WAYN.com - uniting travellers all over the world Over a beer one night, two friends were wondering where all the interesting people they`d met while backpacking around the world during their gap year were now. And so, travel-based social networking site Where Are You Now? was born.

Jerome Touze and Peter Ward launched WAYN.com in May 2003, and within a year they had about 50 000 members through word of mouth. Today, following a relaunch and securing investment funding, the site claims over 13 million users - 95 000 of whom are in SA.

Though not as popular as Facebook or MySpace, WAYN.com has grown into a global brand.

And, the two friends manage a staff of 13 at their head office in London and a further 45 contract developers at their office in Poland.

STAY FOCUSED

"We have the biggest community for a travel and lifestyle focused network, and we give people location and community and all the tools they need to share their content. We have to ensure we cement this niche by continuing to stay focused on innovation," says Touze, who will be in SA in early September for the E-Tourism Africa conference to be held in Johannesburg (www.e-tourismafrica.com).

Touze admits there is much competition in this space, "but the successful networks have a focus, that`s why their members need them and stay faithful. On WAYN, not only can you meet someone coming to your town next weekend, but you can get advice from someone on the other side of the world as to which hotel or hostel is more family focused, or easier walking distance from the beach. Ultimately we connect people and places, and we give them the communication tools to do so easily," he says. "Our goals are to continue to add excellent travel and lifestyle related services to members. From logging your past trips and connecting with someone you lost touch with, to adding new trips, researching locations, organising itineraries and actually placing the bookings for flights, accommodation, getting yourself insured and prepared with a speaking translator downloaded to your mobile phone, and a global SIM card charged and ready to avoid roaming charges and expensive international call charges. We want to provide a site which not only connects people all over the world, but helps them to explore other cultures online. It also gets them there in person, well prepared, to their perfect location recommended by trusted friends," enthuses Touze.

They`ve also launched a mobile site. "This local interaction is integral for users who have their phone in their pocket and want user-generated content, reviews, tips, or local advice right here and right now, wherever they are," notes Touze.

A WAYN lifestyle card is also in the offing: it`s a MasterCard-enabled prepaid card which allows users to top up and spend overseas.

KEEP INNOVATING

Touze admits that the travel social networking space is "pretty saturated, but that wouldn`t stop someone coming in and doing something better. As a founder and CEO, I`ve always got to consider the competition - it`s what keeps us innovating.

Touze concedes that he has little time to travel for pleasure anymore. "I`ve spent more time on a plane than driving a car in the last 12 months, but unfortunately it is always back-to-back business with very little time for exploring a new city," he remarks.