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CSG Charts Global Growth, Delivering Greater Local Impact

CSG

LONDON, December 9, 2021 – CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS), the leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions, today announced strong global growth, specifically from success in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Over the past two years, CSG has grown its EMEA business with ten new customers, a new office in Riyadh, and significantly increased the number of EMEA-based employees through regional acquisitions and new hires. Last night at the annual Telecom Review Leadership Summit in Dubai, CSG’s influence and success in the region earned recognition during the 2021 Telecom Review Excellence Awards Gala. The Telecom Review Excellence Awards recognises the milestones and achievements of leading information communication technology (ICT) brands and figures. CSG was named the Most Innovative Product/Service Vendor for its cloud-first architecture, which enables new market entrants and leading brands globally to launch new digital services, expand into new markets, and create compelling experiences that capture new customers and build brand loyalty. “As we approach our 40 th anniversary, CSG remains relentlessly customer-obsessed and laser-focused on helping our customers thrive and succeed in the digital economy,” said James Kirby, head of CSG’s EMEA business. “CSG’s inventive spirit empowers us to be curious and challenge the status quo so that we can continually create the future-ready technologies our customers need. We are honoured to receive this recognition from Telecom Review for our industry-leading solutions that help companies across EMEA and beyond solve some of their toughest business challenges and do extraordinary things for their customers.” “Every day at CSG, we aspire to have a greater impact on the lives of our people and our customers,” said Patricia Elias, CSG’s chief people and places officer. “By cultivating the most globally diverse teams and fostering equitable, employee-centric programs, CSG is creating meaningful, intentional, and enriching employee experiences that empower our people to deliver innovation, category defining solutions, and exceptional experiences to our customers.” CSG’s innovative Revenue Management & Customer Engagement suites of end-to-end solutions support leading global brands with the flexible, configurable, and SaaS technologies they need to monetise and digitally enable exceptional customer experiences. Companies globally rely on CSG to deliver timely, personalised, and relevant experiences to their customers, monetise new offerings, and protect and maintain existing revenue streams whilst they focus on their business requirements. # # # About CSG CSG is a leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions that make ordinary customer experiences extraordinary. Our cloud-first architecture and customer-obsessed mindset help companies around the world launch new digital services, expand into new markets, and create dynamic experiences that capture new customers and build brand loyalty. For nearly 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. With 5,000 employees in over 20 countries, CSG is the trusted technology provider for leading global brands in telecommunications, retail, financial services, and healthcare. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit us at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Kristine Østergaard Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations +44 (0)79 2047 7204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Kristine Østergaard +44 7920 477204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

December 09, 2021 02:08 AM Eastern Standard Time

How A Camp Network Founded By Paul Newman Continues To Serve Sick Children

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/n0Seg6W1dME Over three decades ago, Paul Newman, the Hollywood icon and founder of Newman’s Own food company and Newman’s Own Foundation, envisioned a camp where kids living with serious and life-limiting medical conditions could break away from the everyday challenges of their illness to, as he said, “raise a little hell.” Today, Serious Fun Children’s Network, made up of 30 camps and programs around the world, has delivered more than 1.4 million life-changing camp experiences to kids living with more than 50 medical conditions and their families, totally free of charge. On November 30 th, live from New York City SeriousFun CEO Blake Maher and Newman’s Own Foundation President & CEO Miriam Nelson conducted a media tour discussing how Paul Newman’s vision has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of camp alumni who are living fuller lives because of their camp experiences. A key focus of the media tour was a first-of-its-kind study conducted by SeriousFun that examined the influence and lasting impact of residential camp participation With the help of the American Institutes for Research, SeriousFun set out to look at personal, social, and health-related outcomes that are influenced by SeriousFun camps, as well as the elements of the camp and camper's experiences that affect those outcomes Most notably, that SeriousFun camp experience had meaningful impacts that lasted throughout their adolescent and adult lives. Among 2,200 alumni campers aged 17-30, significant findings included: More than 80% reported that the SeriousFun camp experience had positive and lasting impacts on a variety of aspects of their life, including the willingness to try new things, appreciation for diversity, and self-identity and confidence. And, when it comes to health-related outcomes, more than 65% reported that camp influenced their health-related quality of life, medical self-advocacy and medical-related self care. For more information, visit SeriousFun.org About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

December 08, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Holiday Season Survival Guide

YourUpdateTV

With the holiday season well underway, it’s time to talk holiday gifting, decorating, entertaining, personalization, home styling, and more. And with in-person gatherings resuming, time spent with family and friends this holiday season is more precious than ever before. Recently, Lifestyle Expert and Star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, Bobby Berk, teamed with Shutterfly on a nationwide SMT to discuss his tips on gifting, decorating, and more. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/hjidEp0O0Zs More than two thirds of consumers are planning in-person gatherings, more holiday parties, and bigger celebrations this year and Shutterfly makes it easy to unleash your creativity after a year of being apart. According to Bobby, it’s all about giving something a bit more personal rather than something generic or store bought. It’s more meaningful and is such a great way to connect with friends and family after being apart. Shutterfly has so many good options that for people to customize. For example, if your friends love a good game night, create personalized playing cards, pencils and notebooks to really elevate game play. Not only is a personalized gift more meaningful to the recipient, it’s also easy to make whether you’re adding a photo, name, monogram, or unique saying. From custom blankets and candles to coffee mugs and wall art, Shutterfly has something for everyone. Some of Bobby’s favorite ways to add the perfect personal touches to holiday entertaining and decorating include color. Choose a color pallet of 2-3 colors and use them throughout your home. Lighting is also so important. Keep the lighting simple by using white lights and candles that are great for any space and candles can add a nice personal touch as well. Additionally, photos are a great way to decorate for the holidays. Whether that’s adding temporary photo tiles with your favorite holiday memories or decorating your tree with customized ornaments. Or finding the best photos of your party guests and using them as name tags or place cards. For more information, visit Shutterfly.com About Bobby Berk: Berk is best known as the design guru on Netflix’s Queer Eye, but his rise to fame didn’t happen overnight. After years in the creative and design field, he took the leap to start his own brand. Epitomizing hip, urban luxury, Berk’s designs reflect a stylish and youthful spirit that perfectly fits any lifestyle. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

December 08, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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H Code Selects Keanna Sheu as Vice President of Client Services to Strengthen Partnerships and Success

H Code

H Code, the leading multicultural digital media company, announced today the appointment of Keanna Sheu as Vice President of Client Services. Sheu’s appointment coincides with a period of strategic growth for H Code where she will help drive multicultural programs for clients, continue to drive their growing product suite, boost client retention and optimize efficiency in developing targeted marketing and advertising campaigns. Sheu brings 16 years of marketing and advertising leadership experience to H Code with a track record of driving successful digital advertising and marketing campaigns and bolstering pre-sales and account management teams. In her new role, Sheu will collaborate with team members and senior leadership across H Code’s suite of media solutions to streamline internal efficiencies and match client goals with detailed action plans. In doing so, Sheu will be responsible for servicing and expanding client portfolios as well as strengthening H Code’s business development goals. Additionally, Sheu will focus on expanding H Code’s offerings in U.S. and Mexico markets while working alongside sales teams to increase revenue and year-over-year growth. “Keanna has an impressive background of exceeding client expectations while managing team members to drive productivity and scale and we’re elated to bring her skills and insights to H Code as we look to streamline and enhance our offerings and operations,” said Jennifer White, Chief Operating Officer of H Code. In her most recent role, Sheu served as the Senior Director of Account Management at Leaf Group where she oversaw the pre and post-sale execution of direct-sold brand partnerships and managed a growing team that executed on campaigns with increased year-over-year revenue. Prior to that, Sheu operated as Senior Manager of the Strategy and Partnerships team at Participant Media where she worked with brands to produce custom content and storytelling opportunities including a project that was nominated in 2018 for the Best Single Spot Emmy. “Having expertise that matches genuine desires to advance multicultural representation in media is paramount in today’s digital landscape and I’m excited to lead H Code in building stronger client relationships and to work alongside team members who are dedicated to enhancing media engagement of diverse demographics,” said Sheu. Sheu joins H Code during a period of rapid growth for the company as the demand for multicultural media strategies continues to accelerate. H Code will use this momentum to utilize its research and insights capabilities to help brands understand the nuances behind multicultural attitudes to implement actionable marketing and advertising tactics that deliver ROI for clients. The company plans to further develop partnerships that target under-represented demographics alongside its newly launched entities; A Code, focused on developing solutions for the AAPI community, and B Code, created to develop solutions for advertisers and agencies to reach, inform and connect with Black audiences at scale. To learn more about H Code, please visit: https://hcodemedia.com/ About H Code Founded in 2015, H Code has solidified its place as the largest Hispanic digital media company in the United States. Committed to reaching Hispanic audiences at scale, H Code strives to leverage its learnings, brand equity, and expertise to shape the future of media by unlocking diverse audiences through data and authentic creative and content. Today, H Code’s employee base is 84% multicultural, 65% Hispanic/Latinx, and 49% female across its offices in the U.S. and Latin America. Named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation by multiple outlets, H Code strategically brings together targetable data, exclusive inventory, authentic creative and custom content, and more to influence powerful Hispanic consumers every day through digital and integrated campaigns. Backed by its proprietary intelligence platform that derives insights from a robust influencer network and the largest Hispanic digital panel, H Code delivers the most impactful, data-driven strategies to effectively reach and influence multicultural audiences online with unmatched authenticity. Contact Details North 6th Agency for H Code Paolo Ramos +1 212-334-9753 hcode@n6a.com Company Website https://hcodemedia.com/

December 08, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

WhatsApp customer engagement tool WATI.io raises $10m

WATI

WATI.io (WhatsApp Team Inbox), a comprehensive WhatsApp customer engagement tool for small businesses, has raised $8.3Mn in Series A led by Sequoia Capital India with participation from Surge, Base Partners and several prominent angels including Gokul Rajaram, a member of the DoorDash executive team and and board member at Coinbase and Pinterest. WATI.io has over 3,000 customers across 54 countries including India, Indonesia and Brazil. Over the last 6 months, WATI’s customer base has seen a 4x growth, revenue has grown 5x and 100 million messages have been processed. They are now a 41 member team across seven countries. With this fundraise, they have raised a total of $10M in the last six months. The funds raised will be used to bolster technology and product development by expanding product integrations. It will also be used to double the team size and improve their presence in Latin America. Messaging is the most pervasive way humans connect today. COVID-19 has shifted our lives online. Customers expect brands to serve them on channels they are most comfortable with. So, when customers are able to reach out to brands on platforms like WhatsApp that they are already familiar with, it builds a higher level of trust for the brand. While many solutions for enterprises to achieve this shift exist, tens of millions of SMBs globally are left underserved. To meet customer expectations, SMBs resort to using WhatsApp on their personal phones. This leads to bottlenecks with relevance of the support and the inability to scale. WATI.io, launched by Ken Yeung and Bianca Ho in late 2020, addresses this gap. Built on WhatsApp’s API, it helps small businesses personalize conversations with customers at scale. WATI.io helps customer support, marketing and sales teams engage with customers using a single WhatsApp number. Since brands are able to get a holistic view of customer conversations across teams, they are also able to provide a better user experience. WATI.io solely focuses on building tailored experiences on WhatsApp enabling them to quickly iterate on new features on the platform as well. “WATI’s mission is to help businesses do more with less. Our one-click integration with the most commonly used tools like Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. enables businesses to provide holistic customer experience at scale. We look to use this funding to attract world class talent to help us build this.” Ken Yeung, CEO Businesses love WATI.io because it helps improve customer satisfaction without additional workforce and in turn helps improve revenue. This is possible with automation through WATI’s low-code workflow builder without being dependent on developers. Through WATI’s API, SMBs can send programmatic personalised notifications from their system. Especially in the case of ecommerce businesses, WATI’s one-click integrations with tools like Shopify, reduces abandoned cart rate and helps increase revenues. Marketers also rely heavily on sending targeted notifications to drive sales. High growth startups are able to derive value with WATI’s suite of tools which empower them to collaborate and move fast. In addition to thousands of SMBs, WATI’s clients include Dukaan, Oppo, VU TV, Gojek, Grab, Aerostreet. “WATI is on a mission to help hundreds of millions of SMBs across the world communicate more effectively with their customers on one of the most ubiquitous messaging platforms - WhatsApp. They’ve achieved terrific growth rates this past year while breaking even, but what is more exciting is the expansive set of product possibilities in front of the company as they capitalise on the market opportunity. Sequoia Capital India is excited to deepen the partnership with Ken and Bianca in the next stage of their journey of building WATI.” Abheek Anand, MD, Sequoia India About WATI Founded in 2020 in Hong Kong, WATI.io helps companies have personalised conversations with customers at scale. Built on WhatsApp’s Business API, it is an easy-to-use customer engagement software that focuses on automation and one-click integrations to help businesses do more with less. WATI.io has been an official partner of WhatsApp since 2019, and was part of Surge 05, Sequoia India’s rapid scale up program for early stage startups. Contact Details WATI Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.wati.io/

December 08, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Expo 2020 Dubai Enters The Metaverse World Connecting Millions Across The Physical & Digital Globally

Magnopus

From today, anyone anywhere can experience the magic of Expo 2020 Dubai with friends and family. The World Expo has teamed up with Magnopus to offer an enriching digital experience for millions of on-site and remote visitors from around the world. Expo Dubai Xplorer sets a new standard for accessibility and inclusivity to large events and expands the World Expo’s vision of ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ into the virtual world of Metaverse. The multi-player experience is available on iOS and Android powered by cloud-hosted services developed by Magnopus. Unique features include: Real-time connectivity between on-site and remote users across the physical and digital divide. One of the largest deployments in the world of persistent Cloud Anchors which allow millions of on-site visitors to experience AR spectacles aligned accurately to real world locations. A social, interactive digital twin of the 4.38km² Expo site—a living world built from the architectural files of the site and enriched with content and experiences. Uniting The Physical & Digital Users can customize their own AI-powered avatar and connect with others in real-time across the physical and digital divide. Standing on the Expo site, a visitor may see a friend from the other side of the world (viewed through the lens of their phone) as an avatar they can share experiences with, and communicate with via group creation and messaging. On-site hardware will also link the physical and digital worlds. Smart screens called “Digital World Viewers” show views of digital content to enhance the physical landscape for visitors. The desktop application is designed to mimic the capabilities of the mobile applications by connecting to the same cloud services for local content and avatar display. Augmented Reality Aligned To Real World Locations By using ARCore Cloud Anchors by Google for hundreds of location-specific activations around the site, visitors will experience entertaining and educational AR content relevant to wherever they are at Expo 2020 Dubai. AR activations including mysterious portals to far-off places, treasure hunts through history, and magical creature encounters are all aligned to real world locations with centimeter accuracy. This is currently one of the largest deployments of ARCore Cloud Anchors in the world. Geospatial authoring interfaces and global content delivery networks for updating and publishing new content in real-time enable designers to release new interactive AR experiences anywhere on the site during the run of Expo 2020 Dubai. Powered by a set of cloud-hosted services, content is automatically streamed down to the user's device when they approach a location or interact with an experience, without impacting the application’s install size. This enables users to experience any number of magical AR moments, all from a relatively small application on their device, and new or updated experiences can be pushed while the visitor is still in the app. Remote visitors can access the same AR content and experiences, over a connected digital twin of the site, via an interface similar to popular mobile games like Fortnite or Roblox. A Live, Social Digital Twin The digital twin of the Expo site covers more than 200 buildings from the world’s leading architects across a huge 4.38km 2 site, including 192 unique country pavilions. Hundreds of artists working around the world spent more than two years creating the living digital replica, enhancing it with dynamic lighting, art installations, animated experiences, and stunning spectacles. Virtual reality was used to collaboratively develop the designs and experiences so they could be tested before the physical site was even built. The visitor experience geolocates content on the site in real-time, so the digital twin has been built to a high degree of accuracy, at 1:1 scale from the architect’s CAD files, and confirmed with “as-builts”. Due to the size and detail of the site, it can’t be stored on visitor’s devices in its entirety and is streamed to visitors based on their location and proximity. The system also accounts for the performance capabilities of the visitor’s device to deliver the highest quality representation possible. Ben Grossmann, CEO of Magnopus, says, “This is the biggest space to date, connected across the physical and digital worlds. These ‘connected spaces’ are the building blocks of the new immersive web, or Metaverse. We’ve been working on these kinds of experiences and technologies for many years, and it was thrilling to take things to the next level to bring this grand vision to life with the Innovation and Future Technologies team at Expo 2020 Dubai." Rehan Asad, Chief Program Officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, says, “The Virtual Expo is an important part of delivering Expo 2020 Dubai’s promise and purpose— ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future ’. In 2013, Expo 2020 Dubai promised the world to host not only the best ever physical Expo but also the very best virtual Expo. That commitment and COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us to find innovative ways to share the Expo experience and content of our once-in-a-lifetime World Expo with a larger global audience who may not be able to travel from around the world. Magnopus and the wider team have unified the most innovative technologies into one integrated experience that truly brings Expo 2020’s creative vision to life in the digital and virtual world.” Daisy Leak, the project’s Executive Producer, says, “The global pandemic has affirmed that events can no longer be purely physical, or with only a perfunctory video streaming presence. By uniting 200 countries in a common experience, and making that experience available to visitors both on-site in Dubai and around the world, in an engaging and spatial context, we hope to serve as an example of what the future offers to unite people and places in a better way.” The multiplayer experience has been in development for nearly three years with world-class partners including Google, Unity Technologies, and Amazon Web Services with key contributions from: REWIND (experience design and platform development) Virtuos (3D asset development) Hexagram (quest narrative design and technology) Pinscreen (avatar technology with AI-driven face synthesis) Dog Studio (web development for Virtual Expo connected to content databases) VIM (BIM conversion technology) Terahard (activation development) Activated Realities (activation development) Source Sound (audio design and development) Expo Dubai Xplorer is available to download now on iOS and Android. About Magnopus Founded in 2013, Magnopus creates experiences and technologies that unite the physical and digital worlds. Magnopus is known for its continuous innovation in the entertainment industry; its Emmy-nominated VR projects; its role as a leader in virtual production through its groundbreaking work on Disney’s The Lion King (2019); and its pioneering work in AR. This year Magnopus acquired REWIND, a UK spatial design and innovation company, to further its mission to merge the physical and digital and lay the foundation for the new immersive web. About Expo 2020 Dubai From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to reimagine tomorrow @ www.virtualexpodubai.com With the purpose of ‘ Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 is the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges Expo 2020 is the biggest cultural gathering in the world, presenting a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever Expo 2020’s sub themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone For six months, Expo 2020 is be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to age 18 Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South Built with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site will transform into District 2020 – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future – after Expo 2020 closes its doors Contact Details Clear Andrew Graham +1 646-385-0189 asg@agencyclear.com Rewind Jude Forbes +44 1727 261007 jude@rewind.co Company Website https://www.magnopus.com/

December 07, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL ADJUSTS CONVERTIBLE DEBT CONVERSION RATE FOR 2016 CONVERTIBLE NOTES AS A RESULT OF DIVIDEND

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced that as a result of its fourth quarter dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock, it will adjust the conversion rate for its outstanding 4.25% Senior Convertible Notes issued in March 2016 (the “2016 Convertible Notes”). The adjustments are made in accordance with the terms of the Indenture Agreement. CSG’s 2016 Convertible Notes (Unrestricted CUSIP Number 126349 AF6) mature on March 15, 2036 and the original $230,000,000 aggregate principal amount remains outstanding. Effective December 2, 2021, the conversion rate for the 2016 Convertible Notes has been adjusted to 17.7621 shares for each $1,000 in principal amount of 2016 Convertible Notes (equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $56.30) per share of CSG common stock. About CSG CSG is a leader in innovative customer engagement, revenue management and payments solutions that make ordinary customer experiences extraordinary. Our cloud-first architecture and customer-obsessed mindset help companies around the world launch new digital services, expand into new markets, and create dynamic experiences that capture new customers and build brand loyalty. For nearly 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. With 5,000 employees in over 20 countries, CSG is the trusted technology provider for leading global brands in telecommunications, retail, financial services and healthcare. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit us at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: John Rea Investor Relations CSG +1 (210) 687 4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

December 07, 2021 06:30 AM Mountain Standard Time

U.S. Sees Sharpest Rise in Independent Workforce in More Than 50 Years

MBO Partners

MBO Partners released its 11th Annual State of Independence in America report, the country’s longest-running end-to-end study of the American independent workforce. In the year of the Great Resignation, there was a record-breaking 34% surge in people choosing independent work. This segment jumped from 38.2 million in 2020 to a whopping 51.1 million in 2021. “This year may be remembered as the seminal moment when work forever changed,” said Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners. “An undercurrent that has been simmering reached a boiling point when people were forced out of the office and into alternative work arrangements. This is the largest shift we have seen in the workforce in decades.” Below are five trends revealed in this year’s data report. Workers cut the cord on fixed locations. Freed from the confines of working in a single onsite location, many took remote work on the road. The number of digital nomads rose from 10.9 million in 2020 to 15.5 million in 2021, a 42% increase. Most of the nomads were traditional workers, but the number of independent digital nomads rose 15%, from 4.6 million in 2020 to 5.3 million in 2021. Collaborators are the new colleagues. Independents refer work and share the load with other independents. Twenty-five percent find assignments through other independents. And in the past 12 months, 25% of full-time independents said they had teamed up with independent workers or microbusinesses in their work, up from 19% in 2020. Collaboration is even higher for independents in the creator economy with over half (55%) reporting that they are teaming up with other content creators on projects. Even independents are haunted by the 1%. The U.S. has long been seen as a two-tier economy, with those at the very top thriving while many at the bottom struggle. We see this effect replicated in the independent workforce with those having in-demand skills and credentials able to charge a premium for their work. Inflation drives moonlighting 2.0. The rising cost of living and the loss of payroll jobs is driving more people to supplement their income with independent work. Part-time and occasional independents are the fastest-growing portion of the independent workforce. For those who became part-time independents in the past year, 73% cited supplementing their income as the reason. Platforms become independent launching pad. As independent work has become more mainstream, we have seen a rise in businesses that facilitate this way of work. Online platforms and marketplaces are powerful facilitators that let independents find work, learn new skills, and explore new markets. The trajectory of these platforms has been one of the most powerful growth stories in this survey. In 2011, only 3% of independents reported using an online talent platform in the previous 12 months. But in 2021, an impressive 40% said they had done so in the past year. And an even higher number – 43% – said they planned to use an online talent platform in the coming 12 months. For more information or to obtain a copy of the 11th annual State of Independence report, please visit https://www.mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/. About MBO Partners® MBO Partners is a deep job platform that connects and enables independent professionals and microbusiness owners to do business safely and effectively with enterprise organizations. Its unmatched experience and industry leadership enable it to operate on the forefront of the independent economy and consistently advance the next way of working. For more information, visit mbopartners.com Contact Details Karen Swim +1 586-461-2103 karen@wordsforhirellc.com Company Website https://mbopartners.com

December 07, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Ripken Baseball Signs Stewbowie Sports & Entertainment as Exclusive Sponsorship Sales Agency

Stewbowie Sports & Entertainment

Ripken Baseball announced today it signed Stewbowie Sports & Entertainment to exclusively represent their premier youth sports brand across all sponsorship sales. Stewbowie will provide strategic partnerships and advertising sales across all Ripken Baseball-owned properties and assets. Ripken Baseball offers the most memorable experiences in youth sports, combining facilities and world-class event management to make every ballplayer feel like a Big Leaguer. Ripken Baseball operates sports complexes in Aberdeen, MD, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Pigeon Forge, TN, as well as nationwide programming through their Ripken Select Tournaments. Over 120,000 youth baseball athletes and more than 400,000 guests visit annually traveling from 50 states and 12 countries. “We’ve experienced incredible growth in the last few years and are looking for partners who want to build with us,” said Mike Kenney, Executive Vice President at Ripken Baseball. “Stewbowie’s approach to revenue generation and proven track record of winning deals will help us take our business to another level and find new ways to generate revenue through naming rights, sponsorships, and B2B partnerships. We look forward to collaborating with brands that align with the values of The Ripken Way and our goals to help grow the game of baseball.” “We are honored to have the opportunity to represent such an iconic name as Ripken Baseball. The Ripken name is synonymous with excellence, and we are thrilled to be working with them to create successful sponsorship programs to accomplish our partners’ goals at scale,” said Karl Mawhinney, Stewbowie, LLC Founder & CEO. For Ripken Baseball sponsorship inquiries, please contact karl@stewbowie.com. Ripken Baseball Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through on-site tournaments, camps, and spring training hosted at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee). About Stewbowie LLC Stewbowie, LLC is a Brooklyn NY-based, sponsorships sales representation firm working with best-in-class sports and entertainment properties to accelerate revenue growth through naming rights, sponsorships, and integrated marketing programs. Stewbowie Sports & Entertainment is the property representation division of Stewbowie, LLC. Stewbowie’s current property clients span across multiple industries including sports, music, fashion, and immersive digital technology with the core commonality of desiring smarter brand sponsorship. Stewbowie believes every brand’s perfect partnership exists. Contact Details Eric PR & Marketing, LLC Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://stewbowie.com/

December 07, 2021 07:59 AM Eastern Standard Time

Communications