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25 Years Since the First Harry Potter Book – Is the Magic Dying?

Intelligiants

Harry Potter Box office sales at $9,198,243,071 to date – will the new movie break the $10bn barrier? Previous movie Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald had the lowest opening weekend of all at just $62,163,104. PartyCasino infographic shows UK in top 3 Google Trend spots for Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. With Harry Potter box office sales reaching a whopping $9,198,243,071 to date, will the latest instalment of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore help it to breach the $10 billion mark? PartyCasino has taken a look into the spend behind the Harry Potter movies, including the Worldwide Box Office takings, noting that despite a 60% increase in production spend on Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the Worldwide Box Office takings amounted to under half of the final Harry Potter film. In fact, the last film in 2018, had the lowest opening weekend of all the previous movies in the series at just $62,163,104. The highly anticipated release of Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore being only days away on 8 th April and 15 April (US), is unlikely to come in under $200 million to produce. Will the latest instalment rekindle the wizarding wonder or is the magic truly dying for the franchise? With a brand new Grindelwald, played by Mads Mikkelsen, there is hope for the franchise especially in the UK, with top 3 positions based on global Google search trends for both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies. Author and creator J.K. Rowling will likely cash in regardless of new movie releases and their success, already with a net worth estimated around $1 billion, by far higher than any Harry Potter star. Will the 25-year anniversary of the first Harry Potter book, break the spell and restore the magic to the series? See all above statistics and visit the interactive post with unique insights to where the interest for the franchise has been the highest, per country, by looking at historical Google search data: https://casino.partycasino.com/en/blog/world-of-jk-fans Contact Details Intelligiants Ltd Freddie Kvarnebrink +44 7889 314155 press@intelligiants.com

April 07, 2022 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ben Wright, Rob Wellner, and Velocity Global receive First Descents’ Horizon Line Award for Leadership Support of MS Programming

Velocity Global

First Descents awards Ben Wright and Rob Wellner the Horizon Line Award at the 15th Annual First Descents Ball in recognition of Velocity Global’s visionary support of First Descents’ Multiple Sclerosis (MS) programming. “When I was diagnosed with MS 13 years ago, it turned my life upside down,” shares Rob Wellner, Velocity Global’s Chief Revenue Officer. “While medical treatments for MS have improved over time, psychosocial opportunities for those living with this diagnosis still remain limited. I’m honored to help enable these life-changing programs for the MS community in partnership with First Descents, and to be a part of a company dedicated to scaling our philanthropy for meaningful causes as we grow.” Each year, First Descents presents its highest honor - the Horizon Line Award - at the First Descents Ball to an individual or organization who dedicates their time, guidance, and wisdom to First Descents, asking nothing in return. In kayaking, one of our flagship outdoor programs, the horizon line is where the river descends into rapids not viewable by the paddler. At this point, the paddler must rely on his or her skills, tenacity, and the dedicated support of teammates. Over the past two decades, First Descents has experienced countless rapids and milestones in its history, and the team has relied on generous and selfless people and partners, like the entire Velocity Global team, to allow them to charge confidently ahead. “It’s a true honor to receive the Horizon Line Award on behalf of the entire Velocity Global team that puts us in the position to support First Descents and the young adult MS community. I’ve witnessed the transformative and healing power of adventure on their programs, including the very first MS program First Descents provided in 2018,” says Ben Wright, Founder and CEO of Velocity Global. “Service is one of the values we live by in our company, and First Descents embodies service to the full wellbeing of young adults living with MS. I’m proud of our partnership and the opportunity to support their mission in any way we can.” Velocity Global and First Descents have shared a special partnership since 2014 when the two Colorado-based companies became office neighbors at INDUSTRY Denver. Quickly bonding, Velocity Global employees now volunteer annually at First Descents’ programs and fundraisers, including the Ragnar Trail Relay Snowmass and TransRockies Run. In 2018, Velocity Global contributed $150,000 to pilot MS programming which began with a whitewater kayaking experience in Tarkio, Montana. In 2021, Velocity Global announced a transformative $1 million contribution to expand adventure programs for young adults with MS. “This year, we were honored to present Ben, Rob, and the entire Velocity Global team with our prestigious Horizon Line Award. We’ve long believed that our programs can serve populations beyond oncology. Ben and Rob shared this vision, and provided us with the generous funding, clinical connections, and support to extend the healing power of adventure to the MS community,” notes Ryan O’Donoghue, CEO, First Descents. “Their support will help us to serve hundreds of young adults living with MS in the coming years while building meaningful partnerships with patient advocacy groups and neurology clinics nationwide.” First Descents has served 57 MS participants across six programs since launching their pilot MS program in 2018. First Descents aims to serve more than 225 MS participants over the next three years. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work Platform™ simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record and Contractor Management, to help companies onboard, manage, and pay talent in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Thousands of brands rely on Velocity Global to build international teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global was named a "Leader" in Global Employer of Record Services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information, visit velocityglobal.com. About First Descents First Descents (FD) is a leader in adventure-based healing. Through outdoor adventure, community building, and lifestyle development, FD improves long-term survivorship and quality of life for young adults impacted by cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious health conditions. Headquartered in Denver, First Descents has served more than 10,000 participants over the last 20 years. Beginning in 2020, First Descents launched programs for healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. All services are fully-adaptive and free of charge. A Guidestar Platinum-ranked nonprofit, First Descents has been recognized on CNN Heroes and Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work. Contact Details Velocity Global Anja Koltes +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com First Descents Becca Rohrer +1 828-712-5927 becca.rohrer@firstdescents.org Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

April 06, 2022 05:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Move to Earn Running App StepN is Uncovering a Massive Opportunity within the GameFi Industry: Huobi Research Institute

Huobi Research Institute

Today, Huobi Research Institute, the leading blockchain research organization, published a report, StepN: Move-to-Earn without the Ponzi. StepN is a Web3 running app that rewards users for exercising. Pioneering the Move to Earn concept, StepN has scaled its daily active users to over 74,000 since launching its public beta in December 2021. In January, StepN raised a US$5 million seed round from a leading consortium of investors that included Solana Capital, Alameda Research, and Sequoia Capital. Built on Solana, StepN rewards users with Green Satoshi Tokens (GSTs) as they move and exercise throughout their day. Players can open loot boxes, mint sneakers, and win different categories of NFTs as they progress throughout the game. Each of these NFTs possess different attributes and can be customized. Key to StepN’s success are its SocialFi features; data can be shared with friends and users can invite others to join and compete. By combining social and online reputation systems, StepN makes Move to Earn a more social, rewarding Web3 community activity. In the report, Huobi Research Institute researcher Hugo Hou dissects StepN’s business model and predicts that StepN will drive massive growth for Move to Earn, much in the same way that Axie Infinity sparked widespread adoption of the Play to Earn concept. By encouraging healthy habits, the positive reinforcement introduced by Move to Earn incentives have the potential to reach and impact a much wider audience. This is in contrast to typical Play to Earn games, which are increasingly raising the barrier to entry for new gamers and turning gaming into repetitive chores. “The global gym industry was worth US$96.7 billion in 2020. In the U.S. alone, almost 60 million people participated in running, jogging and trail running in 2017,” said Huobi Research Institute researcher Hugo Hou. “It’s safe to say that Move to Earn could be a massive market, and StepN is well-poised to capture this opportunity.” To download the full report, click here. About Huobi Research Institute Huobi Blockchain Application Research Institute (referred to as "Huobi Research Institute") was established in April 2016. It is committed to researching and exploring new developments in the global blockchain industry. Its goal is to accelerate the research and development of blockchain technology, promote its applications, and improve the global blockchain industry ecosystem. Huobi Research Institute covers industry trends, emerging technologies, innovative applications, new business models, and more. Huobi Research Institute partners with governments, enterprises, universities and other institutions to build a research platform that covers the entire blockchain industry. Its professionals provide a solid theoretical basis and analyze new trends to promote the development of the industry. Contact Details Ker Zheng +86 139 2280 3249 media@global-hgroup.com Company Website https://huobiresearch.medium.com/

April 06, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise in Bath, England Moves to New Location, Lands Bath City FC Sponsorship

Minuteman Press International Inc

After 23 years in business and now entering their 24 th year, the long-time Minuteman Press franchise in Bath England has moved to a beautiful new location located on Pines Way Industrial Estate in central Bath. Since the move, Minuteman Press in Bath has nearly doubled production capacity and produced quicker turnaround times for their clients. In what has been a busy year for Minuteman Press in Bath, they have also landed a back of shirt sponsorship for Bath City FC. Throughout the 2021/2022 season, Minuteman Press in Bath has had their logo on player uniforms to increase their brand awareness and visibility. Managing Director David Ghent and Marketing Director Dave Dixon talk about the history of the business as well as what the future holds for Minuteman Press in Bath. What is the history of the business? Dave Dixon: “It all started in 1998 when our MD David Ghent had a vision to provide the best printing services in Bath. He saw a gap in the market for a city-centre location to offer on-site print and copying services. We’ve since outgrown our Walcot Street site and have developed into a commercial, print and signage service in our new facility at Pines Way.” How has the business grown and what are the keys to your success? David Ghent: “For us it’s always been about putting our customers first. We like to help them stretch their marketing budgets as far as possible. Sometimes it’s not about finding the cheapest option, it’s about the maximum return on investment. The success of our customer base is our success. We still have customers today that placed their first orders back in 1998!” What would you say have been the major changes to the printing industry over the past decade? Dave Dixon: “Speed and print enhancements! Sure, if you want a simple brochure to go through the door or get picked up with a load of other flyers that’s great, we can produce thousands of those and you’ll get a small percentage return rate. However, we find that once we add a spot of gloss, gold ink or foil it stands out from the crowd. We’ve also invested heavily over the years in the most up to date technology and most reliable kit to ensure that we can produce great results on time and quickly. After all you’ve seen it on your screen and you are keen to have it in your hand.” How do you set yourself apart from the competition especially online suppliers? David Ghent: “Online print is great if you want cheap bulk printing and you’re 100 percent sure that your artwork is designed well, you’re not too concerned about the final colours and you don’t need any advice or are not expecting a long term relationship with a local supplier. Most of our clients value business relationships and like to discuss their print job and how they might make it look as good as possible. Alongside that excellent level of customer service, we are also able to meet almost any deadline; most of our work is produced the same day on site here at Pines Way, with real people checking your artwork, colours and print quality. We are also a one stop shop. We will deal with your business forms, flyers and brochures, and we can also produce shop signage, vehicle graphics and exhibition displays. You really don’t need to go to many sources for your marketing materials. That’s how we differentiate ourselves.” How did you adapt over the past two years and diversify your offerings? Dave Dixon: “We very soon discovered the joy of floor and wall graphics! We did a little but of that pre-pandemic, but then we had to take it to another level. Our Large Format Studio Manager was in fact working hard during the first lockdown producing a catalogue with a full range of social distancing signage. We also had to test the materials to ensure that they were safe enough for installation on the ground – we really didn’t want people slipping on our floor graphics! We produced thousands of linear metres of floor and wall graphics. We continue to do so now, but for marketing purposes rather than safety.” Why did you decide to move to your new location and what does it mean for your clients and your future? David Ghent: “In reality, we outgrew Walcot Street and we really could not reach our full potential there. The new location represents a €1 million investment in the business. We have two of Xerox’s top end presses and we have added the full range of specialty colours to those, this includes white, fluorescent, gold, silver and clear toners, the range of colours we can really achieve is impressive. We’ve added short run foiling in house and of course our huge vehicle bay means that we can now do signwriting on cars and vans. Our signage team is expanding our offerings further. Interiors will be a big growth area for us including printed graphics on walls, floors, and windows. Window blinds are very popular at the moment and a really cost-effective way to keep your branding visible.” What makes you most proud as you reflect on the past 24 years? Dave Dixon: “We are proud of our level of customer retention. We work closely with our client base to ensure that they are always happy. We are also always happy to give back to our local community through supporting charities and clubs with free or heavy discounted pricing, as well as being proud to be a local business taking part in the civic life of our city.” What’s next for Minuteman Press in Bath? David Ghent: “We are in the right premises at last, so we now need to consolidate and plan for expansion. We need to continue strengthening our print and signage offerings and ensure that we are seen locally as Bath’s number one printer, as well as growing our online sales.” For more information on Minuteman Press in Bath, England, visit https://minutemanbath.co.uk. Learn more about Minuteman Press UK franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.co.uk. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 06, 2022 10:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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GARY VAYNERCHUK ANNOUNCES THE 5s AS MAJOR LEAGUE PICKLEBALL TEAM NAME; ANNOUNCES RYAN HARWOOD AS THE 5s GENERAL MANAGER AND UNVEILS THE 5s LOGO

Major League Pickleball

Gary Vaynerchuk, recently announced as a new Major League Pickleball (MLP), Team Owner, has confirmed his MLP team name as The 5s, a homage to Gary’s favorite number. Additionally, Vaynerchuk has confirmed Ryan Harwood as General Manager (GM) of The 5s. Harwood, a former Division 1 Player / Captain for University of Pennsylvania's men's tennis team, is the current CEO of Gallery Media Group and Founder of PureWow and ONE37pm. Harwood will lead The 5s as they take part in MLP’s 2022 Draft and MLP competitions throughout the forthcoming season, the first of which will take place at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, from June 3 – 5, 2022. Vaynerchuk has also unveiled the official logo of The 5s, featuring Competitive Clown, one of the recently unveiled 15 new VeeFriends Series 2 characters. “The 5s are going to be the most exciting team in pro pickleball, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to lead our team as we set about our first season in MLP,” commented Ryan Harwood. “As the whole of the USA is finding out, pickleball is the sport for our age, and when you see it at pro level, you know why the men and women who are competing at the top of the sport are the superstar athletes of the future. Our job at The 5s is to give our team the best possible chance of winning MLP events, and to help make them household names. It’s an exciting challenge, one we’re all hyped about getting started on, kicking off with the Draft at the end of May.” “5 means the world to me in the context of sports as it was the first jersey number I received and wore when I came to the US.,” explained Vaynerchuk. “My mom knitted that jersey for me, and the number 5 has always been my favorite ever since. Now it’s on our MLP team and in our logo, alongside Competitive Clown, and I couldn’t be more proud to have that number, that means so much to me, as our team name.“ Ryan and I have been business partners long enough for me to know The 5s is in the best possible hands with him as GM,” added Vaynerchuk. “We share a belief that pickleball can truly change lives – it’s a sport that engages people of all ages, and the athletes in our team are the hero figures that will inspire generations to come. It’s also worth saying, we’re in this to win. Ryan and I are fiercely competitive people. I’m excited to see who we can bring into our team in the Draft, and how that group then goes out and performs when we start competition in June.” The 2022 MLP Draft will be revealed on Saturday, May 28th in a livestream on MLP channels including MajorLeaguePickleball.net, MLP YouTube and Facebook. The Draft will set the teams for MLP’s first 2022 team competition, which will be held at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, from June 3 - June 5, in which 48 of the world’s best professional pickleball players, 24 women and 24 men, will compete to win the second-ever MLP competition, with the finals set to be exclusively televised on CBS Sports Network. The preceding rounds will also be livestreamed on MLP digital channels. --- MLP --- About Major League Pickleball Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the elite professional pickleball competition that sees teams of two women, two men, compete in a unique format that has set new standards in the fastest growing sport in America. MLP's first-ever event, which took place in November, 2022, raised the bar for pro pickleball, introducing broadcast and event production innovations that saw MLP awarded the title "Event of the Year" by The Dink. In addition to MLP's goal to create engaging new platforms to showcase the best professional female and male pickleball players worldwide, MLP is also focused on helping build the grassroots of the sport, attracting both new participants and fans to pickleball in the USA and worldwide. For more information on Major League Pickleball, go to MajorLeaguePickleball.net and follow Major League Pickleball on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube. Contact Details Tom Webb +1 512-952-9369 tom@redknotcomms.com Company Website https://www.majorleaguepickleball.net/

April 06, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Dayco Goes Full Throttle In 2022 With More Than 20 Racing Sponsorships

Dayco

Dayco, a leading engine products and drive systems supplier for the automotive, industrial and aftermarket industries, has announced a comprehensive North American racing program for 2022 that will provide almost 20 teams and drivers with access to Dayco’s full line of racing products and technical expertise. With a longstanding history of racing involvement, Dayco’s technical team is focused on providing a range of products engineered to help extreme sports enthusiasts perform at their peak. In drag racing, Dayco continues its partnership with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) for the 4 th season and serves as the sole supplier of Dayco’s 11mm blower belts at the track. Dayco has also invested in five up-and-coming teams racing in various circuits – from the PDRA and NMCA circuits to small tire racing, factory stock and pro-mod. Team sponsorships include Gillig Motorsports, Watson Racing, Chris Duncan Race Cars, Angel Performance and Seher Shultetus Racing. Between March and October, several of these drivers will put Dayco’s all-new 8mm blower belt, CVT belts and newly launched supercharger belts through the paces. Dayco’s tech team is honed in on showcasing the R&D and performance capabilities of Dayco products in intense driving conditions on the drift circuit. Sponsorships include Chad Anderson Motorsports, Mike Steele of Steele Brothers Racing, husband and wife team Mike and Ashley Messineo and Scherzer Racing. All drivers will be racing in vehicles outfitted with Dayco parts and logos during the April-November season. In the world of powersports and off-road racing, Dayco’s sponsored drivers are wrapping up their snowcross and ice oval racing seasons in early April. This small engine market is growing in popularity and with Dayco’s full line of CVT belts that can handle extreme racing, Dayco continued its support of the Canadian Snowcross Racing Association and served as lead sponsor of February’s 1-500 race. Not only is Dayco the Official Belt of CSRA, but also backs winning teams and motorsports organizations across both snowcross and ice oval racing, including Bailey Motorsports, MPH Racing, Beach Racing, Sterne Racing, Postula Motorsports, She Shreds Mountains, Steve St. Onge and Cameron Wachtler. For more information about Dayco’s motorsports program, visit this link or to learn about Dayco’s high performance aftermarket products, click here. About Dayco Dayco is a global leader in the research, design, manufacture and distribution of essential engine drive systems and aftermarket services for automotive, truck, construction, agriculture and industrial applications. Through its expertise in transferring power quietly and efficiently, Dayco has emerged as the leading global system solutions provider for hybrid electric vehicles. Dayco’s 100+ years of experience in drive systems allows the company to equip all customer applications around the world with the most effective drive systems to meet customer specific performance requirements. Dayco’s world class global distribution network services the aftermarket industry with a full offering of kits and products to meet each local market’s need. Dayco accomplishes this with a dedicated global team that respects one another, shows humility through continuous learning and acts like owners in everything they do. Dayco has more than 40 locations in 22 countries and over 3,600 associates. For more information about Dayco, visit the company’s website at www.dayco.com. Contact Details Dayco Sativa Ross +1 248-292-9564 sativa@srprconsulting.com Company Website https://www.daycoaftermarket.com/en/

April 06, 2022 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloudrise Is Taking 2022 By Storm

Cloudrise

Cloudrise Inc., a technology-enabled services firm focused on data protection, cloud security, and privacy, continues to make waves with a flurry of exciting news to kick-off 2022. Cloudrise is pleased to announce the acquisition of CyberOrchard, an information security managed service organization located in the United Kingdom. Cloudrise CEO, Rob Eggebrecht, shared his thoughts: “The merger of the two companies brings a breadth of knowledge and expertise to Cloudrise, paving the way to expand our portfolio of data protection services to the global market.” As part of the acquisition, Jason Bird, CyberOrchard’s Founder and CEO, has been named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Cloudrise. Bird has over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, managed services, data governance, and privacy. “Data protection is becoming more complex every day, and at Cloudrise we believe collaboration is the path to better protection for our customers. We are partnering with the strongest data-centric technology companies to bring innovative solutions to our customers, such as Netskope, AWS, Digital Guardian, Microsoft, OneTrust, Varonis, BigID, and Veritas, just to name a few,” said Bird. This news comes just a week after Netskope named Cloudrise as their Global Services Partner of the Year. “This achievement illustrates Cloudrise’s commitment to delivering innovative service offerings to customers worldwide,” said Joe Infantino, Chief Operating Officer at Cloudrise. Additionally, Cloudrise is pleased to announce that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Cloudrise to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Managed Security 100 category for 2022. Winners are recognized for helping end users increase efficiency, simplify solutions, and maximize their return on investment. Cloudrise is taking 2022 by storm and encourages its followers to stay tuned for future announcements. About Cloudrise Cloudrise is a technology-enabled services firm, specializing in delivering data-centric services customized to meet organizations’ business needs. Drawing from 20+ years of experience in the field, they have tailored their services to be focused on securing organizations’ data wherever it resides. Cloudrise knows how to identify gaps, build and optimize controls and integrations across the enterprise, and deploy data-centric technologies across multiple industries, geographies and organizational sizes – all with the expertise to navigate an ever-changing data compliance and regulatory landscape. Cloudrise can be found at Cloudrise.com or on LinkedIn. About CyberOrchard UK-based CyberOrchard is an information security managed services organization, home to experts with over 20 years of data security experience. Whether the risk to organizations' data lives in transit on the network, at rest in storage, or in use at an endpoint, CyberOrchard provides the necessary data security bundled service offerings, consultancy and managed services to significantly reduce organizations' risk of data loss. CyberOrchard can be found at cyberorchard.com or on LinkedIn. Contact Details Jodi Lewis +1 800-917-7619 sales@cloudrise.com Company Website https://cloudrise.com/

April 06, 2022 07:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

DESPITE RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES LEADING GLOBAL RECOVERY

Travel Tech

The US Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), the voice of the travel technology industry, and eu travel tech today released comprehensive research reports from Phocuswright, the world’s leading travel industry research authority. The research shows travel industry innovators, including global distribution systems (GDS), online travel agencies (OTA) and metasearch companies, travel management companies (TMC), and short-term rental (STR) platforms (in the United States and Europe) bring competition and consumer choice to the marketplace and are leading the COVID-19 economic recovery. According to the Phocuswright research, independent travel intermediaries have a key role in the travel sector rebound. Despite a 61% gross travel revenue drop in 2020 attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are much more likely to return to trusted platforms to assist with travel planning and shopping. “Independent distribution facilitated by GDSs, OTAs, Metasearch and TMCs, is paramount to supporting and growing a travel economy that is affordable and accessible to travelers worldwide”, explains Steve Shur, President of US Travel Tech. “This important analysis highlights the value of the travel marketplace for consumers and suppliers. Today’s travel and tourism economy relies on the access, competitive environment and reach facilitated by independent distributors. Their technology, innovations, and marketing expertise foster economic growth for travel and tourism providing consumers with competitive shopping experiences.” “Transparency is critical to making informed booking decisions”, stated Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General of eu travel tech. “From effective comparison shopping to finding the right accommodation for an itinerary, independent distributors are key contributors to building consumer confidence and reigniting the global travel economy. These entities are particularly important during the inspiration and shopping stages. By creating an environment where travelers can easily compare product features, obtain relevant information about safety and regulations for travel and shop prices, they foster a competitive landscape where suppliers must compete for consumers, based on price, services, amenities and offerings.” The research shows a global consensus that the most successful travel suppliers in the COVID-19 recovery era will be those who best partner with travel intermediaries. In addition to gaining broader distribution, it will mean more options, competitive prices, and better service to travelers. Travel suppliers increasingly value the continuing role of independent travel intermediaries in supplementing distribution efforts in a cost-effective manner. Smaller suppliers value the reach, visibility, and additional bookings they can gain from working with the right travel intermediaries. All recognize the significant benefits of travel intermediaries’ pay-per-performance business model for driving supplemental revenue. Some other findings from the research include: Travelers value travel intermediaries for reducing friction by facilitating the easy comparison and booking of multiple, multi-brand options in a single location. In turn, travel intermediaries feature prominently in both the inspiration and shopping stages for travelers, with 39%, 45% and 44% of US consumers using indirect channels to make their latest leisure air, hotel and car rental bookings respectively. Vacation rentals have experienced a strong resurgence, with city dwellers, no longer tied to the office, seeking getaway alternatives – whether in the mountains, beach, suburbs, or countryside. Short-term vacation rental companies are benefiting from this trend. In Europe, in 2020 the hotel sector took leadership positions in terms of market share, representing 41% of gross revenue. The European hotel sector is primarily made up of smaller, independently owned and operated properties (38% of rooms in 2018). Such properties often struggle to gain adequate visibility in front of potential customers, and travel intermediaries, especially OTAs, help bridge the gap between smaller hotels and consumers. This drives the independent hotels revenue and helps them compete better against their branded peers. OTA gross revenue in the US grew from less than $36 billion in 2009 to more than $79 billion in 2019, falling back to $32 billion in 2020. Despite this steep drop, OTAs accounted for 21% of total travel revenue in the U.S. during the 2020 crisis. Phocuswright’s U.S. Corporate Travel Report 2020-2024 estimates that corporate travel revenue fell 71% to $39 billion in 2020 compared to the previous year. The meetings and events spaces were hit harder, with more than 95% of events canceled or postponed. However, a rapid recovery is underway, and gross revenue is expected to grow in the US to $289 billion in 2022 with full recovery expected by 2025. Suppliers in Europe and the US are concerned with the potential entry of big tech into the travel distribution space. Most feel that these companies would quickly evolve into powerful, and perhaps even dominant players, and some fear Google would potentially evolve into the super app of travel. As several of the large tech platforms are increasingly leveraging their scale, deep pockets, and in-depth customer knowledge to enter the travel space and rapidly grab significant market share, they are forcing suppliers and intermediaries alike to spend ever-increasing amounts on pay-per-click advertising to maintain visibility. ### About US Travel Tech The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) is the voice of the travel technology industry, advocating for public policy that promotes transparency and competition in the marketplace to encourage innovation and preserve consumer choice. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including global distribution systems, online travel agencies and metasearch companies, travel management companies, and short-term rental platforms. About eu travel tech eu travel tech represents the interests of travel technology companies. eu travel tech uses its position at the centre of the travel and tourism sector to promote a consumer-driven, innovative and competitive industry that is transparent and sustainable. Our membership spans Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), Online Travel Agencies (OTA), Travel Management Companies in business travel (TMCs) and metasearch sites. For a copy of the research reports, or to schedule an interview with a US or EU Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Jackie Hampton of kglobal. Contact Details Jackie Hampton +1 443-814-0693 jacqueline.hampton@kglboal.com Company Website https://www.traveltech.org

April 06, 2022 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Farm Forward Finds Drugs in Certified Meat at Whole Foods

Farm Forward

Nonprofit Farm Forward has found a variety of drugs, including an antibiotic, in meat certified as having “no antibiotics, ever” taken from products purchased from Whole Foods store shelves. The drugs, including fenbendazole, clopidol, and monensin, are used widely in conventional animal agriculture. The use of monensin is prohibited within the USDA Organic program and by Global Animal Partnership’s (GAP’s) Animal Welfare Certified™ program, which certifies all meat sold in Whole Foods stores. "Sophisticated testing can reveal the truth about prohibited drugs fed to animals on factory farms, but these tests cannot reveal the extent to which these animals have suffered," said Farm Forward executive director Andrew deCoriolis. "Whole Foods and GAP say that their products are humane and hope we’ll take their word for it; our test results should give consumers pause." Whole Foods relies on GAP’s Animal Welfare Certified™ program, one of the largest animal welfare certifications in the world, to ensure that the meat sold in its 511 stores is “humane” and contains “no antibiotics, ever.” GAP’s Executive Director is an employee of Whole Foods and, alarmingly, one of the products that tested positive for Clopidol, a drug prohibited by USDA Organic but allowed by GAP, was produced by a company whose CEO is a member of GAP’s board of directors, raising questions about GAP’s motivations for permitting specific drugs within its program. Clopidol is commonly used to treat parasitic infections found primarily on industrial farms. Farm Forward served on GAP’s board of directors for 12 years but resigned in 2020 over concerns that the certifier was failing to live up to its promises to shoppers. GAP’s inability to enforce its standards was only one among several concerns. Another was its complicity in humanewashing: GAP and Whole Foods use confusing labels and images of animals on bucolic pastures that, a recent Farm Forward survey shows, trick customers into believing products may be better than they truly are. In reality, factory farmed products dominate Whole Foods’ supply chain despite charging customers up to 40 percent more for Animal Welfare Certified™ products. Antibiotics and other drugs are used widely on factory farms to keep animals alive in cruel and filthy conditions that may otherwise from suffering on factory farms and to keep products with drug residues from ending up on store shelves. “Factory farms use antibiotics and other drugs extensively to “manage” infectious diseases and parasites in crowded conditions,” said Dr. Jim Keen, a veterinary infectious disease epidemiologist with 30 years of research and field experience. “The conditions under which animals are raised in factory farms make them easy breeding grounds for antimicrobial resistance and even future pandemics.” Testing The testing was conducted by two independent, accredited laboratories using industry standard mass spectrometry, which is capable of identifying compounds at low levels. End Factory Farming Demanding that retailers and third-party certifications test for drugs in products labeled “all natural” and “no antibiotics, ever” won’t eliminate the need for these drugs on factory farms. It’s time for GAP’s Animal Welfare Certified program and Whole Foods to commit to stop selling factory farmed products all together. Until they stop selling factory farmed products, the best way for consumers to avoid unwanted drugs in their food is to avoid animal products whenever possible. About Farm Forward Farm Forward works to improve the lives of farmed animals. Since 2007, its mission has been to end factory farming by changing farming, changing policy, and changing the stories told about animal agriculture. Contact Details Farm Forward Susan Peters susan@farmforward.com

April 05, 2022 11:18 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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