The Plan

What The Plan does

The Plan is an Italian-based international architecture and design media company, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bologna as a subsidiary of the Maggioli SpA publishing group. Its core product is THE PLAN Magazine, published eight times per year in print and digital, covering international architecture, interior design, urban planning, and contract projects, with editorial content produced in Italian, English, Chinese, and Spanish editions. The company operates a digital publishing platform combining a webzine, a searchable thematic database of articles, and subscription management infrastructure serving architecture and design professionals globally.

Revenue is generated through a multi-product monetization model: tiered print+digital and digital-only subscriptions priced from €42 to €194 per year (with 40–65% discounts for multi-year commitments and a separate student tier), single-issue pay-as-you-go purchases, pay-per-submission award program fees (€199–€349 for THE PLAN Award, free for ECCA), event registration for the Seminari di Architettura webinars and the Perspective forum, bookstore sales through The Plan Editions, and academic publishing through Politecnica University Press. The company serves four primary customer segments: professional architects and studios, interior designers and contract specialists, real estate developers, and academic institutions.

The Plan's ecosystem extends beyond publishing through three award programs (THE PLAN Award with 1,300+ annual submissions across 20 categories, THE PLAN Real Estate Award, and THE PLAN ECCA Award in partnership with the European Coil Coating Association), the annual Perspective networking forum, CNAPPC-accredited continuing education seminars, and direct content submission programs. With 5,583+ documented award results and a 686-title academic catalog, the platform functions as both a media property and a professional community infrastructure for the global architecture industry.

Name

The Plan

Legal name

Maggioli SpA

Website

https://theplan.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Plan is an Italian-founded international architecture and design media company (est. 2001, Bologna), publishing a flagship quarterly-cycle magazine, a thematic article database, and multiple award programs serving architects, interior designers, real estate developers, and academic institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Design Publishing

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Architecture, Construction & Building Codes Reference (Design, BIM, Safety Codes) (EDAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Content Strategy & Planning (BPAFAIAG)

Keywords

• Architecture publishing
• Design magazine
• Interior design content
• Architecture awards
• Academic publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bologna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Plan is an international architecture and design publishing platform operated by Maggioli SpA. It produces a flagship bi-monthly architecture magazine (THE PLAN, 8 issues per year), specialized publications (Interior Design & Contract, Outdoor), an academic journal (The Plan Journal), and book series (The Plan Editions, Politecnica University Press). The company sells print and digital subscriptions, individual issues, monographs, and thematic database access to architecture and design professionals globally, and also runs annual award programs (THE PLAN Award, Real Estate Award, ECCA Award) with paid registration.

Product overview

THE PLAN is an international architecture and design webzine/magazine offering a multi-product portfolio. The core product is THE PLAN Magazine (8 annual issues), complemented by specialized publications including THE PLAN Interior Design & Contract (annual edition), The Plan Journal (academic), and Outdoor (outdoor design). The company operates multiple award programs: THE PLAN Award (architecture/design), THE PLAN Real Estate Award, and THE PLAN ECCA Award (prepainted metal architecture). Digital offerings include THE PLAN Database (searchable archive), THE PLAN Digital subscription, and online content. Educational initiatives include Seminari di Architettura (webinars) and the Perspective networking forum. Publishing divisions include Politecnica University Press (academic) and The Plan Editions (monographs).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perspective: International forum of architecture and interior design, founded in 2009, serving as a networking and knowledge platform for the architecture and contract industry.
• THE PLAN Award
• THE PLAN Real Estate Award
• THE PLAN ECCA Award
• Seminari di Architettura
• Politecnica University Press
• The Plan Editions
• The Plan Journal
• Outdoor
• The Plan Database

Products and services

• THE PLAN Magazine The flagship international architecture and design publication, released 8 times per year in Italian and English (with Chinese and Spanish editions), covering international architecture, interior design, and urban planning projects for architects, designers, and built-environment professionals.
• THE PLAN Interior Design & Contract Annual special edition dedicated to interior design and contract projects, covering hospitality, adaptive reuse, living, working, retail, and yachting sectors, distributed as part of THE PLAN subscription bundles.
• THE PLAN Database
• The Plan Journal
• Outdoor - Living Design Technology
• Politecnica University Press
• The Plan Editions

Quantifiable outcome

• THE PLAN Award receives 1300+ project submissions annually across 20 categories
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wallpaper*: Global design and architecture magazine with print, digital, and award properties; comparable business model combining subscription magazine with design awards and curated project content.
• Azure Magazine: Canadian architecture and design magazine with print+digital subscriptions and award programs (AZ Awards); comparable in scale, professional audience focus, and subscription/award revenue mix.
• Frame Awards / Frame Publishers: Amsterdam-based design and architecture publisher with magazines, online platform, and the Frame Awards; closely comparable as a European design publication combining editorial content with industry award programs.
• Designboom: Online architecture and design magazine publishing daily global content; competes for the same professional/architect audience as The Plan with a digitally native, mostly free-content model.
• Casabella: Italian architecture magazine with deep professional and academic roots; directly comparable as a long-established Italian-language architecture publication serving architects and designers.
• ArchDaily: Largest architecture web platform globally publishing free project coverage in multiple languages; competes directly with The Plan's webzine and challenges paid subscription economics for curated architecture content.
• Dezeen: Global architecture and design digital publication with daily editorial coverage, awards programs (Dezeen Awards), and a strong online community; directly competes with The Plan for architect and designer readership globally.
• Domus: Historic Italian architecture and design magazine founded in 1928; shares Bologna/Italian roots, professional audience, and magazine+book publishing model, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Broad incumbents

• Architectural Record: Long-established US architecture trade magazine with continuing education and awards; comparable as a professional-architect publication with subscription, awards, and event revenue streams.
• Architectural Digest: Condé Nast's flagship architecture and design magazine; both operate architecture/design periodicals with multi-language reach, premium subscription tiers, and project showcases — Architectural Digest is the larger incumbent at consumer level, while The Plan targets professional/architect audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPKVEvG2fmK_CTlmeLaO4pQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/theplanmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-plan
• Instagraminstagram.com/theplanmag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Plan