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ACCURATE FRANCHISING, INC. NAMED A TOP FRANCHISE SUPPLIER BY ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE

Accurate Franchising, Inc.

Accurate Franchising, Inc. , is a franchise management company that specializes in helping businesses expand through franchising. The brand is proud to announce that they recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s third annual list of the Top Franchise Suppliers. This list recognizes top companies that provide services and support to franchisors and franchisees in ten categories: Accounting, Banking/Financing, Franchise Broker/Referral Networks, Franchise Consulting/Development, Legal Services, Marketing, Merchant Services, Other Technology Services, Public Relations, and Real Estate Services. Accurate Franchising was ranked # 15 in the Franchise Consulting/Development category. “We are honored to be recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine for our dedication to helping companies franchise their business and creating a custom business plan to match their desired level of success,” said Tipton Shonkwiler, Accurate Franchising Brand President. "Now more than ever franchisors and franchisees need service providers they can rely on to help them build and run their businesses as efficiently as possible," says Entrepreneur's editor in chief, Jason Feifer. "We at Entrepreneur are proud to help by presenting this list of the most trusted suppliers in the industry." To determine who the Top Franchise Suppliers are, Entrepreneur surveyed more than 700 franchisors to find out which service providers they and their franchisees use, and what their satisfaction is with the quality, cost, and value of those suppliers’ services. Each supplier was scored based on the results of this survey. Accurate Franchising’s position on the ranking illustrates its position as a trusted service provider in the franchise community. To view the full ranking, visit entrepreneur.com/franchise/top-franchise-suppliers . The list can also be seen in the September 2020 issue of Entrepreneur . About Accurate Franchising, Inc. Accurate Franchising is the only franchise development consulting firm that actually owns and operates its own franchise brands. The company has first-hand experience with franchising, giving it an intimate understanding of what a franchisor needs to succeed. Accurate works with clients to help their franchises grow and thrive, while also working with its sister companies—Signarama, Venture X, and others—to keep those franchise brands strong. Accurate franchising has worked with more than 200 brands in over 80 countries. For more information, visit AccurateFranchising.com . Contact Details Brittny Fuchs +1 561-812-6032 bfuchs@ufgcorp.com Company Website https://www.accuratefranchising.com/

September 02, 2020 08:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Global Business Ethics Survey: Top managers twice as likely to experience pressure to bend the rules in organizations.

Ethics & Compliance Initiative

Employees are twice as likely to experience pressure if they are top-management than compared to line-level employees, according to the Ethics & Compliance Initiative’s ™ (ECI) latest Global Business Ethics Survey Report ™ (GBES) . The data suggest that the higher up the “totem pole” an employee is, the more likely they are to experience pressure to bend the rules. Overall, about 1 in 5 employees experience pressure to bend the rules. Pressure to bend the rules, as defined by the GBES report , can be caused by meeting performance goals, attempting to save one's own and others' jobs, supervisory pressure, advancing one's career or financial interests, and demands from people who support or invest in the organization. According to the data, of those that experience pressure, 30% are top management employees, 25% are middle management, 22% are first-line supervisors and 17% are individual contributors. The first 2020 report of ECI’s premier, longitudinal study on global workplace behavior, published four times per year, also found that when top management show a strong commitment to ethical leadership and organizational values, their employees are 3X less likely to experience pressure. “The data continue to suggest that high-pressure environments are not only stressful for employees, but they can actually cause a negative ROI when it comes to ethical behavior,” said Patricia Harned, CEO of ECI. “Expanding KPIs and stretching financial goals may result in a short-term gain, but the long-term consequences to the organization is a net negative.” Other Findings and Key Indicators of Pressure The report found that employees experiencing pressure was linked with the prevalence of observing various types of misconduct found in organizations across the globe, all of which were about twice as likely to occur in pressure environments versus non-pressure environments. Employees are twice as likely to observe misconduct in organizations where they feel pressure to compromise ethics standards. “As companies around the globe respond to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important research in ECI’s Global Business Ethics Survey (GBES) report presents a timely and accurate overview of pressure in the workplace,” said Michele M. Brown, SVP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Leidos. “These findings provide best practices to balance organizational change while upholding the highest ethical standards. Leidos is proud to support ECI research, which is helping the member community build and maintain strong ethical cultures.” Download the latest GBES report at ethics.org/gbes Methodology The 2019 GBES is the 15th iteration of the GBES (formerly the National Business Ethics Survey). In 2019, the GBES surveyed over 18,000 employees in 18 countries (approximately 1,000 employees per country). ECI established the survey questions and sampling methodology. About the Ethics & Compliance Initiative The Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) is a non-profit organization that empowers organizations to build and sustain high-quality ethics and compliance programs. The organization provides research and a best practice community, as well as certification opportunities for ethics & compliance professionals. Through its membership, ECI represents entities across nearly every industry, located in 37 countries on six continents each dedicated to promoting the highest levels of integrity. Visit www.ethics.org to find out more about our research, membership or funding the GBES. The GBES is made possible with the support of its funders: Google, Boeing, Eli Lilly & Company, Altria, BP, GE, KPMG, Pacific Gas & Electric, L'€™ORÉAL, Leidos, University of Arkansas and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Contact Details Brad Fulton +1 210-278-4809 brad@ethics.org Company Website https://www.ethics.org

August 31, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Uyghurs for Sale

21Wilberforce

Seventy-five years after the Holocaust concentration and labor camps are still in existence. Today the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is interning more than one million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps – striping them of their fundamental rights to peacefully practice their faith. Now new information has surfaced showing that not only is the Communist Party oppressing Uyghur Muslims, they are profiting from them – and worse – Americans are at risk of being duped into paying for it . Groups working on international religious freedom issues have now added their voice to a coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions calling for fair labor practices. Spearheaded by 21Wilberforce and other organizations working through the International Religious Freedom Roundtable , religious freedom advocates are asking Congress to quickly pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R.6210 / S.3471). This legislation would make it more difficult for products produced by people enslaved by the CCP because of their faith to enter Western markets . “We commend Congressman McGovern (D-MA) and Senator Rubio (R-FL) for their bipartisan efforts to confront this horrific exploitation of people because of their religion,” said Randel Everett, President of 21Wilberforce. “One hundred fifty (150) organizations and experts of different beliefs and ideologies have come together to ask Congress to pass this important legislation.” 21Wilberforce encourages Americans to reach out to their representatives in Congress and ask them to enlist more co-sponsors, give speeches, and make statements in support of stopping the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting and profiting from religious discrimination and slavery. Citizens can make a difference by using and sharing a free online tool that directly connects Americans with their elected representatives. Dr. Everett noted that “Our namesake, William Wilberforce, was a man of faith who stood up to free people who were enslaved based on their race. Today we stand up to free those enslaved for their faith.” 21Wilberforce is a Christian human rights organization dedicated to defending the universal rights of religion, belief, and conscience for all people. Our vision is to empower people to collaboratively support persecuted communities, challenge repression, and expand freedom of religion and belief globally. Contact Details Lou Ann Sabatier +1 703-216-2941 Lsabatier@21Wilberforce.org Company Website https://21Wilberforce.org

August 26, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Daniel Gaston Promoted to Vice President at Cloud Conventions/Convey Services

Convey Services

Convey Services, parent company of Cloud Conventions a full featured virtual event technology solution today announced the promotion of Daniel Gaston to Vice President of Business Development. Gaston is chartered with developing and expanding the marketplace for virtual events, creating both a direct and channel focus to offer capabilities to event managers, associations, nonprofits, tradeshow operators and channel resellers. “Danny joined Convey five years ago and has been pivotal in growing the marketplace for Convey’s channel program for master agencies and suppliers, as well as for InterAct LifeLine’s addiction and recovery platform,” said Carolyn Bradfield founder of Convey. “Now that Convey has expanded its Cloud Conventions technology to address the explosive need for virtual conferences, tradeshows and events, Danny will drive the effort to grow revenue and expand the customer base for fully managed or self-managed virtual and hybrid events.” Prior to COVID, the marketplace for live expositions globally exceeded 33,000 with $50 billion in revenue annually. Although thousands of live events cancelled in 2020 and should begin to return in 2021, the demand for a virtual solution will continue to strengthen as event operators offer virtual-only or hybrid event options. Cloud Conventions automates every aspect of delivering a virtual event from attendee onboarding to exhibit booths, creating a content-rich environment with enhanced views of marketing materials, educational classes and product resources. The platform analyzes every attendee interaction and delivers detailed reports to the event host and their exhibitors. “Danny brings a unique skill set in being able to strategically understand how to address an emerging market, combined with the tactics needed to generate an appropriate sales process,” added Bradfield. “He has been integral in every aspect of our development of Cloud Conventions from product design, to creating processes for managing an event, to offering strategic support to clients that are creating their first virtual experience. He has identified market segments with the greatest need and a process to address them effectively.” Gaston graduated from Kennesaw State University summa cum laude with a degree in Applied Science, Industrial and Organizational Psychology. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 13, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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United Franchise Group Launches Resource Operations International (ROI)

Resource Operations International

United Franchise Group , a powerhouse association of multiple award-winning companies, announced today the launch of its newest brand, Resource Operations International (ROI). ROI is an unmatched outsourcing franchise, designed for ambitious entrepreneurs who are passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) become agile and profitable. With a large network of industry experts specializing in technology, creative, professional services, digital marketing, and cost savings solutions, ROI has the team and resources available to support franchisees as they grow a successful business. This low-cost, flexible opportunity will equip franchisees with the tools to deliver exemplary services to SMBs in need of expansion, process efficiency, cost savings and increased revenue generation. Resource Operations International franchisees will be able to fulfill the needs of their business clients using consulting strategies developed to bring SMBs the best ROI. “If you are an ambitious entrepreneur seeking a flexible, low-cost franchise opportunity, this is the best time to build and grow an outsourcing agency,” Walter Seltzer, Resource Operations International Brand President. “This is the business for anyone wishing to facilitate success through automation and process efficiency… and ROI makes outsourcing easy.” Backed by its fellow United Franchise Group brands and led by lifelong entrepreneur, Ray Titus, ROI has the support and expertise needed to grow exponentially, both stateside and abroad. United Franchise Group has over 30 years of experience and more than 1,600 franchisees in over 80 countries. ROI is currently accepting franchisee opportunities across the United States. For more information about ROI, visit ROIntl.com . About Resource Operations International As the global solution to cost management and operational expansion, Resource Operations International (ROI) is an unmatched outsourcing franchise, designed for ambitious entrepreneurs who are passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). ROI strives to help entrepreneurs scale their business and increase their profits. To learn more about the franchising opportunities available, visit ROIntl.com . About United Franchise Group Led by Founder and CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group is home to an affiliated family of brands, including Signarama, Fully Promoted, Experimax, Jon Smith Subs, SuperGreen Solutions, Transworld Business Advisors, Accurate Franchising, Venture X, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Network Lead Exchange. With over three decades in the franchising industry and more than 1,600 franchisees throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Contact Details Brittny Fuchs +1 561-812-6032 bfuchs@ufgcorp.com Company Website https://www.rointl.com/

August 13, 2020 09:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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InterAct Unveils Addiction Support Platform to Address Opioid Crisis in Rural America

Convey Services

InterAct LifeLine , today launched the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform , an addiction education knowledgebase designed to support Rural Health Initiatives at the federal, state and local level. The Opioid Resource Platform delivers patient and family support tools and telehealth resources to provide relief from the opioid crisis in rural communities where access to treatment is often unavailable. The InterAct platform complies with HIPAA regulations and ADA accessibility and is custom branded for state, regional, municipal or school districts, along with private treatment programs. Each portal is connected to a centralized online library populated with current educational resources on a wide range of drug-related topics, family support and wellness strategies. Community organizations can use the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform to connect and refer individuals to local resources, community contacts and virtual support groups. “The Rural Opioid Crisis has brought increasing levels of addiction and overdose deaths to America’s heartland, while the resources needed to support families facing addiction rarely reaches beyond the urban centers,” said Carolyn Bradfield , CEO & founder of InterAct. “COVID-19 is only making this worse as overdoses increased 18% in March, 29 % in April and 42 % in May according to a July 2020 Washington Post article. The use of technology to provide more services to people suffering with the disease of addiction, in both urban and rural areas has been glaringly absent. The InterAct Opioid Resource Platform can be rolled out and managed by federal, state or county organizations who can direct and focus the content and resources available at every level.” In addition to parent and family educational content and access to localized services, the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform interfaces with Medicaid/Medicare supported telehealth services for online psychiatric and psychological counseling. Professionally moderated group sessions are available online to provide expanded support to rural communities when geography, mobility or personal presence is restricted. Monitored regional public forums let users ask questions and receive feedback from their peers or professionals. Portals can also provide fund raising tools and sponsorship opportunities to make them financially self-sufficient. “Rural America continues to take the brunt of the opioid crisis, with minimal access to resources and services, coupled with out of control addiction rates,” added Bradfield. “Families bear the burden of trying to support an adolescent or adult family member facing addiction, but they are the last to receive any education or counseling. Fighting COVID has diverted funding and public attention away from the Opioid Crisis, while rural America continues to address this decade-long addiction pandemic. The Opioid Crisis will still be here when COVID is contained, and the death toll will continue to mount.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) , “Rates of drug overdose deaths are rising in rural areas, surpassing rates in urban areas. Although the percentage of people reporting illicit drug use is lower in rural areas, the effects of use appear to be higher. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. About InterAct LifeLine Founded in 2019 by Carolyn Bradfield following the overdose death of her daughter, InterAct is a technology telehealth platform delivering education and content on addiction and wellness strategies to promote recovery, connections to community through discussion forums and virtual support groups, and continuous outreach to its members. InterAct’s portal technology is integrated with a HIPAA compliant mobile platform offering applications to families to engage individuals, organize their schedule with reminders and check ins, send secure messages and monitors vital signs through wearables to detect risk for overdose. InterAct’s technology produces detailed data used for treatment program outcomes studies. For information visit www.interactlifeline.com , info@interactlifeline.com or call 866-274-7539. InterAct LifeLine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Convey Holdings Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@interactlifeline.com Company Website https://interactlifeline.com

August 12, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Government Marketing University Offers Online “Power Hour”

Government Marketing University

Government Marketing University (GMarkU), an innovative community-based learning platform for public sector marketers, announced details of its August virtual “Power Hour” aptly focused on “The Customer Journey: Harnessing the Power of Your Data.” “Marketing has become more data-driven, but the real challenge for marketers is not whether you have enough data. The key to taking your marketing to the next level is knowing which data is important and how to utilize valuable insights to improve the way you engage with your prospects,” said Stephanie Geiger, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder, Government Marketing University. WHO: GMarkU in collaboration with Government Executive Media Group and data driven government industry marketing experts WHAT: The online event cultivates a learning environment for government marketers in all stages of their careers. Participants will learn how to increase prospect engagement and build loyalty by taking advantage of data. WHEN: August 20, 2020, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. ET. WHERE: Register online at https://cvent.me/E51bE9 WHY: Participants who attend Power Hour will walk away with valuable insights and improvements to marketing data, including: Increased marketing efficiency with a data-driven approach to discovering, analyzing, and influencing your customers’ journeys. Enhanced ability to generate more qualified leads by combining marketing data with a lead scoring system to create and identify sales-qualified leads. Better marketing and sales alignment for engaging high-priority accounts by tapping into better visibility and insights into buying habits. Tools to conquer your quest for integrated marketing by learning the resources available for enabling multiple-touch campaigns. Government Marketing University (https://www.gmarku.com/) is an innovative learning platform that applies a collaborative, community-based approach toward knowledge sharing and skills development in the field of public sector marketing. Experts from all corners of the U.S. public sector marketplace — marketers, thought leaders, government, media and sales — are contributing their knowledge to this unique, content-rich platform. Government Marketing University offers training, research, certifications, mentoring, and community resources all in one place. Contact Details Duyen "Jen" Truong +1 703-584-5645 dtruong@aboutsage.com Company Website https://www.gmarku.com

August 12, 2020 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Prepares for Hybrid Tradeshows & Events to Flourish in 2021

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full featured virtual tradeshow, conference and event technology solution is now offering hybrid event capability to blend an enhanced virtual and digital experience with live events as they begin to return in 2021. Hybrid events expand the audience at tradeshows and conferences, extend the time attendees can engage with exhibitors and sponsors and provide a storehouse for content, session recordings and education on-demand. Cloud Conventions is upgrading its technology to offer integration with services like Experient and Cvent that manage both live and virtual attendee registration. “Prior to COVID, the global marketplace for live expositions exceeded 33,000 events, producing $50 billion in revenue,” said Carolyn Bradfield founder of Convey . “The pandemic forced the cancellation of tens of thousands of events in 2020, but as they return in 2021, the strategy to connect attendees to exhibitors, training and content will evolve with the addition of a virtual component. It will increase the options for audiences to participate and engage and support attendees who either don’t want to travel or are concerned about risk.” Cloud Conventions automates every aspect of delivering a virtual tradeshow, conference or event from attendee onboarding to virtual exhibit booths. It creates a content-rich environment with enhanced views of marketing materials, educational classes, and product literature that live events can’t deliver. The platform analyzes all attendee interactions and presents them in detailed reports for the event host and exhibitors. Cloud Conventions supports any brand of conferencing solution, including Zoom Video Webinar, PGi GlobalMeet, GoToWebinar, Vonage Meetings or Microsoft Teams to execute keynotes or educational sessions. “The marketplace for live events will never be the same after COVID-19, but we think it’s going to evolve, grow and become more versatile,” added Bradfield. “Conferences and tradeshows are vital to the worldwide economy because they connect suppliers to buyers that keep their shelves, warehouses and online stores stocked with the latest merchandise. They offer professionals a forum for education, licensing renewal and connections. Hybrid events ensure that those activities will continue uninterrupted no matter what 2021 holds.” Hybrid events offer a coordinated way for attendees to register for both a live or virtual environment, as well as for exhibitors to have a physical and a virtual booth, and for content and education to be consumed in person or on-demand. Cloud Conventions is a virtual event SaaS platform from Convey Services . For ideas on how the industry is using Cloud Conventions to make their virtual events informative and engaging, visit the Online Resource Center at www.CloudConventions.com . About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 12, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Virtual Event Platform Introduces Licensing Program

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full featured virtual tradeshow and event technology solution today introduced a new Licensing Program for event management firms, tradeshow producers or others who want greater flexibility in customizing features or to resell a white-labeled platform. Licensing allows companies to enter the market quickly, customize their offerings and deliver fully managed or self-managed virtual events. “ Convey Services , Cloud Conventions’ parent company, began engineering this technology over eight years ago to deliver sophisticated content and marketing portal networks,” said Carolyn Bradfield founder of Convey. “When the pandemic crippled the market’s ability to conduct live tradeshows, or in-person conferences, Convey transformed its portal capability to deliver full-featured, content-rich, automated events. Our new licensing program allows event operators to collapse time-to-value by quickly deploying a robust technology solution. We offer three levels of licenses, with flexibility to take advantage of the common codebase, along with upgrades or use the software as a platform to independently develop customized capabilities.” Cloud Conventions automates every aspect of delivering a virtual tradeshow, conference or event from attendee onboarding to virtual exhibit booths. It supports a content-rich environment with enhanced access to marketing materials, continuing education classes, videos and product literature. The platform analyzes all attendee interaction and presents detailed reports for the event host and exhibitors. Cloud Conventions supports any brand of conferencing solution, including Zoom Video Webinar, PGi GlobalMeet, GoToWebinar, Vonage Meetings or Microsoft Teams to execute keynotes or educational sessions. “The underlying software of Cloud Conventions was developed in an Agile environment and the technology is modern and constantly updated,” added Bradfield. “We offer a white-label option with a shared common codebase, hosted in the Rackspace OpenStack® Private Cloud. You also can request custom feature sets exclusively for your clients or license the code for a completely customized environment, delivered and managed by your development team.” For more information on licensing options visit: Cloud Conventions Licensing or contact Convey at licensing@conveyservices.com . About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 11, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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