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2020 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award

21Wilberforce

The 3rd annual Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award celebrates an outstanding leader who is working to advance freedom of religion or belief by standing up to oppression in the pursuit of freedom of religion, belief, or conscience. 21Wilberforce Founder and President, Randel Everett, announced that the 2020 honoree is Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Ambassador Brownback has an extensive track record of working in a bipartisan manner to promote religious freedom and other human rights for people around the globe. During his sixteen years as a Congressman and U.S. Senator, Brownback was a leading advocate for international religious freedom, advocating for landmark policy reforms as well as prisoners of conscience wrongly incarcerated for their faith. He was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) that established a legal mandate for the promotion of religious freedom as an element of U.S. foreign policy. The IRFA also created Brownback’s current position in the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom and established the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Ambassador Brownback was the first senator to go to Darfur during the genocide and came back and spoke out to help the people of Sudan. He was also highly active in working on religious freedom issues in Egypt, China, North Korea, and many other countries. Since his confirmation as Ambassador in 2018, Brownback has worked to build a global movement among civil society groups and governments to advance international religious freedom. Under his leadership, the U.S. initiated and has held two historic annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom meetings in Washington, DC, forged a working relationship with the International Religious Freedom Roundtable , and is working to launch 100 similar Roundtables in countries around the world. The inspiration for the award comes from Congressman Frank Wolf, who has worked tirelessly for decades to promote international religious freedom and later served as Distinguished Senior Fellow at 21Wilberforce. Known as the House’s “champion of human rights” and “conscience of Congress,” he served Virginia’s 10th District for 17 terms from 1982 until January 2015. Congressman Wolf has traveled the globe extensively to call attention to human rights abuses and religious persecution. He championed and co-authored the International Religious Freedom Act. “It means a lot me that 21Wilberforce has chosen to present this award to Ambassador Brownback. Sam and I have been friends for many years and we worked together on several issues,” said Congressman Frank Wolf. “When Sam was in Congress, he stood out for his interest in human rights and religious freedom. He and I were the first two members to go to Darfur during the genocide. Sam came back and led the effort to declare what was happening there. And he has continued to admirably champion human rights and international religious freedom during his tenure as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.” Past recipients of the award include Archbishop Ben and Dr. Gloria Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria, and the city of Midland, Texas. The 2020 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award virtual ceremony will be held late September. Contact Details Lou Ann Sabatier +1 703-216-2941 Lsabatier@21Wilberforce.org Company Website https://21Wilberforce.org

August 04, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Expands Online Training to Simplify Virtual Event Management

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full featured virtual tradeshow and event technology solution today expanded its online training to help show managers and exhibitors design, manage and launch virtual events faster and maximize their effectiveness. The Cloud Conventions portal technology is designed for the non-technical user and does not require any special coding or development to customize it, but beginning users now have an even clearer roadmap on how to design and manage all aspects of a virtual event including attendee, exhibitor and session management. Each portal comes with training videos, a self-service database with frequently asked questions, checklists and guides along with suggestions for exhibitors to maximize their ROI. “Almost everyone is new to managing a virtual event, but at Convey we have been doing them for years with experience being our best teacher,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “Once people overcome the anxiety of executing their first virtual event, versus managing a live tradeshow or conference, they realize everything is much easier and more straightforward. We listen to feedback from our clients and continue to streamline our solution to deliver the best customer experience. We added a wealth of resources within the platform to help the beginner, novice or even pro achieve their goals in record time.” Online training includes One-minute Skill Builder videos that break tasks down into smaller segments. The platform has built-in tutorials that are accessed within the task a user is working on. Feature sets can be turned on or off to make navigating the platform easy. The FAQ database is searchable, with easy-to-understand questions and solutions. Cloud Conventions is part a growing list of virtual SaaS platforms from Convey Services. For more ideas on how to make your virtual event both 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™ 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 03, 2020 02:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Bressler, Amery & Ross Expands into Texas with New Offices in Houston and Dallas

Bressler, Amery & Ross

The law firm Bressler, Amery & Ross announced today that it has expanded into Texas with new offices in Houston and Dallas. The dual-office expansion is the result of Bressler’s acquisition of Ballard & Littlefield (B&L), a litigation and arbitration firm with extensive experience in the representation of national and regional financial firms in securities, employment and regulatory matters. B&L’s attorneys also have represented companies in a variety of industries in general commercial litigation, in mediations, fiduciary disputes, collection matters, garnishments, declaratory judgment actions and interpleaders. The combination, effective August 1, marks the second and third offices Bressler has opened in recent months. The firm announced a new office in Charlotte, NC in June of 2020. Principals Jack Ballard and Donald Littlefield, who have practiced law since the mid-1980s, have substantial experience and expertise gained from years of experience handling a wide range of securities and business disputes. Also joining Bressler from B&L are attorneys Charles “Al” Hammaker, III, Susan Logsdon, Michael Rodriguez, and Mary Jo Cantu—all of them long-tenured attorneys with broad experience and a heightened focus on client service. To round out the new Texas team, Bressler’s Fort Lauderdale principal, Joelle A. Simms, will also join the Dallas office, returning to her hometown to grow Bressler’s Texas network. “Our team is honored to become the latest addition to the Bressler family. The combination will provide needed additional resources and allow us to offer a wider range of services to our clients. We will be better lawyers and have a stronger practice with Bressler,” said Mr. Ballard, who will serve as Managing Principal of the Houston office. Added Donald Littlefield, who will lead the Dallas office, “On a personal level, I have known the Bressler attorneys for many years. I have the utmost respect for them as practitioners, litigators, and people. We expect that, with B&L and Bressler together in Texas, we will achieve even more great results for our clients.” As part of its long-term strategic growth plan, Bressler has been looking to establish a Texas presence to better support clients with significant business there. The addition of B&L’s Houston and Dallas offices, with experienced attorneys and a solid client base, is a perfect means for Bressler to expand its services into a critical U.S. legal market. “We have known this talented group of attorneys from Ballard & Littlefield for decades, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Bressler family. Jack and Don, and the rest of the team, are excellent lawyers. They share our philosophy on the practice of law and are excellent people,” said Bressler Managing Principal Frank Cuccio. “The group’s reputation and experience will add to our existing practices and better position us and our efforts in the South and the West. Expanding into Texas marks the beginning of a new chapter for Bressler. We greatly look forward to what’s to come as we work together to continue providing exceptional service to our clients.” Bressler is a full-service firm for business and insurance clients with a national reputation for integrity and client service. The new offices are the eighth and ninth for the firm, and the firm’s first offices located West of the Mississippi River. Bressler’s other locations are in Birmingham AL, Fort Lauderdale and Miami FL, Washington DC, New York City, NY, and its headquarters in Florham Park, NJ. About the New Bressler Team in Houston and Dallas The Houston Office Jack D. Ballard, Managing Principal Jack Ballard has many years of experience handling complex litigation and arbitration matters in Texas and throughout the United States. Mr. Ballard is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He began his career at Hutcheson & Grundy, becoming a partner there in 1993. After two lateral moves, Mr. Ballard started his own law firm in 2001. By 2005 The Ballard Law Firm had 17 attorneys and an active litigation and arbitration practice. In 2009 Mr. Ballard’s long-time colleague Don Littlefield joined the firm as a partner, establishing Ballard & Littlefield. Mr. Ballard believes that the Bressler Texas offices will be a “win-win” for everyone involved. Mr. Ballard received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1985 and previously earned a B.A., cum laude , from Texas Christian University in 1978 and an M.A. from T.C.U. in 1982. Al Hammaker, Counsel Al Hammaker is a seasoned litigator with more than three decades of experience handling trials, arbitrations and appeals of commercial and employment disputes. Mr. Hammaker also has substantial experience in securities industry arbitration, litigation, and regulatory matters. Mr. Hammaker received a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986 and a B.A. in 1979 from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Hammaker was an officer in the U.S. Army, completing the combat leadership course at the Army’s Ranger School and attaining the rank of Captain. Susan A. Logsdon, Counsel Susan A. Logsdon handles litigation, arbitration, regulatory matters, and appeals, focusing on representing brokerage firms and financial advisors in securities-related issues before federal and state courts, state regulators, and in FINRA arbitrations. She also represents general corporate clients in a wide variety of litigation matters. Prior to joining Mr. Ballard’s firm, Ms. Logsdon assisted with complex commercial litigation cases at Fulbright & Jaworski and on a variety of maritime matters at Hill, Rivkins & Hayden. Ms. Logsdon received a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1989 and a B.A. in Psychology in 1985 from the University of Texas . Michael A. Rodriguez, Counsel Michael A. Rodriguez provides the firm with a broad perspective on the securities markets drawn from a lengthy legal career in private and public roles. He has a sophisticated practice in securities-industry arbitration, litigation, and regulatory matters. Mr. Rodriguez began his legal career at the Securities & Exchange Commission. He has also previously served as regional counsel for two prominent Wall Street financial services firms. He also served as a legal advisor to various stock exchanges and governmental agencies involved in the creation and development of capital markets in former Communist countries following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Mr. Rodriguez earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1979 and a B.A. in Philosophy in 1976 from Trinity University. Mary Jo Cantu, Counsel Mary Jo Cantu has significant experience in trial, arbitration, and appellate matters for securities and general corporate clients. Before joining Ballard & Littlefield, she was senior counsel in the appellate and trial sections at other prominent Houston firms. She earned a J.D. from the University of Texas Law School in 1991 and a B.A. in English and a B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University in 1988. The Dallas Office Donald R. Littlefield, Managing Principal Donald R. Littlefield has been representing financial institutions and their employees for over 30 years. Having worked in private law firms and as an Executive Director and Senior Vice President for two national broker-dealers, he combines his in-depth knowledge of the securities industry with superior legal skills to provide clients with practical and effective legal strategies. He has handled commercial litigation, employment, regulatory and securities claims throughout the State of Texas and arbitration claims across the country. Mr. Littlefield teamed up with Mr. Ballard to form Ballard & Littlefield in 2009. Mr. Littlefield received a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1986 and a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Texas in 1983. Joelle A. Simms, Principal Joelle A. Simms, previously based in Bressler’s Fort Lauderdale office, focuses her practice on securities, employment, and commercial litigation and arbitration. Admitted in both Florida and Texas, Ms. Simms represents financial institutions, employers, and business owners in customer, employment, commercial, and tort disputes in state and federal court, and in arbitration proceedings nationwide. A Dallas native, Ms. Simms received her J.D., cum laude , from the University of Miami School of Law in 2010 and her B.A., summa cum laude , from the University of Richmond in 2007. About Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. is a leading full-service law firm that represents Fortune 500 corporations, midsize and small privately held companies, investment advisors, brokerage firms, banks, franchises, insurers, and non-profits. The firm also represents emerging companies and high-net-worth individuals and families. The firm’s primary practices include financial institutions and securities, insurance litigation, labor and employment law, environmental, corporate and commercial transactions, real estate, and business, commercial, fiduciary and general litigation. A National Law Journal 350 firm and NJLJ Top 20 firm, Bressler has been recognized on several industry lists, including U.S. News’ Best Lawyers in America and Best Law Firms, Chambers U.S.A., Super Lawyers, and the Business Journal’s Top Law Firms list. Bressler has 150 attorneys across offices in Florham Park, NJ, New York City, NY, Birmingham, AL, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL, Washington, DC, Charlotte, NC, and Houston and Dallas, TX. For more information, visit www.bressler.com . Contact Details Andrew Blum +1 917-783-1680 ajbcomms@gmail.com Company Website https://www.bressler.com/

August 03, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Minuteman Press International CEO Bob Titus Inducted into Printing Impressions - RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Minuteman Press International

In 1973, Bob Titus founded Minuteman Press with his father Roy. What started as one quick printing center in Plainview, Long Island, has grown into nearly 1,000 Minuteman Press franchises across five countries today. After 47 years of hard work and dedication to the printing industry and Minuteman Press franchisees, Titus, who remains CEO of Minuteman Press International, has been inducted into the Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2020. In the feature article published by Printing Impressions , Bob Titus remains humble and gives credit to everyone who helped make the Minuteman Press franchise system a success. He is quoted as saying, “I’ve been in this industry a long time, but if we didn’t have the staff and the franchise owners that we have, we wouldn’t be talking. They all made this happen. It’s our ideas and our system, and we guide them and push them through it, but it’s them being receptive to what we suggest and how they run their businesses that makes this a success.” The article chronicles the entire journey of Bob Titus as the leader of Minuteman Press International with one common thread that is readily apparent after all this time: No matter how much the business has grown, it remains a family business with strong core values. Many of Bob’s friends who helped Minuteman Press get off the ground remain an integral part of the team today, and his son Nick Titus is now the Company’s third-generation President. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bob’s guidance as CEO and Nick’s leadership as President has allowed Minuteman Press International to continue to adapt and support its franchisees worldwide. For example, they have introduced a free Bounce Back initiative in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and South Africa that provides local businesses with free listings and free COVID-19 awareness posters. They also quickly and efficiently transitioned their training program to Zoom to allow for virtual training as needed. In the article, Bob reflects on his career and his 2020 Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame induction, concluding, “I’m proud of our store owners and our staff — they make us what we are. It’s not one person making this happen, it’s the whole team working together.” To read the full story on Bob Titus’ induction into the 2020 Printing Impressions - RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame Class, visit https://www.piworld.com/article/hall-fame-inductee-bob-titus . For more information on #1 rated Minuteman Press marketing and printing franchise opportunities, visit https://minutemanpressfranchise.com . Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

August 03, 2020 09:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Government Marketing University 2020 GAIN Conference Goes Virtual

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Government Marketing University (GMarkU) today announced the opening of registration for the 2020 GAIN Conference, the world's largest gathering of government marketers. This year marks the conference’s fifth event and first virtual event, which will take the form of four, two-hour modules on November 10, 12, 17 and 19. “We have designed this year’s GAIN Conference to be virtual, interactive and modular especially for busy government marketers marketing and selling to the U.S. Public Sector," said Lou Anne Brossman, Government Marketing University founder and government marketing expert. "GAIN 2020 offers a rare chance for rising and seasoned government marketers to tackle the uncertainty and seize the opportunities ahead through active knowledge sharing." Federal and state and local government marketers, and students are all invited to attend and industry vendors are welcomed as sponsors. Each day is dedicated to a respective GMarkU tenet: growth, acceleration, innovation, and networking with government influencers and buyers. Special early-bird pricing is available through August 31 for industry ($195), government ($95) and free for students (with valid ID). Modular Virtual Format Features Esteemed Speakers, Interactive Panels and Training Workshops Highlights of this year’s event includes keynote sessions from esteemed industry speakers, interactive panel discussions with recognized experts and critical stakeholders in the government marketing community, training workshops and thought leadership. A detailed breakdown of the schedule is available below and online. GROW | Tuesday, November 10th | 10:00 a.m. thru noon EST Adam Vasquez, Market Inventor & Author of Toothfish, will share commentary on a new marketing model called, “Market Invention,” how it works, and real-life government case studies. GAINERs will walk away with knowledge about how to become a market leader, and why sales and marketing tactics alone are not enough. Vasquez will also explain how to shift the market to your favor, with a hopeful reminder that all market leaders began in last place. ACCELERATE | Thursday, November 12th | 1:00 p.m. thru 3:00 p.m. EST Tom Deierlein, Co-Founder & CEO, ThunderCat Technology and Industry Influencer will share insights and lessons learned from being in combat, and applied to his career in marketing, advertising research, and B2G Sales. GAINERs will learn from this seasoned government marketer as you build your FY 2021 marketing plans. INNOVATE | Tuesday, November 17th | 10:00 a.m. thru 12:30 p.m. EST (GAINER Awards) This session will feature an exciting guest speaker (to be announced) who will discuss the evolution of targeting and reaching the “new normal” government remote workforce. NETWORK | Thursday, November 19th | 1 p.m. thru 3 p.m. EST Emily Harman, Former Senior Executive Service and Director of the Department of the Navy’s Office of Small Business Programs, will discuss three key lessons learned from her 38-year career in the Navy, and how to translate your personal life experiences into authentic examples to grow your professional and personal network. Attendees (dubbed “GAINERs”) have access to all GAIN 2020 learning sessions over four days along with On Demand viewing options, Q&A opportunities with influential speakers, access to an interactive pre-GAIN 2020 community lounges, GAINER VIP “private” Facebook page (coming August 1st) and actionable templates and marketing resources exclusively available for GAIN 2020 attendees. Attendees who complete all sessions will receive a copy of Toothfish, and an official training certificate. For more information or to register, visit: https://thegainconference.com ### About Government Marketing University 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, Sage Communications (for Government Marketing University) +1 703-684-5645 dtruong@aboutsage.com Company Website https://thegainconference.com

August 03, 2020 08:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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7 Qualities Leaders Need to Succeed in the Post-Covid Era

Engagement Multiplier

According to Engagement Multiplier ( www.engagementmultiplier.com ) CEO Stefan Wissenbach, as the business landscape continues its rapid evolution, company leaders need to change with it, or risk being left behind. A headline on the Inc.com website this week didn’t pull any punches: If You Don’t Make These 5 Changes, You’re Not a Great Leader Anymore . According to the author (in a nutshell) everything has changed, and what you were doing prior to the pandemic isn’t relevant now. McKinsey doesn’t offer much comfort, either, in their article title “ From Surviving to Thriving - Reimagining the Post-Covid19 Return .” “In the heat of the coronavirus crisis, organizations have been forced to work in new ways, and they are responding…clear goals, focused teams, and rapid decision making have replaced corporate bureaucracy. Now, as the world begins to move into the post-COVID-19 era, leaders must commit to not going back.” If these assertions are true, how does a leader even begin to understand what is working, and what they need to work on? 7 Qualities Leaders Need to Succeed in the Post-Covid Era Stefan Wissenbach, founder of Engagement Multiplier, has isolated seven key qualities leaders need to succeed in this challenging moment: These seven qualities are: Courage Credibility Confidence Connectedness Consistency Caring Commitment How each of these characteristics are perceived by employees contributes to the effectiveness of a leader. For additional detail on the impact each of these characteristics can have on employees, see The 7 Qualities Successful Leaders Need . 50% of Leaders Aren’t Equipped to Lead in the Future According to a study by Gartner last year titled “Reshaping Leadership for the Future,” half of leaders surveyed don’t believe they’re well equipped to lead their organization into the future. Similarly, only half of employees surveyed for the same study said that their leaders effectively create vision for the future of their team. The pressures the Covid19 crisis has wrought are not likely to have improved the situation for leaders. What will improve it is focused and thoughtful action to ensure leaders are equipped to lead, and just as importantly, have the confidence of the teams they’re leading. Next Steps for Leaders To help leaders assess themselves and their teams, Engagement Multiplier created the Leadership Perception Gap survey, which can be added to the core Benchmark Assessment, the company’s flagship employee engagement survey tool. Free offer Engagement Multiplier is providing free access to the Benchmark Assessment and Leadership Perception Gap surveys at no charge (and with no strings attached) to business leaders to support the business community and its efforts to recover from the pandemic. Access the free survey tools here: https://signup.engagementmultiplier.com/leadership About Engagement Multiplier Engagement Multiplier helps businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity and success by enabling leaders to quickly assess, understand and improve employee engagement and harnessing the power of the company’s Engaged Purpose (™). Using the intuitive Engagement Multiplier dashboard, business leaders can easily survey employees using a Benchmark Assessment, or gather feedback from defined teams with a customized On-Demand Survey. The company’s mission is to transform businesses and help 100 million employees become measurably more engaged. Founded in 2014, Engagement Multiplier today serves businesses and partners around the world. Contact Details Sarah Skerik +1 872-240-1918 sarah@engagementmultiplier.com Company Website http://www.engagementmultiplier.com

July 31, 2020 10:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Publishes Virtual Event Playbook Series

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions , a full featured virtual tradeshow and event technology solution today released the first in a series of eBooks entitled “ How to Plan, Promote, & Deliver the Perfect Virtual Event ” available for free online. If a tradeshow or association meeting is ‘going virtual’ for the first time to replace or enhance a live event, this eBook provides tips, hints and insight to help execute a successful show. It outlines virtual event strategies, provides successful real-life examples and details how technology can automate the process. Cloud Conventions is one of the hottest new virtual event SaaS platforms from Convey Services . “Planning, promoting and managing attendees are still critical elements in making any event successful, but for a virtual event you have to think outside the box to create an environment that captures attention while enriching your audience,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “If you design your virtual event with back-to-back, hour-long webinars, or content that is not engaging, you will discover that attendees will quietly turn you off. Virtual events may be easier to attend than physical ones, but they still require a well thought out strategy, a solid platform and detailed project plan.” Virtual events have emerged as a more than viable alternative to live events because they can be executed and attended without the expense or risk of travel. Tradeshow operators, event managers and associations that depend on event revenue can keep that money flowing regardless of any disruption to travel. “ How to Plan, Promote, & Deliver the Perfect Virtual Event ” will help you organize and execute a virtual show, engage attendees and ensure exhibitors and sponsors have a strong ROI. “Memorable virtual events provide interactive experiences for attendees with opportunities to connect and network, get prizes and giveaways, express their opinion, interact with vendors, and consume content live or on demand,” added Bradfield. “You may not be able to completely replace the parties or entertainment an attendee experiences at a live event, but you can create new ways of making the attendee an integral part of your virtual event. Virtual Swag, virtual cocktail receptions and even virtual wine tastings with a live sommelier are just a few ideas that create a personal experience for everyone that attends.” For more ideas and additional eBooks on how to make a virtual event both informative and engaging, visit the Online Resource Center at 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™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 31, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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James Crean Discusses The Future of U.S. Manufacturing

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On the podcast In House Warrior , James Crean, President & Co-Founder of Crean Inc., discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has shed light on a need for local manufacturing. If Amazon and the pandemic have taught American manufacturers anything, it is that “just-in-time” has major gaps. Cheaper labor in other markets turns out not to be cheaper when you consider the costs of shipping, the need for speed, and the impact that AI can have on efficiency. Are we at a new dawn for American manufacturing? Listen to the full episode here: "U.S. Manufacturing Set to Rise Again with James Crean" OR read the episode transcript below. In House Warrior Podcast with James Crean and Ian Lipner Welcome to the Corporate Counsel Business Journal's daily podcast, In House Warrior, with host Richard Levick, Chairman of LEVICK, a global crisis and litigation communications firm. Richard Levick: Good day and welcome to In House Warrior , the daily podcast of the Corporate Counsel Business Journal. I'm Richard Levick. With me today is James Crean, who is the president of Crean Incorporated, which consults to companies with hands-on engineering and smart factory technology to provide and help companies make the digital transformation. James, welcome to the show. James Crean: Thanks for having me Richard. I'm looking forward to it. Levick: It's great to see you. Also, with me is Ian Lipner, a senior executive with LEVICK. Ian, always great to see you. Ian Lipner: Thanks for having me, I love talking with you. Levick: Great. We'll be doing the reviews tomorrow morning, so thank you so much for those kind words. James, if you would, give us a little background about Crean and the work that you do in the manufacturing sector. Crean: Crean came out of the aerospace industry. We have over 500 engineers on our team that provide hands on engineering and smart factory transformation services to forward-looking companies who understand that smart factory technology and those methods are essential to the future survival within this competitive market. Levick: What are some examples of the kind of before and after photos, if you will, of the work that you do and the success that you have? Crean: We work with a lot of companies that do discrete manufacturing. In other words, it's not a bottling company that's doing the same things continuously, but rather might be producing a variety of different parts and different items that they deliver to their customer. We've worked with companies where they're delivering advanced electronics and we go through and we first start by understanding their business in detail, which is an essential element and then work with them to identify where there are opportunities for improvement and create efficiencies. The way we do that is, we use a variety of different tools and methods that are somewhat standard in the industry and others are smart factory technologies that bring data to the decision makers in new ways that allow them to be able to see what's going on in their operation. Then are advancing artificial intelligence capabilities with that data to be able to now analyze and provide insights that are often very difficult to derive from the data, otherwise. Levick: James, we had a conversation about a year ago and you said something then that really struck me. You said, "There's a mythology, if you will, that American manufacturing can no longer be profitable in the global environment, but that if you continue to evolve, in fact, the Delta is actually much different. That using artificial intelligence innovating constantly that American manufacturing, in fact, can be far more competitive on a global basis." Crean: Absolutely Richard you're absolutely right. I mean, too many companies assume that in order to produce products cost effectively, they have to go overseas. The reality is that, yes, China labor rates are normally five to six times cheaper in most cases to U.S. labor rates, but U.S. workers are also eight times more efficient than overseas workers and you use that to your advantage. The other obvious thing is that, you've got a much smaller and shorter supply chain. So, when you use those to your advantage, you're able to produce product faster, you're able to produce product at a lower cost. When you couple that with the advancing smart factory technology that is continuing to advance every single day, we're continuously bringing on new capabilities into the offerings that we bring to our clients, that is game changing. It's really hard to underemphasize how important that is for the future of American manufacturing, Richard. I mean, the benefits that, that can bring are so significant and so quick, when you're looking at the right information as your products are being processed through the factory, Levick: James, and I know Ian has got a question for you, but one last one before I turn it over to him, and that is, do you think the general councils and other senior executives even get to the conversation to do the math, to see a manufacturer in the United States as an option? Or for many companies has that horse already left the barn? Crean: Well, I think it depends, to be honest with you. I mean, we definitely have had conversations with people that help companies sell on Amazon for instance. So they enable companies to sell on Amazon. Their experiences is that, those companies typically just assume that they have to do their manufacturing in China in order for that to be cost effective and for them to be able to compete. What we've found is that, that companies that spend the time to really work through that and develop a very... do have to develop an efficient production operation in order to compete effectively. But there's no question about it, the benefits of that are enormous. The future is continuing to evolve every day. What we see is that the future of products, product delivery to customers is customized products. So, if you want to deliver a customized product on Amazon time, you can't produce it and then spend a week, even by air, getting it to be delivered from China, through customs and through all of the different steps that it has to go through. So if you want to deliver a customized product on Amazon time, it has to be produced locally. So you might as well start today in thinking about, how do I produce maybe a product that's not customized currently, but be prepared for the future. Be able to customize that product, produce it today, do it efficiently and effectively, implement smart factory technologies that allow you to do that and compete globally like nobody else can, you just made a current product and then you're positioned to be really agile for the future, as your customer starts demanding more and more customization. Levick: Ian, I know you have a whole lot of questions about horses and barns, so I'll turn it over to you. Lipner: Well, we won't let any leave out early. In that regard, a lot of times what we see when we... I work a lot in technology, we see a trade off between cost and capability, but it seems to me that we have an interesting thing here, where perhaps as you said, in the market, like in China, where they're not as sensitive to the cost of one extra labor, they're not necessarily incentivized to innovate along the lines of the efficiencies that American businesses are. So does America kind of have a lead right now, or at least the opportunity for one, when it comes to using AI for manufacturing? Crean : Absolutely. We have the opportunity. Do we have the lead? I think that's probably up to debate. I would say that Germany is one of the world leaders in smart factory technology, and China is not ignoring that. They definitely are focused on implementation of AI and those kinds of technologies, not necessarily as much in manufacturing. In the U.S., where you are implementing AI in a variety of different ways. Again, not as much in manufacturing as in other areas, we've been just focusing on manufacturing and engineering. So that digital thread that runs from the people doing product development and engineering all the way into production, and then through to the customer and the supplier. A simple way of thinking about this is, if you think about a Domino's, you go online, you order Domino's, you use the Domino's pizza tracker and it shows you, you've placed your order and it shows you each of the process steps as you go through the process of making the pizza, putting it in the oven, cooking the pizza, boxing it, getting it to the delivery person, and then getting it to your home. You as a customer, have visibility into that full process. Well, think about the possibilities when you're tracking your production, tracking the data, the assets that are going through the working process, as it's going through your production, to be able to provide that kind of visibility to your customer, Domino's is out in front in that. Now think about that when you have a much more complex product and being able to provide that kind of visibility to your customer, that's the future. That asset tracking, that we often talk about in our company and the technology that we we bring to our clients, is a critical element. Because as you track it, Domino's is collecting data, they can see how long does it take to make every one of their pizzas, how long does it take to cook it, how long does it take to deliver it. They're collecting data and they're continuously improving their operation, while at the same time, delivering visibility to their customer. It's phenomenal. Lipner: You know you're making me a little hungry. You mentioned pizza delivery, I'm thinking of, "Wow, that's an industry that had to pivot very quickly." It seems to me that efficiency isn't the only benefit here from the smart technology, it's not just price, it's also the ability to kind of change things up pretty quick. Crean: Well, no, that's true. That smart factory capability is, to us, it's really highlighted in this COVID environment, because those companies that have been able to pivot quickly and produce new products and some from scratch. Some saying, "Oh, I have to go find sources of supply and then I have to design the product and then I have to produce the product and then I have to deliver it." We've worked with so many different companies and small companies that said, "Oh, hey, we do 3D printing. We can start printing visors for the frontline workers in healthcare and in other industries." They started 3D printing, because they had that 3D printing, which is one of those smart factory technologies, but because they had that 3D printing technology and they had the engineering capability and whatever else that was necessary. They were able to quickly pivot and start delivering product that they never perused before. That kind of flexibility to pivot, is phenomenal. We've done it in our own company. I mean, one of the key technologies that we implement is, tracking assets, tracking work in process through the operation, just like a pizza going through the build process and delivery process. We track manufactured items, whether it's for airplanes or cars, or what have you, and collect that data. From that data, we help to optimize that operation using digital analytics. Well, similarly, we've taken that technology and said, we can use that advanced tracking technology in COVID tracking within companies and we can be able to tell a company if somebody has come down with COVID, who has been within six feet of that person and how long they've been within six feet of that person, for instance, in order to be able to help them to keep their folks safe. So pivoting is essential and that digitally enabled enterprise helps to deliver on that pivot quickly. Lipner: It occurs to me that, we're going to keep having to pivot with the way everything is going and we don't know what will happen in the next election and so on and so forth. What kinds of opportunities do you see ahead for manufacturers? How does our ability to achieve higher levels of automation, position those who are embracing the American smart factory to compete? Crean: Well, I think that the political environment on both sides of the aisle is very ripe for a renaissance in United States manufacturing, there's no doubt. I was listening to all of the candidates, that the COVID crisis has made it very clear to anybody that's paying any kind attention, even the politicians, if you will, that the COVID crisis has created an opportunity to see the dependence on foreign manufacturing can be a really critical national security issue. That's, when it comes to pharmaceuticals, when it comes to even the... What we would have otherwise considered a relatively low cost by a high production rate item, like the different items for personal protection equipment, and gowns and masks and booties and everything else that the medical folks need. If we have to have local manufacturing, we have to have U.S. manufacturing, and that's become very clear, obviously, from this COVID crisis. Levick: James, I think if anything what COVID has taught us, is that all of your early applause rounds for just-in-time manufacturing is getting a big rethink these days. Crean: Yeah. It's interesting. Like I had said, we utilize industry standard methodologies, as well as smart factory methodologies. One of those standard methods is lean, which part of that is just-in-time manufacturing. But we've never actually been big believers in just-in-time. What you actually want to focus on, is how fast can you deliver something? How fast can you manufacture it? Because delivering faster allows you to be able to meet that demand. Designing a system that's able to scale up and down as necessary with customer demand, that allows you to be responsive and agile. Designing a system that allows you to produce many different products rather than a single product, allows you to be more agile and be able to do it quickly. Our focus is on speed, because if you can deliver fast with those same resources, you're delivering cheaper. In order to deliver fast, you have to have quality built in all the way through that process, because you cannot deliver fast and rework stuff as it gets made. So our focus is speed. Speed is more important than a lot of these sort of commitments to just-in-time and some of those things that have been critical too, in the '80s and '90s. But, just-in-time, has its time and place, but not in everything that you do. Levick: James, in a minute or so, we have left, what's the key take away you want to leave for general councils and other executives listening to the show? Crean: Well, I think it's essential that that companies recognize that COVID has clearly shown some new and different types of risks that need to be managed within the enterprise, within the supply chain, in the way that companies need to be agile, to be able to respond quickly to the types of reactions that can happen within the marketplace. It's taught us a lot of lessons. I think the valuable thing that we can take away from this, despite all of the pain and suffering that we all had to witness is that, our organizations need to focus on being agile and using smart factory technologies. Those types of things can really help us to be the agile companies and the agile economy that we need to be, in order to be strong going forward. It's shown there's a great opportunity for manufacturing in the United States and we're very, very excited to help companies to do that. We're doing that every day and it's really heartwarming to have that opportunity to work with entrepreneurs and larger companies to bring manufacturing jobs home, to the United States. Levick: James, what a great point to end on. Thank you so much James Crean, of Crean Incorporated. Ian Lipner, thank you so much for joining me today. This is Richard Levick with In House Warrior, the daily podcast, the Corporate Counsel Business Journal. Thank you for joining and we'll see you tomorrow. You've been listening to the Corporate Counsel Business Journal's daily podcast, In House Warrior, with host Richard Levick. Crean Inc. provides services to industries looking to be at the cutting edge of innovation. By combining engineering talent from the aerospace industry with leading Smart Factory specialists, they help their clients develop systems from ideas to full-scale production. Crean understands the challenges of modern-day manufacturing supply chains and the pressure to deliver products quickly. Standards and production processes are constantly changing, and Crean helps manufacturing operations to implement Smart Factory methods and technologies that will outperform all competition and help companies adapt to these changes and remain competitive in the U.S. market. Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.creaninc.com/

July 30, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Virtual Wine Tastings Elevate the Cloud Conventions Virtual Event Experience

Convey Services

Tradeshows, conferences and events around the world are coming up with new ideas, like virtual wine tastings, to enhance the experience as the growing list of live shows convert to virtual in 2020 in response to COVID-19. Virtual wine tastings are the perfect ending to a day of educational sessions and sales promotions. It gives event sponsors a strategic way to get in front of an exclusive audience, promote social interaction and highlight the sponsor’s connection to attendees. “Virtual events are most successful when attendees feel like they are a part of a community and enjoy themselves in a social session after they have spent the day learning about new products and services,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey . “What could be better than an audience coming together for conversation, expert wine education and a selection of fine wines delivered to the attendee’s home plus a wine tasting can be included as part of the event program.” Virtual wine tastings are underwritten by major sponsors of an event and are often directed at high-value attendees. Wine packages are shipped in advance to those registered for the tasting and can include custom wine glasses featuring the sponsor’s logo. An executive of the sponsor company can act as the master of ceremony to welcome participants and special guests. The party is turned over to a wine expert or sommelier to introduce one or more of the wines. The audience then has the opportunity to discuss the wines with the group, interact with the sommelier or socialize with other attendees. “Wine tastings are just one of the fun and unique virtual social gatherings that can make an event truly interactive and special,” added Bradfield. “In addition to wine tastings, event managers are scheduling virtual cocktail parties that bring large groups together and are hosted by a sponsor who invites special guests from either the industry or well-known personalities. With a little imagination and planning any show manager can transform what might seem like a string of webinars into a memorable live event.” Cloud Conventions is one of the hottest new virtual event SaaS platforms from Convey Services . For more ideas on how to make a virtual event both informative and engaging, visit the Online Resource Center at 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™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 30, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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