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[Boycott - Economic - World]
Israeli exporters forced to slash prices due to boycott
Ma'an News Agency
31 March 2009
Israeli exporters have been forced to cut prices in part because of a worldwide boycott of Israeli products in protest of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, a leading industry association reported this week.
Israeli exporters have been “losing foreign markets and customers because of the global economic crisis and a growing anti-Israel boycott of locally made products following Operation Cast Lead.”
The findings were made available by the Israel Manufacturers Association on Sunday, and published in the Jerusalem Post the following day.
According to the report, 21 percent of Israeli exporters face difficulties selling abroad, particularly to the UK and “Scandinavian countries.”
The boycott and the financial crisis were cited as the issues behind a forced price cut by 66 percent of Israeli exporters.
The report emerged as boycott campaigners announced that they are stepping up their efforts in Palestine and internationally.
On Monday in Ramallah, a press conference was held by the Palestinian National Boycott Committee (BNC) in Ramallah, which urged local and international parties to continue their boycott actions. They called the boycott a “tool to realize long-denied Palestinian national rights.”
Representative of the BNC and the Palestinian NGO network Allam Jarrar called Land Day an appropriate time to call a Boycott and Divestment Day because both events shared the same goal.
“In Palestine the boycott of Israeli products, institutions and companies is once again gaining ground. Increasing numbers of students, women and ordinary people see the boycott of Israel as an effective form of resistance and are beginning to make it a part of their daily lives,” Omar Asaf, another representative of the BNC and a member of the National Higher Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return said.
“In the last month,” he continued, “regional and local committees have been formed to promote the boycott of Israeli products and an end to ties between Palestinian organizations, and their Israeli counterparts,”
According to BNC more than 75 demonstrations, protests and festivals were held in 19 countries to promote the Global BDS day of action.
Israeli exports hit by European boycotts after attacks on Gaza
Rachel Shabi, The Guardian
A fifth of Israeli exporters report drop in demand as footage of Gaza attacks changes behaviour of consumers and investors
Israeli companies are feeling the impact of boycott moves in Europe, according to surveys, amid growing concern within the Israeli business sector over organised campaigns following the recent attack on Gaza.
Last week, the Israel Manufacturers Association reported that 21% of 90 local exporters who were questioned had felt a drop in demand due to boycotts, mostly from the UK and Scandinavian countries. Last month, a report from the Israel Export Institute reported that 10% of 400 polled exporters received order cancellation notices this year, because of Israel's assault on Gaza.
"There is no doubt that a red light has been switched on," Dan Katrivas, head of the foreign trade department at the Israel Manufacturers Association, told Maariv newspaper this week. "We are closely following what's happening with exporters who are running into problems with boycotts." He added that in Britain there exists "a special problem regarding the export of agricultural produce from Israel".
The problem, said Katrivas, is in part the discussion in the UK over how to label goods that come from Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Last week British government officials met with food industry representatives to discuss the issue.
In recent months, the Israeli financial press has reported the impact of mounting calls to boycott goods from the Jewish state. Writing in the daily finance paper, the Marker, economics journalist Nehemia Stressler berated then trade and industry minister Eli Yishai for telling the Israeli army to "destroy one hundred homes" in Gaza for every rocket fired into Israel.
The minister, wrote Stressler, did not understand "how much the operation in Gaza is hurting the economy".
Stressler added: "The horrific images on TV and the statements of politicians in Europe and Turkey are changing the behaviour of consumers, businessmen and potential investors. Many European consumers boycott Israeli products in practice."
He quoted a pepper grower who spoke of "a concealed boycott of Israeli products in Europe".
In February, another article in the Marker, titled "Now heads are lowered as we wait for the storm to blow over", reported that Israelis with major business interests in Turkey hoped to remain anonymous to avoid arousing the attention of pro-boycott groups.
The paper said that, while trade difficulties with Turkey during the Gaza assault received more media attention, Britain was in reality of greater concern.
Gil Erez, Israel's commercial attache in London, told the paper: "Organisations are bombarding [British] retailers with letters, asking that they remove Israeli merchandise from the shelves."
Finance journalists have reported that Israeli hi-tech, food and agribusiness companies suffered adverse consequences following Israel's three-week assault on Gaza, and called for government intervention to protect businesses from a growing boycott.
However, analysts stressed that the impact of a boycott on local exporters was difficult to discern amidst a global economic crisis and that such effects could be exaggerated.
"If there was something serious, I would have heard about it," said Avi Tempkin, from Globes, the Israeli business daily.
Israeli companies are thought to be wary of giving credence to boycott efforts by talking openly about their effect, preferring to resolve problems through diplomatic channels.
Consumer boycotts in Europe have targeted food produce such as Israeli oranges, avocados and herbs, while in Turkey the focus has been on agribusiness products such as pesticides and fertilisers.
The bulk of Israeli export is in components, especially hi-tech products such as Intel chips and flashcards for mobile phones. It is thought that the consumer goods targeted by boycott campaigns represent around 3% to 5% of the Israeli export economy.
Exporters suffer anti-Israel boycotts
Sharon Wrobel, The Jerusalem Post
Local exporters are losing foreign markets and customers because of the global economic crisis and a growing anti-Israel boycott of locally made products following Operation Cast Lead, the Israel Manufacturers Association said Sunday.
"In addition to the problems and difficulties arising from the global economic crisis, 21 percent of local exporters report that they are facing problems in selling Israeli goods because of an anti-Israel boycott, mainly from the UK and Scandinavian countries," said Yair Rotloi, chairman of the association's foreign-trade committee.
A survey conducted among 90 exporters from a variety of sectors found that 53% had lost foreign markets and customers as a result of the global economic crisis. In addition, 62% said they were having trouble collecting payments from foreign clients, while 49% said their customers have asked to pay in installments.
Foreign customers had forced 66% of Israeli exporters to cut prices because of the economic climate, the survey showed.
Twenty-nine percent of exporters reduced business travel abroad by more than 30%, 11% cut it 20%, 6.5% reduced it 10% and 43% reported no change. Twenty-six percent of exporters said business visits by their foreign customers had declined.
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Companies planning or planning business operations between the two countries are strongly advised to analyze the impact of the new continuity agreement on their supply chains. “Together, we will be even more successful in taking this opportunity to take our trade to new heights.” It is also the seventh trade agreement we have reached with a member of the CPTPP, which brings together 11 dynamic economies in the Pacific Ocean. Truss said today about the agreement that she would take an important step in the UK`s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The two countries also pledged to begin negotiations next year with an ambitious new free trade agreement that will far exceed the existing agreement. Its activities focus on advice and advice on respect for international trade, anti-dumping, customs, foreign trade and Mexican administrative law. Javier Valenzuela is associated with the Foley Arena in Mexico City. Javier focuses his practice on international trade and customs. He has represented clients in complex trade and customs litigation and advice, including NAFTA and other trade agreements, rules of origin, duty assessment, tariff classification, non-tariff barriers and other compliance issues. Today`s agreement also commits the UK and Mexico to begin negotiations for an ambitious and modern new trade agreement between the UK and Mexico as soon as possible in 2021 and to work towards a three-year deal. Both sides agreed that a future agreement should be at least as liberalising as the recently modernised eu-Mexico agreement, but with the ambition to go further in areas of common interest. In today`s announcement, the United Kingdom confirms its intention to formally apply for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in early 2021, and Mexico expresses its support for this process.
Both sides agreed that our future bilateral negotiations should take place in parallel with this process. The alliance also abolishes tariffs on 95% of all goods traded between Member States. The United Kingdom has now concluded trade agreements with 58 countries, worth $198 billion a year. This represents 96% of the value of trade with third countries with which we wanted to conclude agreements at the beginning of the trade convergence programme. In a new impetus given to the United Kingdom, the two sides have agreed to begin trade negotiations on a new agreement next year. Agreements were also reached with Vietnam and Singapore prior to today`s agreement with Mexico. With a plant in Mexico, the UK`s manufacturing force can save considerable costs for shipping costs while taking advantage of a competitive labour cost. Mexico is home to a highly skilled and reliable workforce, which is up to 70% cheaper than the cost of labour in the United States. Combined with its strong industrial clusters, which offer dense supply chains in a number of sectors, it is clear that Mexico offers enormous strength as a production base for multinationals wishing to diversify their global presence.
On the basis of the joint declaration, after the end of the UK`s transition period with the European Union on 31 December 2020, when the comprehensive agreement between the European Union and Mexico will no longer apply to the United Kingdom, the agreement will remain preferential for trade between the two countries. This agreement guarantees British companies the security they need to operate in the Mexican market. This would save about $59 million in tariffs on British exports to Mexico under WTO conditions. “We look forward to working with our Mexican friends and allies for an ambitious new trade agreement in 2021. This will allow our two countries to go much further in areas such as data, digital trade, investment, intellectual property and services.

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If you haven’t heard of Edwards & Co, chances are you have a screenshot of one of their hair stylist’s handiwork on your phone.
Born five years ago from a vision of Sydney colourist and founder Jay Edwards, Edwards & Co has quickly grown a cult status as Australia’s leading edge hair salon.
Since opening his first salon in Surry Hills, Jaye’s hair empire has expanded to six salons located in supreme locations across Australia. These include Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, Gold Coast and now, Brisbane, thanks to the launch of his first Brisbane salon within the luxe AWAY Spa at the soon-to-open five-star W Brisbane hotel.
While the illustrious hotel chain has been teasing us for a few months now (most recently announcing that the iconic Byron Bay restaurant, Three Blue Ducks, would also be joining the line-up) the news that Edwards And Co will be making its debut in Brisbane has us excited about the idea that insta-worthy hair is now in reach.
The thing that makes this hair agency so popular is that it is home to the countries most innovative and trend-setting hair stylists and makeup artists. With just one glance of their social media pages you’ll be swooning over their signature soft, natural looking locks that will instantly inspire your next hair makeover.
Taking out Australia’s Top Salon at the Australian Hair Fashion Awards in 2017, Edwards And Co have been dubbed one of Australia’s most Instagram-worthy salons, with a cult following of social influencers, beauty editors, models and actresses including Lara Worthington who has been a friend and client of Jaye’s since the beginning.
“When the team at W Brisbane reached out to me, it was a no-brainer to align with a global brand at their calibre. They share the same ethos for luxury customer service as we do. We had played with the idea of Brisbane for some time now but it never felt right until now,” said Jaye Edwards Sydney’s leading colourist and founder of Edwards And Co.
The new Brisbane Edwards And Co digs will be located on Level Five at W Brisbane within the hotel’s AWAY Spa, which has been confirmed to open Friday June 1.


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Dukhan Bank wins two accolades at the International Finance Awards 2021
Doha, Qatar – August 22, 2021 – Dukhan Bank has been awarded two accolades by the International Finance Awards 2021 as the Best Digital Transformation Bank in Qatar 2021 and the Best New Contactless Payment Platform for Dukhan Pay (D-Pay) in Qatar 2021. The awards stand testament to the bank’s resolute commitment towards incorporating state-of-the-art technologies in expanding its rich portfolio of innovative products and services that are in line with its digital transformation strategy.
The International Finance Awards gives recognition to global businesses across multiple industries including banking, finance, and wealth management for displaying corporate excellence, market innovation, and capability in an international platform.
Commenting on the two awards, Mr. Talal Ahmed Al-Khaja, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer said:
“It gives us great pleasure to receive these two awards as testament to our strategic vision that guides a digital-first approach and allows us to remain at par with the evolving needs of our customers. This past year alone has seen the launch of numerous digitally driven products and services, accelerated by market needs and pioneering technologies. Dukhan Bank holds a longstanding reputation of delivering on the latest market trends and technology, and these accolades reaffirm our commitment to enhancing our portfolio as Qatar’s bank of choice.”
Since its digital transformation strategy announced early in 2020, Dukhan Bank has announced the release of new products and services that are backed by digital systems, customer experience platforms, and pioneering technological infrastructure. This has seen the launch of a wide-range of services including upgrades on the bank’s mobile app by adding new services and features as well as integration with The Group to enable customers to manage stocks using Dukhan Bank’s mobile application. Moreover, the bank launched its contactless payment platform, D-Pay, that continues to spearhead new forms of touchless payment options.
In the span of a few months since its launch, D-Pay, has already enabled customers to conduct daily transactions through secure and easy online payment services through Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay and most recently, Apple Pay, the online payment service that gives customers a more secure and safe payment solution. The service allows customers to make payments without handing over their bank cards to anybody else, touching the buttons of devices or even exchanging currencies, all the while benefiting from the protection feature provided by iPhone devices for every transaction. These services come as part of Dukhan Bank's relentless pursuit to answer customers’ demands for increasingly digital services and products that are replacing traditional forms of banking.
Dukhan Bank’s wide-ranging banking solutions to satisfy clients in Qatar are built on forward-thinking strategies, positioning it as one of the leaders in the banking industry. Today, Dukhan Bank has reputed itself as leading Sharia-compliant services provider, offering a diverse spectrum of award-winning banking products and services on all levels; Local, Regional and Global. Numerous international entities across separate categories have awarded recognition to the bank, namely the annual World Economic Magazine Awars, the International Business Magazine Awards, the annual Global Business Outlook (GBO) Awards, and the International Finance Awards 2020.
Dukhan Bank holds years of excellence in service awards, recognised in the industry as a leader in multiple areas. The recent titles rank hand in hand awards and recognitions garnered by Dukhan Bank over the years for its ground-breaking services. The bank won Best Private Banking Services Award in Qatar 2020 from Global Finance, Best Corporate Digital Services Bank in Qatar 2021 at the World Economic Magazine Awards while its Shari’ah compliant savings account service, Thara’a, has been named the ‘Most Innovative Banking Product’ at the annual GBO awards 2020. This is alongside the title of Most-user Friendly Banking Application for its mobile application, the bank’s leadership, Dukhan Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khalid Al-Subeai, has also received recognition as the ‘Banking CEO of the Year Qatar 2020’. in addition, the bank won ‘The Best Retail’ and ‘The Most Innovative Bank’ in Qatar by the International Business Magazine Awards 2020 among others.


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The adventure touring segment in India has recently become a very important space to be in. Every manufacturer wants a piece of that pie. With this in mind, Hero has unveiled the 2019 XPulse 200T at EICMA this year. The bike is based on the Hero Xtreme 200R. So engine and many mechanical parts are the same.
“The adventure and touring motorcycle segments are very popular across the world and here we are showcasing Hero’s vision for these segments with the 2019 XPulse 200T based on our unique XPulse platform. We aim to further expand this platform and add more products to our portfolio by the second quarter of the next year. Concurrently, we have used the new XPulse 200T for a unique initiative of co-creating diverse concepts with customisation specialists, and showcased the engineering prowess of developing a versatile platform. This also provides us an opportunity to capture the growing trend of direct customer engagement while opening the door to a new line of businesses,” said Malo Le Masson, Head of Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp.
2019 Hero XPulse 200T Launch
The bike will be launched next year in 2019 along with the Hero XPulse 200. The 2019 XPulse 200T will be positioned as the tourer in this line-up. Hero has already got a fan base for the original XPulse and the bike has received a lot of credibility for being an incredible dirty bike. The Hero XPulse 200T will be another feather in the manufactures hat.
2019 Hero XPulse 200T Price
The estimated price of the Hero Xpulse 200 is around Rs 1 lakh. We can expect the Hero XPulse 200T to come in at heavier price tag. The added price tag will be for the added ability of the bike. The 2019 Hero XPulse 200T can fetch a price of around Rs 1.40 lakhs.
2019 Hero XPulse 200T Design
The bike has been designed keeping in mind the practical requirements of a touring motorcycle, with focus on ergonomics, and loading capability with its large luggage plate. The bike will be made in India with inputs from Hero’s international teams.
Also unlike the Xtreme 200R though, the XPulse 200T will be more feature-rich. In addition to LED lights, front and rear, the XPulse 200T will also feature single-channel ABS, and a full-digital speedometer with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. The bike will not get traction control but we are hoping that the ABS can be switched off.
2019 Hero XPulse 200T Engine
The 2019 Hero XPulse 200T will be powered by the same 198 cc, single-cylinder two-valve engine that is shared with the Hero Xtreme 200R. On the Xtreme 200R, this engine puts out 18 bhp at 8,000 rpm, and 17.1 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. We expect the 2019 Hero XPulse 200T engine tuned for more torque. The bike should have adjustable forks too.
2019 Hero XPulse 200T Competition
Even with varying price ranges in this segment. People are always willing to spend more for a more capable bike. The 2019 Hero XPulse will compete directly with the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the BMW 310 GS.


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Evonik Chairman Klaus Engel is to step down early, according to a statement released by the company this week. He will be replaced by current Chief Strategic Officer and Deputy Chairman Christian Kullmann in May.
Evonik told Reuters that Engel’s departure was amicable and would be effective from May 23, after the specialty chemicals supplier’s annual shareholders meeting. No reason was given for his premature departure.
“We thank Mr. Engel for his service to the company and for his outstanding achievements,” said Werner Müller, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “Mr. Engel has transformed Evonik from a conglomerate to a company focused on chemicals, successfully listed it on the stock market, and developed it into a leading specialty chemicals company with outstanding prospects.”
Kullmann will be replaced as Deputy Chairman by Harald Schwager, effective September 1. Schwager is currently a member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, which he will be leaving in May.
Evonik also announced that COO Ralph Sven Kaufmann would be departing on June 30, 2017 and would not be replaced. The company’s supervisory board approved the changes yesterday.


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customer satisfaction - News, Features, and Slideshows
Australians are the least satisfied mobile customers among nine developed and emerging countries surveyed in a Juniper Networks report.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has had to set up a special team to handle rising complaints about the National Broadband Network.
Defence Housing Australia has increased customer satisfaction by placing its focus on the end user while developing a mobile app for its travelling employees, according to CIO Shane Nielsen.
One in six telecom customers are unhappy with their service, a slight improvement from the previous quarter, according to a survey released by the Communications Alliance.
Nearly one in five telecom customers remain unhappy with their service, according to a survey released by the Communications Alliance.
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Advocacy group Free Press has filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules, with the group arguing the new regulations are too weak.
The European Payments Council (EPC), which is being investigated by the European Commission for alleged antitrust violations in the e-payments market, has hit back at the Commission, saying it needs to stop sending out conflicting messages.
A controversial trade agreement targeting counterfeiters and copyright infringers is scheduled to be signed this Saturday in Tokyo, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced.
Microsoft has opened a front in its ongoing battle against Internet scammers, using the power of a U.S. court to deal a knockout blow to an emerging botnet and taking offline a provider of free Internet domains.
Romania has long been considered a hotbed for cybercriminal activity, but in recent years law enforcement authorities have made significant efforts to crack down on online fraud gangs that steal millions every year from victims worldwide.
Two U.S. government agencies have begun to return US$55 million in forfeited funds from a Web-based operation accused by investigators of being a massive Ponzi scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Secret Service announced Monday.
Interoperability standards are at the heart of a new antitrust probe launched by the European Commission into the online payments market.
The legal battle between Apple and Samsung continued on Monday in a district court hearing in The Hague, Netherlands, during which the two companies argued the merits of four Samsung patents.
Oracle and Google will engage in another attempt to settle their lawsuit over alleged Java patent and copyright violations in the Android mobile OS.
Companies using their rivals' trademarks as keywords for search advertising can sleep a little easier following a European Court of Justice statement on Thursday that such use would not normally be construed as infringement.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Phoenix student, claiming that he is one of the LulzSec hackers responsible for a database attack on Sony Pictures computers that claimed more than 1 million victims.
The Italian government is preparing an anti-piracy law that could ban Internet users from access after one alleged infringement, a lawyer and an analyst warned.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked a court to shut down websites that falsely suggested they were federal consumer assistance agencies or affiliated with government agencies focused on mortgage or debt relief, the agency said Thursday.
Two days of face-to-face mediation talks between Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Google CEO Larry Page over the companies' Android mobile OS lawsuit have yet to result in a settlement, but the door is open for negotiations to continue, according to a do...
When it comes to social engineering attacks, larger companies attract more of them, and when they are victimized it costs more per incident, according to a survey sponsored by Check Point.
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With many homes crammed with chocolate this Easter Sunday, dog specialists have warned owners not to feed their pet with Easter eggs or any other form of the treat. The Dog's Trust is warning that chocolate can be poisonous to our four-legged friends and it is essential to keep it out of their reach.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs and some other animals struggle to metabolise. Symptoms of theobromine poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling, seizures and potentially kidney and heart failure.
The Dog's Trust warns says that anybody who believes their pet has eaten chocolate to contact their vet immediately. It has a list of tips for owners this Easter that include the following:
- Never give your dog any human chocolate as a treat. Ensure that children and visitors understand why and adhere to this rule too.
- If you are hosting an Easter egg hunt, keep your dog on a lead at all times and make sure you're always supervising.
- Make sure that bins are dog-proof to avoid your dog scavenging through rubbish.
- Never leave any chocolate unsupervised, such as cakes cooling on worktop surfaces.
- Keep a close eye on your dog while out walking to avoid them scoffing down discarded food that is potentially harmful.
It suggests that instead of chocolate, there are plenty of other human foods dogs can snack on. It says you can make life fun for your pet by making an Easter egg hunt using some of the following: cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, apple (without the core), strawberries, plain chicken (cooked, no bones), chopped boiled egg, cooked fish and cheddar cheese cubes.
However, the trust warns that there are many common foods that are highly toxic to dogs. These include grapes, raisins and onions, and the trust says owners should make sure they and their family know what they are so they can be careful with them all year round.
For stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.


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CHICAGO — At a special reception for Canadian delegates at IPW 2014 currently taking place in Chicago, Brand USA – created by President Obama in 2012 as the overseas marketing organization – announced that Sana Keller and Patrice Bell will be the new Canadian representatives.
Keller and Bell bring years of experience to Brand USA representing U.S. states and cities in the Canadian market and are excited and honoured to have been chosen after a long bidding process.
“The President has set a pretty aggressive goal of attracting 100 million visitors from international markets around the world,” says Brand USA CEO & President Christopher Thompson. “Last year, we hit 70 million, which was a record year. So our job is to find the path to 100 million visitors over the next seven years, which is the goal by 2021.”
A recent study shows that Brand USA’s efforts generate $7.4 billion in economic impact in 2013, and supported the creation of 53,000 new jobs in the United States. It is also estimated that for every $1 Brand USA spends, $47 is generated for U.S. companies.
“For the next three or four years, you will not recognize this organization from the year prior, that’s how much change we are making and it’s what we’re doing in partnership with the industry, both suppliers and of course the overseas buyers,” says Thompson.
Canada continues to be the largest international market for the U.S. tourism industry, and with the help of Keller and Bell, Brand USA seeks to strengthen the return on mature markets such as Canada, while also putting a focus on faster growing emerging markets such as Brazil and China with growing middle classes.


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Concept Farm, the agency Aruba worked with on the campaign, said local-focused content it creates for destinations has performed significantly better than other themed content, with average engagement 87 percent higher on Facebook and click-through rates more than eight percent higher than traditional display advertising.
“We had a lot of locals not only in front of the camera but also producing the campaign, said Luidens. ‘This is a new approach for us which started in 2017 and now even more. We’ve seen how this has helped locals up their games in terms of production.”
Luidens said destination marketing has become more about what travelers are saying on various platforms rather than the message a tourism board is trying to push out. “It’s about getting those who know the destination to become brand evangelists for us,” she said. “That’s definitely one of the strengths for this campaign. We do this across channels and we involve locals in our press trips as well.”
The videos encourage travelers to get off the beaten path to meet locals like the people featured in the videos. Luidens said a majority of Aruba’s visitors leave their resorts and beaches during their stays to explore the island’s culture. “Through our exit surveys we see people enjoy the friendliness of the people, ease of getting around, and we have more sunny days than any other Caribbean island,” she said.
COLORS OF CARLSBLAD, CALIFORNIA, TO MAXIMIZE INFLUENCERS’ POTENTIAL
The travel industry knows that digital influencers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube could be good partners, but it’s how some destinations like Carlsbad, California, are using influencers behind-the-scenes that shows more of their usefulness to marketers.
Carlsbad, a coastal resort city located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, wanted to determine which colors were most popular in travelers’ social media photos and see how those compared with colors common around Carlsbad.
Visit Carlsbad, the city’s tourism board, analyzed about 80 Instagram photos during the past year from 23 U.S.-based influencers with a combined following of 17 million. The organization worked with U.S.-based Pantone on the analysis. Pantone pulled the top three photos with the most likes that depicted travel from each influencer, omitting photos and captions unrelated to travel and omitting giveaway incentive posts as outliers.
The analysis yielded four colors the destination is featuring in its new campaign “Colors of Carlsbad” (see the colors in the video below). “From the ocean and lagoon waters to the rolling green hills and beautiful sunsets colors highlighted in the 2018 Colors of Travel Study illustrate the coastal beauty, casual elegance, and laid-back glamour with family-friendly outdoor fun that Carlsbad is known for,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, in a statement.
“A blend of soft and warm with cool and calm expressing a marriage of land and sea; these colors encourage relaxation and provide refreshment while at the same time stimulating the senses and our desire to explore and experience,” said Pressman.
Carlsbad was already a colorful place, said Sam Ross, executive director of Visit Carlsbad. “Beyond our natural features, Carlsbad is home to a bustling local art scene, ground-breaking restaurants and breweries, a heritage of adventure and action sports, and a Southern Californian approach to wellness,” said Ross, in a statement. “Now more than ever, our visitors are interested in not only partaking in these unique experiences but sharing them with their followers near and far.”
SONOMA COUNTY’S FIRST BRANDING BY TAPPING THE POWER OF WORD ASSOCIATION
Further up California’s coast, it might come as a shock that Sonoma County, part of California’s Wine Country north of San Francisco, hasn’t had an official destination brand or tagline before this year. But that’s how things have played out, and Sonoma County Tourism, the destination’s tourism board, wants to help the area step out of the shadows of Napa Valley, it’s more popular neighbor.
In September, the destination launched its new brand: “Sonoma County: Life Opens Up,” to highlight how Sonoma is part of one of the world’s best wine regions but also has plenty to offer travelers who don’t enjoy wine.
The destination decided to survey travelers about what words they associate with Sonoma County versus Napa Valley. Sonoma County worked with travel agency MMGY to survey more than 1,000 U.S. travelers and found that “fiercely independent, connecting, progressive, and real” were some of the most common words that came up in terms of how travelers perceive Sonoma. Word associations have been a key way to learn how travelers perceive a brand, but in 2018 there are also many sources to gather travelers’ perceptions from such as Facebook and Twitter.
“To succeed, we need to connect with our customers on an emotional level and create a compelling set of reasons to visit Sonoma County,” said Claudia Vecchio, president and chief executive officer of Sonoma County Tourism. “Our new brand helps us to evolve from simply talking about the destination’s assets to showing how those assets provide transformational experiences.”
Sonoma created a video about the new branding but isn’t releasing it publicly until late October.Sonoma County Tourism’s new branding.
This article has been republished from www.skift.com


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Disneyland Tips Its Hand on Coming Price Hikes?
by, 04-30-2014 at 08:43 AM (3396 Views)
Just after the first of the year, several cast members indicated to me that they’d heard this year’s annual admission price hike would come in early May. Now that we’re weeks—if not days—away, 25¢ tea leaves are indicating that their prediction may be spot on.
Said tea leaves are Outdoor Vending’s move yesterday to increase the price of most of their concessions by a quarter. (Not everything increased. For example, popcorn in a commemorative bucket went from $6 to $6.25, but a regular box of popcorn stayed at $4.)
One in-park price watcher, however, claims history shows additional increases are on the way. “It has been long held that when ODV raises their prices, merchandise and food will follow, culminating in an admission hike,” she said.
To be honest, this is a trend I’ve never noticed before. But we should know in rather short order if that innocuous extra quarter will translate into another $10 a day the average guest will end up spending at the end of an average visit.


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Switzerland’s tourism marketing company plans to launch an offensive next year aimed at attracting guests to the country’s wellness and spa centres.This content was published on October 28, 2019 - 18:56
Switzerland Tourism on Monday announced partnerships with about 20 clinics as part of its long-running campaign to promote health tourism.
In a first step, the campaign focuses on guests from China, Russia and the Gulf States and could benefit the whole tourism industry, according to a statement.
It highlights the medical expertise, the infrastructure and the natural environment which “make Switzerland an attractive destination for a broad range of health tourists.”
Latest figure from 2017 show that nearly 36,000 foreign residents came to Switzerland for treatment in hospitals and clinics.
It is estimated that overnight stays, spending for day trips and food result in sales worth CHF196 million ($196 million) annually. Experts expect a 25% increase in sales by 2022.
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New year, new deal as Day´s Nike switch is confirmed
One of the worst-kept secrets in golf finally became official on Sunday as Jason Day’s switch to Nike apparel was confirmed.
Although Nike announced their intention to withdraw from the golf equipment market last year, they continue to provide clothing for many of the sport’s highest-profile names, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
World number one Day was rumoured to have agreed a deal with Nike in September and the start of 2017 brought an official announcement of the news.
An Instagram post from the Australian captioned: “Don’t make a New Years resolution” was accompanied by the hashtag #Justdoit – Nike’s well-known slogan – and a link to the company’s official account.
Nike then released a tweet featuring an image of Day in a Nike cap and polo shirt, which read: “The Ace. Started from the bottom. Standing strong at the top. Member since 2017.”
Started from the bottom.
Standing strong at the top.
Member since 2017.#NikeGolfClubhttps://t.co/3v1hgDdgW6 pic.twitter.com/WzZlFiSe3h
— Nike Golf (@nikegolf) January 1, 2017
Day previously wore TaylorMade-Adidas apparel and will continue to use clubs provided by that company, having extended an existing deal in September.


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ORLANDO, Fla. — Consumers need additional information to make them more comfortable with the idea of cloning food animals, and it's the industry's duty to give it to them via the consumer media, American Meat Institute officials told attendees at the Annual Meat Conference here.
Janet Riley, AMI's senior vice president, public affairs and professional development, and Randall Huffman, AMI's vice president, scientific affairs, presented an update on what's going on with animal cloning issues, how the consumer press is addressing the subject and how consumers might react.
“Media outreach is needed. The goal is not to keep the issue of cloning alive, but to background the media so they have the facts,“ Riley said.
She said she believes educating consumers will quell most of their misgivings and retain their confidence in the food supply. Toward that end, AMI is in the process of creating a new Meat Matters brochure and other materials that will explain animal cloning and issues surrounding it.
Cloning information will be added to the institute's website, meatsafety.org, too, Riley said.
She cited other industry issues that could have been volatile, affecting sales of product, but which were defused with accurate information.
“Look at the lessons learned from the rbST experience,” Riley said.
“Analysts predicted a 20% drop in sales, but it did not happen. The demand for milk was undiminished.”
The same was true of BSE, she said. After the first case, awareness was at its highest, but because a concerted effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and trade groups was successful in getting accurate information to consumers quickly, their level of confidence in beef's safety was soon at a high.
Biotech issues are not top-of-mind with consumers, Riley pointed out. She said recent research shows that when asked if they wanted to see anything else on a meat label, 82% of consumers said no. Just 1% said they wanted biotech data on labels.
The fact does remain that, according to research, nearly two-thirds of consumers “are uncomfortable with cloning.” More women than men say they're uncomfortable with it, Riley said, but she also emphasized that consumers' attitudes are changeable with good information that's well dispensed.
What's more, she said, American consumers have faith in the Food and Drug Administration. Research, she said, shows six out of 10 even said they would buy meat from clones and their offspring if the FDA says its safe.
Underscoring the power of the consumer media to influence consumers, Riley said it probably was no coincidence that the FDA released its draft risk assessment on Dec. 28. It's easier to get the real story to the media and have them take time to understand it during a slow news period.
“Aspiring news producers, I'm sure, weren't active in Future Farmers of America,” Riley said. “They need to be given clear, as well as accurate, information.”
Consumers need information that gives them comfort, such as comparing animal cloning to something they're familiar with, such as in vitro fertilization, she pointed out.
“It's important they be told it's a progression in animal breeding, having no bearing on human cloning, and having nothing to do with [genetically modified organisms],” Riley said.
Riley and Huffman both emphasized it's important to get the message out that the progeny of cloned animals are not clones and that they, the offspring, are most likely what would go into the food supply. Also, they pointed out that the FDA has continued a moratorium it had previously set on clones and their offspring being put into the food supply until further notice.
Huffman said that some protesters against animal cloning have said the process is harmful to the animals. He confirmed that some progeny of cloned animals tend to be larger than normal at birth, but that as breeders get better at the process, this will improve. Also, he said that contrary to what some detractors have said, the life expectancy of a cloned animal and its offspring is normal.
Huffman named some of the benefits of animal cloning for the producer, the retailer and, ultimately, the consumer. Superior traits certainly would be sought, such as the animal's health, average weight, feed efficiency compared with weight, litter size, consistency of carcass size and rib-eye size, marbling and tenderness. These all naturally reflect on the product — and its price — available to retailers.
Reducing pathogens and undesirable traits are other positives that can be pursued through cloning, he said, and other attributes, including safety, are of great interest to consumers.
Such favorable characteristics have long been sought through other means of selective breeding. Through artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, the best can be mated to the best, Huffman pointed out.
“DNA from the superior animal is inserted into an unfertilized egg from a donor animal. That egg is implanted in a surrogate animal, and from there on, reproduction gestation occurs as it normally does.”
“Cloning just accelerates the twinning process. And consumers need to know it's the progeny, which are not clones, that will provide most of the food from the cloning process.”
In summary, Huffman said clones and their progeny are indistinguishable from their counterparts, and the positive aspects for the industry and the economy are many.


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Google will now provide independently verified VPN apps from the Play Store with a security label. The American company wants to point out that VPN applications meet security standards for mobile applications.
VPN apps that receive the new label have According to Google Passed audit by App Defense Alliance. The App Defense Alliance is a partnership consisting of various security companies and Google In 2019 It was created to check the security of Android applications. The App Defense Alliance verifies the security of apps with its own evaluation method: the Mobile App Security Assessment.
According to Google, the security rating will also come to other app categories at a later date. VPN apps are said to come in first place because, according to the American company, they process a large amount of sensitive data.
Users searching for a VPN app through the Google Play Store will also be notified of the poster. Google will display a banner among the search results indicating the rating and additional information.
“Professional web ninja. Certified gamer. Avid zombie geek. Hipster-friendly baconaholic.”


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Ford Motor Co.’s (NYSE: F) Lincoln luxury brand has launched a new midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV) into an already crowded market. Granted, sales in this segment of the auto industry have been strong. However, Lincoln is late and.
and Alexander Myres #18 after intercepting a pass in the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on September 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) PHILADELPHIA, PA.
And he did, with just two days to spare. And he picked a good one to win; the first K1 Race Gear Summer Series event of the year in Saturday’s 25-lap, $1,500 to win 358 sprint car feature at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night. A hard.
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LIMA — Ronald Ellis, of Lima, brought his 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV to the Westgate Charity Car Show in June. “I seen it on the lot and said, ‘I think I want that,’” said Ellis. “It floats down the road.” The two-door Continental Town.
For 32 years, BettiJean Olson of Lincoln has been a professional cleaner in Bismarck. Olson says she was a victim of domestic violence in which she was hit with a car and pinched between two vehicles, an incident that broke her knee.
Lawrence, KS New, Laird Noller Lawrence Lincoln sells and services Lincoln vehicles in the greater Lawrence area
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The Tuttle-Click Automotive Group is a car dealer in Orange County, with Ford, Lincoln, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Mazda, and Hyundai dealerships in Irvine, Tustin and.
The most recent of Europe’s vehicle-into-crowd attacks will alter the look of South Beach’s Lincoln Road — concrete barriers will soon frame the internationally known shopping and socializing promenade. Miami Beach Mayor Philip.
Teens from around the world attended the Students Opposing Slavery summit, held at the cottage where Abraham Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation.
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Lincoln of Troy is the premiere new and preowned Lincoln dealership in Metro Detroit. Come see us today for a new vehicle or service on your current vehicle.
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Apply for auto credit & financing, research buying vs. leasing, access the Account Manager, make online bill payments & more.
Money Changers In Pakistan Pakistan-born ex-ICC chief Ehsan Mani surprised by Indian cricket board’s embarrassing. The BCCI, represented by its secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, lost 1-9 (full member votes) in the voting for a change in the financial model while. Why should we continue to provide such huge amounts of money to an organization that doesn’t support. budget to reel
HELENA — Less than two weeks after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the same area, western Montana was rattling again early Monday morning as a result of a 4.0 magnitude temblor centered near Lincoln. Monday’s quake originated.
What Do You Need To Open A Credit Card Labour is unveiling a pledge at its conference to help families trapped by massive credit card debts by introducing a cap on interest payments. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, will announce plans to guarantee that no-one pays. Another easy way to win via card advantage is to purposefully lose a round. To do this, start.
Filled to the brim with love, goodness, and adventure, Barbara Lincoln passed from this life to once again be united with her husband, Bill and daughter Barby. Barbara was born of Jim and Dorothy Dempsey, Feb. 14th, 1922. Raised in.
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Ford’s electric plans for Lincoln could be fully revealed as soon as next month, per the report, and could help the company with its plans in China, which is gradually introducing rules for auto sales in the country designed to encourage the.
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Kimmell, 50, of Helena, has been identified as the man found dead in a creek north of Lincoln last week. Authorities said one of the only clues near the scene was a stolen car found about 8 miles from the body. Investigators believe the.
LINCOLN COUNTY — A Racine County man was found dead late last week in Lincoln County, hanging upside down from a tree stand. The man was identified as Donald Peterson, 59, who was crossbow hunting when the incident occurred.
When the idea of NCORPE was initially presented to the taxpayers and school districts of Lincoln County, the citizens were assured that property taxes would continue to be paid. Fast forward to spring 2017, when NCORPE filed valuation.
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles fans are getting a kick out of Jake Elliott. The rookie place-kicker entered Monday’s game against Washington at Lincoln Financial Field having made 10 straight field goals, including a franchise-record 61.
Buying a car is a tough financial commitment. It might take some help to get all the money for it, but that’s exactly why car loans exist. Getting a car loan is a relatively painless process, but there are quite a few steps involved that can.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s office had an early wake-up this morning and it wasn’t for Black Friday deals. A deputy noticed a white SUV parked in the back of a truck stop and followed his gut. After running the plates, the officer.
Search our online Ford and Lincoln inventory for a new car, truck, or SUV, and stop by our dealership to take a test drive in a new Ford or Lincoln today!
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NORMAL — Residents from Normal attending Illinois State University and Millikin University were among 55 outstanding college seniors recently recognized by the Lincoln Academy of. Wesley Ward, a finance and political science.
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LOUIS • There aren’t really boundaries to a new, formalized partnership between Lincoln University in Jefferson City and the University of Missouri System. That’s the. In a time of financial struggle for the universities, the leaders are.
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Around 26% of all the city's hashtags include #food, making it the world's most Instaworthy place in the food category.
Over half of the industry’s IT leaders believe biometric travel identity tokens will be a key driver for the future of passenger experience.
Dubai welcomed 15.93 million international overnight visitors last year and the city is expected to continue building on its success in 2019.
In a new turning point for Saudi women’s rights, the Kingdom has begun to allow women over age 21 to travel without a male guardian’s permission, according to royal decrees issued on Tuesday.
If you love to travel with class, then the UAE’s world-class luxury hotels will not disappoint, with each telling a unique story in its detailed architecture and interior design.
Kathryn Wallington, Country Manager of the UAE for Travelport, reveals the top 5 growing travel destinations among UAE tourists.
Mohamed Saeed, General Manager of Royal Caribbean International, highlights the advantages of marine tourism and the influx of tourists that it brings into the region.
Anthony Ross, CEO of JA Resorts, spoke to us at the Arabian Travel Market in April, where he revealed collaborations across China and Tanzania.


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Wednesday, May 27, 2015 2:00 PM
LAS VEGAS—After years of "right sizing" the business during a bad economy, Luxury Optical Holdings
(LOH) is now poised for aggressive growth...and has already taken advantage of its position by recently adding new stores to its portfolio of high-end stores.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 11:00 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The total U.S. market for vision care products and services is up in all categories for the 12-month period ending March 2015, according to the latest statistics available from The Vision Council's VisionWatch report.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 4:30 PM
NEW YORK—In a video interview with VSP Global’s Jim McGrann earlier this week on Tues., May 19, 2015, The Wall Street Journal
focused on the company’s new health-tracking eyeglasses for the “exploding market in the wearables space.”
Monday, May 18, 2015 12:04 AM
NEW YORK—Vision Monday released its annual ranking of the Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers, which cumulatively reached a record $11 billion in sales for calendar year 2014. In addition to good sales performance, the estimates and movements on the VM Top 50 chart also reflect an influx of private equity capital that propelled several leading eyewear and eyecare groups forward.
Monday, May 18, 2015 12:00 AM
“There is a movement toward quality in health care and penalties to pay for not achieving it.”
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 9:30 AM
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—As this Midwestern regional optical retailer does every year at its annual meeting, SVS Vision
paid it forward, and this year it did so by giving company employees $10,000 in cash and telling them they could do anything they wanted with the money. They decided to give it all away to people walking around Grand Rapids.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 9:00 AM
NEW YORK—The percentage of American adults receiving an eye exam has surged upward since the year 2000, reaching a total of over 110.6 million exams among the U.S. adult population for the 12-month period ending December 2014, according to The Vision Council’s senior director of industry research, Steve Kodey, in a recent VisionWatch report released during Vision Expo East. That represents 44.7 percent of the U.S. adult population.
Thursday, April 30, 2015 11:30 AM
Enlivened by the digital age, regional optical retailers are moving from the traditional to the electronic, linking both to have far greater impact than either alone.


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Netflix shares plunged 35 percent Tuesday after the one-time Wall Street favorite revealed a massive departure of subscribers angered by price increases & other questionable changes…
Every October for the past 25 years, music’s biggest names converge on Mountain View for a special charity event like no other…
Netflix Inc. is abandoning its widely-panned decision to separate its DVD-by-mail and Internet streaming services because it would make them more difficult to use.
Netflix Inc. is moving to formally separate the DVD-by-mail plan it built its business on from the online streaming service it’s betting will be future of entertainment consumption.
LOS GATOS (CBS/AP) — Netflix has lowered its U.S. subscriber expectations for the third quarter because of customer losses relating to a split of its DVD and streaming options. The company, which separated its streaming […]
Netflix Inc. is bracing for customer backlash that could result in its slowest subscriber growth in more than three years amid changes to its online video and DVD rental service that will raise prices by as much as 60 percent.
Even with a fee hike, Netflix subscribers will be spending less each month than what it costs two adults to watch a single movie in a theater…
Angry Netflix customers have inundated social media sites with threats to cancel their subscriptions since the Los Gatos company announced it would raise its prices.
Netflix is raising its prices by as much as 60 percent for millions of subscribers who want to rent DVDs by mail and watch video on the Internet.
Miramax has become the latest movie studio to make its movies available for streaming on Los Gatos-based Netflix Inc.’s online subscription service.


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In a sudden and stunning fashion, the FDA announced the approval of Afrezza for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes for MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD). The approval ends a long and very tough road to finally bring their revolutionary inhalable insulin product to market. In a previous article, I stated that I did not believe it would take the FDA the entire 90 days to render a decision, and the FDA proved me correct. In another article, I explained my expectations of what the approved label would look like, and once again the FDA proved me correct. The label comes with a "Box Warning" as expected for those with COPD, Asthma, or Chronic Lung Disease (CLD), which was expected, and in fact, noted by MannKind that they had no intention of marketing Afrezza towards. The box warning does not affect the reachable market of patients intended for Afrezza. The FDA also called for additional follow-up studies, which again, I noted would be required in my previous articles as well. Investors should be very pleased with the negotiated label, and it will be very exciting moving forward to the next phase, a partnership.
In my previous articles, I explained that MannKind was likely the side delaying the announcement, or holding back on signing a partnership deal until the label was negotiated. A bad label would have easily forced them into a bad deal, or the chances that a partnership deal with a global leader would not occur at all. With the clean FDA label, I fully expect that several major Big Pharma companies are interested in partnering with MannKind. My lead candidate for a partnership with MannKind is Pfizer (NYSE:PFE). Pfizer's previous attempt at inhalable insulin, Exubera, was scrapped and the company lost millions on the failure of the product. It was a product that came before its time and was not ready for acceptance in the marketplace. I believe Pfizer will want back in the game. Afrezza is a much more improved product than Exubera, and the FDA and ADA have clearly called for new treatment methods for diabetic patients over the past several years.
MannKind's Technosphere Technology is the primary reason I believe Pfizer makes the best partner for MannKind, which I will expand upon in this article. My other two candidates are Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk, as each of these companies are heavily involved in the insulin markets, and stand to lose heavy market share with global adoption of inhalable insulin. MannKind previously gave a 6-8 week timeline several weeks ago for a deal to be finalized, but the early approval of Afrezza by the FDA, will likely advance the timeframe of a finalized agreement by several weeks sooner.
Pain Management Global Market
Pfizer as the lead candidate to partner with MannKind comes simply from the Technosphere opportunity to branch across numerous drug markets. MannKind's previous statements to head into the pain management market, after the approval of Afrezza, is big for Pfizer. Pfizer is the Market Leader pain management sales company in the world. Their global sales for pain management were $22 Billion in 2010, and have risen sharply every year to date. Market projections vary, but Espicom estimated the global pain-management market at $46.4 billion at the close of 2011. The U.S. market accounts for 48% of that. Another market analyst, Global Industry Analysts (GIA), one year ago predicted the global pain-management market would reach $60 billion by 2015.
Knowing this information, investors should really be excited about the future of MannKind. It makes sense that there are likely many candidates that are interested in MannKind for the right partnership deal, because MannKind's future product competition would affect their operations. Partnering with MNKD and having the ability to put their already approved drugs into an inhalable format would be very smart going forward.
Vaccine Global Market
The global market for vaccines is relatively small in comparison to other drug markets. However, it does come with a hefty sales potential for MannKind, if they are able to develop inhalable vaccines through the Technosphere platform. The global market for vaccines may only comprise about 2% to 3% of the total pharmaceuticals market but this sector has, and continues to experience a stellar growth rate of 10% to 15% per year. The World Health Organization (WHO). In 2000, sales were just $5 billion, yet today the global vaccine market is worth an estimated $24 billion, and is projected to rise to $100 billion by 2025.
From MannKind's website:
The Technosphere Technology Platform, is a versatile delivery system that mimics the pharmacokinetics of intra-arterial administration. Technosphere technology allows the pulmonary administration of therapeutics currently requiring administration by injection and offers several competitive advantages over other pulmonary drug delivery systems. While the technology is currently focused on pulmonary drug delivery for systemic absorption, research studies indicate the Technosphere platform has potential applicability for local lung delivery as well as other routes of administration. Technosphere technology has the potential to provide impressive drug delivery solutions across a wide variety of therapeutic areas encompassing a number of diverse products and disease states.
As I have noted previously, Afrezza is just the first step in a very prominent future for the Technosphere Technology. The numerous drug market possibilities for MannKind's technology are extremely valuable. Placing a true valuation on this technology is virtually impossible, but personally, I would be comfortable placing a $30 to $40 billion dollar (15-20% of diabetic, pain management, vaccine markets combined) valuation on it. While the technology may not be suitable for all diabetics, it could certainly be useable to treat all pain management and vaccine related issues of already approved drugs. As I mentioned above, the projected market sizes in the coming years for both of these markets is over $150 Billion annually. This total does not include the $58 Billion dollar diabetic market that MannKind just received approval from the FDA to enter.
Of course, these valuations are only possibilities for MannKind right now, they are real, and how fast the company can enter these markets remains to be seen. However, I fully believe that the right partnership could bring these markets to fruition for MannKind very quickly. Since the Technosphere platform has been approved, and the pain management drugs and vaccines are already approved, it would allow quick entry into these drug markets with very limited time lost to long trials and studies with the right partner. This is why I believe MannKind's stock continues to be extremely undervalued at current levels, and investors have not priced in the full market potential for the Technosphere Technology. How much longer this low valuation continues is unknown, but the approval of Afrezza should change that thinking fairly quick with investors.
As of the most recent short interest report, and prior to the FDA announcement on June 27, 2014, short sellers had continued to increase their short position in MannKind's stock to just fewer than 70 million shares short. It seems they were expecting either another 90 day delay, or a poor label being issued by the FDA that would affect the sales and market potential for Afrezza. Well, both of those worries are now dispelled, as the FDA has now confirmed that neither of these theories short sellers may have used to increase their position are true. It seems that the short sellers are quickly running out of ways to attack MannKind like they have for the past 7 or so years, and I am confident now that the Technosphere Technology is fully FDA approved, and the numerous drug markets MannKind can now enter in full view, they will begin to reverse those short sales in a very quick fashion. Currently, I rate MNKD stock an extremely long term strong buy with the FDA approval of Afrezza, and consider the stock to be very undervalued based on the total enterprise value (TEV) that the Technosphere Technology adds to the company. It is an exciting time to be a MannKind shareholder.
Disclosure: The author is long MNKD. The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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It’s possible Amazon will import products direct from overseas rather than operate through local distributors, according to Prashant Kamalapuram, director, International Tax, at Amazon. This emerged during Productivity Commission hearings exploring the virtues of the various models for GST collection … Continue reading
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New Vic/Tas appointment for Brands Brands Australia, distributor of Polaroid instant imaging products and ID Station biometric passport photo systems, has announced the appointment of Michael Munoz to the position of sales business development manager, Victoria & Tasmania. He will … Continue reading
Research from Edith Cowan University’s (ECU’s) Dr Donell Holloway and Professor Lelia Green explores how images previously found in the family photograph album are now likely to be located on the screens of phones and tablets, and how that jeopardises … Continue reading
A new, sub-$100 smartphone instant printer from Japanese toymaker Tomy might prove to be a popular stocking-stuffer this Christmas as it connects the ubiquitous cameraphone to the instant photography trend. The Tomy Printoss, which attracted a lot of interest at … Continue reading
Korean lensmaker Samyang has announced the AF 35mm F1.4 FE the fourth in its range of autofocus lenses for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, at a local RRP which should be a tad over $1000. Samyang has until recently manufactured modestly-priced manual … Continue reading
Fresh from its acquisition of the valuable Lowepro and Joby brands, Vitec has announced a strategic collaboration with camera manufacturing’s up-and-comer, Sony. The agreement will consolidate both companies positions ‘as the innovation leaders in their respective sectors’ according to the … Continue reading
THE BURNING QUESTION
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With the announcement of tax rates for different goods and services, the government has entered the last lap of the race to implement the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1.
While the new tax rates for products and services may not have many surprises - barring the fact that services now come under four slabs as against a uniform 15 per cent rate earlier -- the very fact that the move to GST involves complete overhaul of the indirect tax system means impact on businesses, at least during the transition period, will be huge.
Under-preparation: Though the GST law has been under discussion for quite some time, it has been finalised and notified only in the last few weeks. Some states are, in fact, yet to notify their laws. With a month to go before the roll-out, there is still confusion about the rates. Besides, many companies are yet to put in place new systems and software such as ERP (enterprise resource planning).
Some big companies: even a few public sector companies - are still in the process of floating tenders for hiring financial consultants. Any under-preparation will lead to non-compliance with the tax laws and have economic consequences such as delayed availability of input credit and loss of business.
Compliance cost: GST is a technology-driven system where every transaction - from invoicing to payment of tax - has to be done digitally. The government has invested heavily in building the technology ecosystem. But companies and other taxpayers will also have to invest in proper ERP and other software or hire third-party software providers. Here also, technology alone won't be enough, as companies need to capture input tax credits on their own and then reconcile with suppliers' returns to ensure that there is no mismatch. If there is, their tax credits will get blocked. The businesses will also have to hire professionals for help.
"Compliance costs will rise substantially. In case of services companies that have pan-India operations, compliance costs would increase manifold, as hitherto they were operating under centralised service tax registrations,' says Kumarmangalam Vijay, Partner, J. Sagar Associates, a law firm.
Working capital cycle: The working capital cycle of companies will be hit for many reasons. One is unavailability of input credit balance from the previous tax regime. Usually, businesses pay indirect taxes net of input credit in their balance. In the new system, they will start with nil input credit balance. An India Ratings and Research report says this will lead to locking up of input credit of close to `1 lakh crore, of which about `50,000 crore could be blocked for about two months - which may result in higher short-term working capital requirements. This calculation is based on a study of tax liabilities of a sample of 11,000 companies.
Tax on inter-state stock transfer will also increase working capital requirements. According to a Crisil report, "GST will increase working capital requirements across major manufacturing sectors on account of tax liability on inter-state stock transfer. Businesses will not be able to claim tax credits until the goods shipped are sold." The time lag in claiming input credit against tax paid on inter-state stock transfer will also increase working capital requirements. Stock transfers do not attract any tax in the current regime even in case of inter-state transfers.
There will also be the issue of delays in claiming tax credits due to mismatch in returns filed by suppliers and buyers or non-payment of tax by suppliers.
Challenges in using technology: The whole GST ecosystem is based on an IT-enabled platform, and its success in the transition phase will depend on how well taxpayers adapt to it. The fact that many small traders/entities still file returns and pay taxes manually means the shift from offline to online will itself be a big disruption for them. Vinay Sethi, Head, Market Development, Tax and Accounting, South Asia, Thomson Reuters, says Indian taxpayers are not keen to use technology the way GST requires them to.
In the early days, it is likely that errors in (untested) IT systems or ERP software may lead to delay in filing of returns or payment of taxes. At times, taxpayers' inability to operate these systems itself may lead to problems for them. "For the initial period of three-six months, if there are technological challenges in filing of returns or uploading of invoices, the government should take a favourable view while considering any delay in return filing or tax payment," says M.S. Mani, Senior Director, Indirect Taxes, Deloitte India.
Input credit losses: As per the draft transition provision, only 40 per cent input credit would be available for taxes paid under the old system on raw materials and semi-finished/finished goods held in stock. This will not only mean loss of input credit but also force wholesalers and dealers to de-stock inventories. This could lead to slowdown in uptake of goods from manufacturers or suppliers, leading to temporary shortages. There have been representations from industry for changing the provision and increasing the 40 per cent input credit figure to 60-70 per cent.


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Haute couture, summer 2022: High fashion returns to Paris catwalks
05 February 2022 | 1:20 pm
January's summer 2022 Couture Fashion Week showcased the latest sartorial offerings from 17 labels, just over half the number included in the official calendar due to ongoing Covid restrictions. Dior's Maria-Grazia Chiuri offered an ode to embroidery at Paris's Rodin museum, Jean Paul Gaultier handed the reigns of his empire over to Belgian designer Glenn Martens, while Alexandre Vauthier embraced the Roaring Twenties as an homage to our collective resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. FRANCE 24 takes you to the catwalks.
This year’s Berlin Fashion Week, which was held in one of the city’s former electrical factories mid-March, was largely focused on the work of Jean Gritsfeldt. The Ukrainian fashion designer was unable to attend in person as he could not leave Kyiv due to the war. But activist movement Fashion Revolution managed to recreate key items of his collection from scratch. It was a powerful cross-border collaboration and a message of peace, which Berlin designers Esther Perbandt and Natacha Von Hirschhausen helped to spread.
Kendell Geers and Tsoku Maela are two South African artists taking part in 1-54, the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and the African diaspora, which is currently on show in Paris. The artists speak to Eve Jackson about their work, which addresses mental health issues in African communities, apartheid and global economic concerns. They also discuss the monolith label of "African art" and how more needs to be done for the restitution of stolen African treasures.
A fake "Le Figaro Live" news report on social media claims to report on Chanel stores in Paris being vandalised with Hitler images. The stickers reference Coco Chanel's Nazi connections during World War II. The backlash against the brand has emerged in protest at Chanel's sale ban in Russia amid the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
French President Emmanuel Macron has set a deadline of 2024 to reopen Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral to worshippers and visitors. FRANCE 24's Revisited show is following the progress of this ambitious project and brings you a fresh update, three years after the devastating fire that badly damaged the world-famous cathedral. Our reporter Mélina Huet met those who are involved in the restoration work, both inside the mediaeval edifice and elsewhere in France. They now find themselves in a race against time.
The last surviving alleged attacker, Salah A., said he hoped his apology would help the relatives of those killed. One hundred and thirty people were killed in the atrocities claimed by the "Islamic State" armed group.
The textile industry is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, accounting for 8.5 percent of its GDP. But it's also a source of major pollution, with untreated waste flowing into the groundwater and factories relying heavily on coal. Our correspondents report on the industry's impact in Faisalabad, Pakistan's main textile hub, where clothes are produced for the biggest fast fashion brands.
According to some estimates, the fashion industry emits as much as 3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 annually, contributing more to climate change than the aviation and shipping industries combined. Making matters worse, less than 1 percent of all clothing globally is recycled, creating a vicious cycle of mass consumption and waste. So how can companies and consumers diminish their impact on the planet? Livia Firth, co-founder of a consulting agency specialised in sustainability, joined us for Perspective.
The Lyon Fashion Film Festival is open to admissions from both art schools and brands. This year’s second edition of the event showcased a parade of fresh young talents who aren’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. The winner of the designers' prize, Rémy Perrier, credits fashion with helping him to discover his true queer identity. Meanwhile, the collective 16:25 was awarded the Students' Prize for "Programmé.e", their mesmerising depiction of the drawn-out agony of the mourning process, juxtaposed with the frenetic pace of disposable fashion. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look.
The River Seine is the beating heart of Paris. The banks of the river attract 8 million visitors each year, making it one of the busiest places in the French capital. We meet those who take care of the Seine seven days a week, from the technicians checking water quality to members of the river patrol, who respond to emergency call-outs and use radar to explore the river's depths.
An exhibition about love feels like a radical prospect in an ever-more cynical world. Yet Simon Baker, director of the Paris-based Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), tells us that curating a collection of photos that fully express the complexity, the pain and the sheer diversity of the emotion was something he'd long been wanting to do. From Nan Goldin’s unflinching views of the darker side of infatuation, to the daring images of same-sex desire that paved the way for subsequent generations, we discuss the photography on show.
The 9th edition of FIMO, Togo's international fashion festival, didn’t open with a series of fashion shows, but instead with a science symposium organised by the University of Lomé. The theme of the discussion: how to pursue ethical fashion production while Africa continues to be the recipient of thousands of tonnes of the rest of the world’s unsold merchandise? And how to make the most of the rich pool of African design talent? We get some insightful answers from designers, fashion students and academics.
This year's ready-to-wear winter collections are all about love and seduction: the delicate balance between what's shown and what isn't. Vaquera has found inspiration in the iconic black latex jumpsuit worn by Maggie Cheung in the 1996 film "Irma Vep" directed by Olivier Assayas. Victor Weinsanto, meanwhile, showcases an extravagant corset-and-cape look for "Emily in Paris" star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu. Finally, the Love Brings Love exhibition offers a moving homage to late iconic designer Alber Elbaz.
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Her vibrant colours, floral hair-dos and striking jewellery have made Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's style as famous as her paintings. A new exhibition at the Galliera fashion museum in Paris is exploring the artist's identity through some of the objects stored at her famous "Casa Azul" in Mexico City. Clothes, makeup and personal correspondence give us an insight into a woman who was ahead of her time.
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A religious party in Pakistan has filed a petition against a law that protects the rights of transgender people. Opponents say the legislation could act as a gateway to enable same-sex marriage.
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In this edition we look back at a terrible shipwreck with a death toll even heavier than the Titanic. On September 26, 2002, the Joola disaster claimed at least 1,800 lives. The ferry was sailing between the Senegalese province of Casamance and the capital Dakar. In
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Ukraine launched a major counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region on September 6. This operation surprised Russia and led to the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from several strategic cities in eastern Ukraine, such as Izium. Our reporters Gulliver Cragg and Gwendoline Debono met with Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the counter-offensive and spoke to two of the operational commanders.
2 hours ago
Iran has been shaken by violent mass protests after a young woman dies while in police custody, having been detained for not properly wearing a headscarf. Annette Young talks to Sussan Tahmasebi, a women's rights activist and Iranian specialist.


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Mumbai: Google launched its new smartphone Google Pixel 6a. The new smartphone was launched at Google I/O — the company’s annual developer conference. The smartphone will be sold in Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage colours. It will be available for pre-order in the US starting July 21. Google is yet to announce pricing and availability of the new phone in other markets, including India.
Google Pixel 6a runs on Android 12 and is powered by octa-core Google Tensor SoC and a Titan M2 security coprocessor. It features a 6.1-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,400 pixels) OLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio. The display also features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 60Hz refresh rate. It comes with a dual rear camera setup. For selfies and video chats, the Google Pixel 6a features an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and a USB Type-C port. Sensors include an accelerometer, ambient light, barometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor and an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication. It packs a 4,410mAh battery. The smartphone is claimed to offer over 24 hours of battery life, and up to 72 hours backup with an included extreme battery saver mode.


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As Father’s Day is just around the corner, families and restaurants are planning for this annual event celebrating dads. Given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that restaurants will be approaching this year’s Father’s Day a bit differently. How can restaurant and hospitality businesses bring back the traditional celebration for fathers…
Five Star Plugins Blog
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way how restaurant and hospitality businesses serve our communities. Although restaurants around the world have started reopening their doors for dining in, the limited capacity at restaurants and concerns about public health and safety are still keeping many customers at home. It’s time to consider taking online orders from… READ POST
Our team at Five Star Plugins are delighted to share our thoughts on how restaurants can further enhance safety measures upon re-opening, even with limited capacity. It all comes down to 3 important steps: Planning, Communicating, and Monitoring.
Countries around the world are starting to ease their COVID-19 lockdowns, and in some places restaurants are being allowed to re-open with a limited capacity. Five Star Restaurant Reservations is the perfect tool to help restaurant owners re-open safely and comply with local regulations. There are three great ways to use the plugin to ensure… READ POST
The COVID-19 has changed the way entire industries do business, and the restaurant industry is one of the most affected. End-to-end delivery services like Uber Eats and Skip The Dishes with fees up to 30% might work fine for a restaurant when only a small percentage of their orders are for take away, but when… READ POST
We hope this post finds you safe and healthy. We wanted to address a few things with respect to the current COVID-19 situation. First and most importantly, our partners at Etoile Web Design noticed that a number of health ministries have been using their FAQ plugin to help spread information about the current pandemic. If… READ POST
We’re rolling out a major update to the Five Star Restaurant Reservations (formerly Restaurant Reservations) plugin this week which has a tonne of new features that we’re really excited about. One of the major changes is that the free and premium plugins have had their codebase combined into a single plugin, with a new licensing… READ POST
We rolled out a major update to the Five Star Restaurant Menu (formerly Food and Drink Menu) plugin this week which has a tonne of new features that we’re really excited about. One of the major changes is that the free and premium plugins have had their codebase combined into a single plugin, with a… READ POST
Some of our users might have noticed that the names for a number of our plugins have recently been changed. The name change is part of a change in plugin ownership and a larger rebranding after the dropping of the Theme of the Crop theme collection, to better align the company name with our current… READ POST
Updates are now available for Restaurant Reservations, Food and Drink Menu and Business Profile. These updates provide blocks for the new editor in WordPress 5.0, making shortcodes obsolete and giving you a better preview of your content.


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Apple just released a patch for Shellshock, a bug that could give hackers access to Macintosh computers, but a security specialist says Apple fixed only two out of three security holes.
The company said previously that the vast majority of Macs were "safe by default" from the new security vulnerability known as the Bash or Shellshock bug.
After a delay in rolling out the feature, the Internet giant makes it possible for people to switch languages on the fly when making voice searches.
The forthcoming phablet could feature the metal trimming ushered in with the recently announced Galaxy Alpha.
This super-fast keyboard app gets a new look and support for 17 new languages.
Web giant pulls back on an announced update to Google Now that would've allowed multilingual people to switch at will between languages.
Google's personal assistant can understand you as you switch from your native tongue to a second or even third language, a milestone more difficult than you might think.
Apple's new computer language Swift promises to prevent the programming problems that have plagued its predecessors.
Astronomers have long searched for life on other planets. But what happens when we find it? This e-book lays the groundwork.
Skype Translator currently supports about 40 languages and is expected to roll out later this year as a Windows 8 beta.


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Did China really ban crypto?
China's central bank has announced that all transactions of crypto-currencies are illegal, effectively banning digital tokens such as Bitcoin. ... China is one of the world's largest crypto-currency markets. Fluctuations there often impact the global price of crypto-currencies. bbc.comChina declares all crypto-currency transactions illegal
Is Bitcoin legal in China?
China does not recognise cryptocurrencies as legal tender and the banking system does not accept cryptocurrencies or provide relevant services. ... However, later that year, financial regulators, including the PBOC, banned banks and payment companies from providing bitcoin-related services. ReutersExplainer-What's new in China's crackdown on crypto?
What is Crypto staking?
Crypto staking is a method that people can follow to lock some part of their cryptocurrencies as a way to contribute to a blockchain network. ... In the proof of stake model, new transactions have to be verified before being added to the blockchain and existing coins are used as validators to confirm blocks. NDTVCrypto Explained: What Is Cryptocurrency Staking?
What is China FUD?
Why crypto enthusiasts should know what 'FUD' means. ... That stands for “Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt” and it's sort of a catch-all pejorative used to dismiss the seemingly never-ending list of concerns and criticisms that perpetually dog the digital-asset class even as it continues to grow at a breathtaking pace. FortuneWhy crypto enthusiasts should know what ‘FUD’ means


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Classifieds | Place a class ad | PDF Edition | Home Delivery
By ALAINA BARTEL
Daily News Staff Writer
The entrepreneurship class at Ketchikan High School has opened a school store, called the Kings Armory, to help inspire more school spirit and wearable pride amongst students and within the community.
Allegra Machado, a career and technical education teacher at Kayhi, launched the new entrepreneurship class in an effort to bring more business electives to the school. She said the class chose to open a school store because having a central place to purchase Kayhi gear was important to them, especially after seeing similar school stores operating in other Southeast communities.
“It’s a great group of savvy, future entrepreneurs that are interested in business basics,” Machado said in an email to the Daily News.
She noted the students are currently studying different aspects of the retail business, including market research, store location, pricing, promotions, advertising, staffing, customer service, purchasing, inventory, risk management, and financial and business planning.
“The Kings Armory is a great way for them to see how it all comes together in a real life store scenario,” Machado added. “The students decided which items to initially sell, they designed all of the layouts, chose vendors, determined pricing, are working the store and have headed up our social media advertising.”
The students expressed a big interest in wanting to be able to accept credit cards to hopefully inspire customers to make bigger purchases with ease, she said, so they purchased a Square Point-of-scale system and will be accepting credit cards.
To start the armory, the students needed seed money for the school — so they put together a formal presentation and pitched their idea to Kayhi Principal Bob Marshall, and he “jumped on board” with the it, helping forward fund their first orders, according to Machado.
Also helping the students fulfill the school store dream was Kayhi’s welding students, as they created a rolling desk for the store.
The Kings Armory will be opened during lunches at school, after school and at some big events on weekends, such as the Bill Weiss Invitational wrestling tournament.
It was also open during Meet the Kings basketball night on Saturday, where the students had several spirit gear items available, including hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, T-shirts, socks, winter hats, stickers, tattoos and foam fingers.
Future items the students hope to offer include fanny packs, seat cushions, travel mugs, baseball caps, window clings, alumni designs and long-sleeve tees, according to Machado.
The Kings Armory is located across from the main gym doors, under the stairs in the Kayhi commons.