Sudan gunmen loot UN food aid warehouse in troubled Darfur

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Al-Araby

Sudanese gunmen have looted a World Food Programme warehouse containing some 1,900 tonnes of food aid in Darfur amid a surge of violence in the troubled western region, officials said on Wednesday. Residents of El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, reported heavy shooting near the warehouse late on Tuesday. “We heard intense gunfire,” Mohamed Salem told AFP. A WFP official said they were “conducting an audit into what was stolen from the warehouse, which contain some 1,900 tonnes of food products”. Darfur has seen a spike in conflict since October triggered by disputes over land, livestock… Continue reading “Sudan gunmen loot UN food aid warehouse in troubled Darfur”

[INVNT GROUP]™ Bets Big on Live; Enhances Live Brand Storytelling Capabilities with Newly Formed ITP LIVE, in the Strategic Acquisitions of InSync Production Services, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights.

Introducing ITP LIVE: An Integrated Production Services Division of INVNT®

New York, Dec. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ announces the strategic acquisitions of four historied live event production companies: ITP LIVE, InSync Production Services, Thunder Audio, and Morpheus Lights.

Led by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP] represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward thinking brands everywhere, impact the audiences that matter anywhere.

“This deal is a key pillar of our integrated vertical growth strategy as [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT. The dedicated search for these four companies has been in development for over 18 months. We sought leaders in the technical and production aspects of the live events industry, who were delivering premier production services to legacy brands and many of the world’s biggest peforming artists. These acquisitions will expand our innovation capabilities, allowing INVNT, our live events business, to offer our customers the ultimate in live events and experiential activations.”

Scott Cullather, President and CEO,  [INVNT GROUP]

[INVNT GROUP] consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; branded content studio and content marketing agency HEVĒ; collegiate events and experiences, INVNT Higher Education, the original global live brand storytelling agency, INVNT and now ITP LIVE consisting of: InSync Production Services, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights.

For more than twenty-five years, these production companies have supported the design and execution of experiential and live entertainment programs for many of the largest corporations, trade associations, sports franchises, governmental agencies (including the White House), and some of the most successful artists in the world: Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dog, Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Metallica, Post Malone, Tyler Perry and more.

The companies will continue to operate under their current names and will service their existing roster of clients, seek new clients, and providing services to synergistic INVNT opportunities and projects.

“Historically, producing live events has often required a great deal of outsourcing on virtually every project. Through these strategic acquisitions we will have end-to-end control over every aspect of our live events – especially quality and cost, continuing to deliver world-class service and at the very best value. The merging of resources and networks also gives us geographical spread across North America. Our anticipation is to continue growing these resources in other territories around the world. This is only the beginning.”

Kristina McCoobery, COO [INVNT GROUP] and CEO INVNT

Rooted in experiential marketing, [INVNT GROUP]’s expansion comes as part of a strategic, yet natural evolution. This business partnership creates a unique offering in the market, and enhances the group’s abilities to fulfill creative, technological, and strategic designs in dynamic new ways.

“When [INVNT GROUP] approached us about the idea of coming together and amplifying our resources, I was instantly drawn to the group’s commitment to impactful storytelling. Their award-winning work aligns with our vision of the newly formed ITP LIVE, that includes Insync Production Services, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights,. We’re excited by the incredible synergies created through our partnership and welcome a new chapter in designing the best events on the planet.”

Pat Hand, CEO, ITP LIVE

This transaction was structured by Wolf Karbe, CFO of [INVNT GROUP] and represented by Evergreen Advisors Capital and Center Rock Advisors. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About [INVNT GROUP]

[INVNT GROUP] was established in 2020, as an evolution of the founding global live brand storytelling agency INVNT in 2008, with a vision to provide consistent, meaningful, well-articulated BrandStory across all platforms. With offices in New York, Sydney, London, Singapore, San Francisco, Sydney, Stockholm, Detroit, and Washington D.C.; headed by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP], THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere. The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; branded content studio and content marketing agency HEVĒ, INVNT Higher Ed; events for colleges and universities, and the original live brand storytelling agency, INVNT. For more information about [INVNT GROUP], visit: www.invntgroup.com.

About INVNT

Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT uses the craft of live brand storytelling to create and produce live experiences that excite and unite physical and virtual audiences, globally. The company’s ‘challenge everything’ positioning statement helps clients including General Motors, PepsiCo, Merck, Microsoft, Pfizer, and Samsung share their stories with every audience that matters. INVNT’s offices are strategically located in New York, London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Stockholm and Singapore. For more information about INVNT, visit: www.invnt.com.

About ITP LIVE

ITP Live – Ideas. Technology. People. was Founded by Pat Hand (CEO) and Paul Mullen (COO) who collectively have over 60 years of experience in event design and production management.  Pat Hand, former CEO, PRG Mid-Atlantic and Paul Mullen former President and CEO, Greyhound Exposition Services have created, managed, and integrated world class companies and were forerunners of providing end to end, turnkey production solutions. Their strategy spans from concept through execution with a true 360 production approach. Pat and Paul will oversee management for InSync, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights, to ensure smooth integration and growth while fully maximizing production synergies with INVNT creating significant cost savings while ensuring best in class production support services.   For more information about ITP LIVE, visit: www.itplive.com

About INSYNC PRODUCTION SERVICES

An iconic show production company, founded over 25 years ago in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, powering the Indy 500, Super Bowl and supporting clients that include L’Oreal, Dell Computers, Nissan, Verizon and Wells Fargo. Built around the broadcast video landscape, a creative leader leveraging LED technology. For more information about Insync Production Services, visit: www.insyncproductionservices.com.

About THUNDER AUDIO

Thunder Audio, a family owned business for over 42 years, has amplified some of the largest musical artists in the world including: Billy Joel, Post Malone, Elton John, Lionel Ritchie, Metallica, Diana Ross, and Earth Wind and Fire. Thunder Audio design and produce dynamic audio services for live experiences of all varieties and scales. Thunder Audio has always been a part of supporting touring, music festivals, corporate events, broadcast, sporting and governmental events. Providing the finest technology with premier manufacturers in the industry. For more information about Thunder Audio, visit: www.thunderaudioinc.com.

About MORPHEUS LIGHTS

Morpheus Lights has staked a global claim in the art and science of performance illumination in live events. For over 25 years, the company has counted on top-tier technology partners like AYRTON, Martin/Harmon, and Clay Paky to support lighting design and execution on  tours and performances for Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, and Lady Gaga. The company uses an eco-conscious approach to all projects, constantly researching for the most environmentally friendly products. For more information about Morpheus Lights, visit: www.morpheuslights.com.

 

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Jhonathan Mendez de Leon
[INVNT GROUP]
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jmendezdeleon@invnt.com

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 2021 Korean Food Video Contest for Foreigners Successfully Ended

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The ‘2021 Korean Food Video Contest for Foreigners’ was held for a month from November 19 to December 18 by the the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute. A total of 989 participants from about 70 different countries participated in the contest. Their participation brought in a high video submission that totals to 1,088.

2021 Korean Food Video Contest

In contrast, more winners were selected for the ‘2021 Korean Food Video Contest for Foreigners’ and the contest period was increased to one month accordingly. The prize money also doubled to USD 134,000 to fit its status for its second time running.

The promotional video featuring senior actor Kim Young-ok, the Korean motherly figure who appeared in numerous drama shows including Squid Game, and popular TikTok influencer Chambo, recorded a total of 200,000 views.

In addition, the contest was also promoted via online foreigner communities such as ‘KOREANERS’ and cultural centers of each country to increase the participation rate of the contest.

The 2021 contest was largely divided into two categories: ‘Cooking video that makes use of kimchi and Korean sauces (Cookbang)’ and ‘Video showing participants enjoying Korean Food (Mukbang)’

Under cookbang, which recorded about 70% of the video submissions, mainly featured Korean food such as kimchi stew and soybean paste stew or a fusion menu which uses Kimchi in the foreign food. Under mukbang, videos of diverse themes featuring Korean food like pork belly and kimchi stew that can be easily eaten overseas were submitted.

The results of the contest was announced on December 28 via the contest homepage. After the first evaluation of video views and the second internal and external evaluations, a total of 48 mukbangs and 48 cookbangs were shortlisted. Cookbang and Mukbang were divided into influencer with more than 500 followers and non influencer categories. A total of USD 81,000 was prize money was given for cookbang. A total of USD53,000 was prize money was given for mukbang.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1716920/image_1.jpg

China famous SaaS company OP Retail is now going globally after 2 rounds of funding

SUZHOU, China, Dec. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — OP Retail, one China retail solution provider which has empowered over 2,000 brands with its cutting-edge sensors and analytics, is now extending its business globally after the round B financing. According to OP Retail, it has already entered 30 countries and will mainly aim at markets in South Africa, UAE, Singapore, the United States and, the United Kingdom in near future.

Established in 2016, OP Retail has cooperated with 2,000+ well-known brands and 300,000 stores globally.

Jayson Zhou, the founder of OP Retail, believes that the company has now reached a turning point. ” People used to intent more on digitalizing the entire scene. But now the concept is changing, that is, they are more concerned about using digitalization as tools and improving their daily store operations. I have confidence that with our rich experience, we can provide the same premium quality service globally with several tweaks.”

With the success of cooperating with 60% top 100 pharmacy chain stores at the beginning. OP Retail started developing its solutions for other industries, including famous clothing brands: Skechers, Adidas, Nike, Frank And Oak, Ochirly, ANTA, Bosideng. FMCG brands: Miniso, M&G shop, KKV. Catering brands: Shake Shack, KFC. Home furnishing brands: IKEA, TOTO. Auto services: Tesla. Electronics brands: Dell, VIVO, HUAWEI. EXPOs: EXPO 2020 in Dubai. etc.

In 2020, OP Retail completed the round B financing of 80 million RMB, which was led by DT Capital, followed by OFG Fund and SND Group. The financing was mainly used for product and service upgrading. Previously, OP Retail received a 15-million RMB round A investment from GSR Ventures for product optimization and deeper industry coverage.

Regarding the investment logic, Lu Hongyu, a partner of DT Capital, said: “We continue to be bullish on retail technology companies that help digital upgrades in all scenarios. OP Retail uses big data and cloud computing to empower the traditional offline retail service industry, greatly improving the operating efficiency and user experience in physical stores. We believe OP Retail will boost the retail industry growth with its constantly evolving digital service.”

About OP Retail

OP Retail is one of the Chinese leading retail technology providers, bringing comprehensive solutions for retailers from in-depth customer flow analysis such as people counting, heatmap to operation standardization like store inspection and smart OA. Established in 2016, it has helped more than 2,000 well-known brands and 300,000 stores globally. Learn more by visiting www.opretail.com.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1717414/image.jpg

‫أفضل 17 مكانًا للعمل بها في الشرق الأوسط لعام 2021

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة, 29 ديسمبر / كانون أول 2021 /PRNewswire/ — أعلنت منظمة Best Places to Work عن أفضل 17 مكانًا للعمل بها في الشرق الأوسط لعام 2021. وتصدرت شركة نوڤو نورديسك، الشركة العالمية للرعاية الصحية، الترتيب لهذا العام تليها شركة أسترازينيكا، وهي شركة متعددة الجنسيات للأدوية والتكنولوجيا الحيوية. واحتلت إيدنريد (Edenred)، الشركة الرائدة في مجال توفير خدمات الشركات المدفوعة مسبقًا، المركز الثالث. ويجب أن تُعد الشركات، لكي تندرج ضمن هذا التصنيف، كأصحاب عمل متميزين على الأقل في أحد البلدان في جميع أنحاء المنطقة.

وجمّع البرنامج مؤخرًا قائمته السنوية لأفضل 17 مكانًا للعمل في الشرق الأوسط استنادًا إلى تقييم أكثر من 250 منظمة في جميع أنحاء المنطقة. وتظهر النتائج المُستمَدة من برنامج هذا العام مدى نجاح الشركات في الحفاظ على أماكن عمل رائعة والتأثير بشكل إيجابي على شعوبها ومجتمعاتها التي تعزز التغيير وتعجل النجاح. وصرح 90% من الموظفين أن لديهم شعورًا بالفخر في عملهم، وأن فريق القيادة ملهم، وأنهم يشعرون بالرضا عن السبل التي تساهم بها الشركة في المجتمع المحلي.

وقد كرّم برنامج Best Places to Work، على مدار العامين الماضيين، أصحاب العمل الرائدين في جميع أنحاء العالم، مدعومًا بعدة سنوات من تقييم ثقافة مكان العمل وقاعدة بيانات عالمية تضم أكثر من 25 مليون موظف.

وهذه هي قائمة أفضل 17 مكان للعمل بها في الشرق الأوسط لعام 2021:

  • نوڤو نورديسك
  •  أسترازينيكا
  • إيدنريد
  • BSH
  • IHS Towers
  • ميريديام
  • Blue Ocean Global
  •  شنايدر إليكتريك
  • هوفمان-لا روش
  • مانجا للإنتاج
  • فودكس
  • أوريدو
  • شركة IACC القابضة
  • شركة تـمكين للتقنيات
  • روشن
  • International Maritime Industries
  • سابن

برنامج Best Places to Work هو بمثابة برنامج شهادات دولي، يعتبر “المعيار البلاتيني” في تحديد أفضل أماكن العمل في جميع أنحاء العالم والاعتراف بها، مما يوفر لأصحاب العمل الفرصة لمعرفة المزيد حول مشاركة موظفيهم ورضاهم، وتكريم أولئك الذين يقدمون خبرة عمل مميزة تتمتع بأعلى المعايير فيما يتعلق بظروف العمل.

ويشارك البرنامج، في كل عام في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، مع أكثر من 250 مؤسسة، من مختلف الصناعات، من أجل مساعدتها على قياس ممارسات الموارد البشرية الخاصة بها ومقارنتها وتحسينها والوصول إلى الأدوات والخبرات التي تحتاج إليها من أجل تحقيق تغيير فعال ومستدام فيها.

لمزيد من المعلومات بشأن البرنامج يرجى زيارة www.bestplacestoworkfor.org. انضم إلى مجتمعنا على لينكد إن، تويتر، وفيسبوك (ميتا).

للتواصل الإعلامي: حمزة إدريسي + +44 208 895 6562 | hamza@bestplacestoworkfor.org |

Gold mine collapse kills at least 38 in Sudan, officials say

Published by
Al-Araby

Sudanese authorities said at least 38 people were killed on Tuesday when a defunct gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan province. The country’s state-run mining company said in a statement the collapse of the closed, non-functioning mine took place in the village of Fuja, 700 kilometres (435 miles) south of the capital of Khartoum. It also said there were also injuries without giving a specific tally. Local media reported that several shafts collapsed at the Darsaya mine, and that besides the dead at least eight injured people were taken to a local hospital. The mining company posted images on… Continue reading “Gold mine collapse kills at least 38 in Sudan, officials say”