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Top Camping Destinations in America

YourUpdateTV

In the past several years, there has been tremendous growth in the outdoor travel industry. The increased popularity of camping has been fueled by a combination of long-term trends and more immediate factors related to the pandemic, such as remote work, vacations closer to home, and travelers seeking safe, outdoor vacations away from crowds. Recently, Michael Scheinman, Chief Executive Officer at Campspot, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the top camping destinations in America and results from the first annual Campspot Awards. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/Zsi5jOBc7tE Camping really surged during COVID and has become a go-to option for friends and families to have a fun, safe, socially distant, outdoor vacation. Once people got a flavor for camping, they wanted to keep doing it. For example, from Q2 2020 to Q2 2021: The number of parks on Campspot increased by 145% Nights camped increased 191% The percent of customers who were repeat bookers grew by 21% Reservations placed increased 193% Campspot is now the largest online camping marketplace in North America, with over 140,000 campsites across the United States and Canada According to a customer survey we conducted last year, high quality showers / bathhouses (36%) was the top amenity that matters most when booking a campsite, followed closely by family activities (32%). Family vacation time (27%) was the number one reason consumers say they camp, and not surprisingly, family is who most respondents said they typically camp with (52%). Camping with friends was the second most popular response when it comes to camping companions (22%) followed by spouse (12%), an organized camping or outdoors group (8%), and solo (6%). Some of the top Campgrounds in the US include Angel Fire RV Resort in Angel Fire, NM, Cava Robles RV Resort in Paso Robles, CA, and Dark Sky RV Campground in Kanab, UT. A few of the most popular campgrounds include Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort in Felton, CA, Canyonlands RV Resort & Campground in Moab, UT, and Oceanside RV Resort & Campground in Coos Bay, OR For more information, visit www.Campspot.com, or download the Campspot Mobile App on Apple IOS and Android About Michael Scheinman: As CEO, Scheinman focuses on growing Campspot’s user and supplier base, while continuing to enhance the site’s products, features and functionality. An executive with more than 10 years in the travel industry, Scheinman brings a breadth of experience in e-commerce, technology, and corporate strategy. Prior to joining Campspot, Scheinman headed up Orbitz and CheapTickets, two portfolio brands of online travel giant Expedia Group. Prior, he served as general manager for the lodging division at Hotwire, another of the group's brands. He has also held leadership positions in hotel partnerships, product management, marketing, and business operations. Scheinman holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where he studied Hotel Administration About Campspot: Campspot is a leading online marketplace for RV resorts, family campgrounds, cabins, glamping options and more, providing access to more than 140,000 campsites across the United States and Canada. Campspot’s real-time, cloud-based campground management solution enables a best-in-class reservation system (site inventory and ancillary add-ons) by giving its customers a POS system and the necessary management tools (utility billing, housekeeping tracking, etc.) to provide the best possible user experience. Campspot provides an intuitive easy-to-navigate guest booking experience that returns relevant and easy-to-modify searches, making planning a vacation seamless. For more information, please visit www.campspot.com. Follow Campspot on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download the Campspot Mobile App on Apple IOS HERE and Android HERE. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

January 25, 2022 02:56 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Save the Redwoods League Donates 523 Acres of Forestland to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council for Lasting Protection

Save the Redwoods League

For a second time, Save the Redwoods League and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council have partnered to permanently protect coast redwood forestland within Sinkyone Tribal territory on the Lost Coast in Mendocino County, California. The League purchased the 523-acre property, formerly known as Andersonia West, in July 2020. To ensure lasting protection and ongoing stewardship, the League has donated and transferred ownership of the forest to the Sinkyone Council, and the Council has granted the League a conservation easement. Through this partnership, the Sinkyone Council resumes guardianship of land from which Sinkyone people were forcibly removed by European American settlers generations ago.As an act of cultural empowerment and a celebration of Indigenous resilience, this forest will again be known as Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ, pronounced tsih-ih-LEY-duhn and meaning “Fish Run Place” in the Sinkyone language. “Renaming the property Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ lets people know that it’s a sacred place; it’s a place for our Native people,” said Crista Ray, who is of Eastern Pomo, Sinkyone, Cahto, Wailaki and other ancestries. Ray is a tribal citizen of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and a board member of the Sinkyone Council. “It lets them know that there was a language and that there was a people who lived there long before now.” “Today I stand on the shoulders of giants, my ancestors … to bring them honor, and to not let our old ways be forgotten, for our next generation, my children, my grandchildren and all the kids that I’ll never get to see,” said Buffie Schmidt, who is of Northern Pomo and other ancestries. Schmidt is a tribal citizen and vice chairperson for the Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians and board treasurer of the Sinkyone Council. “Our ancestors are still here, they’re still around us. As I listen to the wind, I feel like my ancestors—who I’ve never even known in my lifetime—are here and happy that we call this place something that they’re familiar with: Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ.” “The Sinkyone Council today represents the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of this land. Their connection to the redwood forest is longstanding, and it is deep,” said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League. “The League is honored to support a return of Native people to this place and to partner with the Sinkyone Council in their management and stewardship of Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ. We believe the best way to permanently protect and heal this land is through tribal stewardship. In this process, we have an opportunity to restore balance in the ecosystem and in the communities connected to it, while also accelerating the pace and scale of conserving California’s iconic redwood forests.” Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ is the League’s second land donation to the Sinkyone Council. The first, in 2012, was the 164-acre Four Corners property, north of Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ. The Council also granted the League a conservation easement on Four Corners. The Four Corners project was the first League project in which Save the Redwoods entered into a conservation agreement with a tribal entity. Lasting Protections for Redwoods, Salmon and Wildlife Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ is a coastal conifer forest with 200 acres of old-growth coast redwoods and 1.5 miles of Anderson Creek, a Class I fish-bearing stream and tributary to the South Fork Eel River. Second-growth redwoods, Douglas-fir, tanoaks and madrones also tower over a lush understory of huckleberry, elderberry, manzanita and ceanothus. This habitat corridor supports coho salmon, steelhead trout, marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl—all listed under the Endangered Species Act. Both organizations are committed to protecting redwood forests, their surrounding lands and the fish and wildlife that live there. Their partnership ensures lasting protection for Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ, tribal stewardship of the forest, and the prevention of habitat loss, commercial timber operations, construction and development. The Council and League plan to apply a blend of Indigenous place-based land guardianship principles, conservation science, climate adaptation and fire resiliency concepts and approaches to help ensure lasting protection and long-term healing for Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ and its diverse flora and fauna. As a Tribal Protected Area, Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ is a vital addition to 180,000 acres of adjacent conserved lands along the Sinkyone coast. It is east of the 7,250-acre Sinkyone Wilderness State Park and located north of the 3,845-acre InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness, which was acquired by the Sinkyone Council in 1997. The Sinkyone Council’s goal for Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ is to help expand the matrix of neighboring protected lands that are ecologically and culturally linked, “so that tribes can achieve larger landscape-level and regional-level protections informed by cultural values and understandings of these places,” said Hawk Rosales, an Indigenous land defender who is of Ndéh (Apache) ancestry and former executive director of the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. “In this way, Indigenous Peoples will support and participate in the healing of these lands and their communities.” According to an April 2021 United Nations policy brief, while Indigenous Peoples represent just 5% of the world’s population, they effectively manage approximately 20-25% of Earth’s land surface in areas that hold 80% of the planet’s biodiversity and about 40% of protected lands and ecologically intact landscapes. Indigenous cultural lifeways and traditional knowledge systems represent unique ways of relating to ecosystems, based upon Indigenous law and the law of nature—which, when carried out, help ensure biological diversity and abundance. Tribal nations are at the forefront of addressing climate, conservation and wildlife crises through their engagement with efforts such as the 30x30 Initiative to Protect Nature, a 10-year commitment by various tribal nations, state and federal governments, conservation organizations and others to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and oceans by 2030 through locally led partnerships. As prominent leaders in land and water protection, the League and the Sinkyone Council are helping to advance the emerging 30x30 effort in California. “The Sinkyone Council has designated Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ as a Tribal Protected Area. This designation recognizes that this place is within the Sinkyone traditional territory, that for thousands of years it has been and still remains an area of importance for the Sinkyone people, and that it holds great cultural significance for the Sinkyone Council and its member tribes,” stated Priscilla Hunter, who is of Northern Pomo and Coast Yuki ancestries. Hunter is a tribal citizen of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and chairwoman of the Sinkyone Council. “The Council and the League have a mutual commitment to respect, safeguard and tend Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ in ways that ensure its long-term protection, care and healing. In holding and caring for this land, we are helping to lead effective ways of addressing the global climate crisis.” Protection of Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ The League’s initial purchase of this 523-acre forest for $3.55 million in 2020 was fully funded by Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s (PG&E) Compensatory Mitigation Program (program). The program seeks to develop projects related to conservation goals outlined in PG&E’s Multiple Region Operations and Maintenance Habitat Conservation Plan. Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ supports meeting the company’s 30-year conservation goals, which were developed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ contains abundant high-quality habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet and yellow-legged frog. The long-term management and stewardship plan for the property was developed by PG&E, the League and the Sinkyone Council, and it was approved by the FWS prior to protection and donation of the land. PG&E also reimbursed the League and Council for transactional costs and management plan preparation, in addition to a $1.13 million endowment to support ongoing stewardship of Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ. *** To schedule an interview, contact Robin Carr at (415) 971-3991 or redwoods@landispr.com. To access hi-res images and b-roll video, please visit the League’s newsroom. About the Partners: Save the Redwoods League One of the nation’s longest-running conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918. The League has connected generations of visitors with the beauty and serenity of the redwood forest. The nonprofit’s 29,000 members have enabled the organization to protect more than 216,000 acres of irreplaceable forests in 66 state, national and local parks and reserves. For information, please visit SaveTheRedwoods.org. InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council Founded by Tribal Nations that have protected the earth for millennia, the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council is a non-profit consortium of 10 Tribes whose legacies are rooted in deep intergenerational relationships of reciprocity with cultural landscapes and seascapes cared for in ways to ensure biological diversity and abundance. The Council conducts Indigenous protection, conservation and guardianship work within Sinkyone and adjacent Tribal territories. For information, please visit Sinkyone.org. Contact Details Landis Communications Inc. Robin Carr +1 415-971-3991 redwoods@landispr.com Company Website https://www.savetheredwoods.org/

January 25, 2022 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time

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SwingJuice Apparel swings into 2022 by Exhibiting at The PGA Show

SwingJuice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SwingJuice Apparel Swings into 2022 by Exhibiting at The PGA Show Pawtucket, RI – January 24, 2022- SwingJuice.com, a lifestyle clothing and apparel brand, will be Exhibiting at the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL January 25-28, Booth 3865 to Launch their New Line of Custom Performance Polos. “We are So Excited to be back at the Show and give people a true Taste of what the SwingJuice Brand and SJ Life is all about,” said Jon Mason, Founder and Creative Director at SwingJuice. “Our New Line of Performance Polos and golf inspired gear are exactly what Golf Retail has been looking for, I’m beyond thrilled to Show it off to the World.” SwingJuice has been rapidly expanding into Green Grass and Brick & Mortar Retail during the past year in addition to having their entire collection being available at swingjuice.com. SwingJuice has developed a rabid Fan Base that has long been wondering when the launch of High Quality Performance Polos would happen, the answer is here. “The Quality of our Performance wear has far exceeded our expectations and thus our Customers should absolutely Love them,” says SwingJuice CEO Steve “Dakota” Happas. “This next phase for SwingJuice will continue to bring High Quality gear, fun designs and an overall Great vibe to the Industry. Can’t wait to see what the Future holds” The PGA Merchandise Show is happening January 25-28, 2022 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando FL where SwingJuice will be exhibiting at Booth 3865. If you happen to be at the Show and would like to Book an appointment to view the Entire SwingJuice Collection please contact Wholesale Director Cindy Belden at cindy@swingjuice.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ABOUT SWINGJUICE: SwingJuice is a golf-inspired clothing and apparel brand that trailblazed the philosophy that molds were made to be broken and that clothing should be a conversation-starter. SwingJuice apparel allows consumers to display their passion for sports in a more fun, unique and approachable way. SwingJuice is also a community – established through the love of golf and expanded through the passion for all sports. The staff at SwingJuice are sports junkies just like the consumers they serve and they are always dreaming up new ways to bring unique personality to the products they design.For more information, please visit www.swingjuice.com. Keep up-to-date with all of the SwingJuice news on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swingjuice Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swingjuice YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/swingjuice Contact Details SwingJuice Jon Mason +1 781-710-9374 jon@swingjuice.com Company Website https://www.swingjuice.com

January 24, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Jason Carris Buys Independent Print Shop and Converts Business to Minuteman Press Franchise in Red Bank, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

Jason Carris is the new owner of Minuteman Press in Red Bank, NJ, which is part of the Middletown Township. Utilizing the Minuteman Press Franchise Conversion Program, Jason purchased independent print shop All American Print & Copy Center, which was in business for 40 years, and took over the location in September 2021. Jason says, “ The biggest advantage of buying this business was having an established clientele. We did our research and made sure the owners were respected by their clients. There was also 40 years of history and track record as well.” What is it like for Jason to be a new local business owner in Red Bank? He says, “Once you make that leap, it’s a very exciting experience to own your own business. We have a vibrant community here and I see the long-term growth potential. I am looking forward to making Minuteman Press a real pillar and trusted business partner in Red Bank / Middletown Township.” Jason further explains, “I think we have a tremendous opportunity to expand our wide format printing business with banners, posters, and signage remaining in high demand for our clients. I am also looking forward to bolstering our in-house mailing and direct mail services to help other local businesses reach their target audiences.” Prior to franchising, Jason worked in medical publishing and digital marketing. He also ran a number of small consulting businesses in his career. He says, “A combination of things – including the pandemic and economic forces – made me decide to go fully into business ownership. My wife Renee has an entrepreneurial spirt as well.” He adds, “ Minuteman Press International and our Regional Vice President Jim Galasso guided us through the purchase of the business step by step. Jim made the process easier to manage and I couldn’t have done this on my own without the help from the team at Minuteman Press.” Why Minuteman Press? Jason answers, “We did a lot of research and Minuteman Press jumped out to us on a number of levels. They were on a lot of top franchise lists, they appealed to people who hadn’t owned a business, and the business seemed easy to learn. In addition to being a highly respected franchise, Minuteman Press had a reasonable cost of entry and I appreciate their cap on royalties.” He continues, “The support has been wonderful. Because there is a 40-year history of the independent print shop we purchased, we have been transitioning the business. It’s great to have the training and support especially since I had not run a business of this scope before.” When asked about the keys to making that leap and becoming a business owner, Jason shares, “I think the two biggest keys to owning a business are to really make sure you feel 100% comfortable with the business model, and to believe in your products and services. Also, it is important to be proactive but also have patience after buying the business. Think about growth potential, and understand there is a learning curve. That’s normal for everyone.” Minuteman Press in Red Bank is located at 518 Route 35, Red Bank, NJ 07701. For more information, call 732-758-6200 or visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/red-bank. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. For more information on the Minuteman Press Franchise Conversion Program, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

January 24, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Aver, the World’s First Fully Decentralized Web3 Betting Platform, Closes $7.5M Seed Funding Round

Aver

Aver, a decentralized peer-to-peer betting exchange built on the Solera blockchain, today announced it raised $7.5 million in seed funding. The raise was led by Jump Crypto, which along with its affiliate Jump Capital, is a key player in both the crypto and sports betting venture capital domain. The project also drew backing from other venture capital heavyweights, including Mirana Ventures, Susquehanna International Group, Genesis Block Ventures, Serum Ventures, Blue Pool Capital, MEXC, Gate.io, Petrock Capital and Solar Eco Fund. The seed round will be used to help bring the world’s first decentralized Web3 betting platform to market as well as fund development and legal regulatory operating costs. The platform expects to launch in mid-2022, after a closed beta in Q1 2022. The innovation underlying Aver is a blockchain protocol which enables peer-to-peer matching of bets in a way that does not require a ‘trusted middleman’ - as is the case in a traditional bookmaker or exchange such as Betfair. This enables betting at a fraction of the cost as compared and eliminates counterparty risk. Aver has ambitions to move to an open-source structure over time, allowing for third parties to build applications on top of the technology, such as new features, interfaces and markets, and supporting the continued development of the Aver ecosystem. The investor line-up represents some highly strategic investment partners for the ambitious early-stage project - including heavyweights in both the sports betting and crypto trading domains and connections to some of the world’s largest crypto exchanges. Peter Johnson, Partner at Jump Crypto - “At Jump, we are excited about the future of Web3, sports betting, and the confluence of these two areas. We believe Aver’s approach to decentralized sports betting can increase transparency, reduce costs, and enable operations at a global scale.” Dean Carlson, Head of Digital Asset Investments at Susquehanna - “Aver brings real innovation to the betting industry. Its open and decentralized mechanism of exchange has the potential to really disrupt the traditional betting markets - facilitating more fluid trading, greater price transparency and returning a significant chunk of the profit margins back to users.” David Toh, Partner at Mirana Ventures - “In many respects, blockchain and Web3 technology is still in its infancy, and we are still in the early stages of wider adoption. Part of the challenge ahead is designing a product that offers users all of the many benefits of decentralization - but without any compromise to user experience and ease-of-use versus traditional platforms. From what we’ve seen to date, we are confident that the Aver team can deliver on that.” The Aver platform is built on Solana - a blockchain network which has gathered much attention in recent months, as it boasts transaction costs and processing times approximately 1/1,000th of that on Ethereum. The team behind Aver has already brought a proof of concept technology to fruition as part of the Solana Ignition Hackathon, claiming a top spot and recognition among the hundreds of promising applications of the blockchain technology in the decentralized finance (‘DeFi’) space. For more information on Aver, please visit the project on Twitter @AverBet or at aver.bet. ABOUT AVER Founded in 2021, Aver is a decentralized peer-to-peer betting exchange built on the Solana blockchain and the world’s first decentralized Web3 betting exchange. Contact Details Hot Paper Lantern Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://aver.bet/

January 24, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Why Visitors Should Start Planning Adventure and Outdoor Vacations Now: National Plan for Vacation Day is January 25, 2022

YourUpdateTV

National Plan for Vacation Day takes place on January 25, 2022 and is the perfect time to dream about travel and plan memorable trips. Outdoor recreation is in high demand as visitors escape to public lands and waters in record numbers. Planning ahead and understanding what is needed as visitors plan their trips is more important than ever. Recently, Janelle Smith, spokesperson for Recreation.gov, shared how Recreation.gov empowers people to dream, plan and experience our national treasures, and why everyone has the opportunity to enjoy them and take responsibility to care for the outdoors and each other. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/2_wu0M-S8mc Recreation.gov is a one-stop-shop for planning adventure and outdoor travel experiences on federal public lands and waters, with more than 4,200 recreation areas and over 113,000 individual reservable sites across the country. A vacation doesn’t need to be in a far-off destination; there are often great sites to explore right in your zip code or along a planned travel route. Many public lands offer affordable options and are available for day-trips or overnight stays. As locations adapt to the impacts from the pandemic many that may not have previously required reservations may now require them, including high-demand destinations. Visitors are encouraged to know before they go and make reservations in advance where required. Most campsites are available to reserve six months before their arrival date, and some popular campgrounds can book up in minutes, so it’s never too early to start dreaming and planning. Visitors can use Recreation.gov to find less explored, off-the-beaten-path destinations to avoid crowds. With Recreation.gov, visitors can make a list of their desired locations, identify when reservations are available, and reserve their campsite and activities in advance. The Recreate Responsibly guidelines also offer excellent guidance for getting outside and keeping visitors safe while maintaining access to our beloved natural spaces. The guidelines include six tips to protect visitors, the surrounding community, the trails, and the environment. From booking a nearby getaway to planning a cross-country road trip, the Recreation.gov website and mobile app help visitors find and reserve campsites, schedule tours, secure permits, review location details for their trip, and quickly access information on past and upcoming reservations. To find trip inspiration and plan your 2022 outdoor adventures, visit www.Recreation.gov and don’t forget to bring home a story. About Recreation.gov: Recreation.gov is a one-stop-shop to explore America’s outdoor and cultural destinations. We provide tools and tips to discover new adventures, find inspiration, share information, and make reservations. Find incredible places and experiences that help you bring home a story through Recreation.gov. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

January 24, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Spotlight Sports Group Announces Title Sponsorship of the FSGA Winter Conference

Spotlight Sports Group

Spotlight Sports Group, a world-leading technology, content and media company specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports, announced the company will be the title sponsor of the upcoming Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA) Winter Conference at the LINQ Hotel in Las Vegas on Feb. 15-16. The FSGA Winter Conference brings together fantasy sports, sports betting and gaming executives from across the world to network and discuss major trends in the marketplace, new technologies and emerging legislation and regulation impacting the entire sports gaming industry. In addition to breakout panels and keynotes, the conference features an awards ceremony and an innovation pitch competition. Spotlight Sports Group’s SVP of Business Development, Rick Wolf is a founding member of the FSGA and will co-host the event. As the title sponsor of the event, Wolf will also provide the opening remarks to start the conference focused on the massive expansion of sports betting and gaming set to take place for 2022. “With the emerging legalization of sports betting across America, specifically in states with large populations like California and Texas, companies have a limited time to take advantage of the gold rush. In 2022 alone, we’re predicting the number of American sports bettors with legal access to sports betting could double, from less than 40% to close to 75%,” said Wolf. “This year’s conference will explore all the ways businesses can innovate and create sustainable revenue streams before it's too late to scale efficiently.” In addition to the title sponsorship, the company will co-sponsor a free-to-play game for all attendees alongside the FSGA. Spotlight developed the free-to-play game through its self-service game engine. The game concept provides the FSGA audience a proof of concept of how companies can quickly bring to market a coveted user engagement tool like free-to-play games. The prop-style free-to-play game will be available to all attendees and will feature a prize of an autographed NFL jersey. “For more than 20 years, the FSGA has been at the forefront of progress for the fantasy, sports betting and gaming industries,” said Harry von Behr, Spotlight’s managing director of sport and co-US CEO. “Spotlight is one of the only companies to provide a full-service technology and content offering across the entire fantasy sports, sports betting and gaming industries. The sponsorship is a natural extension of our capabilities, providing value and insights to all those in attendance.” For more information regarding the conference and other attendees here: https://thefsga.org/fsga-winter-conference/ ABOUT SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP Spotlight Sports Group (owned by Exponent Private Equity) is a leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting. Evolved from the Racing Post Group, Spotlight Sports Group engages millions of people directly through Racing Post, Pickswise, Free Super Tips, Fantasy Alarm and myracing. The company also has decades of experience in powering growth and conversion for the world’s biggest sportsbooks and media companies, delivering best-in-class technology and expert scalable content experiences in more than 70 languages. Contact Details Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/

January 20, 2022 12:08 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Shekel Technology Drives its First US Autonomous Store

SHEKEL

SHEKEL (ASX: SBW), the Israeli-based leader in artificial intelligence-based (AI) electronic weighing systems, will see its groundbreaking product identification technology implemented in the world’s first fully first autonomous store opening shortly in Fayetteville, Georgia. Nourish + Bloom, a new retail chain which aims to offer healthy food to communities across the United States, will feature Shekel’s smart solutions for accurate and real-time identification of shelf products in its flagship store due to open on January 21. Developed for the global retail and healthcare services sectors, the technology enables the rapid implementation of autonomous shopping at reasonable costs, while completely maintaining the buyers’ privacy. Shekel’s technology will combine with Hitachi’s consumer tracking technology in the Nourish + Bloom chain. Customers will use a mobile app, developed by UST, make their purchases from product-aware shelves, and have payment channeled directly to their payment systems, completely eliminating waiting in line at checkouts. The store also includes a bistro offering a wide range of healthy fresh food to order, where the customer can sit in a café to eat on the spot or have delivered. In addition to the autonomous shopping experience, customers can have their purchases delivered to their homes by dedicated robots. The N+B chain, which has a social and environmental agenda, promotes a unique concept that it says redefines the "traditional corner store in the neighborhood" by focusing on the personal connection of the neighborhood retailer while introducing sustainability and autonomous checkout technology. The highest priority is given to local brands to reduce the carbon footprint. In addition, fresh food products and the importance of care and health are high on the chain's priorities while adhering to the highest standards. The new store is the first expression of its kind worldwide, resulting from the unique collaboration of three advanced technology companies, Hitachi, SHEKEL, and UST who have partnered to create an innovative and advanced system for the retail world: SHEKEL's product identification technology enables accurate and real-time product recognition technology; Hitachi's 3D LiDAR technology, enables monitoring customers and linking products to their personal shopping cart without compromising the customer privacy; while UST developed the in-store management systems and the store app. UST also manages the project, integrates between all three and makes the application accessible to the store customer. Jamie and Jilea Hemmings, founders of Nourish + Bloom Market, are excited to redefine what the future of grocery shopping looks like: “Through our partnerships with UST, and Shekel for autonomous and smart shelf technologies, we will be able to increase access to healthier food options as we continue to expand around the United States." Rami Bahar, Chief Business Development Manager of SHEKEL stated: “We are proud to partner with a new retail chain that promotes and operates on the values of innovation, sustainability and community. SHEKEL is at the forefront of retail tech with an outstanding combination of patented IoT sensors and artificial intelligence-based algorithms, resulting in the best product recognition technology available today. Our groundbreaking technology enables a scalable implementation of autonomous shopping, at reasonable costs, without operational limitations while completely maintaining the privacy of the shoppers. The partnership with Hitachi and UST, each a leader in its field, enables us to offer a holistic and complete product, with an attractive return on investment model that allows, for the first time, a profitable rollout of autonomous store networks." How it works To buy in the autonomous store, the customer downloads an app and enters the means of payment only once. When the buyer arrives at the store, a barcode is used for identification. Selected products are placed in the shopping cart, and at that moment the smart shelving system identifies the purchase, knows how to refund returned products and informs the retailer of what was taken, anything that may be missing, and what was not returned to its place. On the successful transaction, the buyer exits the store, and the receipt is sent to the app. Following the launch of the flagship store in Fayetteville, GA the chain intends to develop a network of franchise branches across the US with the same concept over the next few years. SHEKEL and the other partners will be contracted as providers of the autonomous store platform. About Shekel – Doing Magic with Gravity SHEKEL has been at the forefront of the digital weighing industry for the past four decades. Thanks to a unique combination of innovative technology, sophisticated software, artificial intelligence models and advanced algorithms, SHEKEL's weighing systems have proven their ability to provide weighing solutions with maximum precision, as well as gaining recognition of their products and indicative solutions for a wide range of industries, from retail and medical to science and security. SHEKEL strives to help its partners reach their goals and serve their customers in the best way, and to improve the lives of millions all over the world. Leveraging many years of experience and countless success stories, our aspiration to preserve SHEKEL’s status as a leader in the digital weighing industry is embodied and defined in our basic principle: the customer is at the center of everything that we do. That magic solution that blends many years of thought leadership, combined with a mindset of entrepreneurship and innovation, is what motivates our team to continue to develop differentiating technologies, and in this is the source of SHEKEL'S appeal. The protected combination of SHEKEL patents, which combine weighing technologies with artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has led to the development of our "product-conscious technology". SHEKEL is committed to continue to innovate and expand into global markets. Our website: www.shekelonline.com About N&B Nourish + Bloom Market is the first autonomous grocery store with robotic delivery in the United States and the first African American owned autonomous grocery store in the world. Nourish + Bloom is on a mission to make eating healthy and convenient. We believe that everyone deserves to eat healthy. Nourish + Bloom offers locally sourced craft items, such as produce, meats, baked goods, dairy and prepared meals, alongside everyday convenience items with no checkout. The benefit of autonomous shopping, vending, and robotic delivery means you have 24/7/365 access to real food and environmentally friendly products anytime. All products provided at Nourish and Bloom Markets are made with the highest quality ingredients that are minimally processed. www.nourishandbloommarket.com / About UST Born digital, UST have always believed in the power of technology to engineer a better future/ UST helps the world’s best companies succeed through transformation. Using a nimble, creative approach UST works together from start to finish to realize their customers’ vision for tomorrow. With the right talent and tools, UST crafts disruptive solutions, and provide the resources and expertise clients need to bring them to life. About Hitachi Vantara Hitachi Vantara, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., guides our customers from what's now to what's next by solving their digital challenges. Working alongside each customer, we apply our unmatched industrial and digital capabilities to their data and applications to benefit both business and society. More than 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies trust Hitachi Vantara to help them develop new revenue streams, unlock competitive advantages, lower costs, enhance customer experiences, and deliver social and environmental value. Visit us at www.hitachivantara.com. Contact Details SHEKEL Ifat Yoffe +972 54-345-6250 ifat@shekelonline.com Company Website https://shekelonline.com/

January 20, 2022 10:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

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METER Group Introduces the ROS 1 Moisture Analyzer for Food and Pharma

METER Group, Inc.

METER Group today introduced the ROS 1 Moisture Analyzer, a revolutionary, modern, easy-to-use, automated reference method for moisture content analysis. The ROS 1 generates reference-quality data with ease-of-use comparable to halogen moisture balances, without the time and manual effort of drying ovens or the complexity and chemicals of Karl Fischer Titration (KF Titration). “Food and pharma manufacturers rely on moisture content measurements to control their processes and comply with labelling and potency requirements,” said Takuya Ohki, VP, METER Group. “The most accurate moisture content methods are incredibly complex or inefficient. Faster methods lack precision and produce questionable results. “We developed the ROS 1 to address this gap. It’s fast, precise, intuitive, and handles every detail automatically. It combines the best of all methods without their shortcomings.” Water content affects storage stability, appearance, texture, and taste, as well as other physicochemical characteristics of food, and is legally stipulated as well. The ROS 1 Moisture Analyzer determines moisture content from as many as nine samples in 40 minutes with reference-method precision. With an element positioned millimeters from the sample, it precisely heats each sample while cycling them across a highly accurate scale. Throughout the process, it records temperature, weight, and time, then generates an exact drying curve for each sample. Karl Fischer titration is complex and time-consuming. It uses hazardous chemicals and requires a skilled operator. Oven loss-on-drying requires significant hands-on time and often requires hours to complete. Like these reference methods, the ROS 1 is sample agnostic, using intelligent algorithms to recognize the perfect parameters for any substance without having to research test setup. Leveraging automation, it has the potential to save businesses and scientists hundreds of hours each month. “The ROS 1 brings a new level of efficiency and accuracy to food and pharma production, and delivers unprecedented precision and simplicity to workflows,” added Ohki. “Interaction with samples is minimal; the machine does the work, virtually eliminating the risk of human error or fudged data.” The ROS 1 uncovers a depth of real-time, actionable insights that moisture balances and ovens cannot detect, without the time and effort usually required. It dries to a standard, so measurements have real context and meaning. Titration takes a great deal of expertise and is usually only performed by experienced food scientists and other highly skilled employees. It also requires use and disposal of potentially dangerous chemicals. “By-the-book oven methods require hours of repetitive labor and require constant attention from operators. I’ve met manufacturers that had to run an additional lab shift just to manage oven samples. Conversely, the ROS 1 helps you meet industry regulations while automating rote tasks, freeing scientists to focus their attention on more important, profitable work,” added Ohki. Ovens are also problematic, often requiring several hours to dry samples, and additional time spent waiting for samples to cool in desiccators. Other methods that tout speed lack the precision outputs that food and pharma manufacturers require. “Many people who make moisture content measurements neither understand nor care how difficult it is to get precise, reliable results from existing methods,” says Ohki, “But inaccurate measurements have a big impact on the bottom line. For people who understand moisture, this innovation will immediately resonate. Others will get interested when they see what they can now do. “With the ROS 1, METER Group has brought to market the first and only moisture content analyzer device to offer precision of reference methods, the simplicity of an oven, and speed comparable to a moisture balance.” About METER Group METER Group, a Decagon and UMS combined company, delivers real-time, high-resolution data that fuels production and processes for the food quality, environmental research, urban and agriculture sectors. Through the power of its employees, METER combines science, engineering, and design expertise to turn physical measurements into useful information. Learn more at www.metergroup.com. Contact Details JMRConnect Mostafa Razzak +1 202-904-2048 m.razzak@jmrconnect.net

January 20, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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