by agosser

Future of Tourism to be Influenced Through Global Summit

Each year the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) holds a Global Summit to discuss how tourism has evolved throughout the year, as well as upcoming trends for the industry. This year’s event will be held in Seville, Spain.

plaza-de-espa-a-at-dusk--seville--spain-499790854-5aa55d6c1f4e130037937244

Image of Seville, Spain – Courtesy of TripSavvy

Travel Weekly highlights expectations for this year’s Global Summit in its article, “Change in the Making,” written by Arnie Weissmann and Johanna Jainchill.

The event will feature several speakers, one of which will be Ken Dychtwald, CEO of the company Age Wave. Age Wave’s business mission is to focus on the older demographic of the population and the problems that affect it.

He will be speaking about something that seems unconventional to the tourism industry, which is refocusing tourism’s target market to the older generations. It’s often assumed that younger people are the ones who like to travel and embark on adventures, but according to Dychtwald the opposite is true.  “[The older generation has] more appetite for travel, more desire to experience the world, more free time and financial strength than ever before in history,” Dychtwald says.

There will also be several other speakers, most notably including Barack Obama, who was an advocate for tourism during his presidency. Travel Weekly says that he will speak about why he saw tourism as a valuable part of the U.S. Economy.

Ultimately, this article provides insight that tourism is continuously changing, and the Global Summit will be a driving force in this change. Attendees are urged to listen to the speakers who will explain the major changes that will happen in the industry, as well as how to best prepare their businesses for them.

As time passes, a variety of factors will continue to affect tourism. It is an industry that always allows room for substantial growth, and the summit this year will surely educate tourism professionals on how to be successful in this changing environment.

For more on the annual Global Summit, visit Arnie Weissmann and Johanna Jainchill’s “Change in the Making” Travel Weekly, (2019). https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/World-Travel-Tourism-Council-Global-Summit-Change-in-the-making

by camronlunn

This Week in Sports Media

March Continues

Press Release: Week of March 24th, 2019

Gainesville, March 29th, 2019, Internet

The month of March truly is the culmination of the entire college basketball season. A field of 68 universities from across the country has now been whittled down to just 16 and in a little over two weeks the kings of college basketball will be crowned. Naturally, This weeks stories center around the heated confrontations of the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Of the two articles mentioned above, The most intriguing and insightful would be “Sweet 16 TV: A power outage out in the truck out west; Chris Webber excels calling pulsating Purdue OT win”. The author David J. Halberstam goes into great depth about both the positive and negative tendencies of the commentators and also events happening in and around the broadcasts of the games. From the an apparent electrical glitch in the production van before the tip-off of the Texas Tech and Michigan matchup to the overall lackluster color commentary of Dan Bonner, there are few details of the overall broadcast left un-analyzed by Halberstam. Not only were the television broadcasts critique, but the state of basketball play-by-play on the radio is also brutalized. He even went into depth about the commentation of the division two national semi-finals. There really is no stone left unturned in his analyses

It is intriguing to see an author go into such depth about such topics as the comentation of a game. The insights seem to look directly toward highlighting the expertise of the former players such as Chris Webber and Reggie Miller and also deeming the work of their counterparts as less than stellar. Great points are also made about how unnecessary some aspects of trends in radio broadcasting and they are highly insightful. All in all, athletes do make for great expert opinion, but sometimes can make broadcasts somewhat dull. In the case of basketball broadcasts on radio, individual play analysis may be tedious, but when peppered in with score updates can really liven up a broadcast and not be as much of a hindrance as stated by Halberstam.

The goal of Sports Broadcast Journal (Initially Sports Announcers Report Card) is to serve a mix of announcers, executives, producers, and other interested followers of sports broadcasting, podcasting, webcasting, and the growing world of digital media.

William Camron Lunn Twitter:@CamronLunn Email:Camron12@ufl.edu

by cassidymizell1

Food to Thrive: How We Can Diversify our Diets for our Planet

Quinoa vs Rice via Simple Sensible Nutrition

Here’s an interesting fact: 75 percent of the world’s diet is comprised of just 12 plants and 5 animals.

However, this reality has damaging implications for our planet. In a report compiled by the World Wildlife Federation and Knorr foods, our narrow eating habits are causing a slow collapse of habitats and species.

Overharvesting and use of pesticides is detrimental to the land where commercial farming takes place, as well as the animals that live on that land. In addition, the deforestation necessary for the production of red meat is a major source of greenhouse gases.

So, experts recommend diversifying our diets in order to preserve the planet. This means searching abroad for unfamiliar foods. These foods, many from the African continent, are sturdier and more productive than our traditional food sources, which means that these crops are better for our environment and can feed more people to account for the rising population.

Examples of non-traditional food sources include salsify root, purple yams, quinoa, fava beans, and seaweed.

Seaweed via Healthline
Salsify Root via Specialty Produce

These organizations are hoping that people will begin to make substitutes in their routines for these different food sources.

So, maybe make a switch from white rice to quinoa in your next dish. The planet will be better off for it.

A menu from the conference featuring many of the non-traditional foods being promoted by the WWF and Knorr foods. Via The Salt

For more information on this report, check out this article by Elanor Beardsley

For more in food news, check The Salt by NPR.

by gabrielaharmon

Opportunity for a Bright Future

As I have discussed in past trade press releases, many of the challenges that law firms are facing are due to new technology and alternative legal service providers. Deborah Farone, writer for the American Lawyer, describes these challenges as “disconnects” that exist within modern-day law firms that can be seen as either impediments or opportunities. Farone emphasizes that law firms need to focus on using the resources that are available effectively. The expertise offered by firms in specific niches, including the Big 4 accounting firms, should be taken advantage of by creating strategic relationships and partnerships. Technology should be studied and analyzed in order to be implemented in the most effective ways possible rather than avoided or used “just for technology’s sake.”

Financials of 2018 show a rise in profits for law firms across the board. Top firms have reached new heights in profits, but growth this year has been more evenly distributed among all sizes of law firms. The firms that continue to struggle are those that are smaller and less profitable than the competition; therefore, have difficulty keeping top talent. The rising competition and performance of these top firms reflects well on the industry.  

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index has found that big law firms in America have once again outperformed the rest of corporate America in their acceptance and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. Despite the issues of equality and representation that I have discussed in past trade press releases, this is evidence that change is possible and happening.

The emergence of new talent and technology has created a very competitive market for legal service providers. While it may be harder for firms to keep top clients and talents, these developments within the legal field reflect well on the industry overall. The acceptance of the LGBTQ community among top firms also proves that change can be made and equality can be reached. Despite the challenges faced by my generation as we enter the legal field, there are also endless opportunities to build upon this promising industry.

by mnaim1

Storytelling Techniques in Marketing

Storytelling. The most basic, yet intriguing pastime since the dawn of human communication. Storytelling not only draws in an audience, but makes listeners engaged until the narrative concludes. This type of verbal interaction has primal roots and serves as an important way to carry on tradition and valuable information. Effective marketing and advertising techniques incorporate storytelling into campaigns in order to draw in and effectively engage audiences.

Why does storytelling work as such a valuable marketing tool? The answer is simple and reverts back to creating a connection with those interested with the tale at hand. An example of storytelling in advertising includes Nike’s “Become Legendary” campaign. Nike’s message encourages the audience to feel empowered and become as “legendary” as Michael Jordan. The reasoning behind why viewers connect with the advertisement traces back to biology with “mirror neurons [which] help us feel what others feel.” This phenomena makes “stories relatable and motivate action.” In marketing, this storytelling technique promotes action by the audience. In effect, customers become encouraged to do business with a particular brand.

Storytelling also creates a “driving force that inspires action.” Creating motivation serves as a prime way to encourage consumers to become involved and interested in a product or service. Apple’s “Share Your Gifts” visual storytelling ad promotes action by its audience. Encouragement through storytelling results in a call to action which creates a relationship with Apple and their consumers.

The evolution of storytelling from ways to continue cultural traditions to a form of marketing displays the versatility of an effective form of communication. If in search of a unique yet successful marketing tool, give storytelling a try and the results will most likely bring about the success wanted.

For more on this, check out, Jennifer Lux’s “The Psychology Behind Brand Storytelling and Its Effect on Consumers”, Voice, Adweek(Mar 15, 2019).

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/the-psychology-behind-brand-storytelling-and-its-effect-on-consumers/

by nico102698

Why Apple Had to Change

During these last few years, the company that told everyone to think different, has repeatedly done the opposite and disappointed customers for years now. Last Monday, Apple presented drastic changes to the image of the company and had one of the most polarizing keynote events of recent memory.  The keynote was about services like Apple Card, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV +. 

Image result for apple card
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple Card is a credit card where users will earn 3 percent back on Apple purchases, 2 percent on all purchases made with Apple Pay, and 1 percent cash back on physical card purchases. They also introduced Daily Cash, which means your Daily Cash balance will post to your account the same day that your transactions post. There are no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, no late payment fees, or fees for exceeding your credit limit. They also said they hope to offer lower interest rates than its competitors. 

apple news
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple News + gives you unlimited access to more than 300 magazines and a few newspapers.  The publications include Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Wired, Skimm, Vulture, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. 

Image result for apple arcade
Image Courtesy of Apple

Apple Arcade promises high-quality, premium games. No ads, no lockout timers, no in-app purchases, and no need for internet connections. You will also be able to cross-platform play, which means you can play on your iPhone, and pick up where you left off on your Mac, iPad, or your Apple TV. 

Image result for apple tv plus
Image Courtesy of Apple

Finally, they introduced Apple TV Plus, the subscription service will feature original TV shows and movies. Apple brought about a dozen brand-name talents involved with its series, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Kumail Nanjiani, and Big Bird, and Oprah. 

The drastic change to services is not surprising; Apple has had worrying sales for the past five years because consumers are buying phones less. The only reason for sales growth is because they raised the price of the iPhones. The iPhone generates two-thirds of apples overall sales, so the introduction of these new paid services is Apple’s solution to replace the lowering margins of apples sales profits. 

by camronlunn

People Dedicated to Quality

PDQ was founded by Bob Basham and Nick Reader in 2011. These two Florida businessman went on a road trip to look for the next big thing for fast food. With a focus being on freshness and quality, These two ended up in North Carolina and found a restaurant known as Tenders, made a deal with the owners of the small business, and two years later the first PDQ opened in Tampa. PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality. Here is a breakdown of what that slogan, and those three simple words mean to us.

People

We are all people. People are who run the world and are who PDQ’s business revolves around. Without great customer service this business would fall apart. Through the training and hiring of good people, we are able to give the best possible service and product to the people who need it the most. Some of the people that we strive to please the most are college students, so having locations in towns with large colleges (like the University of Florida in Gainesville, the University of South Florida in Tampa, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando) helps us reach our preferred clientele. We also be sure to give back, donating time and money into the areas that we serve. So next time you see your local tee-ball time look for the PDQ logo on the back.

Dedicated

Dedication is what drives a product forward. All good businesses are built around hard work and dedication. Without the drive and determination to give people the best service possible, PDQ would be the equivalent of your average chicken tender restaurant. This dedication pushes us to wake up early make everything in house. Nothing special, just ordinary. No one should strive for just being ordinary. The same dedication shown when we were Tenders, a mom and pop in North Carolina, is given now that we have over 50 locations in nearly 10 states.

Quality

Fast food is characterized as easy. No effort is made by the person eating it, you just give someone money and within 5 minutes you have a full meal right in front of you. Quality is tenders being breaded and fried in house with our own flour and fried to perfect to order. Quality is the multiple house made sauces that come free with our orders. The house made salads that rival anything any other fast food restaurant. Fast food does not mean food without quality and we strive to keep that quality that is in our name in everything that we do.

When choosing where to get a quick bite or maybe for a place to dine in don’t look for golden arches or a crown. You don’t have to think outside the bun. Look no further than three simple letters: PDQ. Behind those letter are a multitude of People Dedicated to Quality who are ready to impact your experience from the moment that you walk in the door or drive through our line.

by ianmmeredith

The Drive-In Theatre: Old and Obsolete, or New and Refreshing?

The movie industry is always locked on the next best screenplay, or the newest high definition movie projection technology. But no one is looking towards the past for the next new experience, and they should be.

Take it back to 1933. The Great Depression was in full swing, but a man named Richard Hollingshead didn’t let that stop him from creating that next best thing in the film industry. In an attempt to design a movie theatre experience that was more comfortable for his larger-than-average mother, he revolutionized the movie industry for people of all shapes and sizes for decades to come.

The first drive-in theatre in Pennsauken, New Jersey, 1933

The concept: what if someone could just drive up, park, and watch a movie without ever having to leave their car? Everyone would be able to see the movie through their windshield on a multiple-story high screen and roll their windows down to listen in. The drive-in theatre started with a 1928 Kodak projector mounted on the roof of Hollingshead’s car, a large sheet nailed between two trees, and some low-quality speakers next to the screen. But it spread like a wildfire after Hollingshead patented the idea, and the experience improved rapidly. By the 1950s and 1960s, there were almost 4,000 drive in theatres across America. Visitors could tune in to a special radio station to hear the movie’s audio and leave their windows rolled in case it began to rain.

A showing at Shankweiler’s Drive-In, Orefield, Pennsylvania, circa 1950

Tragically, as interest rates for land tracts rose and more impressive projection technology developed, the drive-in theatre began to die out. By now, there are no more than 300 spread across the United States. It’s a shame that a vintage experience like the drive-in theatre is so hard to find nowadays. But is it? Surely there can’t be one within, say, an hour of your home. Even if there was an easily accessible one, the price of a ticket must be monumental!

Or not. The Ocala Drive-In is only a 45-minute drive from the University of Florida’s main campus, and you can get tickets to two showings in one night for a grand total of six dollars. Even after you incorporate the cost of gas (about three dollars each way), a trip to the drive-in theatre is half the price of two regular movie tickets. Plus, who wouldn’t want the brand-new, priceless experience of a vintage drive-in? The Ocala Drive In is a historical spot in Florida, and it is only one of eight total drive in theatres in the state.

A premiere showing of Cinderella at the Ocala Drive-In, Ocala, Florida, 2015

The theatre may be old, but it always has screenings of the industry’s best blockbusters, like Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Located at 4850 South Pine Avenue, Ocala, FL, the Ocala Drive In is bound to provide visitors with a memorable experience – one that’s bound to make you reconsider going back to your same old, local theatre.

by Oriana

Everyone Benefits from Local Thrift-Shopping

photo courtesy of @flashbacksrecycledfashions on instagram

College is a time for self-expression. It can be hard to do this when brand name or high-quality clothing is so expensive. Thrifting is the best way to get the luxury feel without the luxury price, and Flashbacks Recycled Fashions is the premiere shop in Gainesville for your fashion needs. At Flashbacks, we have an abundant selection of modern clothing, but also sell authentic vintage pieces in great condition, mostly donated by the eclectic student body nearby.

There are several benefits of thrifting locally:

Find your Perfect Style

We are not just a thrift store, but also a consignment store. This means that we buy and resell hand-picked clothes that represent the best in fashion. Since Gainesville is filled with young and stylish students, it is easy to find clothes that are cool and modern, unlike the big box thrift stores that are often filled out outdated and unappealing apparel. At Flashbacks, you are guaranteed to find unique pieces that will make your style stand out.

photo courtesy of @flashbacksrecycledfashions on Instagram

Imagine going into your closet and being able to decide who you were going to be that day. By shopping with us, you can change your style with more ease than a regular store. Instead of being limited to trends, Flashbacks offers so much more to customers. Interested in plaid, but don’t want to break the bank to later discover it’s not your thing? Take it for a spin here knowing you’re going to get something stylish and durable for a low price. Worst case scenario, you sell it back and it’s not a total loss.

photo courtesy of @flashbacksrecycledfashions on Instagram

If modern fashion isn’t your thing, you’re still in luck! We have an entire section dedicated to authentic vintage clothing in mint condition. It is trendy to be wearing clothes from the past, and major stores sell clothes that are vintage inspired for premium prices. Here, you can buy authentic vintage pieces for a fraction of what it would cost you to purchase fake ones. When you shop with us, you can discover pieces such as leather jackets, pin-up dresses, bell-bottom jeans, and fur coats that were made decades ago and are coming back into style.

photo courtesy of @flashbacksrecycledfashions on Instagram

Support Your Community

Flashbacks has been a Gainesville staple since 1986, when former gator Steve Nichtberger used his finance degree to open up Flashbacks Recycled Fashions Inc. because he wanted to create a spot where people could enjoy themselves while shopping and build lifelong relationships with fellow customers. Most of the profits that Flashbacks makes gets recycled back into the Gainesville community, unlike larger thrift stores where you aren’t able to know exactly where your money is going. All of our supply comes from the community, so we are always supporting other local establishments in order to give back.  Many chain stores, on the other hand, have the tendency to get their goods from corporate, and are often not as personally invested in buying local. By supporting us, you’re also supporting your favorite coffee shops, pizza restaurants and nightclubs at the same time.

photo courtesy of google street view

Before you decide to shop at department stores or thrift store chains, consider that thrifting locally is better for your community, is more sustainable, and the best way to find something unique that will impress all of your friends. At Flashbacks Recycled Fashions, you know that you are always going to find something that perfectly defines your style without a hefty price tag.  

by nico102698

FreeRide Surf & Skate Shop’s History in Gainesville

Skateboarding and Gainesville have had a very interesting relationship over the past 30 years. Ever since there was a skating presence here, FreeRide (Originally known as Inland Surf Shop) has been there.

The store has recently decided to close it shop because it is being bought out by a development company to construct new buildings around the area. Raina, a store employee, did not know a specific date of closing but said it’s scheduled to be closed soon.

They are providing major discounts for skating gear and clothing which is discounted up to 40% off retail value. You can go in and find some great gear for the summer season at ridiculously low prices. They also have some of the most caring staff willing to answer any questions you might have. Local skate shops aren’t businesses, they are part of the community, so come check out FreeRide before we lose a little piece of Gainesville history.

The store originally opened up in 1975 with the explosion of the sport around college campuses everywhere. During that time, most students rode to get around campus and to feel part of the counterculture that was being rampant with the times. In the following decades skating had wild resurgence with street skating in the late 80’s and then in the 90’s due to the popularity of skaters like Tony Hawk and Mark Gonzalez. Skating now has entered the mainstream with popular brands like Supreme and Thrasher being worn and shown off by the most famous celebrities in the world.  Raina went into great detail about the magnitude of the skating culture that was brought here by of one the best skaters of all time, Rodney Mullen.  

Rodney was born in Gainesville, FL and started his lifelong love of skating at around 10. He is arguably the best technical street skater ever and has become known as “The Godfather of Street Skating.” He accumulated a 3.92 GPA while studying biomedical engineering at UF but decided to drop out after starting his own skateboard company, World Industries, but still shares his love of science to the world “I’m a nerd down deep,” he said.” I like computers and I always read that stuff. “He invented tricks like the Flat Ground Ollie, Kickflip, Heelflip, Impossible and the Tre Flip along with 50+ other original tricks.

Sponsored Florida skater Cooper Moser spoke about how much of an influence Rodney Mullen was to him “Yeah man for sure! Rodney definitely inspired me to be a better skateboarder as well as a student in school. Rodney was a mathematician, like he is a genius on and off the board. He definitely inspired “freestyle skateboarding” and created his own tricks as well as his own style. No one can ever recreate what Rodney did for skateboarding. As well as Rodney being from Florida influenced us and gave us hope as skateboarders that we as well can make something out of ourselves as well.” 

The shop also sponsors Possum Creek Skate Park which is a 20,000 sq. ft concrete park created by Spohn Ranch Skate Parks. This skatepark features modern plaza elements, a multi-level bowl and obstacles which allow skaters to transition through the park’s landscaping. These landscaped areas give the skater’s the feeling of a real urban environment.

Photo Courtesy by Possum Creek State Park