text:
Turkey benefits from a pivotal position for trade, but surrounded by geopolitical risk and an unresolved economic slump, businesses are leveraging procurement to gain an edge
Straddling the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul’s 15 July Martyrs Bridge is a key link between the continents of Europe with Asia: an emblem of the city’s global position. Istanbul is central to trade routes, a prime location for supply chains – and manufacturing forms an important part of Turkey’s economy. But over the past few years, following a failed coup in 2016, business has suffered. The government aimed to limit the damage, cutting interest rates and offering credit packages, but Turkey’s credit rating still fell, the currency devalued, and inflation – along with business costs – rose steadily. Growth slowed and the country slipped into recession.
“The coup attempt coincided with weakening business cycles around the world and central banks draining liquidity from the markets,” says Gokhan Sen of Bloomberg. “Turkish relations weakened abroad, including with the US, and the government lost its appetite for doing business with foreign governments.” Turkish businesses were reluctant to invest and create jobs, he adds. The only boost was that exports rose, curing the currency crisis.
By late 2019, there were signs of recovery, and a country daring to think about repairing its economy. “But we are still seeing the scars on the bodies – the high inflation, high costs for businesses, and the lack of credibility and trust in investment,” Sen says.
Sen believes Turkey’s economic structure will eventually return renewed, with the private sector fuelling growth instead of the government, and looking to Europe and the US to attract capital. Assets in Turkey are cheap, the crippling inflation of 25% has fallen to below 15%, and there is foreign investment – albeit only a tenth of the capital inflow seen in 2012, he estimates. The currency boost is giving some hope to Turkish consumers, who had previously seen the price of an imported iPhone or Mercedes rise out of their reach, and there is hope that in future the government will help boost spending in the country through tax reforms.
Turkey is already home to a broad range of manufacturing activities, from automotive and telecoms to white goods, financial and pharmaceuticals. Big textile and retail brands based in Europe and the US, such as Zara, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and M&S, have recently moved some production from China to Turkey, says Faruk Demir, CIPS Turkey country manager. “There are signs businesses are coming back to Turkey because the distance is shorter. That adds value – and helps with sustainability.”
And now Turkish businesses are showing a real desire to develop procurement processes, turning their focus to increasing profitability through better buying, as well as better selling. Companies are investing in their procurement people, says Demir. “They are looking at category management, supplier relationship management, negotiation skills, finance for purchasers and risk management.”
Monitoring supply chains is another focus, with businesses recognising the need to track for sustainability as well as for human rights. More and more companies are seeking to introduce precautionary measures, says Demir. With an estimated four million Syrian refugees living in Turkey – about 5% of the overall population – it’s an issue that needs to be dealt with urgently, he explains.
SM spoke to five senior procurement professionals in Turkey who are supporting and driving progress in their business.
Asuman Büyükyildirim, Bosch
German-headquartered Bosch has seven Turkish factories, producing everything from washing machines and auto drivetrains to industrial boilers and thermal technology. Productivity has dropped during the recession, particularly auto and building technologies for construction, but Asuman Büyükyildirim, vice president, finance and administration, for Bosch in Turkey and the Middle East remains upbeat. “Crisis creates an opportunity for change,” she says. “It is not the first time we’ve had a crisis, so Turkey is quite experienced in how to deal with one,” she adds.
Büyükyildirim is responsible for indirect purchasing in Turkey, with an annual spend of around €225m, and a team of 28.5 working in Turkey plus 3.5 serving from overseas. The largest category is maintenance operations and repair – almost €100m – followed by logistics services – around €40m – covering transportation, warehousing, sea and air freight. The direct purchasing teams are centralised in Stuttgart, but for the Turkish market “the people are Turkish, so they know the market, culture and supplier base. But they are creating synergies for different locations”.
Working across categories is a recent transformation, allowing processes to be standardised, she says, adding that half the spend is already managed by e-catalogue, and this will increase. That frees procurement to focus on strategic tasks, share their expertise on big value items, while buyers who know the market and follow the technologies can give advice to internal business partners.
Despite losing a few smaller businesses, the supplier base has remained stable and Büyükyildirim is continuing with her project to optimise the quantity of indirect suppliers, having so far reduced them from 50,000 to 30,000. “Bosch has a very rigorous supplier-selection process and risk management. It’s not an easy process, but it usually results in a long-term relationship.” Bosch checks a supplier’s financial stability, its customer base, its domestic and export share. It has strict rules limiting its activities to no more than 50% of a supplier’s turnover, and no more than a 30% share in any Bosch business sector. For the smaller suppliers and innovations, Bosch procurement adopts ‘consolidators’ to purchase one-off items outside the core business.
Büyükyildirim’s background is mechanical engineering, which she credits for her ability to analyse and understand problems. Involvement in mergers and process changes have aided her understanding of the business, “from accounting to purchasing to logistics into production, sales, activities, quality”. It has also helped her grasp the needs of personnel and ensuring business continuity. One particular business integration involved a very small production plant, in a small village, with three generations working in the factory. “To move them 70 kilometres away was emotional, and I had to manage people’s emotions and fears,” she says. But having moved her own family to Germany and back again for work, she could empathise with them. “I listened and tried to reduce their fears. In the end we only lost 10 people.”
In Istanbul, Büyükyildirim is among peers who are successful female business leaders, but she says: “If you go to Turkey’s east side, you have a different picture. Many women are not in a good position, they don’t have the same rights, even within the family.” Istanbul is competitive regardless of gender, she adds, because so many people move there for opportunities. Her advice to anyone keen to progress is to hone soft skills, communication and stakeholder management. “Find a common ground. Collaborate and cooperate – nobody works alone.”
In Turkey, Büyükyildirim says Bosch is looking towards Industry 4.0 in its own factories – it already has robots picking products to deliver to the production line in its diesel injection engines factory – and is working with the government and NGOs to create awareness across the country. “If our customers and suppliers are not ready for the future, then we’ll lose our own competitiveness. Bosch and other multinationals are investing in Turkey because it has young and motivated people, a growing market and a very good supplier base.”
Alper Molla, Tekfen Construction
Chelsea Football Club’s Europa League win last year was played out in a stadium built by Tekfen Construction. The Baku Stadium in Azerbaijan is part of a long list of major construction projects built by the Turkish firm, which includes the Crystal Hall where Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, and the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, where Liverpool beat Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final. Tekfen also builds and maintains roads and major oil and gas pipelines, including large portions of BP’s 1,768km-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline that delivers oil from Azerbaijan through Georgia, to the west coast of Turkey.
Procurement coordinator Alper Molla joined the company in Qatar as an electronics engineering graduate, and was offered the role of procurement engineer thanks to good English language and other useful skills, he believes. “I was negotiating million-dollar packages in my 20s. I saw there was a big playground, where you can take lots of responsibilities and initiatives, so procurement became my choice,” he says. He spent time in various procurement roles in the Middle East, receiving procurement training in Azerbaijan through CIPS, and when he returned to Turkey he was keen to bring good working practices with him.
Tekfen Construction is part of a much larger conglomerate – Tekfen, which is listed on the Turkish Borsa stock exchange – delivering infrastructure such as roads, refineries, petrochemical plants, real estate, pipelines and electrical works. Over 80% of its work is overseas, serving major clients in the oil and gas sector such as Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia and SOCAR in Azerbaijan, mainly offering engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). His team has been involved in projects from an oil and gas processing facility operating at minus 40 degrees in Kazhakstan, to one in Saudi Arabia at plus 40 degrees. Tekfen hires a local workforce, but most of the senior people are Turkish, says Molla, living as expats for six months at a time or longer – a challenging career choice that’s not for everyone – but Molla says his team have embraced it. “Turkish people are fighters and adaptors,” he says.
The global economic slowdown means that for Tekfen, the project portfolio is getting thinner and competition tougher. Molla is all too aware of geopolitical concerns – with neighbours such as Syria, Iraq and Iran – and trade and tariff wars between the US and China. But he is optimistic about improvement in the EPC sector globally, and is looking to the Americas and Africa for new projects. But with energy prices driving the EPC market and profits falling, good procurement is vital, he says.
Molla has more than $250m (€225m) annual procurement spend across the procurement team in Istanbul, and individual project teams. “Maybe 40-60% is distributed between headquarters and the project, depending on the project specification, location and market.” His team purchases everything from piping, steel structures for building factories, electrical cables, earth moving machinery – which they often have to ship around the world to different projects.
Molla is working through a procurement structure transformation from tactical execution to strategic sourcing, and as a result, for the past two years the team has been involved at the planning stage of each project. He has introduced a material code tree to itemise and code all products – around 200,000 are already coded in the system – and upgraded the ERP system with a performance dashboard to check progress and performance of project and personnel. E-sourcing and e-auctions are planned, along with a new supply chain management system to provide greater transparency – and meet the growing requests from clients to track sustainability.
Mehmet Apak, Zer
Koç is one of the most well-known companies in Turkey, and the country’s largest industrial and services group, working across most sectors, including energy, automotive, consumer durables (Arçelik and Beko household appliances), finance, as well as food, tourism, marinas and IT. It has joint ventures in Turkey with companies such as Ford, Fiat, LG Electronics, Avis and Kingfisher, and is a major exporter from the country. And despite being a Fortune 500 company worth TRY143.2 billion (€21.8bn), Koç is still very much a family-run operation, says Mehmet Apak (pictured below), who moved from Koç a year ago to run its shared service procurement company, Zer, with a remit to expand the business, grow international activities from 3% to 10%, and to expand its non-Koç Holding work from 20% to 50%.
Zer offers indirect services, such as business process outsourcing, IT solutions and media services. As Koç Group automotive and durable goods manufacturing volumes decreased across Turkey in 2019, exports increased, balancing the books a bit, says Apak. Now Zer will look at establishing smaller structures outside Turkey, starting in Romania, following in the footsteps of the Beko and Arçelik factories.
Business procurement outsourcing is not prevalent in Turkey, says Apak, but Zer hopes to change that, and to provide its services to European partners too. “I know our sourcing in Turkey is much cheaper than in some places in Europe,” he adds.
And trading at scale is a Zer speciality. One example is its ‘business Uber’ service, the Call-Car, available to any new customer. “There are around 3,000 minibuses running around Turkey, between Istanbul, Ankara and factories for Koç businesses,” explains Alp Ressamoğlu, assistant general manager, supply chain management and procurement. “We put devices into the vehicles and collect data on speed, routes, who is travelling, and optimise routes and procurement needs for our factories.”
Users book journeys using apps on their phones. The Call-Car can cut costs by 20% – the benefit of scale. “In all categories, economies of scale is the point,” adds Apak.
Technology is key to the growth plan. “Our IT guys are looking at shortening RPA processes, replying more frequently to customers and suppliers, and reducing errors.” Zer has its own electronic-sourcing software programme, Promena, with an e-auction system, which can be offered to non-Koç companies through simply sharing the platform, or as part of a service.
Apak believes in education. “We trained 70 people through CIPS in procurement, and 24 of them went out of Koç Group. Wherever they go they were raised in Zer, so it’s an advertisement for attracting staff,” he says. “And we have mentor-mentee programmes. I get some of my most important feedback from my mentees – the Y generation.”
Tuğrul Günal, Siemens
As procurement director, Tuğrul Günal manages a purchasing spend of approximately €320m on behalf of Siemens in Turkey, focusing on key categories of general electrical installation, logistics, fleet leasing and transformers. The German-headquartered engineering firm runs some global category spends from Munich and London, but Günal purchases many commodities locally. And he recognises the importance of the procurement function in the company’s reputation.
Power cables is a category where his team provides full knowledge of the players in Turkey, their finances and company culture, he says. “If you purchase power cables for a big energy-management project, and the cables aren’t good enough to support the energy system, you’ll have failures, breakdowns. So we have to be very careful which companies we purchase from.”
When Günal, who has a background in HR, moved into procurement and found limited localised training opportunities, he welcomed the launch of CIPS training in Turkey. He also set up a national supply chain management association, Tedar, for Turkey. “Whatever we do, we do with people. They’re our biggest asset,” he says. He put the eight staff members through a 360-degree evaluation, looking at processes, guidelines, applications and more. He introduced an annual supplier day, inviting in the main suppliers and all employees working in supply chain management, including top management and regional management.
He also defined national strategies for performance, sustainability, ethics and value-add throughout the supply chain. Günal is confident that the company knows its market, its sector and players. The annual reports from each category manager provide the information to ensure that Siemens can manage the suppliers and knows which ones to invite to tender.
Günal’s procurement function now controls a high proportion of spend – more than 90% – achieved largely because any maverick spend above the low €200 threshold is immediately escalated to company management. “We established this process in the regional company, because you have to know about the purchase, from which company we purchase and why we purchase, since it impacts the whole company.”
Keen to futureproof the procurement function, Günal is underpinning the many digitisation activities on the horizon for Siemens. One is electronic supplier integration, a project based in Turkey. He has already introduced proprietary robot software programme Bilgin – cutting repetitive logistic order time from 1,750 hours to 25 – and reducing manual errors. “I have to get my people to live it. I have to be ready first, as well, and my management is in charge of that. It is the Bible or the Quran of all the digitisation activities. If you work at the C-level you have to invoke each and every employee, to assess their expertise and experience, and take care that they participate in training. Or how can they support all digitisation activities? Each one has to be ready.”
Ersan Meric, SunExpress
Ersan Meric, CPO of SunExpress, a division of Turkish Airlines, sees value in developing his team’s skills to a global standard in areas such as negotiation, contract management, financial analysis and strategic thinking. Procurement is not a well-developed practice in Turkish business, he says. “Anybody who has come out of university believes that he or she can do procurement activity – but that’s just not true,” he says.
Too often businesses take care of their own interest rather than the suppliers’, and the procurement function comes in too late, and is merely reactive, he says. “The shift towards adding value, being part of the business, understanding the real needs and being prepared for any potential requirements is not there – only a few companies are doing good.”
Under Meric, SunExpress is undergoing a procurement transformation. He is responsible for €600 million of spend, which will increase by another €200m once the transformation programme is complete, and aircraft leasing falls under his remit.
In his first year with the airline, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, he has built the procurement function from scratch. While major items, such as fuel for the aircraft, were being outsourced via Lufthansa, along with ground services and maintenance, purchase of smaller items was not managed well, he explains. There was a lack of skilled staff and an old-fashioned, conventional method of procurement. “Most of the business was conducting its own procurement activities, with very little recorded on the system,” he says.
The Turkish economy has been volatile since Meric joined SunExpress, but the company operates in Euros and US dollars. “We sell our tickets in Euros, our supply base is largely in Euros, or US dollars, and fuel is in US dollars. Cash flow isn’t a problem because we collect the tickets in advance, which is good for our suppliers. We pay on time.” But he’s been checking his domestic suppliers, such as IT support and uniform suppliers, in case they struggle due to late payment from other clients, and has widened his supply base. Meric has paid particular attention to the 500 key local suppliers, “because interest rates go up and some of their other customers don’t pay on time, so they have pressures”.
Meric’s next focus is to explain to internal stakeholders how procurement can help. “When other business units approach the supply market, they can be easily convinced without understanding the cost drivers and total cost of ownership. They go ahead and give all the early buying signals and indications – this is what we need to avoid. Now we have our own category managers who are really knowledgeable and we do negotiations for the first time.” But it’s not all about cost, he says, because negotiating down prices simply means the supplier builds in a cost to later remove. “It becomes a kind of theatre between you and the supplier.”
Meric reports into the CEO, a former procurement professional, who wanted a proactive procurement style with strategic goals. “He invites me to executive meetings, appreciates the value we’re bringing and supports us.” But Meric has struggled to build an experienced team around him, despite being based in the sunny south of Turkey in Antalya – he is talking from a café terrace under blue skies, with palm trees and sandy pavements in the background. He wants experienced procurement professionals “who know the difference between strategic sourcing and operational procurement, with some kind of category know-how”, and is keen to encourage qualified professionals who may want some international experience to consider joining the team. Turkish language skills are not necessary, stresses Meric, it’s the procurement expertise he’s seeking.
Earlier this year CIPS published its Global Standard document, translated into Turkish
This year’s CIPS Turkey conference takes place in Istanbul on 7 April 2020.


text:
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been a home run investment in 2023. Shares of the semiconductor giant have more than tripled this year, gaining a whopping 238% thanks to an astronomical acceleration in the company’s revenue and earnings. Booming demand for its graphics cards is playing a major role in training artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The good news is that analysts are anticipating Nvidia stock to head higher in 2024. According to 46 analysts covering the stock, Nvidia has a median 12-month price target of $650. That points toward a 35% jump from current levels. The Street-high price target sits at $1,100, which points toward a 123% jump over the next year.
Let’s find out if Nvidia can outpace the median stock price target and double in 2024 from current levels of around $480.
Nvidia is expected to deliver another year of terrific growth in 2024
Nvidia’s revenue stands at almost $39 billion in the first nine months of fiscal 2024. Its guidance for $20 billion in revenue in the current quarter means that it will finish the fiscal year (which ends next month) with a top line of $59 billion. That would be a 118% jump over Nvidia’s fiscal 2023 revenue.
Consensus estimates, however, indicate that Nvidia could finish the year with $54 billion in revenue. Analysts are expecting $18.4 billion in revenue from the company in the ongoing quarter, which is well below its guidance. There is a good chance that Nvidia could easily crush Wall Street’s expectations given that its AI graphics cards are selling like hotcakes.
The company reportedly sold half a million units of its popular A100 and H100 data center GPUs (graphics processing units) in the previous quarter, according to Omdia, and it is expected to exceed that mark in the current quarter. So, Nvidia stock could get a nice boost in February next year, when its fiscal 2024 fourth-quarter results are due, by delivering better-than-expected sales growth.
More importantly, Nvidia is setting itself up to sustain its impressive growth momentum through 2024 by focusing on expanding its manufacturing capacity and encouraging its foundry partner to produce more chips. For instance, Nvidia is reportedly mulling partnerships with Vietnam and Malaysia to manufacture more chips. At the same time, foundry partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, popularly known as TSMC, is reportedly going to open a new fabrication plant in Japan in February 2024 and plans to add two more fabs.
Moreover, TSMC is already working on the expansion of its advanced chip packaging capacity in a bid to make more AI chips. Based on this, Tianfeng Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is anticipating a massive jump of 150% in Nvidia’s AI graphics card shipments in 2024. The launch of two new AI GPUs in the form of the H200 and the next-generation Blackwell B100 cards, as well as the big backlog of Nvidia’s current graphics cards, could play an instrumental role in driving such solid growth in shipments.
Nvidia’s data center business has generated $29 billion in revenue in the first three quarters of fiscal 2024, accounting for almost three-fourths of its top line. The company’s $20 billion revenue estimate for the current quarter indicates that it could generate $15 billion in revenue from this segment in fiscal Q4 and end the year with data center revenue of $44 billion.
Assuming the 150% jump in shipments of data center GPUs next year translates into an identical jump in revenue, the company could generate a whopping $110 billion in sales from this segment alone. That would be significantly higher than analysts’ expectations of $85 billion in revenue from Nvidia in fiscal 2025 (which will coincide with 11 months of calendar 2024).
Why Nvidia stock seems set to double in 2024
We have seen that Nvidia can outperform Wall Street’s growth expectations next year, which could help the stock deliver eye-popping gains once again. According to consensus estimates, Nvidia’s earnings could jump 60% in fiscal 2025 to $19.72 per share. That seems like a conservative view as Nvidia is on track to almost quadruple its bottom line in the current fiscal year.
But even if Nvidia’s earnings growth decelerates to a respectable 60% and indeed hits $19.72 per share, its stock price could exceed $1,000 based on the company’s forward earnings multiple of 55. So, there is a chance that this AI stock could indeed hit the Street-high price target on the back of further acceleration in the data center business, as well as emerging catalysts in the personal computer business.
As such, investors would do well to continue holding Nvidia stock in their portfolios as there is a possibility that it may double next year.
Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.
*Stock Advisor returns as of December 18, 2023
Here’s Why Nvidia Stock Could Double in 2024 was originally published by The Motley Fool

domain: news


text:
Online stock trading in the Philippines is becoming “Petmalu!”
December 1, 2022
Subscribe to our newsletter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The Philippines and Southeast Asia as a whole face increased demand for financial online services and KYC (Know Your Customer) solutions that cater to secure transactions and interactions between digital customers and financial entities such as online brokers for stock trading.
Digital landscapes emerging in Southeast Asia
An increase of volume and value in digital-driven transactions and interactions is emerging throughout Southeast Asia and especially in the Philippines. Expedited by societal circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, this economic development calls for platforms, services, and digital systems to automate, expand and facilitate access to financial services. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) account for 99.5% of registered businesses in the Philippines, their revenue is therefore critical to the economy's growth. With a population that is largely unbanked or underserved by traditional financial institutions the Philippines strive to become a more financially inclusive country so that more SMEs get access to the financial services they require.
At this stage of digital development, the primary Philippine regulators are therefore adopting a balanced regulatory approach focused on risk-based and proportionate regulation and consumer protection. But historically nations have utilized different regulatory strategies at various stages of their digital development which indicates that some regulatory changes could be implemented later on. As many companies have had to learn by bitter experience in recent years: When investing in systems and solutions that cater to the digital customer processes of today it is wise to ensure these are adaptable to tomorrow's legislative changes with a minimum of further investments.
A breakthrough for online broker-dealers
Today there are 130 registered brokerage firms in the Philippines according to the directory of PSE (Philippines Stock Exchange) and only 33 of these offer an online trading platform to their clients. This doesn't align particularly well with the ambitions of the nation or the paradigm shift occurring in the world of investing. Online brokers are increasingly gaining popularity and lower costs for investors constitute a significant reason why. Another reason is the accessibility and convenience of having an online account granting the investor complete control of their portfolio. All trades can be executed immediately without having to notify a personal broker to act on behalf of the investor. The last couple of years show a rapid rise of the Filipino retail investor and it is clear that online trading has induced this boost. Out of the approximately 1.4 million accounts in the stock market, about 97.9% of the total number of accounts belong to retail investors, according to the PSE. Online accounts dominate the local course after cornering 67% of the total.
Even though there's much more improvement needed to further expand investment and growth opportunities while mitigating risks the trend has been established. According to the PSE, investors aged 18 to 29 today constitute 22,5% of the total stock market account holders, but that percentage could skyrocket in conjunction with the Philippine digital transformation. The effect of digital natives increasing in numbers and the fact that investors nowadays are younger poses a potential golden age for online brokers in the years ahead. However, investments in fintech solutions that cater to a digitized and automated KYC compliance process are a prerequisite to have a chance at becoming a competitive online broker in the new digital landscape of Southeast Asia. But those investments should be well thought through to ensure sustainable regulatory compliance and competitiveness.
Verify and validate the legitimacy of your corporate clients
Evaluating corporate clients involves digging, investigation, and complicated decision-making. Our extensive portfolio of KYB-focused products and workflow solutions mitigate these efforts.


text:
Digital TV News: Accedo
Accedo One powering Magenta TV from Deutsche Telekom
Jun 3, 2019 – Accedo has built and delivered Deutsche Telekom’s Magenta TV service on Amazon Fire TV. Magenta TV offers live and VOD video experiences, giving subscribers access to as many as 75 channels. Users can also fine tune their preferences and settings in-app.
News categories: Accedo, Deutsche Telekom, Michael Lantz, Apps, ConnecTechAsia, Digital TV, Germany, OTT, UX
Accedo's video experience platform combined with Oregan’s middleware
Apr 11, 2019 – Accedo and Oregan Networks have announced a strategic partnership to provide next generation Pay TV solutions to the video industry. The joint solution will combine elements from the Accedo One video experience platform with Oregan’s SparQ middleware for Android TV.
News categories: Accedo, Oregan Networks, Michael Lantz, Mark Perry, Android TV, ConnecTechAsia, Digital TV, Set Top Box, UX, Worldwide
MVMNT TV using Brightcove to launch apps for multiple platform
Mar 1, 2019 – Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV) has announced that MVMNT TV is using its technology to launch multiple platform apps across Apple TV, Amazon Fire, iOS, Android, and Google Chromecast. The developments will use Brightcove OTT Flow, powered by Accedo.
News categories: Brightcove, MVMNT TV, Accedo, Rick Hanson, Erik Jetmir, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Accedo announces Partner Program
Jan 7, 2019 – Accedo will debut its Partner Program at this year’s CES Show in Las Vegas. The program will roll out over the coming months. Current and new partners are invited to join the program to expand their reach together with Accedo.
News categories: Accedo, Michael Lantz, CES, Digital TV, Mobile, UX, Worldwide
Accedo raises $17m in growth capital
Jan 3, 2019 – Accedo has revealed that it has raised $17M in equity to further drive its growth over the coming years. This round of financing was led by SEB Private Equity, a Stockholm based private equity team and already an investor in Accedo.
News categories: Accedo, SEB Private Equity, Michael Lantz, Magnus Ramström, CES, Digital TV, Private Equity, UX, Worldwide
Accedo powers StarHub’s new Android TV service
Sep 11, 2018 – Accedo has announced that its Studio Pay TV Android TV Launcher is powering the newly-launched Android TV Operator Tier STB TV offering from StarHub. Branded as the StarHub Go Streaming Box, the Android TV STB service extends the StarHub Go OTT service to the living room.
News categories: Accedo, StarHub, Michael Lantz, Chong Siew Loong, Android TV, Digital TV, IBC2019, OTT, Set Top Box, Singapore, UX
Funbox goes OTT with Brightcove OTT Flow X, powered by Accedo
Sep 6, 2018 – Accedo and Brightcove have announced that one of Vietnam’s most popular VOD services, Funbox, aims to add one million new users when it launches on iOS, Android, Web, Roku devices and Smart TVs in 2019.
News categories: Accedo, Brightcove, Funbox, Matt Kossatz, Ben Morrell, Minh Thien, Digital TV, IBC2019, Mobile, OTT, UX, Vietnam
JUMP releases data-driven UX solution based on AI analytics
Sep 3, 2018 – JUMP has announced the commercial release of its Jump Data-Driven UX. Customers using the solution alongside a dynamic video experience management platform can benefit from automatic UX changes based on customer data analysis and according to a defined set of KPIs.
News categories: JUMP, Jerónimo Macanás, Digital TV, IBC2019, UX, Worldwide
Accedo launches targeted advertising solution for AR experiences
Aug 29, 2018 – Accedo has announced the launch of a targeted advertising solution for Augmented Reality (AR) experiences with the API integration of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elemental MediaTailor. The Accedo AR experience is designed to give a TV viewer a more personalised and engaging second-screen experience.
News categories: Accedo, Elemental, Fredrik Anderson, Advertising, Digital TV, IBC2019, UX, VR, Worldwide
- TELUS Home Assistant giving Optik TV customers hands-free voice control
- Amobee launches data marketplace for connected TV and multiscreen advertising
- Sky Media reveals power of addressable TV
- Charter agrees deal to distribute Disney streaming services
- Consolidated launches TV over Fiber-to-the-Premises in Columbia County, New York
- Global smart speaker sales grow 96% to 30.3 million in Q2 2019
- Comscore to provide measurement for Xandr's addressable offering
- CBS and Viacom to combine
- U.S. STB energy agreement savings top $5 billion
- GO Malta deploys Edgeware solutions for multiscreen TV
- Major U.S. pay-TV providers lost ~1.53 million subscribers in 2Q 2019
- Most smart speakers and video streamers are energy efficient
- Consolidated Communications launches CCiTV in Southern Maine
- HONOR Vision first smart screen device with Huawei's HarmonyOS
- Smart speakers with screens took off in 2018
- LG Uplus adds 92,000 IPTV subscribers in 2Q 2019
- Huawei launches HarmonyOS distributed operating system
- ZTE and China Mobile broadcast China's first 5G sporting event
- Singtel TV subscribers up 1,100 in 2Q 2019
- Deutsche Telekom MagentaTV subscribers up 58,000 in 2Q 2019


text:
Today, Gaspari Nutrition announced what their new testosterone booster is going to look like and be titled from what they had announced a little over a week ago. It goes as Nova-X and it will replace the original Anatropin testosterone booster. The name was inspired from their already good supplement Novedex XT and seems like it will join it as a part of a new line of supplements. We hope Nova-X will get as good as what Novedex delivers. Unfortunately, we have no information on its content yet. However, we think it is a promising new test booster since it is indeed the first supplement to hit the shelves under the new Gaspari Nutrition’s rebranding. From the front sticker, we can see customers will no longer get the highlights of the supplements with key ingredients. Again, with the Arnold Classic right around the corner, we can definitely expect to have more information during the expo weekend. We sure do like the new label from Gaspari and hope it will reflect in the ingredients quality. Stay tuned for the release date.
Nova-X confirmed as new Gaspari Nutrition’s test booster
February 21st, 2015


text:
- Walmart is set to integrate the Metaverse into the everyday shopping experience via the House Flip virtual world, which is an immersive virtual reality platform.
- Customers would be able to see and even test some of the products available digitally and decide whether to make a purchase or not.
With the advent of the metaverse, numerous companies are exploring ways to incorporate it into their operations. They recognize the significance of engaging a broader audience through this technology.
One such example is the Walmart Metaverse experience, which aims to transform retail commerce by integrating virtual elements into the purchasing process for customers.
They plan to make this possible by allowing their customers to use physical versions of items they use within its House Flip virtual world. The new plan from Walmart wants to ease making purchases in their store.
It appears that they are aiming to establish a virtual platform that offers customers a comprehensive understanding and feel of their preferred products, as well as the ability to purchase them online. This means that individuals can forego physically visiting a Walmart store and instead conveniently shop on the Internet.
How Will This Happen?
While speaking to VentureBeat, Walmart General Manager of Metaverse Commerce Thomas Kang illustrated how their new plan will work.
The retail company aims to create a seamless online purchasing experience for customers. This goes beyond traditional methods of online shopping.
Walmart's Metaverse offers an immersive environment where customers can interact with products as if they were in real life. This allows for a more informed decision-making process when shopping in a virtual environment.
"We have a chance to reshape and reinvent retail in ways that are good for the customers," Kang said.
The software development for this project has already begun. The development team partnered with FUN-GI, a game developer, for House Flip.
The House Flip is a virtual environment available on iOS and Android that allows players to renovate and sell virtual homes. But, they will make some modifications to enable Walmart to integrate their ideas.
Walmart Takes Their New Plan into the Fashion Sector
Through the new plans, Walmart will completely introduce its ideas into the fashion industry. Apparently, the retail store plans on allowing customers to outfit avatars with virtual clothing within Zepeto, Asia’s largest metaverse platform.
Depending on what they see and their preferences, they can also decide to buy these fashion items after having an experience of how they would look digitally. While speaking about the current situation, Kang said that they want to help brands across the fashion world sell more items. Furthermore, the Walmart store is fully committed to exploring the metaverse space for as long as possible.
"We want to help companies and brands sell their products in virtual worlds. We see limitless potential with this emerging technology, and we’re excited to explore its possibilities. We believe in digital citizenship and want to make sure that we are creating safe spaces for everybody. We want to be leaders in trust and safety in that environment," Kang added.
Walmart's advent into the crypto world, precisely the metaverse, is not a first of its kind. Reputable companies like Starbucks have also taken advantage of metaverse utilities to offer better services to their customers — of course, in a more immersive style.


text:
Talking Points -- Watch out if Cash for Clunkers becomes Crash of Clunkers
Newsman Sam Donaldson was once chided for not covering more "good" news. He always seemed to be reporting on what was wrong with the world, the person said.
Donaldson's reply was that if an organization, a person or a government comes in, says a program or plan is going to accomplish this and it does just that, it's not really news. It's when that optimistic plan fails that the media need to pounce for the public good. That's the job.
So it's not a big surprise that the Car Allowance Rebate System -- CARS, get it? -- is generating so much coverage lately. The federal government's so-called Cash for Clunkers program, on the surface, would seem to be an unmitigated success. A billion dollars that was supposed to last several months was gone in a week as thousands and thousands of consumers snapped up sweet deals that counted up to $4,500 of tax dollars against their purchase of a new, fuel-efficient and eco-friendlier vehicle. All they had to do was give up a gas-guzzling, exhaust-spewing junker that met the program's standards.
As of Thursday, another $2 billion has been infused into the program to take care of current and future Cash for Clunkers contracts. Having learned from the initial onslaught, officials now expect the new money to be gone by Labor Day.
It's not a surprise that Cash for Clunkers was a huge hit with car buyers. We are a nation of bargain hunters, even when it's just an illusion. I know people who will burn $2 worth of gas to drive to a store offering a 50-cents off coupon on a jug of milk. Over the years, I've had a lot of arguments with various people about various purchases, and almost all of them have ended with the words, "But it was on sale!"
We can debate all day about whether Cash for Clunkers is a prudent use of tax dollars. Could $3 billion be used for other pressing issues? Of course -- like, say, new speed boats for newspaper editors nationwide. But it's hard to argue with the Clunker ideal: Better fuel economy, a cleaner environment and a boost to an ailing auto industry that is vital to the country's economic recovery.
Still, guys cut from Sam Donaldson's cloth have reason to remain vigilant.
First, dealers aren't sleeping well right now, with millions of dollars of vehicles on the road for which they haven't been paid yet.
Second, their bed rest is further curtailed as dealers struggle to wade through the paperwork involved. It's the government, we understand, but this isn't the time to make stressed out dealers untangle a lot of string so a bureaucrat can say they're doing their due diligence.
Third, there is a huge downside to not getting Clunkers running like a new Ford Fusion and doing so very quickly. Maybe it's just the the government hasn't been able to shift gears fast enough to keep up with the overwhelming popularity of the program, but some potentially serious flaws have been exposed and they'll need fixing ASAP.
If dealers get stiffed and customers get miffed because their new vehicle has to be returned before the new car smell is gone, Cash for Clunkers is going to be remembered as just another government boondoggle and trust in an already dubious federal government will plunge toward empty faster than the gas gauge in a 30-year-old Econoline.
Just watch the Sam Donaldsons of the world come buzzing around then.


text:
It’s December 2013 already. Christmas is in the air and the TV is awash with Christmas TV adverts. So it’s only to be expected that there are some end of term reports from some of the big guns. And I’m afraid I’m reading them with mixed feelings which I’ll share with you.
Let’s start with BDO’s Retail Compass 2013. The survey “examined the opinions of 100 chief marketing officers at leading retailers located throughout the USA. The retailers in the study were among the largest in the country, including 11 retailers in the top 100 based on annual sales revenue. The telephone survey was conducted in September and October of 2013”.
The survey covers all aspects of retail but there is a section about mobile marketing.
In the press release, the focus for retailers is on traditional channels rather than mobile:
- 38 per cent of retailers are including mobile in their marketing strategy this year—down from 50 per cent in 2012—those who are embracing it are ramping up their efforts.
- Last year, mobile comprised an average of 5.9 per cent of retailers’ overall marketing budget; this year, that number has jumped to 15 per cent.
- With eMarketer predicting a 15 per cent rise in mobile shopping volume this year, the mixed survey results suggest that retailers remain divided as to the platform’s growth potential and its ability to convert sales.
- One strategy on which retailers are not divided, however, is print advertising: a plurality of CMOs (41 per cent) are investing most of their holiday budgets in traditional print ads, which have been a consistently popular medium over the last 4 years.
- And CMOs still believe in the power of TV to reach a wide audience: 29 per cent say they will spend the majority of their holiday advertising budget on broadcast.
- Retailers are looking towards social media, but don’t know the right mix (and probably don’t realise how much of it is on mobile and how that impacts on conversions if their offering isn’t mobile-friendly).
So good news for broadcast and print in the US, and for those who are working on mobile campaigns for retailers, it’s good news as the budgets are bigger – just fewer of them by some measure compared with 2012. I have to question what the decision making process is behind this when the growth in mobile and mobile commerce is rising at a very fast pace. Of course, I don’t know how the question was asked and it may be that the retailers are ahead of the curve and have a great mobile site and/or a range of mobile apps and that the assumption is that mobile marketing in this context means mobile advertising which maybe they feel they don’t need as their mobile offering is so strong. I live in hope of that anyway! I fear that retailers may have their heads in the sand and have not yet woken up to what’s happening under their noses and are missing out on opportunities today.
Download the full report here http://www.bdo.com/download/2972
Now let’s look at the UK. Adobe and The Guardian have just published a survey looking at the mobile marketing attitudes of 1427 executives in the UK. The free report makes for quite depressing reading about the UK state of play.
- More than 50% said their organisation had a fragmented approach or no strategy at all when it comes to mobile
- Most respondents are unconfident about their organisation’s ability to measure the success of their mobile channels (which I’m guessing is a hindrance to offering them at all)
- Most respondents felt their businesses would benefit from mobile marketing
- Respondents expect to see a significant shift in the number of customer interactions supported or driven by mobile
So why aren’t they taking the plunge?
Well, rather worryingly, a lot of respondents felt that mobile wasn’t going to overtake the desktop at all or within the next two years. Many don’t have the funds to support mobile initiatives or don’t believe their business would benefit at all.
That last point worried me so I took at look back at the kinds of organisations the respondents came from. As this was run by The Guardian, there were a disproportionate amount of responses from the public sector, the arts, charities/not for profit and education. I’m not entirely surprised that those organisations aren’t as clued up and/or don’t have the funds or willingness to go mobile, at least not yet. I would hope that the results would be more positive if there were more brands, agencies and retailers who had responded.
You can read more here.
I guess the good news for us working in mobile marketing is that there’s still plenty work for us to do. Need to get your senior teams up to speed with what’s going on in mobile marketing and media? Get in touch. I’ve done workshops with a variety of media owners and agencies in the UK and the Nordic region. Maybe I can do one for you?


text:
The Tokyo Olympics will get under way in a few weeks and the world’s best [...]
A limit of 50% capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans are allowed to [...]
The Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay started its journey on 25 March 2021 from the J-Village [...]
Japan decided that Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics’ games will be staged without overseas spectators this [...]
Username or email address *
Lost your password?


text:
F1 Game Developer Reaches $1.58 Billion Takeover Deal With EA
lectronic Arts (EA) has announced an AUD$1.58 billion takeover deal with the UK-based game developer responsible for the Formula One (F1) game, Codemasters.
Codemasters chairman, Gerhard Florin, said the UK developer, who also created the Dirt and Grid games, will benefit from the global knowledge and resources of EA.
“Electronic Arts and Codemasters have a shared ambition to lead the video game racing category,” Florin said.
“The Board of Codemasters firmly believes the company would benefit from EA’s knowledge, resources and extensive global scale, both overall and specifically within the racing sector.
“We feel this union would provide an exciting and prosperous future for Codemasters, allowing our teams to create, launch and service bigger and better games to an extremely passionate audience,” he said.
EA CEO, Andrew Wilson, also said EA plans to drive higher user engagement by combining its portfolio of racing games and sports game in its multiplatform subscription services, such as EA Play.
“We believe there is a deeply compelling opportunity in bringing together Codemasters and Electronic Arts to create amazing and innovative new racing games for fans,” Wilson said.
“Our industry is growing, the racing category is growing, and together we will be positioned to lead in a new era of racing entertainment,” he said.
For the official game of the F1, Codemasters has a partnership in place with the global series through to 2025, which will reportedly remain unchanged through this acquisition, which is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2021.
Initial reports suggested Codemasters had reached a similar deal with Take-Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar Games and 2K, but EA offered a higher amount confirming to secure the acquisition.


text:
A team of researchers has found that shifting patterns of precipitation affect key chemicals responsible for the flavor and health properties of tea. Research shows that major antioxidant compounds fell up to 50 percent in an area of southwest China during an extreme monsoon, while other compounds increased.
Anheuser-Busch, one of the largest beer brewers in the country, is suing Kentucky to force the approval of a distributor's license. The company claims the Alcoholic Beverage Control has passed the statutory deadline for either approving or rejecting the application in 60 days.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminds exporters of food products containing eggs or egg products regulated by FDA that export certificates for these products will be issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) as of November 10, 2014.
Mars Food, which makes Uncle Ben's Rice and other products at its Greenville plant, will invest $31 million to modernize operations and expand research at the plant. The company plans to add 25 jobs to the current 226 full-time and 230 contract workers at the 35-year-old operation.
Dutch Brewer Heineken NV says poor weather and weak economies in Europe dragged its third quarter earnings lower. Revenues in its largest, most profitable market, Western Europe, fell 4.1 percent.
Los Angeles has backed a plan for a ban on cultivating or selling genetically modified plants, including varieties of corn and other crops that are designed to resist pests or pesticides. Critics say genetically modified crops haven't been proven safe.
The cost of meat, fish and eggs is up by nearly 10 percent, but the overall cost of food is up just 3.1 percent. The annual cost-of-living adjustment affects payments to more than 70 million Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees.
Food costs rose 0.3 percent in September and are up 3 percent over the past 12 months, exacerbated by drought conditions in parts of the country. Beef and veal prices jumped 2 percent in September and are up 16.7 percent since January.
San Francisco Wine School announces the debut of CSW Online, a brand new format for its much-lauded Certified Specialist of Wine credential preparation program.
The Farmstead Membership is open to organic farmers whose annual income from organic sales is less than $250,000 and who have current membership in one of the farmer-driven organizations with which OTA's Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) has formed a strategic alliance.
Unemployment rates fell in 31 U.S. states in September, including in many where incumbent governors and senators face tough re-election campaigns. The report is the final data on state unemployment before the Nov. 4 elections.
When I mentioned on Facebook that I was heading to Kansas City, one friend sent me to Arthur Bryant's barbecue restaurant, quoting Calvin Trillin's famous line that Bryant's was possibly "the single best restaurant in the world."
You are what you eat, unless you're not quite sure what you ate. A new paper takes a critical look at how faulty self-reporting of the food we eat can lead to incorrect conclusions about whether we are meeting dietary recommendations for certain essential nutrients.
General Mills and Annie's, a natural and organic food company, subsequently completed the acquisition by merging a subsidiary of General Mills with and into Annie's, with Annie's surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of General Mills.
By 2014, the number of licensed distilling companies tripled in two years from 10 to 31 — the most distilleries in Kentucky since Prohibition ended, according to the report by the University of Louisville's Urban Studies Institute.
Eugene Corda, an employee of Petaluma-based Rancho Feeding Corp., entered the plea to one count of aiding and abetting in the distribution of adulterated, misbranded and uninspected meat earlier this month.
Coffee and beer aren't just two of the world's most popular beverages, they are also the most popular drugs. We'll let ilovecoffee.jp explain.
Developed by the University of Nebraska and other project partners, the Global Yield Gap Atlas allows farmers, governments and businesses to estimate the "gap" between potential and actual crop yields based on plant, soil and climate data in a specific area.
Restaurants around Jackson will soon have to have staff certified in food safety. A new rule from the Teton County Board of Public Health requires eateries to have a manager take a test on food protection protocols.
McDonald's (14,000 U.S. locations) is far bigger than Chipotle (1,700 locations), making it more difficult for the chain to boost sales. But McDonald's nevertheless acknowledges it needs to work on fixing some problems. Here is a look at five problems McDonald's is facing.


text:
Apple enthusiasts and tech aficionados worldwide are gearing up for one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, Apple’s “Wonderlust” 2023 event.
This annual keynote presentation promises to be a spectacle, unveiling the latest products and updates from the tech giant, Apple.
The “Wonderlust” event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California.
The excitement is building, and the tech world will be watching closely as Apple reveals its newest innovations.
- Advertisement -
The event is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. Nigerian Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), or 10 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) for those on the West Coast.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the exciting announcements expected at this year’s event:
1. iPhone 15: Apple’s latest smartphone iteration is expected to take center stage. With each new iPhone release, Apple sets the bar higher, offering enhanced features, improved performance, and innovative designs. The iPhone 15 is anticipated to showcase the next level of mobile technology.
2. Apple Watch: Fans of the Apple Watch can look forward to updates and new features that will further solidify its position as a leading smartwatch in the market. Apple is known for its commitment to health and fitness tracking, and we can expect improvements in this area.
3. iOS 17 Update: Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS, continually evolves to offer a better user experience. The iOS 17 update is expected to bring fresh features, improved performance, and enhanced security to your Apple devices.
4. USB-C Charging Ports: Apple has been gradually transitioning its devices to USB-C ports, offering faster charging and greater versatility. We anticipate further adoption of USB-C technology in Apple’s product lineup.
For those eager to catch every moment of this tech extravaganza, Apple has you covered.
The event will be live-streamed here.


text:
'It's Going to Take a While': Convention Business Insiders Reflect on Recovery
The convention industry was one of the earliest to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with layoffs beginning in early March. Today, business is at a complete standstill.
There is some good news, though. CES, the massive electronics trade show, recently announced it will return to Las Vegas in January of next year. And some smaller events are starting to make tentative bookings as early as August of this year.
“Based on the running tally we have of trade shows that have canceled for this year or postponed to later this year, 70 percent of those 700 events that we’re tracking have canceled holding events this year," said Cathy Breden, CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
Breden said conventions are being canceled or postponed for a number of reasons, including international travel bans and scheduling conflicts.
She said many organizers are turning to virtual and digital options for their clients.
“They are certainly adapting and trying to preserve as much as possible of that event so that they can hopefully hold it live next year,” she said.
Rhiannon Andersen is chief marketing officer and co-owner of Steelhead Productions. Her company creates exhibits for convention clients. She is predicting zero revenue through December of this year.
Despite those grim numbers, she is optimistic. The return of CES and other convention centers announcing plans to allow events is giving her a timeline to work with.
"Companies like Steelhead and the other suppliers in the trade show industry are leaning on those sorts of announcements to help with their planning,” she said.
Her company has pivoted to provide virtual and digital offerings for its clients.
“We feel pretty proud that coming out of this very difficult moment in time we will be a more evolved and progressive organization,” she said.
Andersen explained that before the virus outbreak, her company created 3D models of exhibits for clients, but now, they're using those same models to design interactive spaces where their clients can connect with audiences online.
Breden believes virtual and face-to-face events will bea permanent part of how business is done in the future.
“I think that the virtual hybrid is always going to be here. There is always going to be a digital component moving forward,” she said.
Putting on a trade show requires a lot of work. It takes a lot of work hours to turn an empty convention space into a fully functioning trade show for hundreds of businesses from around the world.
Teamsters Local 631 provides much of that labor, said James Harmer, convention businesses agent for the union.
Harmer explained that between 3,000 and 6,000 union members work in the convention business in Las Vegas annually. They do everything from setting up carpet for the convention floor to rigging lights and audio equipment.
He said some union members have found other positions while the industry is in a standstill.
“However, a vast majority of the workforce is currently sitting on unemployment and really looking forward to positive information on when trade shows will pick back up here in Las Vegas,” he said.
Some union members have been given work in the vast warehouses that store all of the equipment and decorating elements used to put on a convention.
Most event organizers are looking towards fall for a fuller return to work, Harmer said.
“Conservatively, we are hoping for work coming back into the October period. We’ve heard some positive reaction from SEMA, an organization in the automotive industry, and we’re hoping that they’re able to continue on their plans for a hybrid event,” he said.
Breden agreed. She said the organizers she's spoken to are aiming for the fall and early winter.
“Many of them are trying to get them off the ground in the September to December time frame,” she said.
When trade shows do resume, there will be changes to how the exhibition floor is created. Harmer explained that creating the booths, stages and exhibits is usually done in a mad rush, which makes social distancing difficult.
In addition, the crews must work closely with international exhibitors and their crews.
“Luckily, we’ve worked with ESCA [the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association] and other industry professional groups to create some best protocols so that when workers do come back to work the contractors, the exhibitors, the associations and the unions have a guideline, and all of us on the same page so that we can work together to kind of heal some of those pre-COVID-19 problems into post-COVID-19 solutions,” Harmer said.
Breden said the guidelines have been vetted by the Global Bio-Risk Advisory Council to make sure they are based in science.
“We feel quite comfortable that with all of these documents that have been created, that we’re all going to be working very closely together to make sure that the environment on the trade show floor and in the convention center is going to be just as safe as possible,” she said.
The guidelines are just guidelines, she added, because each show is different and the needs of each organizer and contractor will be worked out differently.
While some organizers are tentatively looking ahead to the fall of 2020 and winter of 2021, what most people in the industry are looking forward to is a vaccine.
“[Based on] the surveys that we have seen and have conducted ourselves, what’s going to bring people back and feel safe about returning – it’s a vaccine,” Breden said.
Rhiannon Andersen, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-owner, Steelhead Productions; Cathy Breden, CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research; James Harmer, conventions business agent, Teamsters Local 631


text:
Ford debuts the new Mustang Convertible in the same way it did 50 years ago.
Read This Article
While the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette may be this year's biggest headline grabber, just wait until next year, when it's Ford's turn.
Formula One fanatics won't be the only ones drawn in to theaters this September, when the Ron Howard-directed film Rush makes its big screen debut.
WardsAuto has announced the results for its annual Fuel Economy Report, showing the largest increase since 2009.


text:
In late November, Almonte resident Brett Rivers won the Quad Dipsea, besting the second-place finisher by nearly 11 minutes in a brutal, 28.4-mile event that even some longtime Dipsea runners find daunting.
But Rivers, 31, didn’t have a lot of time to celebrate his victory in the race that traverses the famed Dipsea Race course four times, as he was in the midst of an entirely different sprint to the finish line. The Stockton native had quit his job at social gaming giant Zynga in October, hoping to launch a business he’d been sketching out for a year with his close friend and fellow elite runner Jorge Maravilla.
The result, San Francisco Running Company, is a specialty running shop that opened this week at 247 Shoreline Hwy. in the former Studio Velo space in Tam Junction, with a grand opening set for Saturday. Rivers and Maravilla will lead short fun runs from the shop at 8:30 a.m. before opening the shop at 10:30 a.m.
Rivers says he hopes the store and its regular events and outings – they’ll host a weekly Wednesday group runs at 6 p.m. – will strengthen his already deep ties to the local running community. He moved to San Francisco six years ago and immediately “fell in love” with the trails in Marin, connecting with the famed Tamalpa Runners club and a less official group known as the Endurables.
“The trails in Marin have been a playground for my passion and an amazing place to explore,” Rivers says.
He met his wife Larissa, who finished finished 25th in the 2012 Quad Dipsea and fourth place among women, through local trail running as well. Larissa Rivers now works at a tech startup called Strava, which makes a GPS-based app for endurance athletes.
Maravilla, who is the store's general manager and who Rivers calls a “true elite runner,” races professionally for Salomon. He recently returned from a series of pro races in South America and raced in the North Face 50-mile Endurance Challenge in the Marin Headlands in December.
Rivers calls the store a “fresh authentic concept on what a running store should be,” emphasizing deep ties to the local running community and a dedication to carrying high-quality products, including top-shelf boutique brands like Hoka and Altra. The shoes don’t come cheap – they range from $90 to $170 a pair but Rivers says that’s by design.
“We don’t sell cheap shoes because cheap shoes aren’t going to last,” he says. “We’re a place where we we’re out testing all of the stuff we sell. We know if it’s all hype or if there is substance behind it.”
As for the name, Rivers admits he wanted to first open a shop in the city, but grew impatient with how long it was taking there and liked the idea of starting close to home. He hopes to expand to San Francisco one day if the stire is successful.
Rivers said he hopes to become part of the fabric of the local running community, and longs for the day when he’ll be considered a Dipsea old-timer like those he admires.
“They’re a beautiful gut check,” he says of the Dipsea Race and its various iterations. “It’s a brutal course, and that’s what’s great about it. It’s one of the classic races in the sport. I’m going to be a lifer.”
The 411: San Francisco Running Company is located at 247 Shoreline Hwy. in Tam Junction. The store is open 7 days: 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 10:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. 415.450.7031; www.sanfranciscorunning.com; http://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoRunningCompany.
Here's what else is happening on Mill Valley Patch
- Opposition Mounts to Proposed Cut of Tam Union District Program
- Supes Extend SmartMeter Moratorium for Another Year
- City Council Approval of Home Addition Sparks Concern Over Views
- Sweetwater Music Hall Looks to Seize Post-Furthur Momentum
For local news like this wherever you go, follow us! And don't forget to sign up for our daily e-newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.


text:
On Sept. 12, a vehicle carrying 5 billion Vietnamese dong (US$220,000) from Vietnam enters Dongxing, a border port in the south of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region - the first time banks from the two countries have transacted a cross-border point-to-point two-way cash transport.
The authorities of foreign exchanges and customs approved the Agricultural Bank of China's (ABC) branch in Dongxing to conduct the business with the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank of Vietnam.
Guangxi's trade with Vietnam accounts for 85 percent of its trade with the ASEAN countries, and 21.5 percent of China's trade with Vietnam.
Yang Zhengdong, deputy director of the ABC's Dongxing branch, said the increasing people-to-people exchanges in travelling, study, business and family visits between Guangxi and Vietnam has created an increasingly strong demand for Vietnamese dong in cash in Guangxi.
He said the cross-border two-way cash transport is another step to pushing forward the internationalization of renminbi.
- Govt to assess railway links to Europe 2018-10-18
- China-Europe freight trains hit 11,000 trips 2018-10-17
- China part of cross-river railway bridge to Russia complete... 2018-10-15
- China's first Import Expo bodes opportunities for the world 2018-10-12
- New China-Europe freight train route from Qinghai to Russia... 2018-10-10


text:
Radio or Rdio? For Cumulus, it’s both: In a deal announced this morning the station owner will wind up with “a significant equity stake” in Pulser Media, which owns Rdio — a subscription music service that competes with companies including Spotify. In return, the companies say, Cumulus will provide “exclusive content, media and on-air promotional commitments over a five year period” and a sales operation to develop “ad-supported free products, including music on-demand, custom playlists and exclusive content curated by Cumulus.” Rdio CEO Drew Larner — a former exec at Spyglass Entertainment, Morgan Creek Productions, and Fox — calls this a “monumental deal” and “the first time a digital and a broadcast platform have come together in this way.” In June Larner said he planned to give up the CEO job but remain Rdio’s executive chairman. And Cumulus chief Lew Dickey says the partnership will help consumers to “listen to whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want.” RBC Capital Markets “initiated and facilitated” the deal, the companies say.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.


text:
Happy New Year! Well, we've finally seen the back of 2010 and for those in Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and Surrey, the last few remaining days were snow joke. Retailers were unable to deliver, fitters were snowed in, meaning completion deadlines were being extended for many kitchen and bathroom installations. And all of this going on when designers and retailers should have been making the most of kitchen and bathroom sales before the rise in VAT. At this point, I should state however, plucky retailer Park Bathrooms in Perth kept trading through 14" of the white stuff, even with threats of more snow on the way. But hopefully we've now all thawed out and it's business as usual across the UK. Whatever 'business as usual' is meant to mean nowadays.
It's fairly usual, in the current climate, to see business changing hands - as it looks like Bathstore is set to with rumours of Dophin Bathrooms' owner eyeing up the retail chain. But it is usual for the likes of wholesaler CostCo to be increasing its involvement in retailing kitchen furniture and range cookers? Seriously, whatever next? Bathrooms from TK Maxx or perhaps even bedrooms from Poundland? (Actually, I can't lay claim to the last comment - that was from @kkcltd).
With increasing pressure on the high street specialists, it's going to be a tough enough time without wholesalers becoming more involved in kitchen and bathroom sales. While some consumers will undoubtedly always want to shop for bargains, hopefully independent kitchen retailers and designers can play to their strengths - service, service and yet more service!
Hopefully 2011 will be a year of national celebration and festivities as we prepare for a right royal occassion. Oh no, not Will & Kate's wedding - it's our fifth birthday and, this year, we'll be celebrating our 50th issue too! But that's quite enough of our trumpet-blowing.
Whatever the year holds for us all, perhaps we should learn from the recent weather conditions and be better prepared for the unexpected. Because, let's face it, that's exactly what's in front of us in 2011.


text:
Limited Inc. said today that it planned to close 200 underperforming women's apparel stores this year and had made shifts in two executive posts.
Limited said that Michael Weiss, the company vice chairman, would return to the posts of president and chief executive at Express, the largest unit of Limited.
Mr. Weiss, who was president of Express from 1982 to 1993, replaces Susan Falk, who resigned.
Limited named Barry Erdos chief financial officer at Express, replacing John Kyees, who resigned. Mr. Erdos has been chief financial officer at the Lane Bryant and Henri Bendel units.Continue reading the main story


text:
Google is trying to make search more sophisticated and user friendly. They also confirmed that their BERT algorithm is being used on almost every search query to understand the intent behind natural language.
The three main tools they have announced to bridge between the online and offline world are: using Duplex to update local business information; using Busyness data for physical locations and adding AR information about local businesses.
Google Duplex is a virtual assistant tool which was originally designed to help with appointments and reservations for businesses. This tool now reaches out to businesses using Google My Business to encourage them to fully update their profiles. Google has said that this tool has been essential in over 3 million business updates on the platform.
Google has been indicating popular times on local profiles for businesses to help users know the best times to visit. However due to the changes in traffic to storefronts and restaurants caused by Covid-19 they have been relying on more recent data. Google has been implementing ‘live busyness’ data for locations based on real-time mobile user data. However, some businesses have noticed inaccuracies in this information.
Lastly, Google is still talking about implementing AR into Maps using Google Lens capabilities. During their SearchOn event they spoke about a long-promised tool which allows users to point their camera at businesses they’re passing to show their Google My Business profile. This is a tool which has been long in the works and has been tried by competitors. It’ll be interesting to see how these new features benefit local businesses and whether or not Google can finally get their location AR features fully off the ground.


text:
As anticipation mounts for the Infinix Zero 30 5G, the curtain has been lifted on its key specifications and design, offering a glimpse into what’s in store for consumers.
A Fresh Color and Premium Design
Infinix‘s official Indian website has introduced a promotional page that not only highlights the Zero 30 5G’s specs but also showcases an alluring new color variant – Rome Green. This vibrant hue will accompany a vegan leather back, catering to those with an eye for eco-friendly luxury. Meanwhile, the previously unveiled variant, known as Golden Hour, will feature an elegant glass back design.
A Dazzling Display Experience
The Zero 30 5G will also deliver an immersive visual treat, boasting a 6.78″ 10-bit curved AMOLED display. With a peak brightness of 950 nits, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, and 2,160 PWM dimming, the screen promises vivid visuals that captivate the senses. Safeguarded by Gorilla Glass 5, the display takes user interaction up a notch with its 144Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate.
Powerful Cameras for Captivating Content
While Infinix has chosen to keep the specifics of the Zero 30 5G’s rear cameras under wraps, they have confirmed the presence of optical image stabilization (OIS) for the primary camera. On the front, a standout 50MP sensor is at the helm, capable of capturing 4K videos at a remarkable 60 frames per second. This cutting-edge feature positions the Zero 30 5G as a pioneer, touting itself as “India’s 1st 50MP 4K 60 FPS Camera.”
Slim Profile, Extensive Unveiling, and Pre-Orders
Elegance meets engineering prowess with the Infinix Zero 30 5G, as it boasts a sleek 7.9mm thin design. The excitement surrounding the smartphone is set to escalate with Infinix’s plans to reveal further details on August 25, 28, and 30. As the suspense builds, consumers can mark their calendars for the pre-order kickoff on September 2. The availability on Flipkart in India adds to the anticipation, as fans await Infinix’s formal announcement of the device’s official launch date.
Meanwhile, for the local availability in the Philippines, make sure to stay tuned for our official news from Infinix!
Source: Infinix India


text:
FARM SHOWS STEP UP PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE
Debbie Coakley, Contributing Editor
While the 2001 World Pork Expo was canceled, other livestock and trade shows will go on as planned this summer and fall, albeit with heightened biosecurity standards.
"The concern we’re hearing from exhibitors and producers is that international visitors will bring foot-and-mouth disease to the show," says John Rozum, sales manager for World Dairy Expo, which is set for Oct. 3-7 in Madison, Wis. Expo’s executive committee concluded at a meeting in April that there is no reason not to proceed with the show despite the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom and Europe.
International livestock and trade shows, as well as general farm shows with livestock demonstrations, are relying on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and their state departments of agriculture for guidance about how to prevent the introduction of FMD into the United States. For instance, the North American Farm Show Council is supplying its 30 member farm shows with USDA’s FactSheet on disease-prevention guidelines for livestock shows.
"We’re looking at livestock issues totally differently," says R. Craig Fendrick, executive director for the council. "Should the threat of FMD continue, we’re recommending exhibitors have controlled access to animals, use a decontamination system and consult with their state departments of agriculture to keep aware of current information."
PROTECTING PORK PRODUCERS
The 2001 World Pork Expo was canceled in an effort to be proactive and help protect the health status of the U.S. swine herd and protect U.S. pork producers, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), sponsor of the 14-year-old show.
NPPC Vice President Ernie Barnes says the decision was prudent, given the fact that the show was scheduled to take place in early June in Des Moines, Iowa. "At the time the decision was made, new cases were still being reported daily in the United Kingdom," he explains. "We needed to make a decision as early as possible so exhibitors and guests could cancel their plans to come to the show. World Pork Expo annually draws between 1,800 and 2,000 visitors from 60 countries."
The NPPC board decided in mid April to cancel the show, based on input from its health and biosecurity committees, Iowa producers concerned about the possibility the disease would be brought to their state, and exhibitors.
Barnes says 99 percent of exhibitors, as well as pork producers themselves, appreciate NPPC’s decision to cancel the show. "We developed a program to help companies communicate information about their products to producers they would have seen at the show," Barnes notes. "We offered several opportunities to companies that donated a portion of their 2001 exhibitor fees to NPPC."
NPPC converted the show’s program into a directory of suppliers and services. Supporting companies received a free listing and could purchase ads in the directory, which was mailed in June to 110,000 U.S. pork producers.
In addition, companies that donated the cost of at least one booth will not incur a price increase for exhibit space in 2002. "We’ll definitely have Expo next year, although we’re exploring whether we’ll have live animals at that show," Barnes says. "Our biosecurity and health committees will be addressing this issue."
Barnes points out that biosecurity measures to control potential disease situations are not new to World Pork Expo. For instance, at last year’s show in Indianapolis, the swine barn was surrounded by a footbath with a solution that kills FMD. "Visitors had to walk through the solution or wear a pair of complimentary plastic boots," he notes.
BEEFING UP BIOSECURITY
Shows such as World Dairy Expo, World Beef Expo and World Ag Expo will take place as scheduled and are placing a priority on biosecurity issues.
World Dairy Expo’s Rozum says it’s important to realize that FMD is not new, but the outbreak in Europe has increased awareness. Expo annually attracts 70,000 dairy farmers, including 3,500 from outside the U.S. borders. "At the 2000 World Dairy Expo, nearly one-third of the international visitors came from countries with active FMD cases, and there was no contamination or even a second thought about FMD," he explains. "The European outbreak has shown us the need for heightened domestic biosecurity measures. It just needs to be taken into perspective."
Rozum says Expo planners are fortunate to have time on their side because the event isn’t until October. "Every day the spread of FMD in Europe becomes more under control," he notes.
A news conference, viewable at www.worlddairyexpo.com, was scheduled in June to unveil Expo’s biosecurity plan and present an analysis of the global FMD situation. In cooperating with animal health authorities and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, this conference was a joint effort to communicate with exhibitors and attendees the appropriate measures the show is taking. "The health of the North American dairy herd is of utmost importance to everyone at World Dairy Expo," Rozum explains. "The producers and industry representatives who make up our board of directors will do everything reasonable and possible to provide a safe and healthy environment."
World Beef Expo is scheduled to take place Sept. 27-30 in West Allis, Wis. "We’re working with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Tourism and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to keep an eye on the FMD situation," says Barbara James, ag coordinator for the show, which draws international visitors yearly.
World Beef Expo will send to exhibitors a letter with DATCP guidelines to help prevent the spread of FMD. Measures include: 1) If animals are to return to the farm after the show, isolate them from other animals for 30 days. 2) Do not share feed buckets, tools, boots or other equipment with other exhibitors unless the items have been disinfected.
Even though the next World Ag Expo won’t take place until Feb. 12-14, 2002, in Tulare, Calif., the International Agri-Center (host of the show) already has created an FMD task force. The group is working with USDA and California ag officials on precautions that should be taken at the nearby international airport. "We’re also looking at how we promote the show to international visitors," says Gary Schulz, general manager. "We’re including precautions in promotional materials about things international guests must do when entering the U.S. to keep out FMD."
Most exhibitors are supporting decisions to cancel or continue farm shows, according to managers of the aforementioned shows.
DEKALB CHOICE GENETICS, a Monsanto company based in St. Louis, applauds NPPC’s commitment and efforts to maintain the health status of the U.S. swine herd. "We initiated dialogues with key customers to address concerns," says Tom Kasser, general manager of the company. "They told us that attendees and participants of World Pork Expo would be required to honor a two-month restriction from on-farm visits. That would have put many constraints across this industry and on our services."
DEKALB CHOICE GENETICS - which annually has a booth at the show - donated a portion of its exhibitor fees to NPPC and sponsored a listing and full-page ad in NPPC’s directory for pork producers.
"We’re also exploring other sponsorships and partnerships with NPPC, as well as sharing product performance data that we would have released at the show via direct mail to producers," Kasser says.
World Dairy Expo’s Rozum reports that only one exhibitor canceled a booth at the 2001 show because of concerns about FMD. "While we may not agree with the reasons why they canceled, we respect their decision to do so," Rozum says. "We have a waiting list each year, and the space already has been resold."
Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., has exhibited at World Dairy Expo for more than 25 years and will have a booth at the 2001 event. The company has a unique perspective on biosecurity issues because one of its divisions markets sanitation systems and products to the dairy industry. "Biosecurity begins at home operations," says Chris Sigurdson, agri senior marketing manager. "Expo is an opportunity for us to inform dairy producers about how they can utilize sanitation and disinfection systems to prevent the spread of disease, including FMD."
He notes that the company recently received EPA approval for an antimicrobial disinfectant (Oxy-Sept® 333) to protect livestock against potential infection by FMD. AM (Sidebar below)
FMD FACTS According to USDA, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats and deer. The disease spreads widely and rapidly, and there is no cure for it. Many affected animals recover, but FMD leaves them debilitated. The disease causes severe losses in the production of meat and milk. FMD does not affect food safety or humans. The United States has been free of FMD since 1929.
Debbie Coakley is a freelance writer based in Warrenville, Ill.


text:
As reported several days ago, the Dutch Gambling Authority or KSA has fined one of the leading online casino operators LeoVegas alongside its popular subsidiary Royal Panda for providing their gambling services and products to players residing in the Netherlands. The LeoVegas operator was fined €350K while its subsidiary was fined €400K.
Before making their ultimate decision on the issue, the Dutch Gambling Authority’s officials carefully investigated both sites and soon found that both LeoVegas and Royal Panda were fully open to customers residing in the Netherlands who played at the sites from their Dutch IP addresses. Moreover, it was also found out that both sites allowed customers to use the iDEAL payment system for gaming here.
Because online gambling is fully prohibited in the Netherlands, this is a big issue for the operators. Even though online gambling is prohibited in the country, applications for gaming licensing are currently being accepted as the Dutch Senate has recently approved a crucial Remote Gaming Bill which will finally allow fully regulated and licensed gaming within the country’s borders.
Netherlands’ Regulated Online Gaming Market to Start by 2021
Thanks to the Dutch Senate passing a Remote Gaming Bill, the country will probably have a fully regulated online gambling market by 2021. When it comes to LeoVegas’s fine, the company’s officials are considering to appeal this fine. Commenting on the news, the company’s spokesperson stated that the company can submit a fine appeal as they wait for upcoming regulatory reforms to be fully enforced and as they wait for the licensing process to starts.
It should be noted that Roya Panda and LeoVegas are not the very first companies facing this issue and being fined by the Dutch Gambling Authority. Back in February of this year, the 1xBet operator was also fined around €400K for offering its online gaming products to the Netherlands residents. Then, in September, The Stars Group was also forced to pay the same fine after the KSA discovered that the company was operating without any license. Another investigation by the KSA discovered that PokerStars.eu was visited by more than 33,000 players from the Netherlands.
Empire Resorts Limited Hit with a Lawsuit Filled by Minority Shareholders
Another company that is facing legal issues is the firm that operates the popular Resorts World Catskills casino facility, Empire Resorts Incorporated. As it was revealed recently, the company has been hit with a serious lawsuit filed by several of its minority shareholders over claims that Empire Resorts Incorporated plans on going private despite the wishes of several of its minority shareholders.
According to one Times Herald-Record’s report, the lawsuit against the company was initiated by David Mullen with Sullivan County, which is a branch of the Supreme Court of New York. The main purpose of this lawsuit as stated by Mr. Mullen is to halt a business deal which could potentially see Genting Malaysia Berhad acquire all of the USA-based company’s shares for a price of $9.74 for a single share.
The same newspaper which revealed this news also detailed that the lawsuit by Mr. Mullen is also seeking immediate class-action status while it names the company’s board members including Edmund Marinucci, Gerard Ewe Keng Lim, Nancy Palumbo, Keith Horn, and Emanuel Pearlman as main defendants. Furthermore, the legal action lists several majority stakeholders including Genting Malaysia Berhad and Kien Huat Realty III as the proceeding’s subjects. Before this news, it was reported that Genting Malaysia Berhad and Kien Huat Realty III already own around 86% of the Empire Resorts Incorporated’s shares while they have agreed to purchase the remaining shares held by minority stakeholders in August against wishes of the company’s minority shareholders.


text:
Singer/songwriter Alexandra Burke rocked black & white as she attended the F&F women & men’s wear collections at Summerset House in London.
With the mature celebs hitting up sun-seekers resorts around the globe, it was down to the youngsters to carry the flag in the capital. Will i am and a host of celebs hit up the official launch of foto sosho in London. According to reports, the range of foto sosho accessories will boost your 8 Megapixel camera [...]
Life is looking bright for popstar Alexandra Burke who was spotted shopping at the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Mayfair, London. The stylish singer who’s been promoting her monster single Elephant was clearly enjoying the capitals unseasonably warm temperatures.
Katie Price and TOWIE’s Lauren Pope had plenty to talk about when they rocked up at the Mayfair Hotel in London and we are not just talking about sunglasses.
Material Girl- Madonna had a point to prove when she stepped out on the red carpet for the premier of W.E. The intimate crowd made up largely of Madonna fans and professional autograph collectors welcomed the singer/film director to the carpet in Kensington.
A star-studded night at the Royal Albert hall saw the crème of UK talent walk the Tapis Rouge as the Cirque du Soleil brings its celebrated show back to London. VIP guest Paloma Faith wore a special dress created by World renowned designer Alex Noble.
Stars from the only way is Essex (TOWIE) traded Pina Colada’s and sun beds for a slice of fun in the sun as they rocked to Captain Morgan Spice launch in London.
Men were strictly off limits as Lauren pope celebrated her Birthday in Soho last night. The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star was joined with other unlucky in love TV stars Lauren Goodger and Maria Fowler. They were joined by celeb mum Katie Price.
Thousands took to the saddle as London celebrated the London city Sky ride. The pedal power extravaganza was organized by Transport For London (TFL) who offered an opportunity for people of all ages to partake in the beauty of cycling in a traffic-free zone in central London.
Deets on this party had been embargoed however, with celebrity limousines heading out of central London it was reportedly open season for paparazzi in Marylebone last night.


text:
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council today approved plans to build a shopping mall in South Central Los Angeles, a project that has been stalled for about 20 years.
This is the third time the council has signed off on the project. Previous approvals were rescinded because of legal challenges.
The project calls for building the Slauson Central Retail Center — which will include various stores, a supermarket, drugstore and job training site — on 6.5 acres at the corner of Slauson and Central avenues.
Supporters say the project will create construction jobs and retail jobs, and provide an economic boost to a blighted neighborhood.
But one of the former owners of the property, Stanley Kramer, vowed through his lawyer to continue fighting the development.
The Community Redevelopment Agency seized the 72-year-old scrap metal entrepreneur’s land — for which he paid $4 million — through eminent domain, and he has filed several lawsuits to try to prevent the shopping mall from being built.


text:
Lincoln’s recently opened East West Link Road could pave the way for new business opportunities, creating jobs and space for brands such as hotels, restaurants and offices.
Some 80 business leaders toured the fresh opportunities which have been made available, on Friday, November 18, on two vintage Lincolnshire Corporation Buses from the Lincoln Transport Museum before heading to a reception at Wyvern House.
It is hoped that the additional space created along the new £22 million road will provide a boost for the Lincolnshire economy.
Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways and Transportation at Lincolnshire County Council, opened the tour explaining how the new road will provide a prime location for companies to invest.
He said: “Today represents fantastic opportunity. The regeneration of this area is undoubtedly going to bring economic growth for Lincolnshire.
“New businesses will bring new jobs, potential uses for the space include hotels, restaurants and up to 30,000 sq. ft. of employment opportunities, which equates to at least 300 new jobs.
“The redevelopment of this prime, central area reinforces the image of Lincoln and Lincolnshire as a growing place that people want to do business.
“Lincolnshire County Council, the city council and Lambert Smith Hampton have prime development plots for sale all along the route.
“They are ideally situated near the station, near to the road and near to the excellent new transport hub that’s being built to provide a key location for businesses wanting to start, to grow and to expand.
“We now have a blank canvas for the business community to build on.”
Sam Elkington, Director and Head of the Lincoln Office for Lambert Smith Hampton and sponsor of the event, said: “The delivery of the East West Link Road is going to prove pivotal in the improvement of the movement of traffic around central Lincoln.
“It is the first phase of a number of improvements which will hugely benefit the city.
“This has been a demanding and exciting project which is proving to be the catalyst for a number of other opportunities.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about the economic opportunities along the East West Link Road should contact Economic Development Services on 01522 550500 or by email.


text:
Apple’s (AAPL) iPod business, measured by unit shipments, shrank last quarter on a year-over-year basis for the first time ever. Apple shipped 10.2 million iPods last quarter, down 7% year-over-year.
But that’s precisely why Apple has invested in the iPhone. On the company’s earnings call, executives said they expected its “traditional MP3” business — the iPod classic, nano, and shuffle — to continue its decline, and the iPhone and iPod touch to drive growth among Apple’s “pocket products.”
Indeed, iPod touch sales grew more than 130% year-over-year last quarter, Apple said, and iPhone shipments grew more than 600% to 5.2 million units in the June quarter.
Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chartoftheday
Get This Delivered To Your Inbox
You can get this dropped in your inbox every afternoon as The Chart Of The Day. It’s a simple. It’s convenient. It’s free. All we need is your email address (though we’d love your name and state, too, if you’re willing to share it). Sign up below!
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


text:
A business incubator’s ultimate goal is to help young startups grow so strong that they are able to graduate and leave the nest.
By that measure, Birmingham’s Innovation Depot had its best year ever in 2016 with a record 17 graduates.
Another good measure of how those companies are doing is their ability to hire workers. There again, Innovation Depot companies set a new high with 870 jobs.
While all of the other measures weren’t exactly records, the $126 million in gross sales and $19.9 million in funding among 102 companies were still among the top years for Innovation Depot.
The figure that consistently trends upward is the five-year economic impact total, climbing from $1.38 billion in 2015 to $1.42 billion in 2016.
“When you combine these companies and you think about 870 jobs in one building, $1.42 billion in economic impact, over $19 million in capital raised, that’s significant,” Innovation Depot CEO Devon Laney said. “That’s a Fortune 500-level organization. To have that kind of impact all driven by early-stage, startup companies, entrepreneurs in the technology space, I think is a real positive for our community.”
Another positive sign, Laney said, is that graduates of Innovation Depot want to set up business in Birmingham – most of them in downtown.
“The great thing, too, is that so many of these companies now are wanting to stay close,” he said. “They’re wanting to stay in the area around Innovation Depot, which we’ve always known was the case, but to see it now begin to actually happen and to build that critical mass – you’re really seeing the development now of a true technology district around Innovation Depot, which is part of the broader Innovate Birmingham initiative that we’ve been working on over the last number of months.”
Innovation Depot also continued to expand beyond incubation – taking a greater role in worker training and development.
Its Depot U concept of a boot camp for coding and IT skills not only spawned a new company, Covalence, but was a key component in Birmingham being awarded a $6 million Department of Labor grant. Birmingham Regional Workforce Partnership is using those millions to train young adults for 925 high-paying technology-focused jobs.
“We really continued the evolution of our organization,” Laney said. “Business incubation is always the cornerstone of what we do, but we continue to evolve and be a real catalyst in the community for entrepreneurial development, technology-based economic development.”
Innovation Depot also launched the Velocity Accelerator program in 2016. More than 100 applicants from across the country and around the world applied for the 10–member inaugural class. The class was announced in December and started the 12-week program in January. It concludes with Demo Day at Iron City today.