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Unleash Your Inner Adventurer

YourUpdateTV

Are you looking for a vacation destination that offers endless adventure and relaxation? Well, look no further than northeastern North Carolina’s charming lake and river towns. Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC, and Bruce Tyler, co-founder of Weldon Mills Distillery, recently conducted a satellite media tour to talk about the hidden gems and local hotspots that make this region so special. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/CF6-KlI9A90 With spring in full flow, Visit North Carolina rolls out Dream Big in Small Town NC in the state’s Northeast Lakes & Rivers region, an area dotted with waterside gems, refreshing views and resonant history. Travelers can try their luck with sweepstakes prizing as they follow the Dream Big initiative’s roadmap to under-the-radar destinations that will welcome a boost in visitation and interest in longer stays. “Halifax, Henderson, Tarboro, Warrenton — these towns and others invite travelers to cozy up and connect,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Their appeal is immediate as well as timeless with fresh vitality springing from the big dreams of hometown heroes and newly arrived visionaries. Now is a perfect time for travelers to discover places worth knowing.” Dream Big in Small Town NC, created by the General Assembly as the Rural Tourism Recovery Pilot Program, targets 16 counties at risk for population loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative began with a focus on five Scenic Mountain counties and now continues in Edgecombe, Halifax, Vance and Warren counties, whose bodies of water include Kerr Lake, Lake Gaston, and the Tar and Roanoke rivers. The final phase, beginning in June, will zero in on seven Inner Banks counties. Easily reached from exits along Interstates 85 and 95, the Northeast Lakes & Rivers destinations combine distinctive culture with landmark history plus natural beauty and recreation. Start the getaway dream by entering the sweepstakes for a chance to win: · A $1,000 voucher from program partner Airbnb. · Three $100 gift cards for a choice of restaurants, shops and activities. · A $500 gift card from Visit NC to assist with travel expenses. For outdoor lovers, the rivers and lakes create ample reason to explore, Tuttell said. In Henderson, Kerr Lake and its 850 miles of shoreline have a dozen local access points, including eight in a state recreation area known for hiking and birding as well as water activities. At Lake Gaston, between Warrenton and Roanoke Rapids, adventure seekers can sign up for lessons from international wakeboarding champion Adam Fields’ AF Wake. Tarboro visitors can access the scenic Tar River Paddle Trail, and distance paddlers can embark on the Roanoke River State Trail from Weldon. Stunning views of history and nature reward hikers and bikers at Medoc Mountain State Park and on the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail, which makes loaner bikes available. “There’s joy in these outdoor activities plus a sense of wonder from the historic moments since the time of the Tuscarora,” Tuttell said. “In Halifax, North Carolina became the first colony to call for independence from Britain. Weldon was home to the world’s longest railroad, which played an outsize role in Civil War history. The Roanoke Canal Trail includes stops on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Princeville became one of the first towns in the country chartered by Black residents, and Warren County is recognized as the ‘birthplace of environmental justice’ based on a 1982 protest.” If economic growth has favored urban areas in recent decades, the Lakes & Rivers towns have been fortified by a deep-rooted community spirit and sense of possibility. Ambitious locals who left have returned with big ideas for revitalizing and reinventing the places where they grew up. Homecoming enterprises include Tarboro’s On the Square restaurant and Tarboro Brewing, Halifax’s Hen & the Hog and Halifax Studios, and Littleton’s Blue Jay Bistro, Main Street Wines and Daphne’s Coffee Shop plus the revitalized Lakeland Cultural Arts Center. Near Norlina, Seven Springs Farm & Vineyard opened in 2020 to become a popular spot for music events and wine tastings. Lori Medlin, president and CEO of the Halifax County Convention & Visitors Bureau, cites a pair of entrepreneurs who were inspired to turn a former sleepwear factory in Weldon into a distillery. Almost immediately after opening in 2019, Weldon Mills Distillery gained national attention with its award-winning bourbons and other spirits. The founders of Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck arrived by way of Great Britain. And in nearby Vance County, downtown Henderson attracted an achiever who opened The Eleanor on Belle hotel and a shop called Gear and Beer. “Small towns are best explored at leisure,” Tuttell said. “Between the outdoors and the distinctive downtowns, there’s infinite opportunity to dream big in our Lakes & Rivers destinations.” Dream Big comes with a two-facet approach to economic development: a tourism promotion to infuse revenue into local economies plus appeal to people interested in relocation. As a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Visit NC is coordinating Dream Big with the N.C. Department of Commerce and other private and public entities involved in growing the state’s first-in-talent workforce. Funded with $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, the initiative has a dedicated presence on VisitNC.com, complete with links for job postings in the Scenic Mountains ( Graham, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey ) and Inner Banks ( Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Martin, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington ) as well as the Northeast Lakes & Rivers. The Dream Big homepage also links to the Airbnb website with content to help travelers plan trips and find short-term rental properties in each region. Beyond the exposure from the satellite media tour and sweepstakes, Dream Big will reach the traveling public via @VisitNC’s social media channels. A digital content creator campaign is bringing selected tastemakers to the destinations to engage followers in the local culture and lifestyle appeal for people interested in a long-term change of scenery. Program partner Airbnb, which is also promoting the campaign on its social media channels, is using its inventory of short-term rental properties to host the content creators. “North Carolina is full of unmatched opportunities for big dreams to take hold,” Tuttell said. “We want people to bring them here and make them real.” · For a quick look at enticements in Dream Big destinations, click here. · Find photos from Dream Big destinations here. About Wit Tuttell Wit Tuttell was named Executive Director of Visit North Carolina in November 2013. He oversees the strategic planning, policy development and marketing initiatives for North Carolina's official state tourism office and the industry sectors it serves. North Carolina's state tourism office, formerly the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development, was transferred to the non-profit Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina in October 2014 and renamed Visit North Carolina. Tuttell has been in North Carolina tourism since 2006. During this time, the office has been recognized with numerous national awards for excellence in marketing and advertising. He has served as chair of the board of directors of Travel South USA and serves on the board of the U.S. Travel Association. In 2022, Tuttell was named State Tourism Director of the Year by the National Council of State Tourism Directors. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the tourism industry including working for Universal Studios Florida and the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. He graduated from the University of Florida and was also a reporter for the Anchorage (Alaska) Times. About Bruce Tyler Attorney Bruce Tyler, a 26-year Army veteran, and Michael Hinderliter opened Weldon Mills Distillery in 2019. Their quest to create a distillery in a historic building with character led them to Weldon, a historic town on the Roanoke River that's known as the “rockfish capital of the world.” Weldon Mills quickly became a regular award winner at competitions, including the East Coast Craft Spirits Awards, the Microliquor Spirit Awards, the SIP Awards and the San Diego International Wine and Spirits Challenge, which named Weldon Mills the Distillery of the Year for 2022. Best known for its bourbons (The All Malt, Reserve, Select and Soldier's Cut, which honors the 82nd Airborne Division and raises money for Gold Star Families), Weldon Mills also crafts vodka, gin, tequila and other spirits. Tyler is vice president of the Distillers Association of North Carolina Board of Directors. 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

April 26, 2023 11:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

OYO USA Clocks 48% Growth in Revenue from Bookings on its Own Platforms

OYO

Global travel tech company OYO’s US business witnessed a 48% growth in revenue from bookings on its own platform, such as the app, website, mobile web and call centers in Q4 2022 vs same period in 2021. OYO’s app led the growth with a 99% surge in revenue from bookings in Q4 2022 vs same period in 2021. The company had earlier disclosed that its app is the second most downloaded travel app with over 100 million downloads globally. Growth in revenue from bookings via the company’s call centers saw a 59% increase for the same period. Talking about the improved direct demand, Gautam Swaroop, CEO OYO International said, “US is a highly competitive travel & hospitality market. Driving revenue from bookings onto one's own platform and channels is always a demanding task. While bookings through online travel agents such a Booking.com and Expedia.com play an important role in increasing revenues for our hotel partners, direct demand through OYO’s own platforms leads to better margins for our hoteliers. We have improved direct bookings through simple yet effective measures to bring in operational efficiencies and create a strong business impact. We saw a 3x growth in app conversions and a 2x growth in conversions from the call center using product, price optimizations and by creating operational efficiencies, performance management & better incentive structures in the organization.” Nikhil Heda, Head of Business Development, OYO USA added, “We have focused on things that matter to travelers while planning their stays and improving reach and readability of our communication. As a result, we have seen 1.4X growth in our email opens and 2X growth in click throughs of notifications on our app. This has resulted in a significant improvement in demand via OYO’s own channels. Optimizations such as focusing on the right SEO keyword and improving property reviews on Google have also resulted in improved direct bookings, in turn resulting in substantial savings in OTA commissions for our owners.” Commenting on their experience of working with OYO, Ajay Patel, owner of OYO Hotel Eloy Casa Grande, Arizona said, “We have been seeing 1.5X growth in RevPar from bookings via OYO’s app and call center. Over the last 6 months this has resulted in us paying lower commissions. Typical OTA commissions range anywhere between 15% to 18% and reduced reliance on other channels have helped us save over 50% of the commissions.” OYO offers hotels access to a large base of regular customers through its app and website, and also lists hotels on multiple Online Travel Agents (OTAs) to boost booking demand and, revenue. OYO’s best-in-class Artificial Intelligence-enabled pricing software automatically drives the best booking prices across all channels, based on room type, seasonality and other factors, therefore, enabling such increase in online revenues. Earlier this year OYO said that it is planning to add over 100 hotels in the US in 2023. This is nearly double the number of hotels the company added to its portfolio in 2022. OYO will focus on adding more hotels in the states of Oregon, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida. Texas continues to be the largest and fastest growing market for OYO in the US, while it also has sizable concentration of hotels in Oregon, South and North Carolina, Florida & Georgia. In 2022, the company saw a ~23% increase in new hotels added to its portfolio in the US vs 2021. OYO has started offering hotels the flexibility of not having to invest heavily in redoing the hotel to join the OYO platform, something that other budget hotel chains insist on. Therefore, the initial investment to join OYO is minimal. It has been focusing instead on standardizing service led components such as customer support and booking experience. The company helps ensure great experience for customers, with ease of search and a quick booking experience, highly competitive room prices as per market demand patterns, automated tools such as Artificial Intelligence powered chatbots to quickly resolve customer queries, loyalty programmes and easy refund, if needed. OYO’s US operations recently announced that it has outpaced the budget hotel segments growth in per available room revenue (RevPar) with an 18% rise in 2022 vs pre-covid year, 2019. The budget hotel segment in the meanwhile, grew by only 6% in the US. Disclaimer: Oravel Stays Limited is proposing, subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, to make an initial public offering of its equity shares (the “Equity Shares”) and has filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (“DRHP”) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”). The DRHP is available on the website of SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in, websites of the Stock Exchanges, i.e., BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited at www.bseindia.com and www.nseindia.com, respectively, and is available on the websites of the Global Coordinators and Book Running Lead Managers, i.e., Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, J.P. Morgan India Private Limited and Citigroup Global Markets India Private Limited at www.investmentbank.kotak.com, www.jpmipl.com and www.online.citibank.co.in/rhtm/citigroupglobalscreen1.htm; the websites of the Book Running Lead Managers, i.e., ICICI Securities Limited, Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities (India) Private Limited, JM Financial Limited and Deutsche Equities India Private Limited at www.icicisecurities.com, www.nomuraholdings.com/company/group/asia/india/index.html, www.jmfl.com and www.db.com/India, respectively. Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to the same, refer to the Red Herring Prospectus which may be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the future, including the section titled “Risk Factors”. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP filed with SEBI for making any investment decision. The Equity Shares offered in the Fresh Issue (as defined in the DRHP) and the Offer for Sale (as defined in the DRHP) have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and, may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the Equity Shares are only being offered and sold (i) within the United States only to “qualified institutional buyers” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements under the Securities Act, and (ii) outside the United States in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act and pursuant to the applicable laws of the jurisdictions where those offers and sales are made. There will be no public offering of the Equity Shares in the United States. Contact Details Anupriya +91 97911 63065 anupriya.d@oyorooms.com Company Website https://www.oyorooms.com/

April 26, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DRYWORLD BRANDS INC. ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE BRIO HOLDING GROUP INC. PROVIDING ACCESS TO CONTRACTED LATAM RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

DRYWORLD BRANDS INC.

DRYWORLD Brands Inc. (OTC: IBGR) (“ Dryworld ”, or the “ Company ”) is pleased to announce that it has entered a binding Letter of Intent (the “ LOI ”) with Brio Holding Group inc. (“ Brio ”), to acquire 100% of Brio. Brio will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dryworld. About Brio Holding Group Inc. Brio is a Delaware company having the exclusive global license to Brio Soul Brands. Brio’s sales and distribution strategy is focused on Latin and Central America having distribution agreements providing access to more than 9,000 + retail locations and best-in-class apparel manufacturing supply chain solutions located in Colombia. For further information about Brio, please see: Brio Soul brands Transaction Purpose Dryworld’s goal is to immediately place the O Bruxo Ronaldinho collection into select retail locations across Latin America that are already under contract with Brio, and where Ronaldinho has significant brand recognition. Dryworld will complement the market launch with its existing HauteD and CoreD branded collections, and CBD-based health products (where federally permissible). Finally bringing the full DRYWORLD suite of products, including SignatureD and premium Ronaldinho My Global Collection to the masses in LATAM through targeted premium retail partnerships. DRYWORLD will support and build-out the brand with targeted partnerships with high-profile athletes, teams, and leagues. As part of the transaction, DRYWORLD will build out the Brío Soul collection, under the DRYWORLD banner, which has produced proprietary fabrics with exceptional, multifunctional performance for its eco-conscious collections. Matt Weingart, Co-CEO of Dryworld, commented: “ This transaction has the potential to be transformative for Dryworld, providing immediate expansion into Central and South America with an initial focus on placing our DRYWORLD products throughout Brio’s existing retail distribution agreements in Colombia, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. That is why I traveled to Colombia, to meet the partners and hit the ground running on due diligence, so we can get to work immediately.” Jorge Diaz, Brio’s Chairman, stated: "We’re very pleased to strengthen Dryworld's presence in LATAM, a region with outstanding per capita consumption in the fashion and apparel industry. The timing of this transaction will serve as a catalyst to accelerate Dryworld's operations both in LATAM and globally. Also, Dryworld will be able to leverage the expertise, know-how, and distribution experience that Brio’s developed in order to expedite the combined and expanded go-to-market strategy." Terms of Proposed Transaction Under the terms of the LOI, and subject to requisite approvals, Dryworld shall issue up to 5,000,000 shares to the shareholders of Brio to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Brio. Following close of the Transaction, Brio will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dryworld. Terms of the transaction include 3,000,000 shares to be paid at closing, with the remaining 2,000,000 subjects to performance milestones connected directly to revenue growth of the Latin/Central American market. All properties, assets, and contracts of Brio shall continue to be the property of Brio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dryworld; and all sales contracts entered into by Brio shall be assigned to Dryworld. Expanding the Dryworld Team with Brio’s Experience On closing of the transaction, Dryworld’s Board will remain unchanged, however, Chayle Beaudoin (Brio’s Founder, Director and CEO) and Jorge Diaz (Brio’s Chairman) will become Officers of Dryworld: Chayle Beaudoin: Founder, Director & CEO of Brio Chayle Beaudoin is the CEO and Founder of Brío Soul Apparel and brings 15+ years of business experience from the insurance and retail fashion industries across North America, both Canada and the US. Chayle brings a strong entrepreneurial spirit and has a deep passion for unlocking and building disruptive new ventures. Having dedicated 20 years to the practice of Yoga, Chayle has a solid understanding of the needs of practitioners along with a keen eye for fashion and art as well as a love of languages; she is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Jorge Díaz: Chairman of Brio Mr. Diaz is the founder and CEO of Domäne Investment Group Inc (DIG) a private equity fund that has been the first-round investor in several companies that have been listed on recognized securities exchanges. (DIG) and associates have funded projects located in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, Canada and USA to name a few. The capital raised by Mr. Diaz and his associates over the last 15 years has exceeded $200 Million. For further information on the Company, please visit: Dryworld Investor Relations DRYWORLD Shop | DRYWORLD Instagram | DRYWORLD Facebook | DRYWORLD Twitter For more information, contact: info@thedryworld.com Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the company's acquisition integration and market sectors, COVID-19, and the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed in reports filed by the company. Contact Details Dryworld Brands Inc. info@thedryworld.com Company Website https://thedryworld.com/

April 25, 2023 01:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time

News Release

Super League announces company has agreed to a strategic partnership with LandVault

Super League Gaming

Super League President Matt Edelman joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news about the company that is a publisher and creator of games and experiences with such platforms as Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. The company allows users to play, explore, collaborate, shop, learn, and create. Edelman also told Proactive the company has announced a partnership with the largest construction company in the metaverse, LandVault. Super League says it has appointed LandVault as the official builder for Web3 platforms in the GCC region, with a particular focus on the UAE. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2023 12:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Shareholder to Urge Warren Buffett to Relinquish Some Power at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

National Legal & Policy Center

Ahead of the annual meeting for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. on May 6 in Omaha, National Legal and Policy Center is sponsoring a shareholder proposal and will again call for a separation of powers between the Chairman and CEO – with both roles presently held by legendary nonagenarian investor Warren Buffett – to proceed on what the company says is inevitable, and to smooth the oncoming leadership transition. NLPC presented a similar proposal at last year’s meeting, where the organization’s Chairman, Peter Flaherty, said in a speech that since Mr. Buffett is “the face of capitalism, why don’t you do something to save it?” Flaherty will again present this year’s proposal, and plans to address the company’s flawed reasoning for delaying the preordained outcome. NLPC filed a proxy memorandum with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, which explains why the transition from Mr. Buffett’s concentrated leadership and power should start now instead of waiting until he leaves. The Berkshire Hathaway board of directors oppose NLPC’s proposal in the company’s proxy statement, but state that “once Mr. Buffett is no longer Berkshire’s CEO, a non-management director should be named Board Chair.” “Warren Buffett turns 93 this year and his top advisor, Charlie Munger, is 99 years old,” said Flaherty. “We are not ageists, but Berkshire Hathaway has already designated who the next CEO and likely Chairman will be, so what are they waiting for?” Berkshire Hathaway has identified Gregory Abel, Chairman and CEO of subsidiary Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, as Mr. Buffett’s future successor as CEO. NLPC argues in its report to the SEC that the company’s identity is inextricably linked with Mr. Buffett’s, and if there is not an immediate transition or “handoff” to the next generation of leadership, it will only be more difficult for Berkshire Hathaway to shift from its personality-driven image to a performance-based one. Also, NLPC calls into question Mr. Buffett’s reticence to provide guidance to CEOs of companies in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, such as American Express, Apple, and Coca-Cola. All three companies have suffered a backlash over their involvement in divisive political issues, a practice the celebrated investor has warned against in the past. NLPC argues that Mr. Buffett’s influence could improve the performance of the companies owned by Berkshire Hathaway. “Warren Buffett clearly still has his mental faculties and his acumen,” Flaherty added, “but Berkshire Hathaway’s loyal investors need to see how the succession plan will work for the long-term interests of the company. He has been different from every other Chairman and CEO in history, he needs to recognize that, and he should give his successor Greg Abel a running start for the future.” Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 24, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Freelance Creative Jobs Thrive Despite AI Surge

FREELANCER.COM

New data released today by Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN) (OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, shows an incoming startup boom amongst an unprecedented surge in freelance creative design and AI job growth. The Fast 50 Q1 2023 Index, the world’s largest forward indicator of freelance job trends, analyzes over 304,000 jobs posted to Freelancer.com between January and March 2023. The index finds that jobs for T-Shirt Design (up 33.1%, from 1,403 to 1,868), Covers & Packaging Design (up 27.3%, from 1,128 to 1,436), and Corporate Identity Design (up 24.2%, from 2,474 to 3,073) were the three fastest growing job types by total percentage growth when compared to Q4 2022. These were followed by Product Design (up 22.9%, 1,214 to 1,493) and 3D Design (up 22%, from 5,027 to 6,135) jobs. Design skills with the largest job counts on the platform also grew significantly this quarter. There were a whopping 7,495 extra Graphic Design jobs in Q1 (up 12.1%, from 61,709 to 69,204), followed by an additional 6,731 Logo Design jobs (up 20.4%, from 32,963 to 39,694) and 5,902 extra jobs requiring skills in Photoshop (up 15.4%, from 38,224 to 44,126). Design is both the most in-demand and the highest paying skill on Freelancer.com, as found in the Freelancing in 2022 Report. These types of jobs, particularly logo design, packaging design and t-shirt creation, are typically the starting point for many founders launching a new business. The sudden influx of design, eCommerce and marketing jobs are a key indicator of a boom in startups. Simultaneously, jobs requiring skills in Artificial Intelligence were the seventh fastest growing skill on Freelancer.com (up 20.62% in Q1 2023 from 1,038 to 1,252). Jobs demanding Generative AI skills, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney and Chatbots, grew by more than 325% from 286 in Q4 2022 to 1,216 in Q1 2023. “While many speculate whether AI will take design jobs, our latest data shows that this is certainly not the case. Design jobs are the most popular job type on the platform and continue to grow despite advances in hyper-realistic generative AI tools,” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. “What’s more interesting in this data is zooming out and looking at the main trend: the startup boom. The most in-demand jobs on the platform for this quarter are all related to the launch of new businesses. New logo, website and branding jobs. In fact, there were 75 extra logo design jobs posted each day last quarter, which could suggest the launch of 75 new businesses.” The data also shows an increase in Digital Marketing (up 12.8%, from 1,524 to 1,720) and Videography (up 14.2%, from 2,716 to 3,102) jobs which also suggests businesses are focusing more on their online marketing and content creation strategies to amplify their brands. Fastest Falling Jobs of Q1 2023 While design jobs dominated the fastest growing, the jobs that were in less demand in this quarter are related to tech, development and writing. Software Development, which was ranked as the fastest growing job in Q2 2022, began to decline this quarter and was down by 34.4% (from 2,001 to 1,311). Similarly, programming related jobs which were one of the fastest growing skills in Q4 2022 also declined this quarter by 20.9% (from 5,899 to 4,665). Demand for these types of jobs surged last year as many tech employees were laid off globally. However, the new data suggests demand is beginning to stabilize and return to pre-mass layoffs levels. Seasonality also plays into employers moving away from specific types of jobs quarter-to-quarter. Report Writing, Technical Writing, Research Writing and Business Plans were ranked as the fastest growing jobs in Q4 2022 as many employers traditionally turn to freelance support to help prepare end of year reports and 2023 plans. These types of jobs naturally reduce in the first quarter of the year. Fast 50 Q1 2023 - Data Analysis Startup Boom Fuels Creative Design Job Growth Historically, more businesses are started during a recession. Economic downturns have led to the creation of some of the world’s most well known brands, such as Microsoft, Uber and Burger King, just to name a few. Only a few years ago, the world witnessed this trend playing out as COVID sparked a startup boom, which saw a 24 percent increase in new business applications in the United States alone. According to the latest US Census Business Formation Statistics, the number of new business applications is beginning to grow in 2023 by an increase of 451,752, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to February 2023. Data from the latest Freelancer Fast 50 Index suggests there’s a sudden increase in the number of new businesses and startups being launched globally. The fastest growing skills, such as T-Shirt, Covers & Packaging, and Corporate Identity Design, as well as the growth of major jobs such as Logo Design, are all usually posted by founders at the starting point for a new business or venture. T-Shirt Design jobs, as an example, are growing as people hire freelancers to create t-shirts with their business logo as a way of promoting a brand or creating business uniforms. An uptick in Covers and Packaging Design jobs are the result of businesses turning to freelancers for new product labels and marketing brochures. Growth in website building jobs, such as Shopify (up 20.5%, from 2,302 to 2,775), Shopify Templates (up 16.1%, from 1,392 to 1,617) and eCommerce (up 15.5%, from 4,212 to 4,866), also support the rise of new businesses last quarter. Almost three quarters of the fastest growing jobs (72%) posted on Freelancer.com in the last quarter required skills in creative design or marketing. Serial entrepreneur Davuud Ghani, who recently founded Pivitt, a creative and branding support agency based in the United Kingdom, is just one example of how founders are turning to freelancers to support the growth of their business in 2023. “As a start-up, agility is our advantage over mature businesses with similar service offerings. It’s becoming easier for businesses to locate and leverage global talent, with platforms such as Freelancer.com. We are able to really finetune the skills needed on a project basis to drive excellence through our service offering to our partners, keeping us competitive in the market. That’s what our model is built from and has allowed us to secure partnerships with the likes of BMW & MINI,” said Davuud Ghani, founder of Pivitt. Generative AI Jobs Triple In Last Quarter Advancements in artificial intelligent and generative AI are impacting almost every faucet of business and creativity. Powerful AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E and Midjourney, are becoming smarter and more sophisticated by month, resulting in rapid leaps in capabilities and applications. In the first quarter of 2023, Open AI released GPT-4, introducing a more powerful and intelligent version of the application which could exhibit human level performance on several benchmarks. In the AI image generation space, research lab Midjourney also released the alpha iteration of its 5th version which allowed users to create photorealistic generations. Growing interest for AI is represented clearly in the Fast 50 Q1 2023 data which ranks jobs for Artificial Intelligence as the seventh fastest growing job on the platform, growing by 20.6% up to 1,252 jobs in total. Many projects posted in the first quarter aim to harness AI text generators or automate mass image generation, while some look for freelance experts who can help create their own AI models and applications. Generative AI skills (ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney, Chatbots) grew the fastest over the quarter, recording a total percentage increase of 325% from 286 last quarter to 1,216 in Q1 2023. In total, there were 5,262 jobs requiring skills in AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, TensorFlow, ChatGPT and Dall-E. Digital Marketing & Content Creation Popularity of content marketing is growing amongst businesses. Major success stories, such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive series or Spotify’s Wrapped, are pushing businesses and marketers towards incorporating content marketing within their strategies. It’s a trend that was identified in the Fast 50 Q3 2022 Index and is continuing in Q1 2023. Videography (up 14.21%, from to 3,102), Digital Marketing (up 12.86% to 1,720), YouTube (up 11.30% to 1,576), and Video Production (up 10.25% to 5,401) were all in-demand skills last quarter. This finding suggests that businesses are increasingly focusing on online marketing and content creation strategies to reach their target audiences. While YouTube remains as the main platform people are turning to freelancers for support, employer interest in TikTok video creation is also growing, increasing by 25% in Q1 2023, from 405 projects in Q4 2022 to 507 total jobs Q1 2023. Product Design Jobs Apart from design projects specific to branding and new business ventures, the number of 3D Design, Product Design and general Design collectively grew over Q1 2023. ##### Freelancer Fast 50 The Freelancer Fast 50 index is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 304,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer platform between January 1 to March 31 2023. Fast 50 Quarterly Index – Q1 2023 About Freelancer Freelancer.com is the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 64 million registered users have posted over 22.3 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer also owns Escrow.com and Loadshift. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details freelancer.com Marko Zitko +61 404 574 830 mzitko@freelancer.com

April 21, 2023 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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LUX stands with female athletes and challenges sports media to "Change The Angle"

LUX

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 20 April 2023 - Unilever's global beauty brand, LUX, is rallying people once more to stand up against everyday sexism. This time it is calling out the objectification of women’s bodies in sport, highlighting how the media zeroes in on female intimate body areas rather than focus on their sporting prowess. At South Africa’s highly anticipated Durban Open Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament this week, female athletes sported QR code on precisely those areas the cameras tend to focus on. Upon scanning, these ‘viewers’ were directed to a short film – ‘ Hey Camera’, which calls on those behind the cameras to end the blatant objectification of women and, instead, focus on their strengths. Bringing this campaign to live, LUX partnered with one of South Africa’s leading broadcaster, The South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC Sport, which has an audience of 19.7 million in South Africa to livestream the event on 15th and 16th of April. LUX’s #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to get broadcasters and photographers reconsidering their portrayal of women in sport. The integrated campaign has also been pulled through online, social and PR channels with thousands of generated content via influencers, celebrities, athletes and media such as Gsport4girls, 2 times olympic gold medal Caster Semenya, Cricket commentator Kass Naidoo, Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi. LUX understands the need to stop objectification of women as it can lead to more serious forms of sexism. According to its research, women are 10 times more likely to be objectified than men. While this objectification is rife across society, the brand saw that sports was the perfect, attention-grabbing example to call this out. Men in sports are frequently portrayed as strong role models who are at the top of their game. On the contrary, women's body parts are what receive the most attention, with cameras zooming into their breasts or exposed butt cheeks. LUX believes this objectification can diminish female achievements and also undermine confidence. The #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to create a sense of urgency among people to call out what are increasingly unacceptable behaviours in real time and put pressure on broadcasters to change the camera gaze by sharing 6 guidelines for them to adhere to while filming women in sport. “Women in sports are 10 times more likely to be objectified by camera angles that focus on certain body parts compared to their male counterparts. When we found out that this is also an issue for top female athletes who have achieved incredible things, we knew we had to act,” Severine Vauleon, Global Brand Vice President of LUX says, “This doesn’t only devalue the female athletes’ professional performance and achievements, but also perpetuates the objectification issue many women face every day. At LUX, we believe that beauty should be a source of strength, and that the focus should be on celebrating the beauty of their strength, skills and achievements in sport.” “This is a bold and powerful move for a beauty brand like LUX to take, and it makes me even prouder to be a part of the LUX family. I am hoping to see the change that we need in the sports fraternity so that women athletes are celebrated for the amazing talent that they have rather than being objectified in a sexual manner. I encourage everyone to do what they can to participate and push media in South Africa and across the world to #Change the Angle” Says Zozibini Tunzi former Miss Universe. “This initiative is part of our Positive Beauty mission, which is at the heart of our Beauty, Wellness and Personal Care category, championing progressive commitments and actions for our brands into a new era of beauty which is equitable and inclusive. LUX is one of South Africa’s most iconic heritage brands representing women, earning itself a heartfelt voice to challenge stereotypes by supporting woman in different aspects of their lives. A woman’s beauty is inclusive of her strength, her capabilities and her talent. LUX #ChangeTheAngle”, amplifies the voices of women in sport and their strength on the field or on the court.” - Sphelele Mjadu Unilever Beauty, Wellbeing & Personal Care Senior PR Lead for Africa. Hinoti Joshi, Global Business Lead, from Wunderman Thompson, Singapore, who spearheaded the campaign says, “The media and broadcasters have the power to change the sexist portrayal of women. We are actively calling them out so that they can recognise the flaws in this antiquated practice and become change agents to end everyday sexism.” Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/nNhekoeNh2g Contact Details Media Contact Paula Fisher, Director paula.fisher@ogilvy.com Media Contact Priya Veeriah, Senior PR Manager priya.veeriah@ogilvy.com

April 20, 2023 02:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

AMPD Ventures discusses the future of its digital content and media services with emergence of Web3

AMPD Ventures Inc

AMPD Ventures CEO James Hursthouse joins Natalie Stoberman from the Proactive studio to share his vision for the next chapter of AMPD and its subsidiary Departure Lounge. Hursthouse highlights the transition from media viewed on screens to digital content experienced through technologies such as virtual reality. Hursthouse also adds how his long-standing involvement in 3D immersive digital environments and how that experience is shaping AMPD's approach to generating revenue from this sector. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 19, 2023 12:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Women’s Soccer Sensation, Kaila Novak, and NBA Rising Star, Jonathan Kuminga, sign with sports management firm-A&A Management

Full Scope PR

Collegiate soccer phenom and TikTok star, Kaila Novak, along with NBA Forward for the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga, will join the many athletes on sports management firm, A&A Management. The firm’s impressive roster, includes two-time winning Super Bowl champion, Travis Kelce, Point Guard for the LA Clippers, Bones Hyland, wide receiver and defensive cornerback for the Cleveland Browns Donovan Peoples-Jones and Denzel Ward, and recently retired NFL veteran, Joe Haden. With their hands-on method, A&A Management tailored their business model around enterprising talent to mirror the multifaceted business needs of each individual athlete. This allows their clients to effectively capitalize on the 360º scope of their brand image in an evolving market. Collegiate soccer phenom and TikTok star, Kaila Novak, is turning heads in the world of sports and social media with an impressive social platform reaching over + 1.75M followers to date. Reflective of her vibrant ambition and while at UCLA, Kaila received accolades such as First Touch Football Women’s NCAA All-Canadian freshmen attacker of the year while simultaneously pursuing a degree in neuroscience at UCLA. As of 2023, Kaila has represented 17 Canadian woman’s national teams in multiple tournaments including the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. With her objective to be uplifting and create impact, she is loved for her crazy food reviews, the vulnerable insight she shares around her dating life, as well as her articulate nature to create global change. Dedicated athlete Jonathan Kuminga, is a 6’7” power forward with the Golden State Warriors and was widely considered one of the top high school basketball players in the country before making the jump to the professional ranks. In the 2021 NBA draft, he was selected as a 1 st round 7 th pick by the Golden State Warriors, winning the NBA Championships with his team in his first year in the league. and went on to score his career high of 26 points against the Toronto Raptors. With an equally intense passion for fashion, the NBA rising star launched his own brand “Kuminga,” inspired by his cultural roots as a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We are excited to have Kaila and Jonathan join the A&A Roster - they embody the energy, innovation, and skill we believe make stand out athletes. We look forward to supporting them on their continued track toward success across the sports world and beyond. They are break out stars who have a lot to share, and we are honored to be a part of that journey with them” says A&A Management founders, Aaron & André Eanes Kaila’s upcoming plans are focused on going pro, having her own talk show, and continuing to connect with fans by bringing authentic positivity to their own lives. Kuminga is looking forward to continued success in the NBA as well as his entrepreneurial pursuits off the court. About A&A Management A&A Management, a Cleveland-based sports and entertainment agency led by executives and brotherly duo Aaron and André Eanes. Founded in 2012, A&A Management is a diversified management collective providing a curated 360º approach for each client. With a hands-on method of representation, the agency views its clients as entrepreneurs and has tailored its business model around enterprising talent, mirroring their multi-faceted business needs in an ever-evolving cultural landscape. Fueled by data and analytics to further advance clients in developing their brands, the firm has a deep understanding of the unique opportunities available for clients to fully capitalize on their image, content production, marketing, brand partnerships, equity investment strategies, and community impact. This approach has proven successful with their wide range of clients, including Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Champion TE, Travis Kelce, Cleveland Browns All-Pro CB, Denzel Ward, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, 2022 Rising All-Star and 2nd Team All-Rookie NBA breakout, Bones Hyland and All-Pro CB Joe Haden to name a few. President and Chief Business Officer André Eanes leads A&A by overseeing day-to-day operations, evaluating the success of the organization and maintaining awareness of the competitive landscape. As President of A&A Management, Aaron lends his expertise within the marketing and advertising realm with exceptional service and personal attention, being passionate about providing clients the opportunity to build a lasting legacy, throughout one’s career and into retirement. Contact Details Full Scope PR Pia Malihi aamanagement@fullscopepr.com

April 19, 2023 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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