured when a client is perceived to be in financial distress, which may be evidenced by weak industry conditions, a bankruptcy filing, or previously billed amounts that are past due. |
The Companys standard payment terms are 30 days net. Insertion orders that include fixed-fee
advertising are invoiced upon acceptance of the insertion order and on the first day of each month
over the term of the insertion order, with the exception of Travelzoo Top 20 or Newsflash
insertions, which are primarily invoiced upon delivery. Insertion orders that include variable-fee
advertising are invoiced at the end of the month. The Companys standard terms state that in the
event that Travelzoo fails to publish advertisements as specified in the insertion order, the
liability of Travelzoo to the client shall be limited to, at Travelzoos sole discretion, a pro
rata refund of the advertising fee, the placement of the advertisements at a later time in a
comparable position, or the extension of the term of the insertion order until the advertising is
fully delivered. The Company believes that no significant obligations exist after the full delivery
of advertising.
Revenue from advertising sold to clients through agencies is reported at the net amount billed
to the agency.
Note 3: Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (SFAS 157). SFAS 157
establishes a framework for measuring the fair value of assets and liabilities. This framework is
intended to provide increased consistency in how fair value determinations are made under various
existing accounting standards which permit, or in some cases require, estimates of fair market
value. SFAS 157 became effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim
periods within those fiscal years. FSP 157-2 delayed the effective date of SFAS 157 for all
non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities, except those recognized or disclosed at fair
value in the financial statements on a recurring basis, until the beginning of the first quarter of
fiscal 2009. Effective January 1, 2009, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
Staff Position No. 157-2, Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157 (FSP 157-2). The adoption of
FSP 157-2 did not have a material impact on the Companys consolidated results of operations or
financial condition.
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Effective January 1, 2009, the Company adopted FASB Staff Position No. 142-3, Determination
of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP 142-3), which amends the factors an entity should
consider in developing renewal or extension assumptions used in determining the useful life of
recognized intangible assets under FASB Statement No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.
This guidance applies prospectively to intangible assets that are acquired individually or with a
group of other assets in business combinations and asset acquisitions. Under FSP 142-3, entities
estimating the useful life of a recognized intangible asset must consider their historical
experience in renewing or extending similar arrangements or, in the absence of historical
experience, must consider assumptions that market participants would use about renewal or
extension. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the Companys consolidated
results of operations or financial condition.
In April 2009, the FASB issued FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1,
Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments, which amends FASB Statement No. 107,
Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments, (SFAS No. 107), to require an
entity to provide interim disclosures about the fair value of all financial instruments within the scope of SFAS No.
107 and to include disclosures related to the methods and significant assumptions used in estimating those instruments.
This FSP was effective for interim and annual periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of these pronouncements did not
have a material impact on the Companys consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
In May 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 165, Subsequent Events (SFAS 165). SFAS 165 is
effective for interim and annual periods ending after June 15, 2009. SFAS 165 is intended to
establish general standards of accounting for and disclosure of events that occur after the balance
sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. It requires
the disclosure of the date through which an entity has evaluated subsequent events and the basis
for that datethat is, whether that date represents the date the financial statements were issued
or were available to be issued. This disclosure should alert all users of financial statements that
an entity has not evaluated subsequent events after that date in the set of financial statements
being presented. In particular, SFAS 165 sets forth the period after the balance sheet date
during which management of a reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur
for potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements and the circumstances under
which an entity should recognize events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date in
its financial statements. Effective June 30, 2009, the Company adopted SFAS 165. The adoption of
this standard did not have a material impact on the Companys consolidated results of operations or
financial condition.
In June 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 167, Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R)
(SFAS 167). SFAS 167 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after November 15,
2009. Earlier adoption is prohibited. SFAS 167 requires a company to perform qualitative
analysis when determining whether it must consolidate a variable interest entity and ongoing
reassessments to determine if a company must consolidate a variable interest entity. SFAS 167 requires a company to provide additional disclosures about its involvement with variable
interest entities, any significant changes in risk exposure due to that involvement and how its
involvement with a variable interest entity affects the companys financial statements. A company
will also be required to disclose any significant judgments and assumptions made in determining
whether it must consolidate a variable interest entity. The Company does not expect the adoption of
SFAS 167 to have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations or financial
condition.
Note 4: Financial Instruments
Carrying amounts of certain of the Companys financial
instruments including accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair value because of their short maturities.
At June 30, 2009, restricted cash consisted of a certificate of deposit for $875,000 serving
as collateral for a standby letter of credit for the security deposit of our corporate
headquarters. Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with remaining maturities of
three months or less on the date of purchase held in money market funds. The Company believes that
the carrying amounts of these financial assets are a reasonable estimate of their fair value. The
fair value of these financial assets was determined using the following inputs at June 30, 2009 (in
thousands):
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using | ||||||||||||||||
Quoted Prices in | Significant | |||||||||||||||
Active Markets | Other | Significant | ||||||||||||||
for Identical | Observable | Unobservable | ||||||||||||||
Assets | Inputs | Inputs | ||||||||||||||
Total | (Level 1) | (Level 2) | (Level 3) | |||||||||||||
Assets: |
||||||||||||||||
Money market funds |
$ | 11,458 | $ | 11,458 | $ | | $ | | ||||||||
Total |
$ | 11,458 | $ | 11,458 | $ | | $ | | ||||||||
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Note 5: Internal-Use Software and Web Site Development
The Company includes in fixed assets the capitalized cost of internal-use software and Web
site development, including software used to upgrade and enhance its Web site and processes
supporting the Companys business in accordance with The American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants Statement of Position 98-1, Accounting for the Cost of Computer Software Developed or
Obtained for Internal Use and Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 00-02, Accounting for Website
Development Costs. Costs incurred in the planning stage and operating stage are expensed as
incurred while costs incurred in the application development stage and infrastructure development
stage are capitalized, assuming such costs are deemed to be recoverable.
As of June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, our capitalized internal-use software and Web site
development costs, net of accumulated amortization, were $1.1 million and $1.3 million,
respectively. For the three months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, the Company recorded amortization
of capitalized internal-use software and Web site development costs of $110,000 and $-0-,
respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, the Company recorded amortization of
capitalized internal-use software and Web site development costs of $189,000 and $-0-,
respectively.
Note 6: Intangible Assets
Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Acquired amortized intangible assets: |
||||||||
Internet domain names |
$ | 2,171 | $ | 418 | ||||
Less accumulated amortization |
547 | 373 | ||||||
Total |
$ | 1,624 | $ | 45 | ||||
Intangible assets have a useful life of 5 years. Amortization expense was $91,000 and $3,000
for the three months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively and $182,000 and $6,000 for the six
months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively.
In January 2009, the Company purchased the fly.com domain name for $1.8 million.
Future expected amortization expense related to intangible assets at June 30, 2009 is as
follows (in thousands):
2009 |
$ | 184 | ||
2010 |
$ | 365 | ||
2011 |
$ | 363 | ||
2012 |
$ | 358 | ||
2013 |
$ | 354 | ||
$ | 1,624 | |||
The expected amortization expense is an estimate. Actual amounts of amortization expense may
differ from estimated amounts due to additional intangible asset acquisitions, changes in foreign
currency exchange rates, impairment of intangible assets, accelerated amortization of intangible
assets and other events.
Note 7: Certain Risks and Uncertainties
The Companys revenues are substantially dependent on the demand for online advertising from
travel companies. A continuing global economic slowdown may have an adverse effect on our business
in 2009, as was the case in the last recession when travel companies reduced or postponed their
online marketing spending.
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During the six months ended June 30, 2009, our cash and cash equivalents increased by $1.4
million to $15.5 million. We intend to fund anticipated growth from our cash on hand. However, in
light of current financial market conditions, if our cash on hand is not sufficient to meet our
future needs, we may not be able to obtain the necessary financing.
The Companys cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable are potentially subject to
concentration of credit risk. Cash and cash equivalents are placed with financial institutions that
management believes are of high credit quality. The accounts receivable are derived from revenue
earned from customers located in the U.S. and internationally.
The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon its historical experience,
the age of the receivable and customer specific information. Determining appropriate allowances for
these losses is an inherently uncertain process, and ultimate losses may vary from the current
estimates. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $617,000 and $358,000 at June 30, 2009 and
December 31, 2008, respectively.
Note 8: Stock-Based Compensation and Stock Options
Effective January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based
Payment (SFAS 123R), which addresses the accounting for stock-based payment transactions whereby
an entity receives employee services in exchange for equity instruments, including stock options.
Stock-based compensation for awards granted prior to January 1, 2006 is based upon the grant-date
fair value of such compensation as determined under the pro forma provisions of SFAS No. 123,
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.
In October 2001, the Company granted to each director fully vested and exercisable options to
purchase 30,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $2.00 per share for their services
as a director in 2000 and 2001. A total of 210,000 options were granted. The options expire in
October 2011. 150,000 options were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2005, 17,275
options were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2006, and 30,000 options were exercised
during the year ended December 31, 2008. As of June 30, 2009, 12,725 of these options are vested
and remain outstanding.
In March 2002, Travelzoo Inc. granted to each director options to purchase 5,000 shares of
common stock with an exercise price of $3.00 per share that vested in connection with their
services as a director in 2002. A total of 35,000 options were granted. The options expire in March
2012. In October 2002, 1,411 options were cancelled upon the resignation of a director. 23,589
options were exercised during the year ended December 31, 2004 and 5,000 options were exercised
during the year ended December 31, 2008. As of June 30, 2009, 5,000 of these options are vested and
remain outstanding.
The Company did not record any stock-based compensation in fiscal years 2007, 2008, nor for
the six months ended June 30, 2009. In addition, all previously issued options vested prior to
January 1, 2003.
Option activity as of June 30, 2009 and changes during the six months ended June 30, 2009 were
as follows:
Weighted- | Weighted- | |||||||||||||||
Average | Average | |||||||||||||||
Exercise | Remaining | Aggregate | ||||||||||||||
Shares | Price | Contractual Life | Intrinsic Value | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2008 |
2,176,074 | $ | 1.03 | |||||||||||||
Options exercised |
(2,158,349 | ) | $ | 1.00 | ||||||||||||
Outstanding at June 30, 2009 |
17,725 | $ | 2.28 | 2.45 years | $ | 154 | ||||||||||
Exercisable and fully vested at June 30, 2009 |
17,725 | $ | 2.28 | 2.45 years | $ | 154 |
The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pretax intrinsic value (the
difference between the Companys closing stock price on the last trading day of the second quarter
of fiscal 2009 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would
have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on June 30,
2009. This
amount changes based upon the fair market value of the Companys stock. The Companys policy is to
issue shares from its authorized shares to fulfill stock option exercises.
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Note 9: Net Income (Loss) Per Share
Net income (loss) per share has been calculated in accordance with SFAS No. 128, Earnings per
Share. Basic net income (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common
shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed by adjusting the
weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the effect of dilutive potential common
shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares included in the diluted calculation
consist of incremental shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options calculated
using the treasury stock method.
The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per
share (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Basic net income (loss) per share: |
||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (191 | ) | $ | (1,193 | ) | $ | 146 | $ | (2,199 | ) | |||||
Weighted average common shares |
16,444 | 14,269 | 16,372 | 14,260 | ||||||||||||
Basic net income (loss) per share |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.15 | ) | |||||
Diluted net income (loss) per share: |
||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (191 | ) | $ | (1,193 | ) | $ | 146 | $ | (2,199 | ) | |||||
Weighted average common shares |
16,444 | 14,269 | 16,372 | 14,260 | ||||||||||||
Effect of dilutive securities: stock options |
| | 7 | | ||||||||||||
Diluted weighted average common shares |
16,444 | 14,269 | 16,379 | 14,260 | ||||||||||||
Diluted net income (loss) per share |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.15 | ) | |||||
Options to purchase 17,725 shares of common stock were outstanding as of June 30, 2009 but
have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for three months ended June
30, 2009 as their effect was anti-dilutive.
Options to purchase 2,176,074 shares of common stock were outstanding as of June 30, 2008 but
have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the three and six months
ended June 30, 2008 as their effect was anti-dilutive.
Note 10: Commitments and Contingencies
The Company leases office space in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Japan, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S. under operating leases which expire between December
31, 2009 and January 31, 2014. The future minimum lease payments under these operating leases as of
June 30, 2009 total $12.2 million. The future lease payments consist of $2,254,000 due in 2009,
$3,461,000 due in 2010, $2,326,000 due in 2011, $2,033,000 due in 2012 and $2,085,000 thereafter.
It is possible that claims may be asserted against the Company in the future by former
stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation seeking to receive shares in the Company, whether based
on a claim that the two-year deadline for exchanging their shares was unenforceable or otherwise.
In addition, one or more jurisdictions, including the Bahamas or the State of Delaware, may assert
rights to unclaimed shares of the Company under escheat statutes. If such escheat claims are
asserted, the Company intends to challenge the applicability of escheat rights, in that, among
other reasons, the identity, residency, and eligibility of the holders in question cannot be
determined. There were certain conditions applicable to the issuance of shares to the Netsurfer
stockholders, including requirements that (i) they be at least 18 years of age, (ii) they be
residents of the U.S. or Canada, and (iii) they not apply for shares more than once. The Netsurfer
stockholders were required to confirm their compliance with these conditions, and were advised that
failure to comply could result in cancellation of their shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation.
Travelzoo.com Corporation was not able to verify that the applicants met the requirements referred
to above at the time of their applications for issuance of shares. If claims are asserted by
persons claiming
to be former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, the Company intends to assert that
their rights to receive their shares expired two years following the effective date of the merger,
as provided in the merger agreement. The Company also expects to take the
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position, if escheat or
similar claims are asserted in respect of the unissued shares in the future, that it is not
required to issue such shares. Further, even if it were established that unissued shares were
subject to escheat claims, the Company would assert that the claimant must establish that the
original Netsurfer stockholders complied with the conditions to issuance of their shares. The
Company is not able to predict the outcome of any future claims which might be asserted relating to
the unissued shares. If such claims were asserted, and were fully successful, that could result in
the Company being required to issue up to an additional approximately 4,068,000 shares of common
stock for no additional payment.
On October 15, 2004, the Company announced a program under which it would make cash payments
to people who establish that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who
failed to submit requests to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required
time period. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include a charge in
general and administrative expenses of $2,000 for these cash payments for the six months ended June
30, 2009. The total cost of this program is not reliably estimable because it is based on the
ultimate number of valid requests received and future levels of the Companys common stock price.
The Companys common stock price affects the liability because the amount of cash payments under
the program is based in part on the recent level of the stock price at the date valid requests are
received. The Company does not know how many of the requests for shares originally received by
Travelzoo.com Corporation in 1998 were valid, but the Company believes that only a portion of such
requests were valid. As noted above, in order to receive payment under the program, a person is
required to establish that such person validly held shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation. Assuming
100% of the requests from 1998 were valid, former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation holding
approximately 4,068,000 shares had not submitted claims under the program.
Note 11: Income Taxes
In determining the quarterly provisions for income taxes, the Company uses an estimated annual
effective tax rate which is based on our expected annual income and statutory tax rates in the U.S.
The effective tax rate does not reflect any tax benefits from the losses of our foreign operations.
For the six months ended June 30, 2009, our effective tax rate was 96%.
As of June 30, 2009, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefit was approximately $788,000,
which if recognized, would reduce the Companys effective tax rate in the future periods.
The Company includes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in income
tax expense. As of June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008, the Company had approximately $130,000 and
$111,000, respectively, in accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions. The Company has not
accrued any penalties related to our uncertain tax positions as we believe that it is more likely
than not that there will not be any assessment of penalties.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states and
foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal and certain state tax
examinations for years before 2005 and is no longer subject to California tax examinations for
years before 2004. The Company is currently under examination by the California Franchise Tax Board
of California for the 2004 and 2005 tax years and is currently under examination by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) for the 2005 and 2006 tax years. In January 2009, the IRS issued a Notice
of Proposed Adjustment contesting the Companys tax deductions in 2005 and 2006 related to the
program under which the Company made cash payments to people who established that they were former
stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to submit requests to convert their
shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period and in June 2009, the IRS
issued their examination report. The Company is currently evaluating the IRS proposed changes per
their examination report to determine if it agrees, but if agreed, the proposed changes would
result in a payment of approximately $724,000 which is in
long-term tax liabilities.
Note 12: Segment Reporting and Significant Customer Information
The Company manages its business geographically and has three reportable operating segments:
North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. North America consists of the Companys operations in
Canada and the U.S. Europe consists of the Companys operations in France, Germany, Spain, and the
U.K. The Company began operations in Europe in May 2005. Asia Pacific consists of the Companys
operations in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. The Company began operations in Asia
Pacific in April 2007.
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Management relies on an internal management reporting process that provides revenue and
segment operating income (loss) for making financial decisions and allocating resources. Management
believes that segment revenues and operating income (loss) are appropriate measures of evaluating
the operational performance of the Companys segments.
The following is a summary of operating results and assets (in thousands) by business segment:
North | Asia | |||||||||||||||||||
Three months ended June 30, 2009: | America | Europe | Pacific | Elimination | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Revenues from unaffiliated customers |
$ | 19,637 | $ | 4,000 | $ | 642 | $ | | $ | 24,279 | ||||||||||
Intersegment revenues |
99 | 21 | | (120 | ) | | ||||||||||||||
Total net revenues |
19,736 | 4,021 | 642 | (120 | ) | 24,279 | ||||||||||||||
Operating income (loss) |
4,453 | (1,068 | ) | (1,835 | ) | 1 | 1,551 |
North | Asia | |||||||||||||||||||
Six months ended June 30, 2009: | America | Europe | Pacific | Elimination | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Revenues from unaffiliated customers |
$ | 39,643 | $ | 6,974 | $ | 1,030 | $ | | $ | 47,647 | ||||||||||
Intersegment revenues |
124 | 26 | | (150 | ) | | ||||||||||||||
Total net revenues |
39,767 | 7,000 | 1,030 | (150 | ) | 47,647 | ||||||||||||||
Operating income (loss) |
10,268 | (2,344 | ) | (3,553 | ) | 1 | 4,372 |
North | Asia | |||||||||||||||||||
As of June 30, 2009 | America | Europe | Pacific | Elimination | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Property and equipment, net |
$ | 3,882 | $ | 200 | $ | 262 | $ | | $ | 4,344 | ||||||||||
Total assets |
70,541 | 4,772 | 1,936 | (37,624 | ) | 39,625 | ||||||||||||||
North | Asia | |||||||||||||||||||
As of December 31, 2008 | America | Europe | Pacific | Elimination | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||
Property and equipment, net |
$ | 3,890 | $ | 210 | $ | 159 | $ | | $ | 4,259 | ||||||||||
Total assets |
62,094 | 3,934 | 2,213 | (32,919 | ) | 35,322 | ||||||||||||||
Revenue for each segment is recognized based on the customer location within a designated
geographic region. Property and equipment are attributed to the geographic region in which the
assets are located.
Significant customer information is as follows:
Percent of Revenues | Percent of Revenues | Percent of Accounts Receivable | ||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | June 30, | December 31, | |||||||||||||||
Customer | 2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | ||||||||||||
Orbitz Worldwide
|
* | 11 | % | * | 11 | % | * | 16 | % |
* | Less than 10% |
The agreements with these customers are in the form of multiple insertion orders from groups
of entities under common control, in either the Companys standard form or in the customers form.
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Note 13: Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) consists of two components, net income (loss) and other
comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to gains and losses that
under generally accepted accounting principles are recorded as an element of stockholders equity
but are excluded from net income (loss). The Companys other comprehensive income (loss) is
comprised of foreign currency translation adjustments.
The following are components of comprehensive income (loss) (in thousands):
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (191 | ) | $ | (1,193 | ) | $ | 146 | $ | (2,199 | ) | |||||
Other comprehensive income (loss): |
||||||||||||||||
Foreign currency translation adjustments |
$ | 353 | $ | (6 | ) | $ | 451 | $ | (189 | ) | ||||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | 162 | $ | (1,199 | ) | $ | 597 | $ | (2,388 | ) | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, as reflected in the condensed consolidated balance
sheets, consists of cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments.
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Item 2.
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations
The information in this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements are based upon current expectations, assumptions,
estimates and projections about Travelzoo and our industry. These forward-looking statements are
subject to the many risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment
that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Travelzoo to be different from those
expected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Any statements contained herein that are
not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. For example,
words such as may, will, should, estimates, predicts, potential, continue,
strategy, believes, anticipates, plans, expects, intends, and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Travelzoos actual results and the timing of
certain events could differ significantly from those anticipated in such forward-looking
statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not
limited to, those discussed elsewhere in this report in the section entitled Risk Factors and the
risks discussed in our other SEC filings. The forward-looking statements included in this report
reflect the beliefs of our management on the date of this report. Travelzoo undertakes no
obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new
information becomes available or other circumstances occur in the future.
Overview
Travelzoo is a global Internet media company. We publish travel and entertainment offers from
hundreds of travel and entertainment companies. As the Internet is becoming consumers preferred
medium to search for travel offers, we provide airlines, hotels, cruise lines, vacation packagers,
and other travel companies with a fast, flexible, and cost-effective way to reach millions of
users. While our products provide advertising opportunities for travel and entertainment companies,
they also provide Internet users with a free source of information on current sales and specials
from hundreds of travel and entertainment companies.
Our publications and products include the Travelzoo Web sites (www.travelzoo.com,
cn.travelzoo.com, www.travelzoo.ca, www.travelzoo.co.jp, www.travelzoo.com.au,
www.travelzoo.com.hk, www.travelzoo.tw, www.travelzoo.co.uk, www.travelzoo.de, www.travelzoo.es,
www.travelzoo.fr, among others), the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter, and the Newsflash e-mail
alert service. We operate SuperSearch, a pay-per-click travel search tool, and the Travelzoo
Network, a network of third-party Web sites that list deals published by Travelzoo. We also operate
Fly.com, a travel search engine that allows users to quickly and easily find the best prices on
flights from hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies. More than 1,000 travel and
entertainment companies purchase our advertising services.
Our revenues are advertising revenues, consisting primarily of listing fees paid by travel and
entertainment companies to advertise their offers on the Travelzoo Web sites, in the Travelzoo Top
20 e-mail newsletter, in the Newsflash e-mail alert service, in SuperSearch, through the Travelzoo
Network, and from Fly.com. Revenues are principally generated from the sale of advertising in the
U.S. Listing fees are based on placement, number of listings, number of impressions, number of
click-throughs, or number of referrals. Smaller advertising agreements typically $2,000 or less
per month typically renew automatically each month if they are not terminated by the client.
Larger agreements are typically related to advertising campaigns and are not automatically renewed.
We have three operating segments based on geographic regions: North America, Europe and Asia
Pacific. North America consists of our operations in Canada and the U.S. Europe consists of our
operations in France, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. Asia Pacific consists of our operations in
Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan.
When evaluating the financial condition and operating performance of the Company, management
focuses on the following financial and non-financial indicators:
| Growth in the number of subscribers to the Companys newsletters and page views of the homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites; | ||
| Operating margin; | ||
| Growth in revenues in the absolute and relative to the growth in reach of the Companys publications; and | ||
| Revenue per employee as a measure of productivity. |
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Critical Accounting Policies
We believe that there are a number of accounting policies that are critical to understanding
our historical and future performance, as these policies affect the reported amounts of revenue and
the more significant areas involving managements judgments and estimates. These significant
accounting policies relate to revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, and
liabilities to former stockholders. These policies, and our procedures related to these policies,
are described in detail below.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue on arrangements in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104,
Revenue Recognition. We recognize advertising revenues in the period in which the advertisement
is displayed, provided that evidence of an arrangement exists, the fees are fixed or determinable
and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. If fixed-fee advertising is
displayed over a term greater than one month, revenues are recognized ratably over the period as
described below. The majority of insertion orders have terms that begin and end in a quarterly
reporting period. In the cases where at the end of a quarterly reporting period the term of an
insertion order is not complete, the Company recognizes revenue for the period by pro-rating the
total arrangement fee to revenue and deferred revenue based on a measure of proportionate
performance of its obligation under the insertion order. The Company measures proportionate
performance by the number of placements delivered and undelivered as of the reporting date. The
Company uses prices stated on its internal rate card for measuring the value of delivered and
undelivered placements. Fees for variable-fee advertising arrangements are recognized based on the
number of impressions displayed, number of clicks delivered, or number of referrals generated
during the period.
Under these policies, no revenue is recognized unless persuasive evidence of an arrangement
exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection is deemed
reasonably assured. The Company evaluates each of these criteria as follows:
| Evidence of an arrangement. We consider an insertion order signed by the client or its agency to be evidence of an arrangement. | ||
| Delivery. Delivery is considered to occur when the advertising has been displayed and, if applicable, the click-throughs have been delivered. | ||
| Fixed or determinable fee. We consider the fee to be fixed or determinable if the fee is not subject to refund or adjustment and payment terms are standard. | ||
| Collection is deemed reasonably assured. We conduct a credit review for all transactions at the time of the arrangement to determine the creditworthiness of the client. Collection is deemed reasonably assured if we expect that the client will be able to pay amounts under the arrangement as payments become due. If we determine that collection is not reasonably assured, then we defer the revenue and recognize the revenue upon cash collection. Collection is deemed not reasonably assured when a client is perceived to be in financial distress, which may be evidenced by weak industry conditions, a bankruptcy filing, or previously billed amounts that are past due. |
Revenue from advertising sold to clients through agencies is reported at the net amount billed
to the agency.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We record a provision for doubtful accounts based on our historical experience of write-offs
and a detailed assessment of our accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts. In
estimating the provision for doubtful accounts, management considers the age of the accounts
receivable, our historical write-offs, the creditworthiness of the client, the economic conditions
of the clients industry, and general economic conditions, among other factors. Should any of these
factors change, the estimates made by management will also change, which could impact the level of
our future provision for doubtful accounts. Specifically, if the financial condition of our clients
were to deteriorate, affecting their ability to make payments, additional provision for doubtful
accounts may be required.
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Liability to Former Stockholders
On October 15, 2004, we announced a program under which we would make cash payments to people
who establish that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to
submit requests to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time
period. We account for the cost of this program as an expense recorded in general and
administrative expenses. The ultimate total cost of this program is not reliably estimable because
it is based on the ultimate number of valid requests received and future levels of the Companys
common stock price. The Companys common stock price affects the liability because the amount of
cash payments under the program is based in part on the recent level of the stock price at the date
valid requests are received. We do not know how many of the requests for shares originally received
by Travelzoo.com Corporation in 1998 were valid. We believe that only a portion of such requests
were valid. In order to receive payment under the program, a person is required to establish that
such person validly held shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation.
Since the total cost of the program is not reliably estimable, the amount of expense recorded
in a period is equal to the number of actual claims received during the period multiplied by (i)
the number of shares held by each individual former stockholder and (ii) the applicable settlement
price based on the recent price of our common stock at the date the claim is received as stipulated
by the program. Requests are generally paid within 30 days of receipt. Please refer to Note 10 to
our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further details about our liabilities
to former stockholders.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, as a percentage of total revenues, the results of our
operations for the periods indicated.
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Revenues |
100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||||||
Cost of revenues |
6.2 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 2.7 | ||||||||||||
Gross profit |
93.8 | 97.1 | 94.2 | 97.3 | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
56.8 | 57.5 | 54.9 | 60.7 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
30.5 | 31.9 | 30.1 | 29.7 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses |
87.3 | 89.4 | 85.0 | 90.4 | ||||||||||||
Income from operations |
6.5 | 7.7 | 9.2 | 6.9 | ||||||||||||
Other income and expenses, net |
(0.4 | ) | 0.3 | (0.6 | ) | 0.8 | ||||||||||
Income before income taxes |
6.1 | 8 | 8.6 | 7.7 | ||||||||||||
Income taxes |
6.8 | 13.5 | 8.3 | 12.9 | ||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
(0.7 | %) | (5.5 | %) | 0.3 | % | (5.2 | %) | ||||||||
For the three months ended June 30, 2009, we reported income from operations of approximately
$1.6 million. As of June 30, 2009, we had retained earnings of approximately $22.0 million. Our
operating margin decreased to 6.5% for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to 7.7% for
the same period last year. The main reason for the decrease in operating margin is our cost of
revenues as a percentage of revenues increased for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to
the three months ended June 30, 2008 (see Cost of Revenues below).
For the six months ended June 30, 2009, we reported income from operations of approximately
$4.4 million. As of June 30, 2009, we had retained earnings of approximately $22.0 million. Our
operating margin increased to 9.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared to 6.9% for the
same period last year. The main reason for the increase in operating margin is our sales and
marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the six months ended June 30, 2008
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(see Operating Expenses below). This was partially
offset by an increase in cost of revenues as a percentage of revenues for the six months ended June
30, 2009 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2008 (see Cost of Revenues below).
We do not know whether our sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues will
continue to decrease in future periods. Increased competition in our industry may require us to
increase advertising for our brand and for our products. Increases in the average cost of acquiring
new subscribers (see Subscriber Acquisition below) may result in an increase of sales and
marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues. We may decide to accelerate our subscriber
acquisition for various strategic and tactical reasons and, as a result, increase our marketing
expenses. We may see a unique opportunity for a brand marketing campaign that will result in an
increase of marketing expenses. Further, our strategy to replicate our business model in selected
foreign markets (see Growth Strategy below) may result in a significant increase in our sales and
marketing expenses and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. We expect
fluctuations of sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues from quarter to quarter.
Some of the fluctuations may be significant and have a material impact on our results of
operations.
We do not know what our general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues will
be in future periods. There may be fluctuations that have a material impact on our results of
operations. We expect our headcount to continue to increase in the future. The Companys headcount
is one of the main drivers of general and administrative expenses. Therefore, we expect our
absolute general and administrative expenses to continue to increase. In addition, we expect our
expansion into foreign markets to result in a significant additional increase in our general and
administrative expenses. Our general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues may
also fluctuate depending on the number of requests received related to a program under which the
Company intends to make cash payments to people who establish that they were former stockholders of
Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to submit requests to convert their shares into shares of
Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period.
Reach
The following table sets forth the number of subscribers of each of our e-mail publications in
North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific as of June 30, 2009 and 2008 and the total number of page
views for the homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific for
the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008. Management considers the page views for the Travelzoo
homepages as indicators for the growth of Web site traffic. Management reviews these non-financial
metrics for two reasons: First, to monitor our progress in increasing the reach of our products.
Second, to evaluate whether we are able to convert higher reach into higher revenues.
June 30, | Year-over-Year | |||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | Change | ||||||||||
Subscribers: |
||||||||||||
North America |
||||||||||||
Travelzoo Top 20 |
11,812,000 | 10,561,000 | 12 | % | ||||||||
Newsflash |
9,923,000 | 8,564,000 | 16 | % | ||||||||
Europe |
||||||||||||
Travelzoo Top 20 |
2,775,000 | 1,852,000 | 50 | % | ||||||||
Newsflash |
2,678,000 | 1,745,000 | 53 | % | ||||||||
Asia Pacific |
||||||||||||
Travelzoo Top 20 |
1,542,000 | 913,000 | 69 | % | ||||||||
Newsflash |
1,424,000 | 829,000 | 72 | % |
Six Months Ended June 30, | Year-over-Year | |||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | Change* | ||||||||||
Page views of homepages of Travelzoo Web sites: |
||||||||||||
North America |
18,460,000 | 15,772,000 | 17 | % | ||||||||
Europe |
6,185,000 | 3,486,000 | 77 | % | ||||||||
Asia Pacific |
3,117,000 | 5,818,000 | (46 | %) |
* | The comparability of year-over-year changes of page views of the homepages of Travelzoo Web sites may be limited due to the design and navigation of the Web sites. Additionally, we believe that the increased use of security software has adversely affected the tracking of page views. |
19
Table of Contents
In North America, revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2009 increased by 4% from the
same period last year. The total number of subscribers in North America to the Travelzoo Top 20
e-mail newsletter as of June 30, 2009 increased by 12% compared to June 30, 2008 and page views of
the homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites in North America for the six months ended June 30, 2009
increased by 17% from the same period last year. In North America, revenues for the six months
ended June 30, 2009 increased at a lower rate than the rate of increase in the number of
subscribers to our Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter and the
rate of increase in Web site traffic. In North America, we believe we
were unable to fully convert higher reach into higher revenues
because we were unable to increase our advertising rates
significantly due to intense competition in our industry.
In Europe, revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2009 increased by 52% from the same
period last year. In local currency terms, revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2009
increased by 100% from the same period last year. The total number of subscribers in Europe to the
Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter as of June 30, 2009 increased by 50% compared to June 30, 2008
and page views of the homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites in Europe for the six months ended June
30, 2009 increased by 77% from the same period last year. In Europe, revenues in local currency
terms increased at a higher rate than the rate of growth in subscribers to the Travelzoo Top 20
e-mail newsletter and the rate of growth in Web site traffic.
In Asia Pacific, revenues for the
six months ended June 30, 2009 increased by 836% to $1.0 million
from $110,000 in the same period last year. The total number of subscribers in Asia Pacific to the
Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter as of June 30, 2009 increased by 69% compared to June 30, 2008
and page views of the homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites in Asia Pacific for the six months ended
June 30, 2009 decreased by 46% from the same period last year. The decrease in page views of the
homepages of the Travelzoo Web sites in Asia Pacific was due primarily to changes in our marketing
campaigns in certain countries. In Asia Pacific, revenues increased at a higher rate than the rate
of growth in subscribers to the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter. We began operations in
Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan during 2007 and continue to focus on rapidly
building a significant subscriber base in selected countries in which we operate.
20
Table of Contents
Revenues
Our total revenues increased to $24.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from
$21.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008. This represents an increase of $2.5 million
or 12%. $1.5 million of the increase in revenues came from our operations in Europe, which had an
increase of 57% in revenues year over year. In local currency terms, revenues from our operations
in Europe increased 100% year over year. The strengthening of the U.S dollar relative to the
British Pounds Sterling and the Euro in the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the three
months ended June 30, 2008 had an unfavorable impact on the revenues from our operations in Europe.
Had foreign exchange rates remained constant in these periods, revenues from our operations in
Europe for the three months ended June 30, 2009 would have been approximately $1.1 million higher than
reported revenues of $4.0 million.
$509,000 of the increase in revenues came from our operations in North America and was attributed
primarily to a $603,000 increase in revenues from our search products, which consists of
SuperSearch and Fly.com, offset by a $111,000 decrease in revenues from our publications, which
includes the Travelzoo Web site, the Top 20 e-mail newsletter and the Newsflash e-mail alert
service. We launched Fly.com in February 2009. We also had a $552,000 increase in revenues from our
operations in Asia Pacific. The increase in revenues from our operations in Asia Pacific was primarily due to increased
acceptance of our publications and products by consumers and advertisers in the countries in which
we operate. We began operations in Asia Pacific in 2007.
Our total revenues increased to $47.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from
$42.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. This represents an increase of $4.9 million
or 12%. $2.3 million of the increase in revenues came from our operations in Europe, which had an
increase of 52% in revenues year over year. In local currency terms, revenues from our operations
in Europe increased 100% year over year. The strengthening of the U.S dollar relative to the
British Pounds Sterling and the Euro in the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the six
months ended June 30, 2008 had an unfavorable impact on the revenues from our operations in Europe.
Had foreign exchange rates remained constant in these periods, revenues from our operations in
Europe for the six months ended June 30, 2009 would have been approximately $2.2 million higher than reported revenues
of $7.0 million. $1.7 million of the increase in revenues came from our operations in North America and was
attributed primarily to a $957,000 increase in revenues from our search products, which consists of
SuperSearch and Fly.com, a $357,000 increase in revenues from our publications, which includes the
Travelzoo Web site, the Top 20 e-mail newsletter and the Newsflash e-mail alert service, and a
$310,000 increase in revenues from the Travelzoo Network. We launched Fly.com in February 2009. We
also had a $920,000 increase in revenues from our operations in Asia
Pacific. The increase in revenues from our operations in Asia Pacific was primarily due to increased
acceptance of our publications and products by consumers and advertisers in the countries in which
we operate. We began operations in Asia Pacific in 2007.
For three and six months ended June 30, 2009, none of our customers accounted for 10% or more
of our revenue. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, Orbitz Worldwide accounted for
11% of our total revenues.
Management believes that our ability to increase revenues in the future depends mainly on the
following factors:
| Our ability to increase our advertising rates; | ||
| Our ability to sell more advertising to existing clients; | ||
| Our ability to increase the number of clients; | ||
| Our ability to develop new revenue streams; and | ||
| Our ability to launch new products. |
We believe that we can increase our advertising rates if the reach of our publications
increases. We do not know if we will be able to increase the reach of our publications. We believe
that we can sell more advertising if the market for online advertising continues to grow and if we
can maintain or increase our market share. We believe that the market for online advertising
continues to grow. We do not know if we will be able to maintain or increase our market share. We
historically have increased the number of clients in every year since inception. We do not know if
we will be able to increase the number of clients in the future. We do not know if we will have
market acceptance of our new products.
Our goal is to increase our advertising rates at least once a year in each market, preferably
as of January 1 of each year. However, we did not increase our advertising rates in the U.S. on
January 1, 2008 or January 1, 2009 due to intense competition in our industry. We intend to
continue reviewing advertising rates and considering increases once a year as of January 1.
However, there is no assurance that we will increase our advertising rates. Depending on the level
of competition in the industry and the condition of the online advertising market, we may decide
not to increase our advertising rates in all or certain markets.
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Average annualized revenue per employee decreased to $450,000 for the three months ended June
30, 2009 from $456,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2008. The decrease in average revenue
per employee for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended June 30,
2008 was due to a slower rate of growth in revenues from our operations in North America compared
to the rate of growth in headcount for our operations in North America.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues consists primarily of network expenses, including fees we pay for co-location
services and depreciation and maintenance of network equipment, payments made to third-party
partners of the Travelzoo Network, fees we pay related to user searches on Fly.com, amortization of capitalized Web
site development costs, and salary
expenses associated with network operations staff. Our cost of revenues increased to $1.5 million
for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from $637,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2008. As
a percentage of revenue, cost of revenues increased to 6.2% for the three months ended June 30,
2009 from 2.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2008. The $874,000 increase in cost of revenues
for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2008 was
primarily due to a $397,000 increase in fees we pay related to user searches on Fly.com, a $224,000 increase in
depreciation and maintenance costs, a $145,000 increase in fees we pay for co-location services,
and a $122,000 increase in payments made to third-party partners of the Travelzoo Network.
Our cost of revenues increased to $2.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from
$1.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. As a percentage of revenue, cost of revenues
increased to 5.8% for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from 2.7% for the six months ended June
30, 2008. The $1.6 million increase in cost of revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the six months ended June 30, 2008 was primarily due to a $521,000 increase in fees we
pay related to user searches on Fly.com, a $418,000 increase in depreciation and maintenance costs,
a $348,000 increase in payments made to third-party partners of the Travelzoo Network, and a $284,000 increase
in fees we pay for co-location services.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising and promotional expenses, salary
expenses associated with sales, marketing and production staff, expenses related to our
participation in industry conferences, and public relations expenses. Sales and marketing expenses
increased to $13.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from $12.5 million for the
three months ended June 30, 2008. The goal of our advertising was to acquire new subscribers for
our e-mail products, increase the traffic to our Web sites, and increase brand awareness for
Travelzoo and Fly.com. The $1.3 million increase in sales and marketing expenses for the three
months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2008 was primarily due to a
$914,000 increase in marketing expenses for Fly.com, a $419,000 increase in salary and employee
related expenses, and a $268,000 increase in advertising to acquire traffic to our Web sites,
offset by a $273,000 decrease in brand and trade marketing expense. For the three months ended June
30, 2009 and 2008, advertising expenses accounted for 63% and 59%, respectively, of total sales and
marketing expenses.
Sales and marketing expenses increased to $26.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009
from $25.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. The $222,000 increase in sales and
marketing expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the six months ended June 30,
2008 was primarily due to a $1.3 million increase in salary and employee related expenses, a
$942,000 increase in marketing expenses for Fly.com and a $143,000 increase in advertising to
acquire traffic to our Web sites, offset by a $1.2 million decrease in brand, trade and other
marketing expenses and a $981,000 decrease in advertising to acquire new subscribers for our e-mail
products. For the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, advertising expenses accounted for 67%
and 63%, respectively, of total sales and marketing expenses.
Our goal is to increase our revenues from advertising sales. One important factor that drives
our revenues is our advertising rates. We believe that we can increase our advertising rates only
if the reach of our publications increases. In order to increase the reach of our publications, we
have to acquire a significant number of new subscribers in every quarter and continue to promote
our brand. One significant factor that impacts our advertising expenses is the average cost per
acquisition of a new subscriber. We believe that the average cost per acquisition depends mainly on
the advertising rates which we pay for media buys, our ability to manage our subscriber acquisition
efforts successfully, and the degree of competition in our industry.
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Table of Contents
In May 2005, we began operations in the U.K. In 2006, we began operations in Canada, Germany,
and Spain. In 2007, we began operations in Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan.
The start-up of our business in Europe and Asia Pacific is expected to result in a relatively high
level of sales and marketing expense in the foreseeable future.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation for administrative,
executive, and software development staff, fees for professional services, rent, bad debt expense,
amortization of intangible assets, and general office expense. General and administrative expenses
increased to $7.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from $6.9 million for the three
months ended June 30, 2008. The $487,000 increase in general and administrative expenses was
primarily due to a $182,000 increase in depreciation and amortization expenses and a $77,000
increase in salary and employee related expenses.
General and administrative expenses increased to $14.4 million for the six months ended June
30, 2009 from $12.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. The $1.7 million increase in
general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an $814,000
increase in salary and employee related expenses, a $374,000 increase in depreciation and
amortization expenses, and a $253,000 increase in bad debt expense.
In the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2008, the Company recorded expenses of $2,000 and
$9,000, respectively, related to a program under which the Company makes cash payments to people
who establish that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to
submit requests for shares in Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period. The expenses are
based on the number of actual valid claims received and the Companys stock price. We cannot
reliably estimate future expenses incurred under this program because it is based on the number of
valid requests received and future levels of the Companys common stock price.
We expect our headcount to increase in the future. The Companys headcount is one of the main
drivers of general and administrative expenses. Therefore, we expect our general and administrative
expenses to continue to increase.
Our strategy to replicate our business model in foreign markets is expected to result in a
significant additional increase in our general and administrative expenses in the foreseeable
future.
Subscriber Acquisition
The table set forth below provides for each quarter in 2006, 2007, 2008, and the first two
quarters of 2009, an analysis of our average cost for acquisition of new subscribers for our
Travelzoo Top 20 newsletter and our Newsflash e-mail alert service for our North America, Europe,
and Asia Pacific operating segments.
The table includes the following data:
| Average Cost per Acquisition of a New Subscriber: This is the quarterly cost of consumer marketing programs whose purpose was primarily to acquire new subscribers, divided by total new subscribers added during the quarter. | ||
| New Subscribers: Total new subscribers who signed up for at least one of our e-mail publications throughout the quarter. This is an unduplicated subscriber number, meaning a subscriber who signed up for two or more of our publications is only counted once. | ||
| Subscribers Removed From List: Subscribers who were removed from our lists throughout the quarter either as a result of their requesting removal, or based on periodic list maintenance after we determined that the e-mail address was likely no longer valid. | ||
| Balance: This is the number of subscribers at the end of the quarter, computed by taking the previous quarters subscriber balance, adding new subscribers during the current quarter, and subtracting unsubscribe during the current quarter. |
23
Table of Contents
North America:
Average Cost per | Subscribers | |||||||||||||||
Acquisition of a | New | Removed | ||||||||||||||
Period | New Subscriber | Subscribers | From List | Balance | ||||||||||||
Q1 2006 |
$ | 2.54 | 714,643 | (317,947 | ) | 9,773,550 | ||||||||||
Q2 2006 |
$ | 2.11 | 737,735 | (532,676 | ) | 9,978,609 | ||||||||||
Q3 2006 |
$ | 1.86 | 491,524 | (327,471 | ) | 10,142,662 | ||||||||||
Q4 2006 |
$ | 1.56 | 373,559 | (288,883 | ) | 10,227,338 | ||||||||||
Q1 2007 |
$ | 2.61 | 730,063 | (345,896 | ) | 10,611,505 | ||||||||||
Q2 2007 |
$ | 3.03 | 552,488 | (335,304 | ) | 10,828,689 | ||||||||||
Q3 2007 |
$ | 3.92 | 385,408 | (255,008 | ) | 10,959,089 | ||||||||||
Q4 2007 |
$ | 3.78 | 279,967 | (242,822 | ) | 10,996,234 | ||||||||||
Q1 2008 |
$ | 4.97 | 296,565 | (270,427 | ) | 11,022,372 | ||||||||||
Q2 2008 |
$ | 3.39 | 348,506 | (303,623 | ) | 11,067,255 | ||||||||||
Q3 2008 |
$ | 3.73 | 360,916 | (292,052 | ) | 11,136,119 | ||||||||||
Q4 2008 |
$ | 2.75 | 487,681 | (341,057 | ) | 11,282,743 | ||||||||||
Q1 2009 |
$ | 2.29 | 720,320 | (259,537 | ) | 11,743,526 | ||||||||||
Q2 2009 |
$ | 2.15 | 885,031 | (277,439 | ) | 12,351,118 |
Europe:
Average Cost per | Subscribers | |||||||||||||||
Acquisition of a | New | Removed | ||||||||||||||
Period | New Subscriber | Subscribers | From List | Balance | ||||||||||||
Q1 2006 |
$ | 2.15 | 143,666 | (16,831 | ) | 424,604 | ||||||||||
Q2 2006 |
$ | 2.69 | 129,438 | (34,070 | ) | 519,972 | ||||||||||
Q3 2006 |
$ | 1.23 | 126,566 | (29,794 | ) | 616,744 | ||||||||||
Q4 2006 |
$ | 2.94 | 69,489 | (30,943 | ) | 655,290 | ||||||||||
Q1 2007 |
$ | 3.89 | 159,439 | (31,350 | ) | 783,379 | ||||||||||
Q2 2007 |
$ | 4.43 | 206,003 | (39,690 | ) | 949,692 | ||||||||||
Q3 2007 |
$ | 2.96 | 331,903 | (32,689 | ) | 1,248,906 | ||||||||||
Q4 2007 |
$ | 5.85 | 165,781 | (33,357 | ) | 1,381,330 | ||||||||||
Q1 2008 |
$ | 3.90 | 362,417 | (45,152 | ) | 1,698,595 | ||||||||||
Q2 2008 |
$ | 4.89 | 226,156 | (31,055 | ) | 1,893,696 | ||||||||||
Q3 2008 |
$ | 4.52 | 253,961 | (38,418 | ) | 2,109,239 | ||||||||||
Q4 2008 |
$ | 3.32 | 160,172 | (46,736 | ) | 2,222,675 | ||||||||||
Q1 2009 |
$ | 3.09 | 295,450 | (40,542 | ) | 2,477,583 | ||||||||||
Q2 2009 |
$ | 2.74 | 408,026 | (52,491 | ) | 2,833,118 |
24
Table of Contents
Asia Pacific:
Average Cost per | Subscribers | |||||||||||||||
Acquisition of a | New | Removed | ||||||||||||||
Period | New Subscriber | Subscribers | From List | Balance | ||||||||||||
Q2 2007 |
$ | 2.46 | 1,068 | (4 | ) | 1,064 | ||||||||||
Q3 2007 |
$ | 2.23 | 42,106 | (138 | ) | 43,032 | ||||||||||
Q4 2007 |
$ | 2.90 | 180,446 | (9,013 | ) | 214,465 | ||||||||||
Q1 2008 |
$ | 3.12 | 393,311 | (26,199 | ) | 581,577 | ||||||||||
Q2 2008 |
$ | 3.37 | 369,491 | (38,048 | ) | 913,020 | ||||||||||
Q3 2008 |
$ | 2.46 | 194,462 | (43,588 | ) | 1,063,894 | ||||||||||
Q4 2008 |
$ | 2.66 | 84,937 | (40,522 | ) | 1,108,309 | ||||||||||
Q1 2009 |
$ | 2.23 | 182,502 | (32,939 | ) | 1,257,872 | ||||||||||
Q2 2009 |
$ | 2.12 | 320,660 | (32,458 | ) | 1,546,074 |
In North America, we have noted a trend of decreasing average cost per acquisition of a new
subscriber (CPA) over the last three quarters after a period of increasing CPA. The decrease in
CPA in North America in Q3 2006 was impacted by a credit received from a vendor in the amount of
$170,000. The recent quarterly decreases in CPA reflect the effects of new advertising campaigns
and decreases in advertising rates by our media suppliers. We do not consider the decrease
in CPA to be indicative of a longer-term trend or to indicate that our CPA is likely to stay at
this level or is likely to decrease further.
In Europe, we see a large fluctuation in the CPA. The CPA fluctuates from quarter to quarter
and from country to country. The decline in CPA in Europe in Q4 2008 reflects the change in the
exchange rates between Q3 2008 and Q4 2008 and accounted for $0.51 of the decrease in the CPA. The
decline in CPA in Q2 2009 reflects the effects of new advertising
campaigns and a decrease in advertising rates by our media suppliers.
We began operations in Asia Pacific in April 2007 and started acquiring new subscribers in
Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. The CPA in Asia Pacific fluctuates from quarter to
quarter and from country to country.
Future increases in CPA are likely to result in higher absolute marketing expenses and
potentially higher relative marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue. Going forward we expect
continued upward pressure on online advertising rates and continued activity from competitors,
which will likely increase our CPA over the long term. The effect on operations is that greater
absolute and relative marketing expenditure is necessary to continue to grow the reach of our
publications. However, it is possible that the factors driving subscriber acquisition cost
increases can be partially or completely offset by new or improved methods of subscriber
acquisition using techniques which are under evaluation.
Segment Information
We have presented the business segments in this report based on our organizational structure
as of June 30, 2009.
North America
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | (In thousands) | |||||||||||||||
Net revenues |
$ | 19,736 | $ | 19,168 | $ | 39,767 | $ | 38,083 | ||||||||
Income from operations |
4,453 | 6,929 | 10,268 | 13,193 | ||||||||||||
Income from operations as a % of revenues |
22.6 | % | 36.1 | % | 25.8 | % | 34.6 | % |
25
Table of Contents
In North America, revenues increased $568,000 or 3% for the three months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expenses as a
percentage of revenue increased to 49% or $9.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009
from 40% or $7.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008. The $2.0 million increase in
sales and marketing expense was primarily due to a $914,000 increase in marketing expenses for
Fly.com, a $722,000 increase in advertising to acquire new subscribers for our e-mail products, and
a $497,000 increase in advertising to acquire traffic to our Web sites, offset by a $215,000
decrease in expenses for brand and trade marketing campaigns. General and administrative expenses
as a percentage of revenue increased to 22% or $4.3 million for the three months ended June 30,
2009 from 21% or $4.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008. The $281,000 increase in
general and administrative expense was primarily due to a $244,000 increase in legal and
professional services expense. Income from operations for North America as a percentage of revenue
for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2008 decreased
to 22.6% from 36.1%.
In North America, revenues increased $1.7 million or 4% for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expenses as a
percentage of revenue increased to 46% or $18.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from
43% or $16.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. The $2.1 million increase in sales and
marketing expense was primarily due to a $942,000 increase in marketing expenses for Fly.com, an
$896,000 increase in advertising to acquire new subscribers for our e-mail products, and a $794,000
increase in salary and employee related expenses, offset by a $664,000 decrease in expenses for
brand and trade marketing campaigns. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue
increased to 22% or $8.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from 20% or $7.6 million
for the six months ended June 30, 2008. The $1.0 million increase in general and administrative
expense was primarily due to a $347,000 increase in legal and professional services expense, a
$330,000 increase in depreciation and amortization expense, and a $199,000 increase in salary and
employee related expenses. Income from operations for North America as a percentage of revenue for
the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2008 decreased to
25.8% from 34.6%.
Europe
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | (In thousands) | |||||||||||||||
Net revenues |
$ | 4,021 | $ | 2,569 | $ | 7,000 | $ | 4,619 | ||||||||
Loss from operations |
(1,068 | ) | (2,013 | ) | (2,344 | ) | (4,254 | ) | ||||||||
Loss from operations as a % of revenues |
26.6 | % | 78.4 | % | 33.5 | % | 92.1 | % |
In Europe, revenues increased $1.5 million or 57% for the three months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expenses remained
flat at $3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to three months ended June 30,
2008. General and administrative expenses increased by $437,000 to $2.0 million for the three
months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the prior year period primarily due to a $420,000 increase
in salary and employee related expenses. Our loss from operations in Europe was $1.1 million for
the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to a loss of $2.0 million for the three months ended
June 30, 2008.
The strengthening of the
U.S dollar relative to the British Pounds Sterling and the Euro in the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared
to the three months ended June 30, 2008 had a favorable impact on the loss from our operations in Europe. Had
foreign exchange rates remained constant in these periods, the loss from our operations in Europe for the three
months ended June 30, 2009 would have been approximately $296,000 higher.
In Europe, revenues increased $2.4 million or 52% for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expenses decreased
to $5.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from $6.1 million for the six months ended
June 30, 2008. The $460,000 decrease in sales and marketing expense was primarily due to a $489,000
decrease in advertising to acquire new subscribers to our e-mail products. General and
administrative expenses increased by $830,000 to $3.5 million for the six months ended June 30,
2009 compared to the prior year period primarily due to a $739,000 increase in salary and employee
related expenses. Our loss from operations in Europe was $2.3 million for the six months ended June
30, 2009 compared to a loss of $4.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008.
The strengthening of the U.S dollar
relative to the British Pounds Sterling and the Euro in the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared to the six months ended
June 30, 2008 had a favorable impact on the loss from our operations in Europe. Had foreign exchange rates remained constant
in these periods, the loss from our operations in Europe for the six months ended June 30, 2009 would have been approximately
$777,000 higher.
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Asia Pacific
Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | (In thousands) | |||||||||||||||
Net revenues |
$ | 642 | $ | 90 | $ | 1,030 | $ | 110 | ||||||||
Loss from operations |
(1,835 | ) | (3,235 | ) | (3,553 | ) | (5,979 | ) |
In Asia Pacific, revenues increased $552,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared
to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expense decreased to $1.2
million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from $1.9 million for the three months ended June
30, 2008. The $695,000 decrease was primarily due to a $567,000 decrease in advertising to acquire
new subscribers for our e-mail products. General and administrative expenses decreased to $1.2
million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 from $1.4 million for the three months ended June
30, 2008 due primarily to a $140,000 decrease in salary and employee related expenses. Our loss
from operations in Asia Pacific was $1.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared
to a loss of $3.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2008.
In Asia Pacific, revenues increased $920,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2009 compared
to the same period in 2008 (see Revenues above). Sales and marketing expense decreased to $2.1
million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 from $3.5 million for the six months ended June 30,
2008. The $1.4 million decrease was primarily due to a $1.4 million decrease in advertising to
acquire new subscribers for our e-mail products. General and administrative expenses were $2.4
million and $2.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and June 30, 2008, respectively.
Our loss from operations in Asia Pacific was $3.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to a loss of $6.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008.
Income Taxes
We recorded income tax provisions of $1.6 million and $2.9 million for the three months ended
June 30, 2009 and June 30, 2008, respectively. We recorded income tax provisions of $3.9 million
and $5.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and June 30, 2008, respectively. Our income
is generally taxed in the U.S. and our income tax provisions reflect federal and state statutory
rates applicable to our levels of income and expenses, adjusted to take into account expenses that
are treated as having no recognizable tax benefit. For the three months ended June 30, 2009 and
2008, our effective tax rates were 113% and 168%, respectively. For the six months ended June 30,
2009 and 2008, our effective tax rates were 96% and 166%, respectively. Our effective tax rate
decreased for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to 2008 and for the six months ended
June 30, 2009 compared to 2008 primarily due to the decrease in losses from our Europe and Asia
Pacific business segments which were treated as having no recognizable tax benefit.
We expect that our effective tax rate in future periods may fluctuate depending on the total
amount of expenses representing payments to former stockholders, from losses or gains incurred by
our operations in Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific, and corresponding U.S. tax credits, if any.
In January 2009, the IRS issued a Notice of Proposed Adjustment contesting our tax deductions
in 2005 and 2006 related to the program under which we made cash payments to people who established
that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to submit requests
to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period and in June
2009, the IRS issued their examination report. We are currently evaluating the IRS proposed changes
per their examination report to determine if we agree, but if agreed, the proposed changes would
result in a payment of approximately $724,000 which is in
long-term tax liabilities.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2009, we had $15.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash
equivalents increased from $14.2 million as of December 31, 2008 primarily as a result of cash
provided by operating activities and financing activities offset by cash used in investing
activities as explained below. We expect that cash on hand will be sufficient to provide for
working capital needs for at least the next 12 months.
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Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ | 2,071 | $ | 584 | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(2,964 | ) | (2,232 | ) | ||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
2,158 | 185 | ||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents |
100 | (161 | ) | |||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 1,365 | $ | (1,624 | ) | |||
Cash provided by operating activities is net income or net loss adjusted for certain non-cash
items and changes in assets and liabilities. Net cash provided by operating activities for the six
months ended June 30, 2009 increased by $1.5 million compared to the six months ended June 30,
2008. The $1.5 million increase in cash provided by operating activities was due to $2.3 million
increase in net income and a $1.3 million increase in non-cash related items related to
depreciation and amortization, provision for losses on accounts receivable, and net foreign
currency effects. This was partially offset by a $2.2 million decrease in our operating assets and
liabilities mainly due to the timing of payments of income taxes.
Net cash used in investing activities was $3.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009
compared to $2.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2008. During the six months ended June
30, 2009, we used $1.8 million to purchase the fly.com domain name and we used $1.2 million for the
purchase of property and equipment. During the six months ended June 30, 2008, we used $1.4 million
for the purchase of property and equipment and $875,000 to purchase restricted cash which serves
as the collateral for a standby letter of credit for the security deposit of our corporate
headquarters.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $2.2 million for the six months ended June 30,
2009. For the six months ended June 30, 2009 and June 30, 2008, net cash provided by financing
activities was due to the exercise of stock options.
Our capital requirements depend on a number of factors, including market acceptance of our
products and services, the amount of our resources we devote to the development of new products,
cash payments to former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, expansion of our operations, and
the amount of resources we devote to promoting awareness of the Travelzoo and Fly.com brands. Since
the inception of the program under which we would make cash payments to people who establish that
they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to submit requests to
convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period, we have
incurred expenses of $2.7 million. While future payments for this program are expected to decrease,
the total cost of this program is still undeterminable because it is dependent on our stock price
and on the number of valid requests ultimately received. Consistent with our growth, we have
experienced substantial increases in our cost of revenues, sales and marketing expenses and our
general and administrative expenses, and we anticipate that these increases will continue for the
foreseeable future. We believe cash on hand will be sufficient to pay such costs. In addition, we
will continue to evaluate possible investments in businesses, products and technologies, the
consummation of any of which would increase our capital requirements.
Although we currently believe that we have sufficient capital resources to meet our
anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months,
unanticipated events and opportunities or a less favorable than expected development of our
business in Asia Pacific and Europe may require us to sell additional equity or debt securities or
establish new credit facilities to raise capital in order to meet our capital requirements.
If we sell additional equity or convertible debt securities, the sale could dilute the
ownership of our existing stockholders. If we issue debt securities or establish a new credit
facility, our fixed obligations could increase, and we may be required to agree to operating
covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot be sure that any such financing will be
available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us.
If the development of our business in Asia Pacific and Europe is less favorable than expected,
we may decide to significantly reduce the size of our operations and marketing expenses in these
markets with the objective of reducing cash outflow. In February 2009, our
Board of Directors began reviewing strategic alternatives for our business in Asia Pacific.
For the six months ended June 30, 2009, cash used in operating activities in Asia Pacific and
Europe was $3.0 million and $1.6 million, respectively.
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The following summarizes our principal contractual commitments as of June 30, 2009 (in
thousands):
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Thereafter | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating leases |
$ | 2,254 | $ | 3,461 | $ | 2,326 | $ | 2,033 | $ | 1,924 | $ | 161 | $ | 12,159 | ||||||||||||||
Purchase obligations |
1,050 | 1,205 | | | | | 2,255 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total commitments |
$ | 3,304 | $ | 4,666 | $ | 2,326 | $ | 2,033 | $ | 1,924 | $ | 161 | $ | 14,414 | ||||||||||||||
We also have contingencies related to net unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $788,000
as of June 30, 2009, which we are unable to make reasonably reliable estimates on the timing of the
cash settlements with the respective taxing authorities.
Growth Strategy
Our growth strategy has two main elements:
| Replicate our business model in selected foreign markets in Asia Pacific and in Europe; and | ||
| Expand the scope of our business model. |
In 2009, we are continuing to develop our entertainment content and related advertising
services, including information on outstanding deals for shows, sporting events, concerts, and
other entertainment.
In February 2009, we launched Fly.com, a new travel search engine. We intend to allocate
significant resources towards the development and marketing of Fly.com.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (SFAS 157). SFAS 157
establishes a framework for measuring the fair value of assets and liabilities. This framework is
intended to provide increased consistency in how fair value determinations are made under various
existing accounting standards which permit, or in some cases require, estimates of fair market
value. SFAS 157 became effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim
periods within those fiscal years. FSP 157-2 delayed the effective date of SFAS 157 for all
non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities, except those recognized or disclosed at fair
value in the financial statements on a recurring basis, until the beginning of the first quarter of
fiscal 2009. Effective January 1, 2009, we adopted Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Staff
Position No. 157-2, Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 157 (FSP 157-2). The adoption of FSP
157-2 did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial
condition.
Effective January 1, 2009, we adopted FASB Staff Position No. 142-3, Determination of the
Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP 142-3), which amends the factors an entity should consider
in developing renewal or extension assumptions used in determining the useful life of recognized
intangible assets under FASB Statement No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. This
guidance applies prospectively to intangible assets that are acquired individually or with a group
of other assets in business combinations and asset acquisitions. Under FSP 142-3, entities
estimating the useful life of a recognized intangible asset must consider their historical
experience in renewing or extending similar arrangements or, in the absence of historical
experience, must consider assumptions that market participants would use about renewal or
extension. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on our consolidated results of
operations or financial condition.
In April 2009, the FASB issued
FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1, Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments, which amends FASB Statement No. 107,
Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments, (SFAS No. 107), to require an entity to provide interim disclosures
about the fair value of all financial instruments within the scope of SFAS No. 107 and to include disclosures related to
the methods and significant assumptions used in estimating those instruments. This FSP was effective for interim and
annual periods ending after June 15, 2009. The adoption of these pronouncements did not have a material impact on our consolidated results
of operations or financial condition.
In May 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 165, Subsequent Events (SFAS 165). SFAS 165 is
effective for interim and annual periods ending after June 15, 2009. SFAS 165 is intended to
establish general standards of accounting for and disclosure of events that occur after the balance
sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. It requires
the disclosure of the date through which an entity has evaluated subsequent events and the basis
for that datethat is, whether that date represents the date the financial statements were issued
or were available to be issued. This disclosure should alert all users of financial statements that
an entity has not evaluated subsequent events after that date in the set of financial statements
being presented. In particular, SFAS 165 sets forth the period after the balance sheet date
during which management of a reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur
for potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements and the circumstances under
which an entity should
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recognize events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date in
its financial statements. Effective June 30, 2009, we adopted SFAS 165. The adoption of this
standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial
condition.
In June 2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 167, Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R)
(SFAS 167). SFAS 167 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after November 15,
2009. Earlier adoption is prohibited. SFAS 167 requires a company to perform qualitative
analysis when determining whether it must consolidate a variable interest entity and ongoing
reassessments to determine if a company must consolidate a variable interest entity. SFAS 167 requires a company to provide additional disclosures about its involvement with variable
interest entities, any significant changes in risk exposure due to that involvement and how its
involvement with a variable interest entity affects the companys financial statements. A company
will also be required to disclose any significant judgments and assumptions made in determining
whether it must consolidate a variable interest entity. We do not expect the adoption of SFAS 167 to have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations or financial
position.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Any or all of the risks listed
below as well as other variables affecting our operating results could have a material adverse
effect on our business, our quarterly and annual operating results or financial condition, which
could cause the market price of our stock to decline or cause substantial volatility in our stock
price, in which event the value of your common stock could decline. You should also keep these risk
factors in mind when you read forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Business Model
We cannot assure you that we will be profitable.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2009, we reported net income of $146,000. In the year ended
December 31, 2008, we reported a net loss of $4.1 million. Although we were profitable for the six
months ended June 30, 2009 and had been profitable prior to 2008, there is no assurance that we
will be profitable again in the future. We forecast our future expense levels based on our
operating plans and our estimates of future revenues. We may find it necessary to significantly
accelerate expenditures relating to our sales and marketing efforts or otherwise increase our
financial commitment to creating and maintaining brand awareness among Internet users and travel
companies. If our revenues grow at a slower rate than we anticipate, or if our spending levels
exceed our expectations or cannot be adjusted to reflect slower revenue growth, we may not generate
sufficient revenues to be profitable. We expect our operations in Europe to incur
significant losses in the next 12 months to two years and we
expect our operations in Asia Pacific to incur significant losses for
at least the next three years. We expect that this will have a material
negative impact on our operating margins, net income and cash flows. Any of these developments
could result in a significant decrease in the trading price of our common stock.
Fluctuations in our operating results may negatively impact our stock price.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly in the future due to a variety of
factors that could affect our revenues or our expenses in any particular quarter. You should not
rely on quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our results of operations as an indication of future
performance. Factors that may affect our quarterly results include:
| mismatches between resource allocation and client demand due to difficulties in predicting client demand in a new market; | ||
| changes in general economic conditions that could affect marketing efforts generally and online marketing efforts in particular; | ||
| the magnitude and timing of marketing initiatives, including our acquisition of new subscribers and our expansion efforts in other regions; | ||
| the introduction, development, timing, competitive pricing and market acceptance of our products and services and those of our competitors; | ||
| our ability to attract and retain key personnel; |
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| our ability to manage our anticipated growth and expansion; | ||
| our ability to attract traffic to our Web sites; | ||
| technical difficulties or system downtime affecting the Internet generally or the operation of our products and services specifically; | ||
| payments which we may make to previous stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation who failed to submit requests to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time period; and | ||
| volatility of our operating results in new markets. |
We may significantly increase our operating expenses related to advertising campaigns for
Travelzoo for a certain period if we see a unique opportunity for a brand marketing campaign, if we
find it necessary to respond to increased brand marketing by a competitor, or if we decide to
accelerate our acquisition of new subscribers.
If revenues fall below our expectations in any quarter and we are unable to quickly reduce our
operating expenses in response, our operating results would be lower than expected and our stock
price may fall.
Our business model may not be adaptable to a changing market.
Our current revenue model depends on advertising fees paid primarily by travel companies. If
current clients decide not to continue advertising their offers with us and we are unable to
replace them with new clients, our business may be adversely affected. To be successful, we must
provide online marketing solutions that achieve broad market acceptance by travel companies. In
addition, we must attract sufficient Internet users with attractive demographic characteristics to
our products. It is possible that we will be required to further adapt our business model in
response to changes in the online advertising market or if our current business model is not
successful. If we are not able to anticipate changes in the online advertising market or if our
business model is not successful, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We may not be able to obtain sufficient funds to grow our business and any additional financing may
be on terms adverse to your interests.
For the six months ended June 30, 2009, our cash and cash equivalents increased by $1.4
million to $15.5 million. We intend to continue to grow our business, and intend to fund our
current operations and anticipated growth from the cash on hand. However, this may not be
sufficient to meet our cash needs. We may not be able to obtain financing on commercially
reasonable terms, or at all.
If additional financing is not available when required or is not available on acceptable
terms, we may be unable to fund our expansion, successfully promote our brand name, develop or
enhance our products and services, take advantage of business opportunities, or respond to
competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we choose to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity securities, you may
experience significant dilution of your ownership interest and holders of the additional equity
securities may have rights senior to those of the holders of our common stock. If we obtain
additional financing by issuing debt securities, the terms of these securities could restrict or
prevent us from paying dividends and could limit our flexibility in making business decisions.
Our business may be sensitive to recessions.
The demand for online advertising may be linked to the level of economic activity and
employment in the U.S. and abroad. Specifically, our business is primarily dependent on the demand
for online advertising from travel companies. The last recession decreased consumer travel and
caused travel companies to reduce or postpone their marketing spending generally, and their online
marketing spending in particular. The current recession and
recessions in general could have a material adverse effect on our business
and financial condition.
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Our operations could be significantly hindered by the occurrence of a natural disaster or other
catastrophic event.
Our operations are susceptible to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications
failures, unexpected technical problems in the systems that power our Web sites and distribute our
e-mail newsletters, break-ins and similar events. In addition, a significant portion of our network
infrastructure is located in Northern California, an area susceptible to earthquakes. We do not
have multiple site capacity in the event of any such occurrence. Outages could cause significant
interruptions of our service. In addition, despite our implementation of network security measures,
our servers are vulnerable to computer viruses, physical and electronic break-ins, and similar
disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our computer systems. We do not carry business
interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur as a result of any of these
events.
Technological or other assaults on our service could harm our business.
We are vulnerable to coordinated attempts to overload our systems with data, which could
result in denial or reduction of service to some or all of our users for a period of time. We have
experienced denial of service attacks in the past, and may experience such attempts in the future.
Any such event could reduce our revenue and harm our operating results and financial condition. We
do not carry business interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur as a result
of any of these events.
Risks Related to Our Markets and Strategy
Our international expansion is expected to result in substantial operating losses, and is subject
to other material risks.
In May 2005, we began operations in the U.K. In 2006, we began operations in Canada, Germany,
and Spain. In 2007, we began operations in Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan.
Although our revenues in Europe increased 52% in the six months ended June 30, 2009 from the
same period last year, we expect our operations in Europe will continue to incur significant losses
in the next 12 months to two years primarily as a result of significant expenses related to
subscriber acquisition and other marketing activities. We intend to continue adding a significant
number of subscribers in selected countries in which we operate as we believe this is one of the
factors what will allow us to increase our advertising rates and increase our revenues in Europe.
Although our revenues in Asia Pacific increased 836% in the six months ended June 30, 2009
from the same period last year, we expect our operations in Asia Pacific will continue to incur
significant losses for at least the next three years primarily as a result of significant expenses
related to subscriber acquisition and other marketing activities. We started in operations in Asia
Pacific in 2007 and we still do not know if there will be enough acceptance of our publications and
products by consumers and advertisers in all of the countries in which we operate to support the
level of operating expenses in these countries. We intend to continue adding a significant number
of subscribers in selected countries in which we operate as we believe this is one of the factors
what will allow us to increase our advertising rates and increase our revenues in Asia Pacific.
The
losses from our operations in Europe and Asia Pacific may not have any recognizable tax benefit. We expect that
this will have a material negative impact on our operating margins, net income and cash flows. Any
of these developments could result in a significant decrease in the trading price of our common
stock. In addition to uncertainty about our ability to generate net income from our foreign
operations and expand our international market position, there are certain risks inherent in doing
business internationally, including:
| trade barriers and changes in trade regulations; | ||
| difficulties in developing, staffing and simultaneously managing foreign operations as a result of distance, language and cultural differences; | ||
| stringent local labor laws and regulations; | ||
| currency exchange rate fluctuations; | ||
| risks related to government regulation; and | ||
| potentially adverse tax consequences. |
We may not be able to continue developing awareness of our brand names.
We believe that continuing to build awareness of the Travelzoo and Fly.com brand names is
critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our business. Brand recognition is a key
differentiating factor among providers of online advertising opportunities, and we believe it could
become more important as competition in our industry increases. In order to maintain and build
brand awareness, we must succeed in our marketing efforts. If we fail to successfully promote and
maintain our brand, incur significant expenses in promoting our brand and fail to generate a corresponding increase in revenue as a result of our branding
efforts, or encounter legal obstacles which prevent our continued use of our brand name, our
business could be materially adversely affected.
Our business may be sensitive to events affecting the travel industry in general.
Events like the war with Iraq or the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001 or the current
global financial crisis have a negative impact on the travel industry. We are not in a position to
evaluate the net effect of these circumstances on our business. In the longer term, our business
might be negatively affected by financial pressures on the travel industry. However, our business
may also benefit if travel
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companies increase their efforts to promote special offers or other
marketing programs. If such events result in a long-term negative impact on the travel industry,
such impact could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We will not be able to attract travel companies or Internet users if we do not continually enhance
and develop the content and features of our products and services.
To remain competitive, we must continually improve the responsiveness, functionality, and
features of our products and services. We may not succeed in developing features, functions,
products, or services that travel companies and Internet users find attractive. This could reduce
the number of travel companies and Internet users using our products and materially adversely
affect our business.
We may lose business if we fail to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and client needs.
Our success is dependent on our ability to develop new and enhanced software, services, and
related products to meet rapidly evolving technological requirements for online advertising. Our
current technology may not meet the future technical requirements of travel companies. Trends that
could have a critical impact on our success include:
| rapidly changing technology in online advertising; | ||
| evolving industry standards, including both formal and de facto standards relating to online advertising; | ||
| developments and changes relating to the Internet; | ||
| competing products and services that offer increased functionality; and | ||
| changes in travel company and Internet user requirements. |
If we are unable to timely and successfully develop and introduce new products and
enhancements to existing products in response to our industrys changing technological
requirements, our business could be materially adversely affected.
Our business and growth will suffer if we are unable to hire and retain highly skilled personnel.
Our future success depends on our ability to attract, train, motivate, and retain highly
skilled employees. We may be unable to retain our skilled employees, or attract, assimilate, and
retain other highly skilled employees in the future. We have from time to time in the past
experienced, and we expect to continue to experience in the future, difficulty in hiring and
retaining highly skilled employees with appropriate qualifications. If we are unable to hire and
retain skilled personnel, our growth may be restricted, which could adversely affect our future
success.
We may not be able to effectively manage our expanding operations.
Since the commencement of our operations, we have experienced a period of rapid growth. In
order to execute our business plan, we must continue to grow significantly. As of June 30, 2009, we
had 216 employees. We expect that the number of our employees will continue to increase for the
foreseeable future. This growth has placed, and our anticipated future growth will continue to
place, a significant strain on our management, systems, and resources. We expect that we will need
to continue to improve our financial and managerial controls and reporting systems and procedures.
We will also need to continue to expand and maintain close coordination among our sales,
production, marketing, IT, and finance departments. We may not succeed in these efforts. Our
inability to expand our operations in an efficient manner could cause our expenses to grow disproportionately to
revenues, our revenues to decline or grow more slowly than expected and could otherwise have a
material adverse effect on our business.
Intense competition may adversely affect our ability to achieve or maintain market share and
operate profitably.
We face intense competition. We compete for advertising dollars with large Internet portal
sites, such as America Online, MSN, and Yahoo!, that offer listings or other advertising
opportunities for travel companies. These companies have significantly greater financial,
technical, marketing, and other resources and larger client bases. We compete with search engines
like Google and Yahoo! Search that offer pay-per-click listings. We also compete with travel
meta-search engines and online travel deal publishers. We also compete with
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large online travel agencies like Expedia and Priceline that also offer advertising placements. In addition, we compete
with newspapers, magazines, and other traditional media companies that operate Web sites which
provide online advertising opportunities. We expect to face additional competition as other
established and emerging companies, including print media companies, enter the online advertising
market. Competition could result in reduced margins on our services, loss of market share, or less
use of Travelzoo by travel companies and consumers. If we are not able to compete effectively with
current or future competitors as a result of these and other factors, our business could be
materially adversely affected.
Loss of any of our key management personnel could negatively impact our business.
Our future success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination
of our management team, particularly Holger Bartel, our Chief Executive Officer. The loss or
departure of any of our officers or key employees could materially adversely affect our ability to
implement our business plan. We do not maintain key person life insurance for any member of our
management team. In addition, we expect new members to join our management team in the future.
These individuals will not previously have worked together and will be required to become
integrated into our management team. If our key management personnel are not able to work together
effectively or successfully, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We may not be able to access third party technology upon which we depend.
We use technology and software products from third parties including Microsoft. Technology
from our current or other vendors may not continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable
terms, or at all. Our business will suffer if we are unable to access this technology, to gain
access to additional products or to integrate new technology with our existing systems. This could
cause delays in our development and introduction of new services and related products or
enhancements of existing products until equivalent or replacement technology can be accessed, if
available, or developed internally, if feasible. If we experience these delays, our business could
be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to the Market for our Shares
Our stock price has been volatile historically and may continue to be volatile.
The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be subject to wide
fluctuations. Our stock price may fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors, such as
quarterly variations in operating results; announcements of technological innovations or new
products by us or our competitors; changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities
analysts; the operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors may deem
comparable to us; and news reports relating to trends in our markets or general economic
conditions.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for Internet-related companies
in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating
performance of such companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect
the price of our stock, regardless of our operating performance.
We are controlled by a principal stockholder.
Ralph Bartel, who founded Travelzoo and who is our Chairman of the Board, is our largest
stockholder, holding beneficially, as of August 1, 2009, approximately 66.3% of our outstanding
shares. Through his share ownership, he is in a position to control Travelzoo and to elect our
entire board of directors.
Risks Related to Legal Uncertainty
We may become subject to burdensome government regulations and legal uncertainties affecting the
Internet which could adversely affect our business.
To date, governmental regulations have not materially restricted use of the Internet in our
markets. However, the legal and regulatory environment that pertains to the Internet is uncertain
and may change. Uncertainty and new regulations could increase our costs of doing business, prevent
us from delivering our products and services over the Internet, or slow the growth of the Internet.
In addition to new laws and regulations being adopted, existing laws may be applied to the
Internet. New and existing laws may cover issues which include:
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| user privacy; | ||
| anti-spam legislation; | ||
| consumer protection; | ||
| copyright, trademark and patent infringement; | ||
| pricing controls; | ||
| characteristics and quality of products and services; | ||
| sales and other taxes; and | ||
| other claims based on the nature and content of Internet materials. |
We may be liable as a result of information retrieved from or transmitted over the Internet.
We may be sued for defamation, negligence, copyright or trademark infringement or other legal
claims relating to information that is published or made available in our products. These types of
claims have been brought, sometimes successfully, against online services in the past. The fact
that we distribute information via e-mail may subject us to potential risks, such as liabilities or
claims resulting from unsolicited e-mail or spamming, lost or misdirected messages, security
breaches, illegal or fraudulent use of e-mail or interruptions or delays in e-mail service. In
addition, we could incur significant costs in investigating and defending such claims, even if we
ultimately are not liable. If any of these events occur, our business could be materially adversely
affected.
Claims may be asserted against us relating to shares not issued in our 2002 merger.
The merger of Travelzoo.com Corporation into the Company became effective on April 25, 2002.
Stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation were allowed a period of two years following the
effective date to receive shares in the Company. After April 25, 2004, two years following the
effective date, we ceased issuing shares to the former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation.
Many of the Netsurfer stockholders, who had applied to receive shares of Travelzoo.com
Corporation in 1998 for no cash consideration, did not elect to receive their shares which were
issuable in the merger prior to the end of the two-year period. A total of 4,115,532 of our shares
which had been reserved for issuance in the merger were not claimed.
It is possible that claims may be asserted against us in the future by former stockholders of
Travelzoo.com Corporation seeking to receive our shares, whether based on a claim that the two-year
deadline for exchanging their shares was unenforceable or otherwise. In addition, one or more
jurisdictions, including the Bahamas or the State of Delaware, may assert rights to unclaimed
shares under escheat statutes. If such escheat claims are asserted, we intend to challenge the
applicability of escheat rights in that, among other reasons, the identity, residency and
eligibility of the holders in question cannot be determined. There were certain conditions
applicable to the issuance of shares to the Netsurfer stockholders, including requirements that (i)
they be at least 18 years of age, (ii) they be residents of the U.S. or Canada and (iii) they not
apply for shares more than once. The Netsurfer stockholders were required to confirm their
compliance with these conditions, and were advised that failure to comply could result in
cancellation of their shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation. Travelzoo.com Corporation was not able
to verify that the applicants met the requirements referred to above at the time of their
applications for issuance of shares. If claims are asserted by persons claiming to be former
stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, we intend to assert that their rights to receive their shares expired two years
following the effective date of the merger, as provided in the merger agreement. We also expect to
take the position, if escheat or similar claims are asserted in respect of the unissued shares in
the future, that we are not required to issue such shares. Further, even if it were established
that unissued shares were subject to escheat claims, we would assert that the claimant must
establish that the original Netsurfer stockholders complied with the conditions to issuance of
their shares. We are not able to predict the outcome of any future claims which might be asserted
relating to the unissued shares. If such claims were asserted, and were fully successful, that
could result in us being required to issue up to an additional 4,068,000 shares of common stock for
no additional payment, which would result in substantial dilution of the ownership interests of the
other stockholders, and in our earnings per share, which could adversely affect the market price of
our common stock.
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On October 15, 2004, we announced a program under which we would make cash payments to persons
who establish that they were former stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation, and who failed to
submit requests to convert their shares into shares of Travelzoo Inc. within the required time
period. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include a charge in general
and administrative expenses of $2,000 for these cash payments for the six months ended June 30,
2009. The total cost of this program is not reliably estimable because it is based on the ultimate
number of valid requests received and future levels of our common stock price. Our common stock
price affects the liability because the amount of cash payments under the program is based in part
on the recent level of the stock price at the date valid requests are received. We do not know how
many of the requests for shares originally received by Travelzoo.com Corporation in 1998 were
valid, but we believe that only a portion of such requests were valid. As noted above, in order to
receive payment under the program, a person is required to establish that such person validly held
shares in Travelzoo.com Corporation. Assuming 100% of the requests from 1998 were valid, former
stockholders of Travelzoo.com Corporation holding approximately 4,068,000 shares had not submitted
claims under the program as of June 30, 2009.
Our internal controls over financial reporting may not be effective, and our independent auditors
may not be able to certify as to the effectiveness of our internal controls, which could have a
significant and adverse effect on our business.
We are obligated to evaluate our internal controls over financial reporting in order to allow
management to report on, and our independent auditors to opine on, our internal controls over
financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and
regulations of the SEC. In our Section 404 evaluation, we have identified areas of internal
controls that may need improvement and have instituted remediation efforts where necessary.
Currently, none of our identified areas that need improvement have been categorized as material
weaknesses. We may identify conditions that may result in significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses in the future.
We may be unable to protect our registered trademark or other proprietary intellectual property
rights.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the protection of the Travelzoo brand name.
We rely upon a combination of copyright, trade secret and trademark laws and non-disclosure and
other contractual arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. The steps we have taken
to protect our proprietary rights, however, may not be adequate to deter misappropriation of
proprietary information.
We have registered the Travelzoo trademark in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong,
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.K. If we are unable to protect our rights in the mark in
North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, a key element of our strategy of promoting Travelzoo as a
brand could be disrupted and our business could be adversely affected. We may not be able to detect
unauthorized use of our proprietary information or take appropriate steps to enforce our
intellectual property rights. In addition, the validity, enforceability, and scope of protection of
intellectual property in Internet-related industries are uncertain and still evolving. The laws of
countries in which we may market our services in the future are uncertain and may afford little or
no effective protection of our intellectual property. The unauthorized reproduction or other
misappropriation of our proprietary technology could enable third parties to benefit from our
technology and brand name without paying us for them. If this were to occur, our business could be
materially adversely affected.
We may face liability from intellectual property litigation that could be costly to prosecute or
defend and distract managements attention with no assurance of success.
We cannot be certain that our products, content and brand names do not or will not infringe
valid patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. While we
have a trademark for Travelzoo, many companies in the industry have similar names including the
word travel. We expect that infringement claims in our markets will increase in number as more
participants enter the markets. We may be subject to legal proceedings and claims from time to
time relating to the intellectual property of others in the ordinary course of our business. We may
incur substantial expenses in defending against these third party infringement claims, regardless
of their merit, and such claims could result in a significant diversion of the efforts of our
management personnel. Successful infringement claims against us may result in monetary liability or
a material disruption in the conduct of our business.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We believe that our potential exposure to changes in market interest rates is not material.
The Company has no outstanding debt and is not a party to any derivatives transactions. We invest
in highly liquid investments with short maturities. Accordingly, we do not expect any material loss
from these investments.
Our operations in Asia Pacific expose us to foreign currency risk associated with agreements
being denominated in Australian Dollars, Chinese Yuan, Hong Kong Dollars, Japanese Yen, and Taiwan
Dollars. Our operations in Canada expose us to foreign currency risk associated with agreements
being denominated in Canadian Dollars. Our operations in Europe expose us to foreign currency risk
associated with agreements being denominated in British Pounds Sterling and Euros. We are exposed
to foreign currency risk associated with fluctuations of these currencies as the financial position
and operating results of our operations in Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe will be translated into
U.S. Dollars for consolidation purposes. We do not use derivative instruments to hedge these
exposures. We are a net receiver of the foreign currencies and therefore benefit from a weaker U.S.
dollar and are adversely affected by a stronger U.S. dollar relative to the foreign currency. We
have performed a sensitivity analysis as of June 30, 2009, using a modeling technique that measures
the change in the fair values arising from a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in the levels of
foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar with all other variables held constant.
The foreign currency exchange rates we used were based on market rates in effect at June 30, 2009.
The sensitivity analysis indicated that a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in foreign currency
exchange rates would result in an incremental $477,000 foreign exchange loss for the three month
and six month periods ended June 30, 2009.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
For the period ended June 30, 2009, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and
with the participation of the Companys management, including the Companys Chief Executive Officer
along with the Companys Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation
of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e).
Based upon that evaluation, the Companys Chief Executive Officer along with the Companys Chief
Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure
that the information required to be disclosed by us in this quarterly report was recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and
regulations and were also effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in
this quarterly report was accumulated and communicated to our management including the Companys
Chief Executive Officer and the Companys Chief Financial Officer to allow timely decisions
regarding its disclosure.
During the three months ended June 30, 2009, there was no change in our internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f)) that materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
PART IIOTHER INFORMATION
Item 1A. Risk Factors
An updated description of the risk factors associated with our business is included under
Risk Factors in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations, contained in Item 2 of Part I of this report. This description includes any material
changes to and supersedes the description of the risk factors associated with our business
previously disclosed in Item 1A of our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein
by reference.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
The annual meeting of stockholders occurred on June 4, 2009, at which the following
individuals were elected as directors: Holger Bartel, Ralph Bartel, David J. Ehrlich, Donovan
Neale-May, and Kelly M. Urso.
The stockholders voted as follows:
Proposal | For | Withhold or Abstain | ||||||
Election of Directors |
||||||||
Holger Bartel |
12,475,322 | 1,693,970 | ||||||
Ralph Bartel |
12,478,003 | 1,691,289 | ||||||
David J. Ehrlich |
14,053,717 | 115,575 | ||||||
Donovan Neale-May |
14,055,164 | 114,128 | ||||||
Kelly M. Urso |
14,061,735 | 107,557 |
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Item 6. Exhibits
The following table sets forth a list of exhibits:
Exhibit | ||
Number | Description | |
3.1
|
Certificate of Incorporation of Travelzoo Inc. (Incorporated by reference to our Pre-Effective Amendment No. 6 to Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-55026), filed February 14, 2002). | |
3.2
|
By-laws of Travelzoo Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 6 to our Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-55026), filed February 14, 2002). | |
31.1
|
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. | |
31.2
|
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. | |
32.1
|
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.2
|
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| Filed herewith | |
| Furnished herewith |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
TRAVELZOO INC. (Registrant) |
||||
By: | /s/ Wayne Lee | |||
Wayne Lee | ||||
On behalf of the Registrant and as Chief Financial Officer | ||||
Date: August 10, 2009
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