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Telos “Mission” NFT Challenge - 175,000 in Crypto Prizes!

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) presents its “Mission NFT Challenge” for digital graphic creators, offering a very attractive prize pool to be shared among contest winners. Telos believes that NFTs are both an art form and a pivoting technology that should be easily and affordably accessible to the masses. As such, Telos strives to facilitate the lowest barrier of entry into the emerging field of NFTs. Utilizing Byt.io, the latest leading NFT marketplace to integrate Telos, end-users will mint and trade their NFTs at unprecedented fast speeds while enjoying industry-low gas fees. The Telos EVM will also offer a congestion-free minting experience that leaves no carbon footprint or any of the front running / MEV that constantly plagues Ethereum users. Furthermore, contract deployment is a fraction of the cost and significantly faster on Telos when compared to virtually every other network, making it a far superior ecosystem to build on. Transactions are instant on Telos! Some Contest Details: The contest opens for registration on Monday May 9th, 12:00 pm EST and participants can submit their projects by Friday, June 24th, 12:00 pm EST. Public Voting on the submissions will take place between Monday May 23rd, 12:00 pm EST to Thursday, June 30th, at 12:00 pm EST. Twenty finalists will be announced on Friday July 1st, 12:00 pm EST and the top five winners will be selected and announced on Tuesday July 5th at 11:00 am EST. Telos encourages all digital artists and aspiring NFT projects to compete in this contest to win one of 5 prizes worth 25,000 TLOS each. Furthermore, an honorable pick by The Big Gooey, Telos’ in-house NFT curator, will award one winner with an additional 50,000 TLOS. The contest and voting will be hosted on the Taikai platform (also built on telos), which recently completed a very successful hackathon for the Telos Ignite contest. The public will vote on all submissions to select the top 20 projects after which a panel of judges will decide on the top five. This maiden NFT contest is inviting artists to bring their NFT projects (ERC 721) and deploy them on the tEVM where they can be minted to be sold on the Byt marketplace or other secondary markets. All additional details and criteria can be found on the Taikai platform through the following link: https://taikai.network/en/telos-foundation/hackathons/nftp-slug/overview About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper, and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running and, more uniquely, offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, Telos still sustainably supports hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network), and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. As a result, the Telos blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 landscape better than any other blockchain in existence. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Telos NFT Curator The Big Gooey thebiggooey@telosfoundation.io Byt Co-founder Will Perkins will@byt.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

May 09, 2022 11:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Unprecedented Metaverse Mobile Game MetaCity M’s Second Wave of NFT Land Sales Announced Today

Gamamobi

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 9 May 2022 - The Gamamobi world-first open world metaverse game MetaCity M, announced the timing and pricing of its second wave of NFT virtual land sales. 《 MetaCity M 》’s second wave of NFT land will go on sale on 5/10 at 12:00 PM (GMT +8) The Era of the Metaverse is Coming – Second Land Release, Land Investor Certificates Announced The second wave of land NFT pre-sale will officially start at 12:00 PM (GMT +8) on May 10th. A total of 60,000 Planet Titan lots will be released worldwide. Land can be purchased for 0.17 WETH, or 499 USD if paying by credit card. 《 MetaCity M 》 Land Blind Box buyers get the opportunity to own both a virtual and real-life premium electric cars In "MetaCity M", each game-owned land is divided into 5 parts. With 12,000 game-owned land, 60,000 Land Investor Certificate NFTs will be sold in blind boxes, for player investment opportunities. Players can purchase these NFTs for 0.04 WETH, or credit card for 99 USD( No gas fee). With a Land Investor Certificate NFT, players can earn in-game ‘Meta Coins’ by profiting from a portion of rent paid on game-retained land and it can also be transferred freely on secondary markets. The most powerful NFT out, "E-FLASH NFT" features both a real and metaverse car. In conjunction with the second wave of 60,000 land blind box sales, Gamamobi released a limited number of 20 "E-FLASH NFT". All players who participate in the second wave of land purchases by picking up a land box will have a chance to win the "E-FLASH NFT". Winners get to take home an E-FLASH metaverse electric car and a real-life Tesla Model 3. Purchase land in the second wave to be join the whitelist of players due to receive limited-edition in-game model props After purchasing land during the second wave of pre-sales, players have the opportunity to become the neighbor of MetaCity M global model. The best part is, by buying land in the second wave of MetaCity M’s land pre-sales, you will get a chance to receive two limited edition model themed items in two months! The purchase right of the limited-edition item ‘Global model’s Holographic Music Decoration’– and an exclusive ‘indoor poster’ will be given to players free by airdrop. 《MetaCity M》Website： https://metacitym.com/ 《MetaCity M》NFT Land Sales： https://www.metacitym.com/landevent 《MetaCity M》Discord： https://discord.gg/JEFGR2FRt9 《MetaCity M》Twitter： https://twitter.com/MetaCity_M 《MetaCity M》Facebook： https://www.facebook.com/mcm.gamamobi/ 《MetaCity M》instagram： https://www.instagram.com/metacitym/ #Gamamobi Contact Details Inka Tada business@gamamobi.com

May 09, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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During Mental Health Awareness Month, 17-Year-Old Memphis Singer/Songwriter, Brooke Fair, Releases Her Single, "Suck It Up"

Moore Media | Tanya Moore

Award-winning Memphis singer/ songwriter, Brooke Fair, releases her single “ Suck It Up,” and video from her forthcoming album, “The Things We Were,” which releases on May 20th. The inspiration for the track came to fruition when Brooke was stuck with feelings of not fitting into social norms. She carried on with a brave smile, telling everyone that she was fine when she was not. Brooke wrote the song, “Suck It Up,” as an anthem for those who suffer from depression, and for those who feel invisible. She hopes this song will evoke conversation among adolescents, their parents, and the school systems, and inspire more conversations about mental health, the feelings tweens and teens go through, and the challenges that arise throughout those tender years, especially when feeling alienated. “This is an important time with Mental Health Awareness Month, and a very important song to me, as I too have had my bouts of depression and anxiety. We need to be mindful of others' feelings and be there for one another. We can be kinder, gentler, and lend an ear when needed. Growing into adulthood, and just being human, is not always easy, but it’s worth it. Together we can get through the tough times, with more community and conversation,” says Brooke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzaLdHW9HCc&feature=youtu.be CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOVE TO WATCH “SUCK IT UP” SAVE/LISTEN/PURCHASE "SUCK IT UP”: https://brookefair.lnk.to/suckitup PRE-ORDER/PRE-ADD THE ALBUM: https://brookefair.lnk.to/ttww Her exquisite storytelling and the depth of her vocals exhibit a sweet, and raw innocence reminiscent of a past era. Her voice resembles the likes of singer Taylor Swift-meets-Dodie Clark. Brooke, an advocate for mental health, sings her tender lyrics, exposing a pressing issue among tweens, teens, and adults alike. She writes, “No one understands, it’s getting out of hand, how lonely that I feel each night // Voices in my head scream, no one really wants me, but everyone thinks I’m alright // Suck it up, hold your breath, I’m fine // Smile now, so they think you shine // Dry your tears, so they won’t see you lie // Suck it up, hold your breath, it’s fine.” The upcoming album is produced by Matt Tutor (Derek Trucks, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) and Chris Carter (Kirk Franklin, Chrisette Miller, Marcus Miller, and Jekalyn Carr), and is a follow-up to her 2018 6-track EP titled, “All Queens Wear Crowns,” with her track, “Love Songs On Loop,” garnering over 100,000 Spotify plays. “Universe,” and “I Can’t Breathe,” produced by Justin Timberlake’s guitarist/producer Elliott Ives and Scott Hardin, followed the EP. Brooke boasts an impressive collection of songwriting awards, being named Songwriter of the Year, by the Memphis Songwriters Association, along with a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, as well as a top finalist in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Her last single, “ First Love,” from the forthcoming album, “The Things We Were” was released on April 01st, and garnered international attention by winning “ Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting,” in the Adult Contemporary category of The Great American Song Contest. “I wrote “ Suck It Up,” at a time when I felt entirely alone. When I tried to communicate with adults, it seemed I wasn’t taken seriously. I was told to let it go, smile, and suck it up, and that is what inspired me to write the song,” says Brooke. The album is being released and distributed globally by Zojak World Wide. For more information, visit BrookeFair.com. ### For interviews with Brooke Fair, or additional high-res photos, contact her publicist Tanya Moore of Moore Media at PR@MooreMedia.TV. MUSIC LINKS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6U6h7O3p2bJj1SKWeT4PLF Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brooke-fair/1440619359 Contact Details Moore Media | Tanya Moore PR@MooreMedia.TV

May 06, 2022 06:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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CleverTap Appoints Honey Bajaj as SVP & Global Chief of Consumer Experience

CleverTap

CleverTap, the world’s leading retention cloud, today added to its core leadership team with the appointment of Honey Bajaj as SVP & Global Chief of Consumer Experience. In this position, Bajaj will pioneer CleverTap’s extensive program to help companies reimagine customer experience and realise the “Art of Possible”. Bajaj is a design strategist, an innovation leader and a social entrepreneur with extensive work in India and the U.S. Her ability to problem solve and identify patterns in human behaviour has earned her multiple prestigious awards and recognition as an Innovation Global Shaper and Inventor of the Year (2016). She is also a dual degree holder with a Master’s Degree in Engineering and Management and a Master’s in Sustainability Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Design and Innovation Methodologies in the Digital World. Before joining the CleverTap Leadership Team, Honey built an innovation pipeline for several Fortune 500 companies, including Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, Disney, Microsoft Research, MIT Media Lab and Tata Group, one of India’s largest and highly profitable conglomerates. There she developed detailed market segmentation frameworks based on purchase behaviour to orchestrate product launches and go-to-market strategies. Bajaj has also dedicated her talent in designing for scale and impact to serving the needs of government bodies, financial institutions and healthcare organisations. Her work, which spans over a decade, has impacted over 50 million lives. “As we scale CleverTap into a global category creator for “Retention Cloud”, we realise that our customers are eager to co-create experiences that will fuel growth and the future of their own digital businesses. For this reason, we are expanding our leadership team with a new appointment that benefits the most important stakeholder: our customers’ customers,” Vikrant Chowdhary, CleverTap Chief Growth Officer, explains. “From fintech to e-commerce, and from on-demand Super Apps to media and streaming services, companies need the inspiration and tangible examples of the “Art of Possible” to unleash human- centred design thinking, unlock new perspectives and drive powerful momentum and positive results for all stakeholders.” This outcome, he continues, is “inextricably linked with our customers’ abilities to realise and hyper-personalize omnichannel journeys for their customers.” “I have always focused on designing for impact and inventing for scale by contextualizing tech for the consumers. The truth is, no matter what we think we’re doing, we are all in the customer-experience business. Before you can accomplish it, you need to envision it. The digital behaviour and expectations of customers is evolving faster than most industries are able to deliver.I am looking forward to my journey with CleverTap to embed human-centered principles and design thinking into a series of initiatives and programs,” Honey Bajaj says. “These efforts will allow digital-first companies to co-create and simulate digital journeys that will fuel growth through superior customer experience and will enable CleverTap’s customers to realise their consumer journeys in a more seamless and contextual manner as the lines of the digital and omnichannel world are no longer separated.” About CleverTap CleverTap is the modern, integrated retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. For brands that understand and value user retention, CleverTap drives context and individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML powered insights and automation. Customers around the world representing over 10,000 apps, including Vodafone Idea, SonyLIV, Daimler, Gojek, Carousell, and Premier League, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long term revenue. Backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia India, Tiger Global Management, and Accel, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Forward-Looking StatementsSome of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap’s belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could amount in the actual result being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages. Contact Details Sony Shetty sony@clevertap.com Company Website https://clevertap.com/

May 06, 2022 12:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

REALTORS® Reveal Buying and Selling Tips for a Competitive Real Estate Market

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/CRjkmgrwWmc Buying or selling a home is among the greatest financial decisions an individual or family will ever make. For both buyers and sellers, there are many factors that must be considered, from interest rates to space for growing families and, of course, location. Given the complex nature of this exciting transaction, many consumers turn to expert advice from real estate agents. The National Association of REALTORS ® reported that 70% of metro areas recorded a double-digit annual increase in the median single-family existing-home sales price. The median sales price of single-family existing homes rose at a faster pace of 15.7% in the first quarter to $368,200 (14.3% in the previous quarter). NAR forecasts homebuying activity to return to more normal levels and for home sales to be down 9% from last year. For buyers who have been frustrated by competing with multiple offers, a less hurried market is on the way. Inflation will start to moderate to 5.5% in the second half of the year, lower than the current 8.2%. NAR noted a decrease in year-over-year contract activity, with a drop in pending home sales from the last five months. This implies that multiple offers will soon dissipate and be replaced by much calmer market conditions. The good news is that home prices should begin to normalize later this year. As the market continues to shift is it important to consult an expert real estate agent. Real estate professionals save home buyers time and help take the stress out of the process. They have knowledge of local, county, and state property taxes, can decipher public property information, and advise on price trends and neighborhoods. An expert real estate agent can also: coordinate with lenders; research mortgage rates and terms; schedule appraisals and inspections; navigate all required state and federal forms; and handle closing documents. If you’re looking for a REALTOR ® in your area, visit REALTOR.com. ® Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 05, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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100 Teachers to Win Norwegian Cruise Line Cruises in Celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week

YourUpdateTV

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2 – 6) Norwegian Cruise Line is relaunching its award-winning Norwegian’s Giving Joy TM contest, rewarding 100 teachers across the U.S. with a sailing aboard its newest groundbreaking ship, Norwegian Prima. In addition, the top three grand prize winners will receive a seven-day cruise for two and up to a $25,000 donation for their school. Recently, Senior Vice President of Branding and Communications at Norwegian Cruise Line, Christine Da Silva, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the initiative and why it’s so important to recognize the work of our teachers. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/4ldobDA3veo Norwegian’s Giving Joy TM campaign serves to recognize and celebrate educators for their relentless dedication to inspiring students every day, and unwavering commitment to bringing joy to the classroom. In addition to honoring these often-under-valued teachers, this campaign highlights the intersection of travel and education, two areas that Norwegian Cruise Line is extremely passionate about. Travel is one of the most immersive means of education. It broadens our perspective, encourages us to discover, adapt and accept new cultures and experiences. The month-long campaign is now live and runs through June 3, 2022. Norwegian Cruise Line is encouraging nominations of certified or accredited teachers in the U.S. and Canada who strive to bring joy into their classrooms and inspire their student’s day-in and day-out. The top 100 teachers across North America will win an exclusive invitation to the inaugural sailing of NCL’s newest innovative ship, Norwegian Prima, from Galveston, TX from Oct. 27-31, 2022. The top three winners will also receive a seven-day cruise for two on voyages departing from the U.S. and Canada through Dec. 31, 2023, as well as $25,000, $15,000 or $10,000 respectively for their school. To nominate a beloved teacher, to vote and for the contest terms and conditions, please visit www.nclgivingjoy.com. About Christine Da Silva: Christine Da Silva is the Senior Vice President of Branding and Communications for Norwegian Cruise Line, responsible for the development and execution of the brand’s global branding strategy as well as its external and internal communications and events. Overseeing branding and communication, she leads the development of the brand narrative; is responsible for reputation, crisis and issue management; and has been instrumental in the launch of engagement initiatives including the game-changing Norwegian’s Giving Joy TM and Encore Moments campaigns as well as the debut of the Company’s latest vessels. Da Silva has over 25 years of experience guiding brands and businesses in delivering authentic and impactful messages through integrated communication and marketing strategies that drive growth, sales and awareness. She is based in the Company’s head office in Miami, Florida. About Norwegian Cruise Line: As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 55 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 17 contemporary ships sail to over 300 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo traveler staterooms, club balcony suites, spa-suites and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept. For additional information or to book a cruise, contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com. For the latest news and exclusive content, visit the NCL Newsroom and follow Norwegian Cruise Line on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube @NorwegianCruiseLine; and Twitter @CruiseNorwegian Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 05, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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ThreatModeler Recognized as Silver Stevie® Award Winner for Best Cloud Platform by the 2022 American Business Awards®

ThreatModeler Software, Inc

ThreatModeler, a leader in securing cloud infrastructure from design to deployment, today announced that CloudModeler has earned a Silver Stevie® Award for Best Cloud Platform as part of the 20th Annual American Business Awards®. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring and empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time. Designed with cloud migration in mind, CloudModeler enables DevOps teams to detect security flaws before they become code vulnerabilities, enabling instant remediation, mitigating risk and ensuring compliance post-deployment. “ThreatModeler is dedicated to creating a collaborative platform where security experts or non-security professionals alike can visualize design flaws within a few hours or minutes instead of weeks,” said Archie Agarwal, Founder and CEO, ThreatModeler. “This award highlights the value we have been able to deliver with CloudModeler, enabling enterprises to develop and deploy cloud architectures quickly, confidently and compliantly.” The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – large and small. More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s American Business Awards® winners. ThreatModeler’s distinction as a best cloud platform was clear to the ABA judges, who provided the following comments as part of their assessment of the CloudModeler solution: “A product designed with the specific pain point or niche market needs in mind, and solutioning implemented in a way that is easy to use, light to implement and maintain, brings efficiency and cuts cost from day one! ThreatModeler fits every category of this type of product. With the cloud being the top platform and destination for services and cybersecurity being the top priority and concerns of almost all businesses with a presence in cloud, threat modeling is a crucial part of the development cycle that ensures the product is secure and robust enough to protect both the business and the customers. I am impressed by the result metrics and statistics provided in the submission demonstrating how ThreadModeler has helped shorten the whole development efforts, cut costs, and avoid cyber risk and threats for its customers.” “[This submission] clearly demonstrates the success and growth of the company. ThreatModeler’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure, design and validate threat drift from development to deployment within a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring, empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time.” To learn more about ThreatModeler, CloudModeler and more, click here. Details on The American Business Awards and the list of Stevie winners are available here. About ThreatModeler Software, Inc. ThreatModeler Software, Inc.’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure their threat drift from code to cloud. With a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools, users can design, build and validate threat drift from development to deployment. Teams can instantly visualize their attack surface, understand security requirements and prioritize steps to mitigate threats. CISOs can make critical security-driven business decisions to scale their infrastructure for growth. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Contact Details Clayton Murtle ThreatModeler@luminapr.com

May 05, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Post-COVID Travel Boom Visits Rural America

YourUpdateTV

Visit North Carolina has launched Dream Big in Small Town NC, an initiative to boost economic recovery by attracting travelers and potential workforce to small towns in 16 counties facing population loss. Starting with a sweepstakes promotion and a satellite media tour in Haywood County, the campaign showcases natural beauty and small-town charm in places with special challenges resulting from the pandemic. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/xcNldQZAVdk Created by the General Assembly as the Rural Tourism Recovery Pilot Program, Dream Big capitalizes on travelers’ interest in exploring small towns by drawing attention to the people, places and businesses in three distinct regions designated as the Scenic Mountains, the Northeast Lakes & Rivers, and the Inner Banks. As a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Visit NC is coordinating the program with the N.C. Department of Commerce and other private and public entities involved in growing the state’s first-in-talent workforce. “Dream Big is a natural extension of Visit NC’s economic development role as the state’s tourism marketing organization,” said Wit Tuttell, Visit NC’s executive director. “Our efforts center on showcasing local landmarks, memorable experiences, distinctive lodging, dining and shopping with the goal of an economic infusion from visitor spending. Dream Big takes the mission further by calling attention to the allure of living and working in charismatic places whose appeal is rooted in character and authenticity.” Funded with $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the pilot program designates Graham, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties in the Scenic Mountains; Edgecombe, Halifax, Vance and Warren in the Northeast Lakes & Rivers; and Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Martin, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington in the Inner Banks. Dream Big also has a dedicated presence on VisitNC.com, complete with links for job postings, as well as program partner Airbnb’s website. The Scenic Mountains is the first region to take the spotlight. During the satellite tour in Waynesville, representatives from national, regional and in-state media outlets joined the virtual tour and Q&A session. The launch also features a sweepstakes with a prize package that includes: A $1,000 Airbnb stay voucher to experience Small Town NC life. A $500 VISA gift card to help with travel expenses by plane, train or automobile A choice of gift cards for dining, recreation and shopping in the Scenic Mountain destinations. Similar promotions and satellite media tours are planned for the program’s launch in Northeast Lakes & Rivers this summer and in the Inner Banks in the fall. According to a recent report from Destination Analysts, 28.4 percent of people surveyed plan to visit small towns or rural attractions this travel season. Increased demand is reflected in the doubling of short-term rentals available outside of North Carolina’s urban counties since the pandemic began. For 2021, Airbnb reports a 128 percent increase in nights booked in rural areas compared with 2019. For the same period, nights booked for rural stays of more than four weeks grew 160 percent, which supports Dream Big’s promise to engage visitors for more than a getaway. Tuttell also noted findings from a poll by booking.com that 58 percent of travelers said it’s important for their trip be beneficial to the destination's local community. Twenty-nine percent said they would research how their tourism spending would affect or improve local communities. Beyond exposure from the satellite tour, Dream Big will reach the traveling public through a presence on VisitNC.com and posts on @VisitNC’s social media channels. A media influencer campaign will bring selected tastemakers to the destinations to engage their followers in the local culture and lifestyle appeal for people interested in a change of scenery. Airbnb, which will also promote the campaign on its website and social media channels, will use its inventory of short-term rental properties to host the media visits. About Visit North Carolina: Visit North Carolina is part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Established in 2014, the EDPNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that oversees the state's efforts in business and job recruitment and retention, international trade, and tourism, film and sports development. The mission of Visit North Carolina is to unify and lead the state in developing North Carolina as a major destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions, sports events and film production. For more information on North Carolina’s destinations and travel assets, go to VisitNC.com. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 04, 2022 06:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Planning a Wedding? Here’s What You Need to Know

YourUpdateTV

This year, nearly 2.5 million couples are expected to tie the knot in the United States – a record number fueled by the pandemic. 2022 is shaping up to be the Year of the Wedding. Recently, Wedding Expert at Shutterfly, Claire Roche, participated in a nationwide media tour to discuss the top trends for Spring and Summer weddings and much more. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/qTNZKfpbmiM This wedding season, whether planning a big or small celebration, couples are getting more creative and placing extra emphasis on customization and making their day unique. Brands like Shutterfly can help couples make those customized details easy to implement on the big day. Everything from save the dates, to invitations, to customized napkins, Shutterfly can help elevate your wedding day without having to break the bank. Couples planning a wedding in 2022 are facing unprecedented challenges, including having to navigate higher prices and limited availabilities. For Claire, the most important thing is for couples to decide what they truly want the focus of their wedding to be and prioritize what is really important to the couple. For more information, visit Shutterfly.com About Claire Roche: As a Southern California wedding planner and owner of Grit and Grace Events, Claire is obsessed with the often forgotten and overlooked details of a wedding. She believes in the unique and customized elements that bring a wedding to life in a beautiful, yet attainable way. Claire has amassed nearly 1.5 million followers on TikTok and was recently named of one of the top people to follow if you’re planning a wedding. She’s an authentic voice in the wedding space and can speak to industry trends, products, and everything in between. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 04, 2022 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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