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South Florida Retail Market Saw a Surge of New Leases in First Quarter 2021
Demand for retail space in South Florida is heating up with small and midsize retailers leading the pack
FORT LAUDERDALE , FLORIDA, US, May 14, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a sign the South Florida retail market is bouncing back faster than expected from the dark days of the pandemic, Miami Manager has signed seven new leases in the first quarter of 2021. The new tenants are quickly filling up spaces in Miami Manager’s community shopping centers in Doral, Coconut Creek, Plantation, Sunrise and West Palm Beach. The new leases total a space absorption of 17,507 square feet. The tenants are small to midsize businesses either entering new neighborhoods or expanding their current footprint.
The surge of retail leases in South Florida speaks to the market’s speedy recovery since retail stores were forced to shut down nearly a year ago, bringing lease deals to a halt.
“We are excited to welcome so many new tenants to our properties,” said Miami Manager COO Milton Mekler, who oversees leasing. “The high demand for space in community shopping centers truly shows how quickly the retail market has recovered in South Florida. By now, most of the space that became available during the pandemic has been absorbed. We are working closely with our prospective tenants to come up with deals that make economic sense to them and to us. We have been able to meet in the middle to create win-win situations given the fact some retailers are still nervous about the pandemic.”
Some of the new tenants include Locos X Grill, which has leased 4,240 square feet at our Shoppes at MICC at 7780 NW 25 Street. The new restaurant offers one-of-a-kind Chinese Venezuelan fusion and wood-fired BBQ.
Tennis Plaza, the No. 1 tennis retail store company in the U.S., has leased 1,533 square feet in Gateway at Sawgrass at 129 NW 136 Avenue. Tennis Plaza offers a world-class selection of tennis equipment, apparel and more for players of all ages and levels. Saphira Privé, which offers the most advanced and comprehensive unisex aesthetic and beauty treatments with state-of-the-art electro-aesthetic devices, has signed a lease for 1,003 square feet also at Gateway at Sawgrass. Embarcadero 41, with a cuisine based on the evolution of Peruvian gastronomy, has expanded its current location at Gateway at Sawgrass to include an additional 976 square feet. Embarcadero, which opened during the worst months of the pandemic, is expanding to occupy a total of 2,216 square feet.
Big Dreams Uniforms, South Florida’s source of uniforms for students, nurses, doctors and chefs, has leased 1,295 square feet in Plantation Marketplace at 7023 W. Broward Blvd. Smoke Pharm has leased 1,852 square feet in the same shopping plaza. Smoke Pharm sells hookahs, shisha tobacco, coals and hookah accessories.
Miracle Leaf, a premier medical cannabis health center that offers alternative pathways to healthier living, has leased 1,365 square feet at Village Shoppes of Coconut Creek at 690 N. State Road 7.
Miami Manager saw more activity in its community shopping centers in Broward County, where most of its properties are located. Broward has shown significant signs of improvement compared with 2020, when the pandemic forced retailers to shut down to curtail the spread of the virus. Case in point: the overall retail vacancy rate in Broward decreased 20-basis points from the fourth quarter, standing at 5.4 percent at the end of the first quarter, according to Colliers International. Meanwhile, the direct asking lease rate increased 3.7 percent quarter-over-quarter reaching $22.71 per square foot. Net absorption also increased quarter-over-quarter, from negative 118,916 square feet in the fourth quarter to positive 193,693 square feet in the first quarter.
The Miami-Dade County retail market experienced marginal changes in fundamentals in the first quarter of 2021, according to Colliers International. The overall vacancy rate did not change, ending the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 at 4.6 percent. The direct asking lease rate grew slightly, ending the first quarter at $36.87 per square foot; a 1.9 percent increase quarter-over-quarter. Net absorption posted a positive 42,526 square feet in the first quarter with leasing activity reaching 352,534 square feet.
The Palm Beach County retail market had a vacancy rate of 5.2 percent at the end of the first quarter, representing no change quarter-over-quarter, Colliers International reported. Meanwhile, the direct asking lease rate increased 4.4 percent, the most in South Florida, ending the first quarter at $24.51 per square foot. Net absorption posted a positive 50,337 square feet in the first quarter with leasing activity reaching 475,887 square feet, both values surpassing the previous quarter’s. While there were limited new deliveries in Q1 2021, 604,511 square feet remain under construction. Retail demand is expected to increase in the coming year due to increased in-migration of companies and residents and strengthening market fundamentals.
About Miami Manager
Miami Manager is a real estate investment company based in South Florida. The company owns and manages community shopping centers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Miami Manager's properties are home to local, regional and national retailers such Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, Dollar Tree Stores, Dick's Sporting Goods, Subway, Xfinity, Chick-fil-A, and Kohl's Department Stores. Miami Manager welcomes co-brokers.
For leasing information, contact Milton Mekler at email@example.com


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Since the launch of car2go in San Diego on Nov. 18, 2011, more than 6,000 people have registered as members of North America’s first all-electric carsharing program, and more than 25,000 trips have been taken in the smart fortwo electric drive car2go vehicles.
Prior to the launch of car2go in Nov. 2011, there were reportedly 800 electric vehicles in San Diego. With the introduction of car2go, an additional 300 smart fortwo electric drive cars have been brought to San Diego, increasing the City’s total number of EVs by nearly 40 percent. Since the introduction of car2go, the EV community in San Diego has grown exponentially to nearly 7,000 EV users, making San Diego one of the top cities in the world for electric vehicle drivers.
Today, the 300 car2go vehicles are collectively used among more than 6,000 members of the car2go carsharing program in San Diego, and that number continues to grow each day.
car2go launched in San Diego with approximately 500 rentals per week. Today the average number of car2go trips per week has increased to more than 3,500. The average trip lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, and the average distance driven in a car2go is between 5 and 10 miles.
car2go members can easily locate a car on the street anywhere within the car2go Home Area, via a smartphone app, via the car2go vehicle finder on the car2go website, by calling the customer call center, or simply by finding an available car on the street. Unlike traditional carsharing, members can begin their trip spontaneously or reserve a vehicle up to 24 hours in advance without committing to a mandatory return time or specific location. Members can use the cars for as long as they would like and pay only for the time they use the vehicle. Parking, insurance, re-charging and maintenance are included at no additional cost, and there are no annual fees.

domain: news


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Tim Cook confirmed that he invested in cryptocurrency using his own money. However, the billionaire CEO did not disclose which digital coin brand he put his money into.
(Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center on June 03, 2019 in San Jose, California. The WWDC runs through June 7.
Related Article: Apple CEO Tim Cook Stated They Will Deal With the Employee Who Leaked a Company Memo, Investigation Ongoing
He shared his decision during an interview conducted by The New York Times’ Dealbook conference.
However, he clarified that he is not planning to use Apple’s corporate funds to enter the rising blockchain market.
“I do. I think it’s reasonable to own it as part of a diversified portfolio. I’m not giving anyone investment advice by the way,” said the tech CEO via CNBC’s latest report.
Cook added that he is now researching more about these digital currencies since his interest in them is continuously growing.
Tim Cook Invests in Crypto, But Apple Would Not
According to The Verge’s latest report, Apple’s CEO is still cautious when it comes to using his company’s money to invest in various cryptocurrencies.
(Photo : Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 08, 2021 in Sun Valley, Idaho. After a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s most wealthy and powerful businesspeople from the media, finance, and technology worlds will converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive week-long conference.
Also Read: Apple CEO Tim Cook Just Got $355 Million Richer, So How Much His Net Worth Is?
He announced that the giant iPhone maker still has no plans for supporting digital currency payment options. Right now, Apple and other giant manufacturers are still refusing to integrate crypto payment features into their products.
On the other hand, he added that he is also becoming interested in NFTs. But, Cook said that it would still take some time before he invested in the rising blockchain artworks.
As of the moment, various cryptos started to appear. Recently, we reported that Catecoin would soon be listed on Gate.io. This digital coin brand is just one of the newest cryptocurrencies that arrived in the market.
Because of the rising value of the blockchain market, various companies, agencies, as well as government officials now want to enter the industry. These include the new NYC Mayor Eric Adams, saying that crypto should be taught in schools.
Apple Still Doesn’t Support Crypto Payment
Apple is one of the companies that still doesn’t support crypto payment. Although this is the case, the giant gadget creator is still trying to help consumers interested in the blockchain market.
These include Apple App Store supporting crypto wallets. But, this service still has some limitations since it doesn’t allow applications to mine digital currencies.
For more news updates about Tim Cook and other stories related to him, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
This article is owned by TechTimes
Written by: Griffin Davis
ⓒ 2021 Techbyandroid.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


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Myer Melbourne in Bourke Street Mall is one of the world’s most tightly held retail properties. The landmark building’s beauty department is viewed as a major tourist and consumer destination in its own right, encompassing all the major names.
Charter Hall and the Abacus Property Group have acquired a majority stake of 66 per cent – a third each – in the iconic store for AUD$270.4 million. The acquisition is the biggest CBD retail deal nationwide in 2021 to date and the largest Melbourne CBD transaction in more than 13 years.
Charter Hall has major retail investments and its portfolio includes Campbelltown Mall, Pacific Shopping Square in Maroubra and Secret Harbour Square in WA. The Abacus Property Group mainly invests in office buildings, including 99 Walker Street in North Sydney, Westpac House in Adelaide and 33 Queen Street in Brisbane.
Myer Melbourne is 100 per cent leased to Myer Holdings and offers more than nine levels of retail spanning 40,000 square metres. The remaining 33 per cent ownership has been retained by property manager Vicinity Centres.
The deal will close at the end of July. According to Lachlan MacGillivray, Head of Retail Investment for Colliers International who co-brokered the sale, Myer Melbourne represented one of the best CBD retail offerings in Australian history as the strongest single performing department store in Australia.


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In 2022, the United States set a new record for petroleum product exports, up 7% from 2021, according to our Petroleum Supply Monthly. U.S. petroleum product exports averaged 5.97 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2022 (405,000 b/d more than in 2021) driven by an increase of 18% (193,000 b/d) in distillate fuel oil.
Geopolitical disruptions that occurred in 2022 are likely to continue to affect global trade of crude oil and petroleum products in 2023. In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, the United States and many U.S. allies, particularly in Europe, announced various sanctions against Russia’s petroleum industry. As a result, prices and crack spreads for petroleum products rose in the second quarter of 2022, encouraging refiners globally to increase production. In the EU, petroleum from Russia had accounted for a large share of all energy imports, but the EU banned imports of crude oil from Russia starting in December 2022 and imports of petroleum products starting in February 2023.
The high volume of U.S. petroleum product exports in 2022 also reflected longer-term growth trends. U.S. exports of total petroleum products—which do not include crude oil—more than doubled to 5.97 million b/d in 2022 from 2.31 million b/d in 2010. Propane was the largest commodity export product by volume in 2022. In 2010, the United States exported 109,000 b/d of propane, compared with almost 1.4 million b/d in 2022. Other non-propane hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs), particularly ethane and normal butane, also accounted for the overall increase in U.S. export volumes.
Propane and other HGLs exports are directed primarily to the Asia Pacific region, accounting for more than half of total U.S. propane exports. Japan received the most U.S. propane exports in 2022 at 384,000 b/d.
U.S. distillate fuel oil exports in 2022 averaged 1.26 million b/d, which remained below pre-pandemic volumes. In 2019, exports averaged 1.31 million b/d. Although U.S. distillate exports to Europe noticeably increased, the United States sent most of its distillate fuel oil exports to Latin America.
U.S. exports of motor gasoline also increased in 2022, and unlike distillate exports, exceeded 2019 volumes, coming in at their highest annual average on record. Mexico has historically received the most U.S. gasoline exports, which was still the case last year.


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This is a great idea to highlight the opportunities all American’s have; #black america let’s look forward to what’s in store for our future. Sign this petition today!Read More
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DEARBORN, Mich., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Ford is tops in J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
The Blue Oval goes hand in hand with quality, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Initial Quality Study. For the first time, the Ford brand has the highest initial quality among all non-luxury brands. Additionally, Ford moved to fifth place among all brands from eighth last year, the highest position the company has achieved since its 23rd ranking in 2004. Some of Ford's most popular nameplates received top honors for their respective segments, including Ford Focus, Taurus and Mustang. more...
Kristen Kinley | email@example.com | 313.337.2786
kbb.com: Best all-new full-size pickup is Ford F-150
F-150 took the top spot in an all-new full-size pickup comparison test by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. The editors gave F-150 high marks for being outstanding across the board, but also for offering a well-rounded, thoroughly developed package. Along with praise for its driving dynamics, F-150 was also noted for both its exterior and interior styling. more...
Ford eco-friendly materials to near 100 percent by year's end
By the end of 2010, virtually Ford's entire North American portfolio will include eco-friendly materials. To that end, the next-generation Ford Explorer, coming this fall, will be the 23rd model to feature bio-based polyurethane foam in seat cushions, seatbacks and/or headliners, further delivering on Ford's commitment to employ more sustainable materials. more...
Dan Pierce | firstname.lastname@example.org | 313.594.0949
Free scheduled maintenance courtesy of Lincoln
Lincoln is adding a new side to the luxury experience – free scheduled maintenance on vehicles purchased this summer. Lincoln will cover all scheduled maintenance for three years or 45,000 miles for all customers who purchase or lease a new Lincoln before Sept. 7. The program includes oil changes, tire rotations and routine inspections, and replacement of such wear items as wiper blades and brake linings. more...
Robert Parker | email@example.com | 313.845.0784
Mustang 1,000-Lap Challenge to prove the pony delivers performance and fuel economy
Ford will attempt to run a 2011 Mustang V-6 1,000 laps – more than 500 miles and the equivalent of two back-to-back NASCAR races – on a single tank of fuel at Bristol Motor Speedway during the 1,000-Lap Challenge. A team of four Ford engineers, along with NASCAR star David Ragan will showcase Mustang's class-leading fuel economy. The 2011 Mustang V-6 delivers 31 mpg and 305 horsepower, making it the most fuel-efficient and the most powerful sports car on the market. more...
Susan Pollack | firstname.lastname@example.org | 313.434.6912
Ford honored by American Business Awards
Ford Motor Company won the "Business Turnaround of the Year for Companies with More Than 2,500 Employees" at the 2010 American Business Awards. The award recognizes Ford's efforts to turn the corner in 2009 in the face of a global economic crisis as well as unprecedented events in the U.S. auto industry. The winners are presented annually to the best entries in 40 categories, including management, customer service, marketing, human resources, communications, information technology and sales. more...
Bill Collins | email@example.com | 212.265.2794
Ford E-Series vanpooling program sees a whopping 150 mpg
The Ford E-Series, America's top-selling van for 31 years, now has a new accolade: It's a stellar commuter vehicle. In fact, thousands of E-Series vans are achieving an amazing 150 passenger-miles per gallon each day as commuter vehicles for VPSI, a leader in developing and maintaining world-class vanpool programs. VPSI's use of Ford E-Series vanpools takes 14 million commuter vehicles off the nation's roadways each year, saving more than $73 million in fuel and reducing CO2 emissions by 259,000 tons. more...
Anne Marie Gattari | firstname.lastname@example.org | 313.323.7809
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company


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Pep Boys wants a do-over
People remember things. Even if they don't remember things 100 percent correctly, they remember negative experiences years after the fact.
That's a reality facing Pep Boys as it returns to Kitsap County, buying one of the former Big O franchise stores, the one on Kitsap Way in Bremerton. The company has more than 600 stores across the county, so it has clearly earned some favor in other parts.
Joe Cirelli, senior vice president of business development for the company, credits company CEO Michael R. Odell for the company's transition from stagnation to profitable and said the company is well poised to be more successful in the Pacific Northwest this time around.
Based on the amount of business I saw taking place when I stopped by, there are enough people who don't remember what happened in 2000.
As mentioned in our story from this weekend, Pep Boys closed up shop abruptly in East Bremerton. Here is what Travis Baker wrote for the Oct. 30, 2000 edition of The Sun:
"A Chevrolet Blazer sat atop a hoist in one of the 12 bays at the huge Pep Boys auto repair and parts store in East Bremerton Sunday, partially disassembled, pieces of its engine scattered beneath it.
"A work in progress, it was mute testimony to the abruptness of the closure of the store Saturday.
"The store didn't open Saturday morning, reportedly without its employees being told in advance.
"Information was sparse for the public. The windows of the retail-display area were papered over. A sign read, 'This store is Closed,' and invited shoppers to visit Pep Boy stores in Everett or Puyallup."
Although I would never base my beliefs solely on the testimony of Kitsap Sun story commenters, that's how some of them remembered Pep Boys' earlier exodus. Here's a sample of what they had to say when we told them the company had returned:
"Didn't Pep Boys in E Bremerton literally close with cars on lifts, and in various states of repair? Way to serve the customer."
"You're right Artie, packed up and hauled off in the middle of the night."
"They treated their employees terribly when they closed down. No notice or anything. They won't be getting my business."
"Pep Boys left Bremerton in the middle of the night about a decade ago. They packed up and split leaving cars on the lot in various stages of repair, hosed over their customers, and did worse to their employees."
"After my experiences with the old one on the East Side (That could have hurt someone), it would take a lot to convince me to use them again..."
That last commenter did wish the company well. And a couple of commenters had kind words for the store's current staff, including its manager.
Cirelli said the company as a whole was struggling when it came to Bremerton last time around. Trying to make it in a new market when the overall picture was not so bright was a tough task. "We were losing money as a company at that time and we were very new in this market," he said.
And his memory of the past departure differs from our commenters and our other story. "I don't recall us leaving that abruptly," Cirelli said. "I guess people remember things differently."
He points to the fact that the company "never really left the market," the "market" being defined as the Seattle area. Pep Boys did maintain two stores, one in Puyallup and another in Everett. The seven stores the company just added won't be the last. "Now that we're back in the market, it is our intention to continue expanding," Cirelli said.
The Bremerton store will be remodeled to showcase the Pep Boys colors and to highlight its preferred brands. Its basic personality as a tire service center will not change. Employees will be trained in Pep Boys operations, which Cirelli said reflects the emphasis demanded by Odell, one of customer service.
The company may never win back some of those who felt burned last time around, but if what Cirelli said is true, Pep Boys can perhaps establish a new reputation in Kitsap County.


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The School of Engineering and Applied Science at Aston University is set to launch a new degree apprenticeship for aspiring supply chain professionals.
The supply chain manager (professional practice) degree apprenticeship gives school leavers the opportunity to gain a fully funded degree while working in the industry.
Designed in partnership with leading industry experts, the apprenticeship will develop the UK’s next generation of supply chain professionals.
Degree apprentices on the programme will study part-time, while launching their career at some of the UKs top supply chain organisations.
The programme will help learners cultivate the essential skills and theoretical knowledge required to excel in the sector. With a strong thread of leadership and innovation throughout the programme, apprentices will become proactive and driven supply chain specialists who will play a part in revolutionising, shaping and simplifying the ever changing landscape of supply chain.
The four-year programme launches in September 2020 and will be taught through blended learning with apprentices’ attending two two-day sessions on campus per module with the majority of their time in the workplace applying their learning.
Programme director David Leach said: “Aston has over 30 years’ experience of delivering specialist supply chain courses, so we are delighted to announce the launch of this new degree apprenticeship.”
“We’ve worked in close partnership with industry to develop a programme that will challenge and stretch apprentices setting them up for a successful career in the sector.”
For more information about Aston’s supply chain manager (professional practice) degree apprenticeship, visit the website or get in touch with the apprenticeship team via email@example.com.


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Nissan Seeks Uses For 2nd Life EV Batteries In Brazil
Nissan Brazil enters a partnership with the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) to test solutions and future applications for used EV batteries.
The parties have signed a memorandum of intent and now begin research on energy storage systems using second-life electric car batteries.
As a first step, UFSC will get six LEAF battery packs from first-generation cars, that were used in 2012-2016 as taxis in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The two base areas of ESS utilizations are energy storage for buildings and also for solar installations.
It will be interesting to see whether Nissan will find applications for LEAF batteries in Brazil. So far this huge country hasn’t even appeared on the radar of EV sales stats.
“The event to formalize the agreement was held at the UFSC Photovoltaic Laboratory (Center for Research and Training in Solar Energy) in the city of Florianópolis. Attending the event were the president of Nissan Brazil, Marco Silva; the provost for research at the institution, professor Sebastião Roberto Soares; and professor Ricardo Rüther, coordinator of the UFSC Photovoltaic Laboratory.
Future agreements (following the memorandum of intent) will allow Nissan and the UFSC research group to test second-life applications for batteries from EVs. Nissan will initially supply the UFSC with six Nissan LEAF batteries, which were used in taxis in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as part of a special company project from 2012 to 2016.”
“One of the main lines of research for this partnership is to study the potential of EV batteries in energy storage systems – which Nissan calls Xstorage Buildings worldwide – to generate and collect power independently from the conventional grid. Considering the average residential electricity consumption in Brazil (170kWh/month; 5.66kWh/day), stored energy in a single battery could keep a household running for approximately three days.
Solar power storage is another research line that will be tested. One of the first applications being planned by researchers will be installed onto the building of the UFSC Photovoltaic Laboratory itself. The electricity generated throughout the day via solar panels on the laboratory’s rooftops will be stored in a set of Nissan LEAF batteries. Then, the stored energy can be used during the night, when electrical fees are most expensive.”
President of Nissan Brazil, Marco Silva said:
“Worldwide, Nissan has been forming partnerships with the purpose of integrating electric vehicles with society and promoting electric mobility. Upon removal, the batteries retain a high charging and supply capacity. In Brazil, joint efforts alongside researchers of the Federal University of Santa Catarina will be essential for testing the batteries’ full potential.”
Professor Ricardo Rüther, coordinator of the UFSC Photovoltaic Laboratory said:
“This partnership with Nissan is very important for our laboratory because it will allow us to unite the two pillars of our research, which are electric mobility and energy storage. We are excited about the wide array of possibilities to repurpose these batteries.”


text:
Apple Marketing Head Trash Talks Android on Eve of Galaxy S IV Launch
March 13, 2013 10:22 PM
comment(s) - last by
He said Android devices are the kind of phones that are given as free replacements to feature phones, and that the iPhone offers a more seamless experience
Samsung's hardware and Google's Android operating system have become the peanut butter and jelly of the tech world -- they're a great fit, and it looks like this popularity is starting to
make Apple nervous
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, told
The Wall Street Journal
today that the iPhone is better than any Android-powered phone in terms of both hardware and software, and that iPhone users are happier with their devices than Android users.
Schiller said that four times as many iPhone users switched from an Android device in the fourth quarter in 2012 than the other way around. He also mentioned a survey from ChangeWave, which stated that three-quarters of iPhone users say they're "very satisfied" with their experience while only half of Android users say the same.
Schiller's rant didn't end there. He said that Android's fragmentation was "plain and simple" and that Android-powered devices are the kinds of phones that are given as free replacements to feature phones.
Schiller added that the iOS experience on an iPhone is much more smooth than that of an Android phone because Apple is responsible for both the hardware (iPhone) and operating system (iOS).
Apple's Phil Schiller
"When you take an Android device out of the box, you have to sign up to nine accounts with different vendors to get the experience iOS comes with," Schiller said. "They don't work seamlessly together."
He then took a more hardware-directed hit, saying that no other Android smartphone screen compares to that of the iPhone 5's.
"Given the iPhone 5 is so thin and light, the reason that people are making their devices bigger is to get up to the battery life the iPhone 5 offers," Schiller said.
What's interesting is that Schiller's comments come on the eve of
the Samsung Galaxy S IV's release
, which is Samsung's flagship smartphone. The new device will feature a 5.0-inch 1080p display, a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor (or a 2GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos 5450 processor for the international version), 2GB of RAM, 16/21/64GB storage options, a removable SD card slot for up to 64GB, a 13MP rear-facing camera with Orb technology
for compressed panorama shots, a
2MP front-facing camera with eye scrolling technology
4G LTE connectivity,
3100 mAh battery and of course the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.
The Samsung Galaxy S III was a wildly-popular Android phone, and with the added specs of the Galaxy S IV, Apple is likely feeling nervous about its own popularity in the market.
Apple has hard a
hard time keeping up the momentum
of its products, and it shows in the company's shares. Shares have fallen from $702.10 in September to $428.35 as of today. Also, Apple's iPhone only represented about 19 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments in 2012 while all Android-powered smartphones accounted for about 70 percent.
Android will even beat Apple in the tablet sector
this year, according to a new report from IDC.
According to IDC, iPad shipments are expected to make up 46 percent of the tablet market for 2013, down from 51 percent in 2012. Android-powered tablets are expected to increase their market share to 49 percent in 2013, up from 42 percent in 2012
Apple and Google are even branching out to another competitive realm in mobile electronics: wearable technology. Google is now offering its
Google Glass headset
(which is an augmented reality device) for $1,500 to early adopters and Apple is developing a smart watch, which could be
released as early as this year
The Wall Street Journal
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
3/14/2013 9:14:24 AM
Perhaps he is referencing the shape with he says it feels like a brick. hard corners definitely feel more brick like than curved ones.
I don't really understand the "heavy as hell" comment though. As you said, most alternate platforms have a heavy flagship product. That said, perhaps he isn't comparing to a "flagship" product. Also, phone density can give the perception of a heavier phone and the iPhone is relatively heavy for its size.
The only way an iPhone could be considered thick is to throw it in a otterbox or some similar case. Seriously, modern phones are already thin enough that some are uncomfortable just because there isn't enough to hold onto. I'm not sure there is a point to getting thinner anymore. (Unless, of course, you intent to print it on your skin or clothes and wear it)
"Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town." -- Charlie Miller
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February 28, 2013, 11:47 AM
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Slower convention season and an early Easter means lower prices for spring travel
Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of its April 2013 Hotwire® Canadian Hotel Rate Report, which features the top five cities in Canada where hotel rates have decreased the most. When combined with Hotwire’s already discounted prices, the Hotel Rate Report helps guide customers to destinations that can maximize their travel dollars so they can take more trips.
“With April’s mild temperatures, smaller crowds and more importantly, low prices, it’s really a perfect time to travel in Canada,” said Pierre-Etienne Chartier, vice president of the Hotwire Group. “This year, Easter came a bit early which reduced visitation for many hotels across Canada. As a result, some great opportunities have opened up for April travellers who want a fulfilling getaway that won’t break the bank.”
When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for April 2013 include:
Lethbridge, Alberta makes its inaugural debut on Hotwire’s Rate Report, topping the April list for the first time by offering travellers some of the top hotel deals in Canada. As a designated Cultural Capital of Canada, Lethbridge’s arts scene and thriving performance venues attract travellers from around the world. And with hotel prices dropping 17 per cent this month, there’s no better time to visit one of the most vibrant cities in Alberta.
Rate Report-mainstay Whistler, British Columbia makes yet another showing this month, offering visitors a continued deal destination at a 10 per cent hotel rate-drop from last year. While the popular skiing destination tends to slow down during the springtime, travellers can still find quality snow. Last year, Whistler got a snowfall of 52 inches during the month of April alone. In addition, recent inventory growth has led to a larger stock of open rooms, and steep discounts to accompany them.
Next on the list is Ottawa, Ontario, showing a nine per cent drop. Ottawa made a recent appearance on January’s list but is expected to be a strong deal city during the spring season. With its mild climate, April is a great time to visit Canada’s capital, which is experiencing a slower convention season, decline in group business and slowing government business travel due to cutbacks. And that means lower prices for leisure travellers.
Rounding out the top five are two of Canada’s most wonderful cities. Quebec City, which is offering a five per cent rate drop from last year, is on pace for a slower than normal month as there are fewer exhibitions in town to drive leisure business, resulting in some great deals to this beautiful destination. And lastly is Vancouver, which hasn’t made an appearance on this list since October of last year. This always-popular city is showing a price drop of five per cent as well.
Hotwire is able to find great deals because it works with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to fill unsold inventory. This means customers can find incredibly low deals on Hotwire, especially in cities like those on the Hotel Rate Report where prices are unseasonably low.


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The New York fashion week has officially kicked off and we are super excited about all that is yet to come.
Kanye West in collaboration with sportswear brand Adidas originals debuted their sportwear and footwear collection on the first day of the fashion show to an audience filled with the big names in the industry like Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, Puff Daddy, Beyonce, Jay Z, Kris Jenner and lots more.
Some Famous Faces At The Show
Having debuted a collection in October 2011 that was heavily criticized, Kanye has now returned to the fashion world to be taken seriously as a fashion designer and musician as well.
The collection features over-sized camouflage parkas for men, grey suede knee-high boots, distressed knitwear, sheer bodysuits, White sneakers and the Yeezy Boost 750.
Images: style.com, theguardian.com, stylevitae.com


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For release: 10 a.m., April 16, 2009
Contact: Katherine Dibling, senior media representative, (215) 574-4119
Philadelphia, Pa. - The region's manufacturing sector contracted less severely this month, according to the firms polled for the April Business Outlook Survey. The survey's broadest measure of manufacturing conditions, the diffusion index of current activity, increased from a reading of -35.0 in March to -24.4 this month. In the special questions, manufacturers were asked about credit conditions.
Philadelphia Federal Reserve Senior Economic Analyst Mike Trebing summarized the survey:
"Manufacturing executives' responses to the April Business Outlook Survey suggest that the manufacturing sector contracted less severely this month. Although all of the broad indicators for business conditions remained negative, some improved from their readings in March. One indication of continued weakness is that firms reported declines in input prices and prices for their own manufactured goods again this month, and the corresponding price indexes reached record lows. Indicators of future activity showed significant improvement, suggesting that the region's manufacturing executives expect some recovery in manufacturing over the next six months. However, firms expect reductions in employment to continue over the next six months."
This survey, which was started in 1968, gathers information on the manufacturing industry in the Third Federal Reserve District covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Participation in the survey is limited to manufacturing firms with plants in the area with more than 100 employees. The survey asks about the current pace of business in the participants' plants and their future expectations of business.
To arrange an interview, contact Katherine Q. Dibling, the Bank's senior media representative, at (215) 574-4119. The next survey will be released at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 21, 2009, and will be made available on our website, and over Businesswire. The aggregate historical data series is also available on the Bank's website.


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Last year, the Manhattan Real Estate showed slow and steady progress which gladdened the hearts of several residential and commercial property owners and real estate agents. However, the first quarter of 2011 hasn’t been as heartening, with news of poor sales and decline in price floating in from every corner of the city.
A look at the sales reports from various brokerage firms in Manhattan indicates obvious signs of weakness. Halstead Property and Brown Harris Stevens have painted the blackest picture. Their reports indicate a 5% dip in the average apartment price and the sales in the first quarter of this year were down 23% from last year. The reports provided by Streeteasy.com too differed very little from its competitors. Their sales volume had gone down by 21% from last year’s.
The Corcoran Group has some good news to offer us with an increase of 6% in sales from last year. However, they too had to confess that the average price had fallen by 4%. Mirroring similar trend, Prudential Douglas Elliman’s reports reflected steady sales but an almost 10% decreased median sales price from last year.
Bleak as the picture might be, market experts, analysts, and brokers are not willing to throw in the towel so soon. They are of the opinion that it’s too early in the day to predict doom and disaster for Manhattan real estate. They disagree that NYC is going to follow the nation’s trend of going into a double dip as far as housing prices are concerned. Besides, with New York’s finance sector having added 11,000 jobs in the last year, analysts believe there is no reason for such dismal pessimism.
Where most reports from brokerage firms indicate deals closed in the previous quarter, Elliman’s report includes the price index for impending sales – sales that haven’t been closed yet but are in contract. These figures show an increase of 7.1% from last year’s price index. They have every reason to believe that there’s going to be an upswing of prices in next quarter’s report. The same sentiment has been echoed by the Corcoran Group. The contracts signed in March reflect an average sales price increase of 23% from last year.
In addition, the luxury market is also showing an increase. Corcoran reveals that in this quarter alone, they have bagged nine deals that are worth over $10 million whereas last year, the number of similar deals closed were only 4. Corcoran agents are of the opinion that more people are displaying confidence in the Manhattan real estate and its only a matter of time before the statistics will be singing a different tune altogether.


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Bug#653929: "zpool status" reports bogus string for RAID-Z (breaks GRUB)
On 03/01/12 21:24, Arno Töll wrote:
> ... we may want to upgrade zfsutils next week, as the FreeBSD
> 9 release is due this week and our utils snapshot isn't the most recent.
I spy... the release builds have been pushed to FTP mirrors today :)


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Top digital lifestyle news
The big story on last100 this week was Nokia and Universal’s announcement of “Comes With Music” devices. Unveiled at the annual Nokia World conference, “Comes With Music” will enable customers to buy a Nokia device with a year of unlimited access to “millions of tracks”, and, rather surprisingly, get to keep those tracks once the twelve month period ends. Of the four major labels, however, Universal Music is the only one to have signed on. In a follow up post, last100 editor Steve O’Hear noted that “Comes With Music” service will employ Windows DRM.
More digital lifestyle news:
- Mossberg reviews delayed-again Slacker Personal Radio, finds bugs
- Watching full-length TV programs on Internet increasingly popular
- Why is AT&T behind Google and Verizon in the open-network game?
- XBox 360 adds DivX playback; video downloads coming to Europe on Dec 11
- TiVo adds more music, continues to expand its “television services”
- U.S. Wireless Wall crumbles as Verizon throws support behind Google’s Android
- Flash Media Server 3 announced; “Moviestar” Flash Player leaves public beta
- NBC Universal, iTunes officially divorce, but what about us kids?
- TiVo points to AppleTV’s future
Apple has more cash in the bank than IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Google. “Apple’s $15.4 billion stash is indeed the biggest of the group, putting the iPod maker in the elite ranks of well-heeled Fortune 500 tech companies.”, writes Fortune’s Jon Fortt.
Fortt then goes on to ask the billion dollar question: “So what does CEO Steve Jobs have in mind for all those greenbacks?” A number of options are suggested, including sharing some of the fruits of Apple’s labor with shareholders or making strategic purchases.
That’s a wrap for the week!


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On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, some Gold Class movie tickets and some lovely CDs.
Right now, you’d be hard pressed to find a brand that doesn’t have some sort of Christmas campaign and a number of companies have adopted the good ol’ advent calendar theme this year.
Fairfax Media, music streaming site Guvera and creative agencies Huckleberry and Yoke have all had a crack at it.
Aiming to spread some love with its 12 Days of Christmas initiative, Guvera launched a rewards program for its existing customers and some festive themed ads on Facebook to harness new recruits. The rewards execution was a competition hosted on Facebook with users providing creative answers to a question to be in the chance to win the daily prize.
Michael Wallis-Brown, Guvera’s Asia CEO, says they doubled last year’s page-view results. He says: “We had more than 72K views of the posts over the 12 days, which marked a significant spike in normal Facebook activity. The 12 days of Christmas campaign was a simple way to say thank you to all our customers.”
The music labels Guvera works with contributed a prize each for one day in the 12, with a pair of headphones hotly contested for, followed by a merchandise pack of teen-heartthrobs 5 Seconds of Summer. The competition also supported the music labels. Wallis-Brown says: “This was beneficial to them as it gave them an opportunity to profile their artists.”
The ads as well saw a number of new users sign up to the music streaming site. Wallis-Brown says: “We can’t give exact numbers at this stage, but we acquired thousands of customers especially in the 31-45 and 46-64 demographic as a result of this advertising. The campaign featured artists like Mariah Carey, Human Nature and Michael Buble – all artists with fans bases within this demographic.”
Fairfax Media too had its own version of 12 Days of Christmas this year with its Christmas Conversations. The trade marketing promotional emails were delivered to the inboxes of advertisers from December 1-16, one each business day.
The emails showcased a different Fairfax title with a question of the day related to the brand. Those who answered correctly went into the draw for that day’s prize with the winners being announced in 2015.
Fairfax Media’s national trade marketing director Chelsea Wymer said: “Fairfax Media creates conversations that matter every minute of every day of the year. We wanted to extend that message through a client Christmas gift that was practical, imaginative and promoted our signature brands.
“Our Advent calendars were extremely well received, prompting more than 600 entries per day – which just goes to prove that intelligent, thought-provoking conversation can absolutely cut through silly season distractions.”
Melbourne-based creative agency Yoke reinvented the advent calendar with its own industry spin. Behind each door each day is one of 25 best ads that have been shown online and on TV, handpicked by the Yoke team.
While the agency had tough some decisions to make about which ones to include, each ad that was chosen moved the team in some way.
Similarly, Huckleberry Agency wanted people to celebrate the other days in Christmas that don’t usually get a look. Designing a calendar called ‘Otherdays’, these days included ‘Chocolate covered anything day’, ‘Put on your own shoes day’ and ‘Ugly Christmas jumper day’.
Go on, chuck on your hideous Chrissy jumper and dip your fingers in chocolate.
Former agency executives Tim O’Neill and Tim Fouhy have launched the auto technology startup Summon. Australia’s first full e-commerce service for prestige cars. O’Neill and Fouhy both worked together at Accenture Interactive, before co-founding Reactive a digital agency bought by Accenture in 2016, now they’ve combined their knowledge and expertise to create Summon. Summon offers […]
To honour the fantastic feats of the Australian Paralympians, Hootsuite has revealed the top trending hashtags and social media data of the Paralympics. The top trending hashtag during the Paralympics period, #tokyo2020, received over 38,000 tweets and retweets, amounting to 1.7M+ impressions, while other popular hashtags included #paralympics, #readysettokyo and #paraswimming. According to Hootsuite’s research, […]
SOON, a futures think tank focused on human insights, has launched today tracking trends, developments and disruptions across people, products and the planet. Led by internationally renowned futurist, social scientist and trend forecaster Sarah Owen (pictured centre) in partnership with TABOO directors Andrew Mackinnon (right) and James Mackinnon (left), the independently Australian-owned futurist company uncovers […]
ARN’s iHeartPodcast Network Australia has announced a new podcast, SAS Australia Debrief hosted by 2020 recruits Merrick Watts and Sabrina Frederick. The podcast is made for anyone that can’t get enough of Aussie celebs putting themselves through the toughest test of their lives on the Seven Network’s hit show SAS Australia. Or anyone that wishes […]
Rakuten Advertising has launched ‘A 5-Stage Blueprint for High-Performance Affiliate Marketing’, designed to educate and inform both advertisers and publishers about the strategic role that the affiliate channel is now playing in marketing strategies. The blueprint is based on input from members of the Rakuten Advertising International Collective (RAIC), comprising affiliate marketing specialists from leading advertisers […]
Nine has announced the return of State of Originality, Australia’s biggest advertising prize, with $1 million again up for grabs to the brand and agency that creates the most original ad in the 2022 State of Origin Series. This year Nine launched State of Originality, challenging Australia’s marketers to help make State of Origin not […]


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Web Desk: Many people around the world are trying to put an end to such heinous crimes like butchering dogs. And recently, their effort saved a dog from a meat trade in China
At a meat vendor’s shop, animal lovers paid the vendor to release the dog that was being prepared for a certain death. A rescuers told that a dozen of volunteers raised 14,0450 yuan to purchase the golden retriever among 20 other dogs.
Kunming’s Sanhe Animal Protection Centre’s volunteers had visited the market while looking for a lost pet when they stumbled upon the caged dogs.
The dog seemingly burst into ‘tears of gratitude’. When the dog undergone an eye checkup which may be reason behind its tears.


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Around three million people are to jet off on holiday over the Christmas and new year period, new research from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) has found.
Around three million people are to jet off on holiday over the Christmas and new year period, new research from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) has found.The firm discovered that traditional holiday destinations such as Tenerife and Turkey are popular, but that many are also set to take holidays in Dubai.This could be due to large numbers of people visiting family and friends who have relocated there.
Also, despite the credit crunch, the number going abroad was roughly the same as last year.
Justin Fleming, Abta president, said that people do see Christmas as a time to catch up with loved ones, rather than as a jaunt in the sun.
“They provide a valuable time to unwind and spend quality time with family,” he commented.
The news tallies with recent research from Kayak.co.uk, which found that a large number of Britons will jet off on December 22nd, the first chance they get after they have finished work for the year.
Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. If you have booked a flight only where the ticket is not issued immediately, your flight will be protected under our ATOL. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate


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Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is bouncing back from the devastating effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on its business. The House of Mouse had to shut its doors to theme parks, hotels, and resorts, delay releasing movies to the big screen, and stop cruise ship sailings.
The combination caused revenue and profits to crater in 2020. Thankfully, economies are reopening worldwide, and folks are proving eager to return to life outdoors. Disney is flexing its pricing power on its products and services with all the pent-up demand ready to be released.
One of the bright spots for Disney during the pandemic has been the ultra-successful expansion of Disney+. The service was launched in 2019 and has quickly grown to reach 103.6 million subscribers. The rapid adoption and customer satisfaction gave management the confidence to raise prices on the service starting in March. Monthly prices for the service will jump between $1 and $3 worldwide, depending on the country.
Additionally, Disney will be raising prices on one of its other streaming services, ESPN+. Starting in August, monthly prices will go up by $1 and annual prices by $10. The all-American service has 13.8 million subscribers.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek is not worried about losing customers because of price increases. Here's what he had to say on the matter:
We're really thrilled with the price-value relationship that we offer consumers. I think that's born out by the fact that, in the US, when we took our first price increase, we didn't really observe any significantly higher churn than we had been seeing. And internationally, when we did the price increase there, we also added the Star content at the same time as a sixth brand tile and we actually saw an improvement in our churn rate, more retention. So I think that really says something about the price-value relationship.
Disney is not limiting price hikes to its streaming services. Disney World theme park is also increasing prices for 2022. According to estimates, average single-day ticket prices will increase by $4.24 over 2021 and $7.51 over 2020. That will take the average single-day ticket price up to $134.79.
Moreover, Shanghai Disneyland will be raising ticket prices by up to 10% next year. The park, originally opened in 2016, was one of the first to reopen since the pandemic.
And Disney is trying a different type of price increase at its Paris theme park. It's going to allow guests to purchase premium-access passes costing between 8 and 15 euros. The pass will allow impatient guests to skip lines for rides entirely. If successful, Disney could roll it out to the rest of its theme parks sometime later.
What this could mean for investors
With its hands tied behind its back by coronavirus lockdowns and social distancing policies, Disney's revenue decreased by 6.1% in fiscal 2020. Now, with economies reopening worldwide, folks are eager to return to entertainment options outside the home. Understandably, folks want to get out after being cooped up at home for the better part of a year. That could allow Disney to implement the price increases at theme parks without suffering a large drop-off in visitors.
Investors looking for a company that's going to benefit from economic reopenings should not overlook Disney.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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May 23, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Pulitzer Effect: How Much Did 2012’s Winners Jump?
May 23, 2012
How much does a Pulitzer help a book’s sales? It’s a question we answered last month looking at the past five fiction winners, using sales numbers from Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 75% of print sales. Now five full weeks removed from the 2012 Pulitzers, we’re taking a look to see what sales spike—if any—this year’s winners saw following their victory. The results are in, and they’re mixed.
The biggest Pulitzer story this year was the board’s decision not to award a fiction winner for the first time since 1977. The three finalists, however, all saw spikes following the awards, even if they didn’t actually win. The Pale King by David Foster Wallace, released in paperback just before the April 16 Pulitzer announcement, saw its weekly sales double from 613 copies to 1,261 copies, according to BookScan. Weekly sales for Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams jumped from 711 to 1,334 following the announcement. The real fiction winner, though, is third finalist Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, which jumped from 933 copies sold to 2,382 copies, and then to 2,413 copies the next week, according to BookScan. All three fiction finalists are still holding steady sales five weeks after the announcement, all posting higher weekly numbers, respectively, than before they were revealed as finalists. The main difference is that the weekly sales for past fiction winners were much higher (5,000 copies and higher per week) than for any 2012 fiction finalist (between 1,000 and 2,000 copies). The takeaway: while none of the three fiction finalists saw as dramatic of a sales spike as any of the Pulitzer fiction winners we profiled in last month’s article, the three spikes, taken together, amount to a respectable increase.
Swamplandia!, especially, seems well on its way to becoming a massive hit—together, its hardcover and paperback have combined to sell 117,238 print copies to date, at the outlets tracked by BookScan—though it hasn’t yet reached the heights of last year's winner A Visit from the Goon Squad (over 300,000 copies sold to date).
The 2012 Pulitzers have had the most significant effect on Poetry winner Tracy K. Smith. Her winning collection, Life on Mars (Graywolf), jumped from 13 copies sold in the week before the announcement to 351 copies in the week following the announcement, according to BookScan. Sales continued to climb the week ending April 29, reaching 666 copies. In total, the collection has sold 1,852 copies out of its total 4,687 copies since it won the Pulitzer.
General Nonfiction winner The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt tripled its weekly sales following its win, going from 482 print copies sold in the week before the announcement to 1,216 copies sold after. In total, Greenblatt’s book has sold 74,632 print copies to date at BookScan outlets, with 5,293 copies selling after the Pulitzer win.
The other two Pulitzer winners, George F. Kennan by John Lewis Gaddis (Biography) and Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable (History), sold most of their copies before their Pulitzer wins, and thus saw less of a spike following the announcement. Gaddis’s book has sold 17,003 copies to date, with only 1,263 coming after its Pulitzer win, according to BookScan; Marable’s book has sold 62,105 copies to date, 2,775 of which came in the five weeks after the Pulitzer announcement.


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L Capital, the private-equity arm of the world's biggest luxury goods company, LVMH, is among suitors plotting to make a major investment in Joules, the fashion retailer favoured by the county set.
LDC, the buyout division of Lloyds Banking Group, is also considering buying a stake in Joules, which is valued at more than £55m, but Graphite Capital is out of the running.
Joules, which has more than 70 stores, has teamed up with advisers at Rothschild and is considering options to raise funds for expansion in the UK and overseas.
It was thought that Tom Joule, the founder and chief executive and its biggest shareholder, wanted to sell only a minority stake, but he is now considering selling a majority shareholding. However, he wants to remain in charge irrespective of the auction's outcome, according to sources.
Mr Joule founded the retailer in 1994 to sell country clothing at equestrian and outdoor events. It has recently extended its offer into homewares, such as duvet covers, cushions, towels and cuddly toys. It is on track to make underlying profits of £7m for this financial year.
L Capital was created in 2001 with backing from LMVH, Groupe Arnault, the holding company of LVMH's chief executive, Bernard Arnault, and Malaysia's YTL.
All parties declined to comment.


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The American pest control association, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), has today (21 August 2013) released its new logo and tagline as part of the association’s ongoing evolution of its brand.
This process began in 2012 with the creation of the association”s strategic plan – the key points of this NPMA strategic plan were revealed at PestWorld 2012 and reported on by Pest .
During its July meeting, the NPMA board of directors approved the new logo and tagline that, says NPMA, represents the strategic goals identified – education, protection, and growth.
“It was the perfect time to evaluate our company”s brand and logo to ensure it was in sync with who we are and where we are going,” stated NPMA executive vice president Bob Rosenberg. “For 80 years, NPMA”s members have helped to build a trusted brand in the pest management industry. It is with them in mind that we are excited to unveil our new, fresh visual identity to further strengthen our position as an industry leader and carry us into the future.”
A formal launch is planned for PestWorld 2013, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona on 22-25 October.


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Julie Clopper / Shutterstock.com
Art materials brand Crayola has launched a trademark lawsuit against a toy company it claims is fraudulently using its name.
Crayola, a subsidiary of US-based Hallmark Cards, has accused Alex Toys of putting crayons bearing the word “Crayola” into its products.
In a lawsuit filed yesterday (November 4) at the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Crayola said it was claiming counterfeiting, trademark dilution and infringement, as well as unfair competition.
According to Crayola, Alex Toys “manufactures, distributes, offers for sale, and sells crayons branded as Crayola and Crayolas” across the US and beyond through various retail outlets and online.
The infringing products, said Crayola, include Alex’s Colossal Art Set, which includes 40 crayons, and its Crayons (100)—a hundred piece crayon bucket.
Crayola is seeking an injunction preventing Alex Toys from selling the goods as well as $2 million for “each counterfeit mark for each type of good and service” it has infringed.
It said its trademark, which it has licenced extensively, has been used since 1905 and it has sold more than 200 billion crayons bearing the word.
“Each crayon in the Colossal Art Set prominently bears the infringing trademark Crayola printed on the crayon wrapper,” the complaint said.
It added that the Crayon (100) bucket included the “plural version” of the Crayola trademark ‘Crayolas’.
The complaint also alleged that Alex Toys had recently hired Crayola’s former general manager of sales, Darren Silverman, as its executive vice president of sales in an “apparent effort to improve the marketing” of its products.
It said: “Considering Silverman’s thorough understanding of Crayola’s marks and extensive experience in marketing Crayola products and further considering the nature of his current employment, defendant’s infringing use of the Crayola mark constitutes wilful infringement.”
Alex Toys did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Crayola, Hallmark Cards, Alex Toys, trademark infringement


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CELEBRATE THE WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE ON
BATMAN DAY – SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
Enjoy Free Comic Book Giveaways, Digital Comics Sales and More!
Gear Up for Detective Comics 1000 and 80 Years of Batman in 2019
BURBANK, CA – August 15, 2018 – DC Entertainment is announcing new details for Batman Day 2018. Now in its fifth year, the fan-favorite holiday will take place on September 15, 2018 and include Batman-themed events at thousands of comic book retailers, bookstores, schools and libraries worldwide. Key Batman Day partners include Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Books-A-Million and more. Fans around the world are invited to join DC in honoring this iconic superhero.
As part of the Batman Day festivities, fans who visit participating retailers will receive the first chapter of BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT, written and drawn by Sean Murphy, a month ahead of the collected edition release. The book will also feature a preview of another upcoming DC Black Label title BATMAN: DAMNED by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. Younger fans can pick up a free copy of the first chapter of BATMAN: A LOT OF LI’L GOTHAM. In addition to comic books, DC is providing retailers access to an assortment of additional offerings to help in the celebration of Batman Day, including a fun online activity kit.
Digital readers are invited to celebrate The Dark Knight with the Batman Day digital sale from September 11-17. The event will include hundreds of Batman eBooks on sale for $4.99 or $5.99 on ReadDC.com, comiXology.com, Google Play, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and iTunes.
DC is continuing its partnership with publishers such as HarperCollins, Random House Children’s Books, Penguin Random House, DK, Simon & Schuster and Scholastic to bring Batman Day celebrations to thousands of book stores, comic retailers and libraries.
Following Batman Day, DC will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dark Knight with a year-long celebration in 2019. On March 30, 1939, artist Bob Kane with writer Bill Finger gave life to Batman in DETECTIVE COMICS #27. In 2019, DC will celebrate the publishing milestone of the comic book series’ monumental 1000th issue as well as Batman’s 80th anniversary. More details on the year-long celebration will be released in the coming months.
For the latest Batman Day information visit DCComics.com/batmanday.


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Aussie traders shrugged off top-tier data last week in favor of pricing in global trade war updates. Will we see the same themes this week?
Unlike last week, Australia only has a handful of reports on the docket. What’s more, they’re mostly surveys rather than actual economic data.
The AIG construction index started the week with an upgrade from its February reading. It will be followed by the NAB business confidence tomorrow at 1:30 am GMT; Westpac consumer sentiment on Wednesday at 12:30 am GMT, and a speech by RBA Governor Lowe in Perth on the same day at 5:05 am GMT. Keep your eyes peeled for any remarks over the brewing trade war between China and the U.S.!
The fun will continue with the MI inflation expectations on Thursday at 1:00 am GMT and the home loans data that will follow thirty minutes later.
Last but not the least is the RBA’s financial stability review on Friday at 1:30 am GMT where the central bank will publish its bi-annual assessment of the current condition of the financial system and enumerate the potential risks to financial stability.
Overall risk sentiment
Since there aren’t not major market-movers scheduled this week, it’s likely that the Aussie will once again take cues from risk sentiment (read: trade war updates).
We know from Lowe’s speeches last month that he considers Trump’s tariff plans “highly regrettable and bad policy,” and that he calls for parties to “sit still and do nothing.”
This week we should watch how China and the U.S. respond to each other’s’ growing list of tariff plans. Word around the hood is that some market players aren’t really pricing them in until one of the parties actually implements a proposal. Make sure you stick around in case it happens this week!
Last Week’s Price Review
The Aussie is currently on track on closing out the week on another mixed note (as of 6:00 am GMT). And looking at the overlay of AUD pairs and gold prices below, we can see that the Aussie didn’t really track gold prices this week.
And while the Aussie’s price action looks kinda messy, the Aussie’s price action was actually somewhat uniform. It just so happens that the Loonie and the Kiwi were also in play.
We can get a clearer view of the Aussie’s price action by simply removing AUD/CAD and AUD/NZD from the overlay.
Anyhow, if gold didn’t drive the Aussie’s price action, then what did? Well, the Aussie was apparently taking directional cues from risk sentiment. And risk sentiment, in turn, was driven almost exclusively by updates related to the trade spat between the U.S. and China.
As for specifics, the Aussie started the trading week on a weak footing despite the lack of direct negative catalysts (and rising gold prices to boot). However, risk aversion was the dominant sentiment on Monday, thanks to news over the weekend that China imposed tariffs on U.S. goods as retaliation against Trump’s tariffs on imported aluminum and steel.
The Aussie then began to find support and climb higher on Tuesday as risk aversion began to fade and risk-taking showed signs of returning.
The RBA also gave its latest monetary policy statement on Tuesday. RBA Guv’nah Lowe merely repeated the RBA’s generally optimistic outlook on the Australian economy while also reiterating the RBA’s warning that “An appreciating exchange rate would be expected to result in a slower pick-up in economic activity and inflation than currently forecast.”
Overall, however, the RBA didn’t really have anything new to say, which is likely why the Aussie’s reaction was muted.
However, it’s worth noting that the Aussie began to weaken against its fellow comdolls while trading sideways against the Greenback and the pound while continuing to trade higher against the rest of its peers.
And this implies that the Aussie became vulnerable to opposing currency price action after the RBA statement.
At any rate, the Aussie saw uniform price action again come Wednesday when the Aussie broadly jumped after Australia’s retail sales report exceeded expectations (0.6% vs. 0.3% expected, 0.2% previous).
However, risk aversion was the dominant sentiment at the time, thanks to reports that China upped the ante by quickly announcing that they’ll reciprocate Trump’s plans to slap tariffs on 1,300 Chinese goods by slapping tariffs on 106 U.S. goods to tune of $50 billion. And that eventually wore the Aussie down.
Fortunately for Aussie bulls, risk sentiment began to improve as fears of a full-scale trade war began to ebb after Trump tweeted that “We are not in a trade war with China” and the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. said that “Negotiation would still be our preference but it takes two to tango.”
As to why the Aussie weakened, there’s no clear reason for that. Gold was sliding, though, and it’s possible that the Aussie was taking directional cues again since trade war jitters were easing at the time. Of course, another possibility is profit-taking, given that the Aussie did have a good run at that point.
Whatever caused the Aussie to slide, it soon became apparent that the risk-on vibes continued to fuel demand for the Aussie since the Aussie began tilting to the upside again.
However, the Aussie’s rally stalled when risk aversion began to reappear after Trump raised the stakes and reignited trade war fears by ordering an additional $100 billion worth of tariffs against China. And that’s where we stand at the moment.


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QXL beefs up management
After spending more than £200m on acquisitions in recent months, notably £171m on Germany' s Ricardo, online auctioneer QXL.com is beefing up its management with the appointment of a chief operating officer.
Mark Zaleski, from US internet retailer Webvan Group, will be responsible for operations and integrating the new businesses. Chief executive Jim Rose said he would spend more time 'talking to the capital markets'.
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Yango makes contribution to road safety in Zambia: New technology launched
Yango, an international ride-hailing service, has today launched in Zambia, a new safety technology in the service — driving style monitoring. The algorithm aggregates feedback from Yango users about rides in real time with a progressive impact scale. If users inform about the dangerous driving style of a particular driver regularly, this is considered as a violation of the service standards and the driver receives a warning notification in a driver app about it. If the situation doesn’t change after several notifications, the algorithm restricts the driver’s access to Yango. Thus, the technology helps to warn drivers who cooperate with the service from dangerous maneuvers and possible accidents.
‘Safety is of high priority in our service and we constantly invest in our own safety technologies to contribute to the safety of the cities we operate in. We are pleased to roll out this feature in Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola. We remain committed to bringing to the Zambian market more of our safety technologies that have already proved their efficiency in other markets.’ – Kabanda Chewe, Country Manager for Yango in Zambia.
The Yango app already has a number of functions that increase the level of safety of all rides. For example the safety tab in the app allows users to share their ride with trusted contacts so that they follow the route, users can report any personal belongings left in a vehicle, contact the customer service if the driver has violated the traffic rules, etc. Furthermore, with each order, users can see the license plate number and the name of a partner driver who is coming to the ride.
Yango is an international online service for ordering rides. It already operates in more than 20 countries across Europe, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Unlike other ride-hailing services, Yango app uses its own mapping, routing, and navigation as well as smart order distribution.
🌍✨🇿🇲 Live Streaming Now: Summit for Democracy in Zambia 2023 🇿🇲✨🌍
Join us NOW as we bring you an exclusive live-stream of the 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 in the Republic of Zambia.🇿🇲
Be a part of this momentous event as global leaders, activists, and academics come together to discuss pressing issues, share innovative ideas, and build a stronger democratic future for all. 🌐🤝
🔴 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
🌟 Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speakers
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🌟 Youth Engagement & Women’s Empowerment
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Copperbelt Gears Up for Its Inaugural Motor Show: A Vision of Innovation and Opportunity
Copperbelt Province is set to host its first-ever Copperbelt Motor Show, following the success of the Lusaka Motor Show, an event that has been running for the past 11 years. The most recent Lusaka Motor Show took place at East Park Mall Piazza in November 2022, attracting over 60 brands. Beginning this year, the organizers will be expanding their reach by hosting shows in both Copperbelt in May and Lusaka in October.
The Copperbelt Motor Show will be held at the luxurious Garden Court Kitwe Hotel, a property located in the heart of Copperbelt, from May 5th to 7th, 2023. The General Manager of Garden Court Kitwe has expressed excitement about hosting the event, which not only creates a platform for the motor and mining industry but also promotes local tourism. Many exhibitors from Lusaka are expected to attend and participate in the grand event, and the hotel is proud to be a partner in the Copperbelt Motor Show.
As the largest motoring exhibition the Copperbelt has ever seen, the show will feature the latest cars, trucks, buses, bikes, batteries, tyres, lubricants, tracking facilities, spare parts dealers, insurance providers, road safety, mining equipment, and leasing. A section dedicated to classic cars will also be available, catering to automotive enthusiasts and collectors alike.
The show aims to attract a broad audience from across the Copperbelt Province, providing a platform for buyers and sellers to connect directly. Dealers can address their clients’ concerns firsthand and offer tailored solutions. The event also presents an excellent opportunity for procurement heads and directors to compare prices, quality, durability, and other factors of various products, as many brands will be offering exclusive deals and offers.
Director Mr. Bobby Singh has acknowledged the overwhelming response from their followers, with comments describing the event as “history in the making.” This feedback has motivated Singh and his team to create a platform that benefits everyone involved.
The Copperbelt Motor Show is poised to positively impact economic growth by creating jobs, increasing demand, and fostering networking opportunities that can transform into business ventures. As the region prepares for this groundbreaking event, the Copperbelt Motor Show is set to become a staple in the Zambian automotive and mining industries, driving innovation, collaboration, and growth for years to come.
FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tours Zambia. As MultiChoice hosts the prized trophy
THE FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy has touched down in Zambia as part of the global tour by FIFA as a build-up to the Women’s World Cup games.
The spellbinding journey – which, for the first time, is offering all 32 qualified nations the chance to see Women’s football’s biggest prize up close before the football show kicks off in Australia and New Zealand from 20th July 2023 to 20th August 2023. Zambia is one of the 32 nations that have qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The event to welcome the celebrated trophy was held at MultiChoice Zambia and speaking at the occasion Leah Kooma, Managing Director at MultiChoice Zambia said, “The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy tour is in many ways a great initiative for everyone who loves football. It has provided a great chance for football fans, particularly in Zambia, to be close to one of the most iconic symbols in Women’s football”.
She added, “We have the world cup right here, the girls have qualified and just this means the girls stand a chance to bring the cup back to Zambia.”
MultiChoice will carry live all the games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament on your World of Champions, SuperSport both on DStv and GOtv platforms. The live broadcast of the World Cup games will avail many Zambian fans and the rest of the continent an opportunity to watch and follow their favorite game in the comfort of their space.
The trophy tour gives football fans around the participating countries the opportunity to get ready to taste the feeling of the most anticipated sporting event – the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The first leg of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour kicked off in Morocco before heading to South Africa and then Zambia. The trophy will conclude its African tour on 26th March in Nigeria before heading to South America.


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"I wish I had a crystal ball," he said. "I worried over the issue at length because it's hard to assess when we really don't have a clear lead on the advertising-expenditure impact of the writers strike. The longer it lasts the worse it gets for the networks."
TNS pegs network TV to increase by 2.7% over 2007, mostly due to a record year for political ad spending and an additional boost from this year's summer Olympics.
But with February sweeps around the corner and original episodes from the fall broadcast season running out in a matter of weeks, the networks will be left with reality shows and midseason replacements to fill the void. Mr. Swallen said consumers could develop two new consumption habits if the writers strike continues to erode original programming.
Option one: "People turn off their TVs all together," he said. But option two seemed a lot more likely. "People [would] change the channel and watch something on cable. As we've seen over an extended period of time, audience erosion from broadcast to cable has implications for ad spending on each side of the ledger. Broadcast's loss could be cable's gain."
Elsewhere, TNS predicts that online spending will see the largest increase of any medium in 2008, increasing 14.4%. That significant gain comes at the expense of newspapers and radio, which are projected to fall 1% and 0.3% in measured spending over the period from 2006 to 2007. Mr. Swallen attributes both decreases to the decline in spending from major categories like automotive and retail. There was also a pullback in 2007 by local advertisers, newspapers and radio's bread and butter.
More bad news for radio
A nine-month delay in switching to Aribtron's more accountable portable-people-meter currency in major markets such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles could also end up hurting radio in its efforts to become more scaleable and boost spending. As a result, radio has been forced to change what could have been a story for 2008 into one for 2009.
"[Radio] has certainly rearranged its entire deck of cards in terms of demographics, stations and particular ad categories," he said. "Now they've sort of forced it all into a day of reckoning [with PPM]. Eventually, a new deck of cards is going to come into play, so it's been delayed but it hasn't been shelved. When a new deck does come into play, all this begins to play out."


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Tokyo, Japan, 19 April 2018
The APEC Business Advisory Council urges the region to continue towards open markets and inclusive growth.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 08 March 2018
They are working together to advance digitally-driven trade and development across the APEC region.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 07 March 2018
The move is a further boost for e-commerce growth and the protection of consumers.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 04 March 2018
Papua New Guinea’s strongest earthquake has given further impetus for action.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 28 February 2018
Nominations are open for the 2018 APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 27 February 2018
Officials are fast tracking economic safeguards for the changing technological landscape.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 26 February 2018
Officials are seeking to channel innovation to expand the reach of the Asia-Pacific’s growth resurgence.
Auckland, New Zealand, 04 February 2018
New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth underscores the need for business to help re-build public consensus for trade.
Singapore, 02 February 2018
Small firms are only beginning to take advantage of the market reach new technologies allow.
Davos, Switzerland, , 26 January 2018
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s remarks at the World Economic Forum set the stage for greater action to fight climate change during Papua New Guinea’s APEC chairmanship.
Singapore, 14 December 2017
APEC’s adaptability to disruption puts the region in a good position to achieve new breakthroughs.


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On September 13, 2018, the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill received Royal Assent, formalizing its application into UK law as an Act of Parliament. This date marks less than one year since the Cross-border Trade Bill, also referred to as the “Customs Bill”, was first brought before the House of Commons. The initial scope of the Customs Bill, as well as the accompanying Trade Bill, was discussed in a previous blog post.
The Cross-border Trade Act is a key part of the UK’s wider effort to define its trade relationship with the EU and other non-EU member states following Brexit. The main purpose of the Act is to provide for a new UK customs regime ahead of Britain’s exit from the European Union, currently expected to take place on March 29, 2019. This Act, coupled with the Trade Bill (once it is formalized as an Act of Parliament), will provide the framework for the UK Government to enact further, specific legislation in the realm of customs and trade when the UK formally leaves the EU.
After Brexit, the EU Withdrawal Act (the “Great Repeal Bill”) will automatically convert a large portion of EU law into domestic law. However, certain sections of that Act have expressly excluded the automatic application of EU laws relating to VAT, excise and customs. Therefore, the Cross-border Trade Act and Trade Bill are necessary legislative instruments that will function in concert with the Withdrawal Act.
The Cross-border Trade Act and Trade Bill were designed to be flexible in light of the current uncertainty surrounding the ultimate deal which will be struck between the UK and EU. Specifically, the entry into force of certain parts of the Act takes place immediately while others sections enable the UK Government to implement future measures by way of regulations, anticipating the need for flexibility of timing and legislative scope (see Part 6, Section 57). As a result, these pieces of legislation have advanced independently of the UK’s ongoing exit negotiations with the EU.
Main Features of the Act
Parts 1 and 2 of the Act provide for a standalone customs regime. This means that the UK Government will, on implementation of the Act, have the authority to charge customs duties on goods imported into the UK, including those from EU member states. The Government will also have the authority to define its own categorization of imports and exports for customs purposes, and may further set its own tariff levels according to this categorization.
Part 3 of the Act provides for the abolition of the current “acquisition VAT” (which is applied across all EU member states) and permits the UK Government to levy an import value added tax (“VAT”) on all goods imported into the UK.
Excise duties are different from VAT, in that they are levied on the producer, rather than the purchaser at the point of sale. Part 4 of the Act provides for a separate excise duty system, enabling the UK Government to impose such duties on persons outside the UK, with respect to entry of goods into the UK via postal packet.
Tax collection on behalf of another country must be reciprocal
Section 54(1) of the Act prevents HMRC from collecting duties on behalf of other countries explicitly departing from the current EU model, setting out that “it shall be unlawful for HMRC to account for any duty of customs or VAT or excise duty collected by HMRC to the government of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom”. Nevertheless, subsection 2 removes that prohibition in circumstances where the UK has concluded a reciprocal agreement with the country or territory in question. As such, it is, in theory, possible for the UK to co-operate with the EU by way of a separate customs agreement.
Single UK Customs Territory
Section 55 emphasizes a “Single UK customs territory” and expressly excludes the possibility of Northern Ireland forming a separate customs territory to Great Britain.
Relationship with the Trade Bill
In addition to carving a roadmap for its tax and customs policies post-Brexit, the UK Government is also concurrently advancing legislation to set out the UK’s future trade framework by way of the Trade Bill. Provisions in that Bill are closely tied to provisions in the Cross-Border Trade Act.
The Trade Bill regulates non-tax aspects of the UK’s trade regime. It provides the UK Government with authority to effect transition of over 40 free trade agreements to which it is currently party by virtue of its membership in the EU.
The Trade Bill also provides for the creation of the Trade Remedies Authority (“TRA”), which will replace the European Commission as the agency responsible for assessing trade “threats” against the UK economy, as well as calculating and implementing associated trade remedies, i.e. import duties levied against “dumped” imports that threaten the domestic economy, for example, because they are imported at unfairly low prices or in unusually large quantities so as to competitively constrain the domestic economy. As with any other robust trade regime, trade remedies will form a vital part of the UK’s enforcement measures as they will enable the UK Government to launch direct actions on unfair trading practices.
Powers to levy these remedies are set out in both the Trade Bill, as well as the Cross-Border Trade Act, at sections 13 and 14 – these enable the future TRA and Secretary of State to investigate and decide on final remedies.
The Trade Bill had its second reading before the House of Lords on September 11, 2018. The Bill will now move to Committee stage in the House of Lords. The dates for this stage have not yet been set.
Impact of Recent Developments
In recent weeks, Prime Minister May’s “Chequers Plan” (the Government’s white paper on The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union) has been subject to significant criticism from within the UK (from both Conservative and Labour parties), as well as from EU officials and heads of State.
In sum, the Chequers Plan proposes economic, security, institutional and other “cross‑cutting” cooperation arrangements between the UK and the EU. It seeks to preserve some of the benefits of the EU’s Single Market following Brexit: this includes establishing a free trade area for goods and a “facilitated customs arrangement”, akin to a combined customs territory and maintaining cooperation in energy, transport and civil/judicial matters. On the other hand, the Plan anticipates re-writing arrangements on services and in digital sectors (e.g., e-commerce), as well as ending free-movement of people between the UK and EU.
Domestically, this has been considered by politicians and stakeholders to be incongruent with a “hard Brexit” stance. The EU has also pushed back on the proposal, which has been viewed as detrimental to key principles of the EU due to “cherry-picking” the most favorable aspects of Union membership.
The UK government is now expected to propose an alternative arrangement imminently, ahead of the next round of Brexit negotiations on October 18 – 19 in Austria.
While ongoing negotiations will ultimately inform the concrete framework in which these two pieces of legislation will operate, the actual outcome and the final deal struck between the UK and EU does not affect the entry into force of either the Cross-border Trade Act (as explained above) or the forthcoming Trade Bill. Subject to official amendment or repeal, the UK Government will retain the powers accorded to it, regardless of whether a deal is in place by March 29, 2019.
The Cross-Border Trade Act lays important groundwork for the UK to swiftly launch into action once a trade agreement is reached. The overall structure and actual regulatory powers provided in this Act will be of great importance to businesses adjusting to post-Brexit trade arrangements between the EU and UK.


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The event brought together a celebrated local chef and bartender, who curated an innovative cocktail-paired menu. Taking place at the MC Motors venue in East London, the brand brought together culinary forward thinkers from the industry, including Douglas McMaster from zero-waste restaurant Silo and cocktail expert Iain Griffiths from Mr Lyan.
The dishes aimed to reflect McMasters’ mantra of "waste is a failure of the imagination", and featured plant-based ingredients paired with cocktails designed to showcase the the versatility of the Patrón expressions.
Some 30 guests were treated to an opener of Silo’s famous sourdough and home-churned butter seasoned with lava salt, alongside a trio of fermented artichoke, seaweed kraut and Silo kimchi, accompanied by Griffiths’ Patrón Reposado tequila cocktail of spent tomatoes and umami vinegar clarified with milk.
To incorporate the secret dining theme, McMaster introduced two surprise dishes to the menu on the night including a savoury cheese fondue dish and a pirate chocolate fondant.
Event went behind the scenes at the event, which took place on 23 March.
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