To mark the 20^th anniversary of SALIFE, Telum Media spoke to the Editor, Liz Walsh, about the publication's growth and dedication to sharing stories with its South Australian audience.

Reflecting on the past 20 years, what do you consider the magazine's most significant milestones?
Without a doubt, our most significant milestone was celebrating our 20^th anniversary. For a publication that began its life as a small, independent magazine to still be thriving some two decades later is something we are all very proud of. We celebrated our 20-year milestone in style with a gorgeous 288-page "Collector's Issue" released in December.

Other significant milestones have included expanding our magazine offerings to feature standalone gardens, homes, and travel magazines.

Can you share any memorable stories from your time as the Editor that stand out?
I have been Editor of SALIFE since October 2022. Some of the memorable moments include bringing acclaimed chef Kane Pollard on board as a recipe contributor, having AFLW superstar Erin Phillips do handstands for a fashion shoot, heading to the remote Flinders Ranges in search of rare birds, and hosting a very special dinner party at Adelaide Oval in the shade of the historic scoreboard. Bringing these stories and people to our readers is an honour and privilege.

How has the magazine evolved since its establishment, and what factors contributed to its growth and success?
We started as a print magazine in December 2003, and a little over 20 years later, we remain a print magazine. Yet, SALIFE has become so much more. We have expanded to include a whole suite of publications, publishing four SALIFE Garden & Outdoor Living magazines each year as well as annual publications SALIFE Food+Wine+Travel and SALIFE Premium Property. In 2022, we went from an 11-magazine-a-year publication to a 12-issue magazine, which has been a huge achievement (we now publish a standalone January issue, where previously we printed a December / January issue). We also now send two EDMs to our digital subscribers each week, with digital-only content, as well as published content from past magazines.

The other arm of SALIFE is our annual "Absolute Best Awards" program, which is now in its fourth year, whereby we acknowledge the success stories of our state with a grand ceremony and party each December. We honour the best home, garden, designer, artist, and brand for the year, to name a few. In 2023, we awarded 14 winners, including Adelaide Fringe director Heather Croall, as the SALIFE Person of the Year.

A big part of our growth and success can be attributed to our clear brand identity - that we offer the best of Adelaide and South Australia - and that brand identity is something we have not wavered from over the past two decades. This philosophy makes our brand a reliable one. Our readers know they will always be getting high-quality content. We also have very loyal advertisers, some of whom have been with us since our inception.

While much has changed, the core of what we do has remained the same for the past 20 years. Every month, we step inside a gorgeous South Australian home, whip up delicious recipes using local ingredients, inspire readers with a standalone profile story about a South Australian, deliver to readers what's going on in our arts scene and social scene, and publish weddings. This remains the core of the magazine's content.

How has the magazine adapted to stay relevant and engage its audience in the changing media landscape?
SALIFE is primarily a print magazine, but it stays relevant thanks to our steadfast philosophy of telling good stories well and informing our very loyal audience about the people and places that make South Australia a fabulous state to live in. Media consumers might tend to get their news online more now than when we first started publishing, but our retail sales remain strong, and there remains that luxury feel to SALIFE. Picking up our magazine and flicking through the physical pages is something of an indulgence.

Of course, with all that said, we know we are in the digital age, and social media has become a key aspect of our audience engagement. This allows us to tease what's coming up in a new magazine issue, encouraging the audience to go out and purchase it, as well as give people a behind-the-scenes look at past issues, letting the audience see the process of developing a magazine, and discovering the stories behind it.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals for the magazine in the next chapter of its history?
Someone commented to me recently that the worth of SALIFE is in its commitment to telling good stories about South Australians and consistently doing that well. In our modern-day media landscape, SALIFE remains as important as ever in helping promote state pride and inspiring our readers. That remains at the absolute core of SALIFE and what we will continue to deliver for another 20 years and beyond!