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As COVID-19 Restrictions Lift Americans Return to Travel

YourUpdateTV

According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than two-thirds of consumers miss traveling and can’t wait to get out again, and one in four are already planning a future vacation. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/TsJdJ3quJLE Travelers will drive, rather than fly, and hence take shorter trips closer to home. Choice Hotels’ has nearly 6,000 franchised hotels across America conveniently located near drive-to destinations and therefore well-positioned to support the resurgence of the American road trip this summer. Americans will have different comfort levels when they first venture out in this new travel environment and will be looking for indications from restaurants, hotels and attractions that they are committed to prioritizing travelers’ health and safety. Choice’s Commitment to Clean initiative is designed to help give guests added peace of mind when booking a stay. Commitment to Clean is the company’s holistic approach to supplying hotel owners and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels worldwide achieve superior levels of cleanliness. As part of the initiative, every Choice-branded hotel is designating a “Commitment to Clean Captain,” each of whom is responsible for completing applicable best-in-class cleanliness training and communicating new protocols and best practices to the rest of each hotel’s staff. Travelers will be looking to make the most of their travel budgets. Choice Privileges, the company’s award-winning loyalty program, is currently offering a Stay Twice, Earn a Free Night promotion, designed to help guests maximize their travel budgets as they return to the open road. Choice Privileges also recently announced a series of enhancements that help provide members with the flexibility to use their benefits as soon as they are ready to travel. Updates include reducing the number of nights required to earn elite status; pausing the expiration of loyalty points until Dec. 31; and initiating upgrades, extensions and bonuses for current elite members. For more information on what Choice Hotels is doing to help travelers this summer, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com About Choice Hotels: Choice Hotels International, Inc. is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing over 590,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2020, the Choice® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com . About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 08, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ergo21 Announces New Bicycle Seat Cushion Cover Provides Health Benefits and Comfort

Ergo21

Ergo21 today announced its new custom-made seat cushion cover is now available and ready to ship. The seat uses LiquiCell technology to reduce hot spots and improve blood flow. "If you want to ride forever without the butt burn, the Ergo21 Bicycle Seat Cushion is the perfect choice for regular and exercise bikes. The secret ingredient is the LiquiCell Membrane on top of an open cell foam and covered by a soft fabric"" explains Steve Gambhir, designer, and product specialist at Ergo21. Positive Customer Impact Ergo21 interviewed bicyclists, gym goers and spin enthusiasts and found most people were not happy with their seats. "We researched and evaluated the most popular brands and discovered they used molded foam, which is approximately 30% cheaper to manufacture since it simply requires some sewing. The trade-off is that it's closed-pore foam and it feels hard when you ride," said Gambhir. LiquiCell Blood Flow Technology Ergo21 sourced a custom density open cell foam from a local USA foundry designed to absorb road vibrations while not feeling hard on sitting bones. Custom made LiquiCell Membrane is then placed on top to protect sensitive skin tissues from breaking down while optimizing blood flow. "The biggest challenge we had since the foam was not molded is that it needed special manual double stitching. After several months of trying different stitching methods, we finally were able to come out with what we consider the Best Bicycle Seat Cushion out there! Better than a Gel bicycle seat cushion or foam bicycle seat cushion" said Gambhir. The seat is double-stitched, available in 2 sizes, fits almost any seat, slips on easily and enables cycling or stationary bikes enthusiasts to simply tighten the draw-cord and go. Founded in 2010, Ergo21 offers wide range of Seat Cushions designed for office, driving, home, wheelchairs, and travel. For more information on LiquiCell Blood Flow Technology: https://www.ergo21.com/bicycle-seat-cushion/ ### Ergo21 and LiquiCell are registered trademarks in the United States of the respective owners. Contact Details Steve Gambhir +1 949-975-8219 steve@ergo21.com Company Website https://www.ergo21.com/

July 08, 2020 07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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EOS Labs Launches to Help Building Managers Optimize Utility Efficiency

EOS Labs

As a typical facility can waste 30 percent of the energy it consumes or more due to lack of optimization, EOS Labs , a leading utility financial intelligence and technology company, launched today to help building managers ensure facilities are operating at optimum levels. The demand for determining where buildings can cut energy costs has increased dramatically in recent months, due to the COVID-19 crisis and resulting financial downturn— and a spotlight has been placed on this issue as buildings were left partially empty for months and were not energy optimized. EOS Labs is uniquely positioned to solve this challenge and assist facility managers in delivering both immediate and long-term cost savings strategies. In addition to automating and centralizing utility data, EOS Labs’ Utility Financial Intelligence ( ) platform uses AI and advanced analytics to further analyze smart meter and interval utility data, define anomalies wasting energy and deliver actionable insights to support decisive action for facility managers across vertical industries. These financial insights are adjusted for weather, occupancy and specific building consumption variables, helping organizations to eliminate energy waste without costly building upgrades, as well as increase savings. The platform’s added value is providing intelligence powered decision center that host all data related to utilities and energy; such as, billing itemized data, weather, building and business operational data, and more. “Today, building managers across vertical markets are inundated with data and many technology tools available actually hurt operational efficiencies by raising unnecessary alarms that slow cost-saving decisions,” said Sal Alhelo, Founder and CEO. “Currently, when building managers receive an alarm or alert from their BMS or utility management software, those alarms are treated at the same level of urgency, which doesn’t allow for focusing on the alarms that have the most impact on an organization’s bottom line. This is a continual challenge for facilities managers and one we are looking forward to helping them solve.” How it Works With a focus on increasing efficiencies for facilities across Education, Healthcare, Banking, Hospitality, Retail, Fitness and other markets, EOS Labs takes the data points that directly impact a company’s bottom line and prioritizes those data points to determine which alarms require immediate action. Data collected by EOS Labs is presented to building facility managers via dashboards containing simplified and actionable financial insights and custom alerts. EOS Labs automates the majority of the analysis as well as the review process, providing customers with easy to digest insights built on the customer s’ priorities and goals. EOS Labs presents any alarming data enabling immediate action, providing how long an issue has been in effect and the associated costs. For buildings with existing IoT-enabled building management systems (BMS), UFIQ provides an added element of financial intelligence. To elevate the existing platform, UFIQ eliminates the critical and costly blind spot in energy management that typical fault detection algorithms might miss. “During emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to be able to quickly manage utilities effectively and oversee usage across facilities,” added Alhelo. “The extra layer of visibility ensures building managers can minimize energy consumption of assets.” UFIQ provides that visibility to the entire building's energy financial performance in alignment with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) and equips managers with the financially sound guidance they need to operate and adjust BMS to achieve optimal energy savings. Based in McKinney, Texas, EOS Labs’ Founder and CEO, Sal Alhelo, has nearly 15 years of experience in energy management, engineering, construction and building operations. He has significantly contributed to the design of multi-billion-dollar hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and several healthcare facilities in Texas, as well as managed facilities programs for a Fortune 500 company for more than six years. For more detail, please visit https://energyeos.com . EOS Labs is the utility financial intelligence and technology company behind UFIQTM – a platform that provides the financial intelligence necessary to ensure your building is operating at an optimal efficiency level. The company leverages proprietary AI and advanced analytics to analyze smart meter and interval data, define the anomalies wasting energy and deliver actionable insights to support decisive action for facility managers across vertical industries. The platform’s added value is providing an intelligence-powered decision center that hosts all data related to utilities and energy; such as, billing itemized data, weather, building and business operational data, and more. Contact Details Jennifer Mirabile +1 724-493-3027 eoslabs@trustrelations.agency Company Website http://energyeos.com/

July 08, 2020 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Survey Reveals Growing Acceptance Around COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Exposure Notification Apps

Metova Inc.

Contact Details Anders Steele +1 323-909-2341 anders.steele@metova.com Company Website https://metova.com/survey-reveals-growing-acceptance-around-covid-19-contact-tracing/

July 08, 2020 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Law Firm Major, Lindsey & Africa Shares Diversity & Inclusion Insights on LEVICK Podcast "In House Warrior"

LEVICK

In LEVICK's new podcast for general counsels, In House Warrior , Major Lindsey & Africa Transform Advisory Services, one of the world’s leading consultants to law firms and legal departments, provides insights into diversity, inclusion and leadership during a period of civil unrest, greater awareness and a thirst by hundreds of law firms and legal departments to provide leadership. Listen here About In House Warrior In partnership with the Corporate Counsel Business Journal , LEVICK distributes its daily five-minute podcast In House Warrior to CCBJ’s readership of 40,000 in-house legal professionals. On each episode, host Richard Levick, Chairman & CEO of the global crisis and litigation communications firm LEVICK, explores some of the challenges facing professionals in the office of General Counsel. House Warrior is carried on all major podcast channels, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. In addition to daily distribution via the Corporate Counsel Business Journal, In House Warrior is hosted on www.levick.com , and is distributed via Today , LEVICK’s weekly e-newsletter with a circulation of over 30,000 corporate, legal and insurance executives. Subscribe here Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 07, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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National Family Support Finds Help with BlueIron

Family Support of South Carolina, Inc

National Family Support, Inc announced today that it has filed its first patent, filed through BlueIron . National Family Support is rolling out a suite of services for managing child support payments. National Family Support's program separates a non-custodial parent's responsibility of child support payments with the custodial parent's need for reliability and consistency. A parent who is required to pay child support can apply for a loan for delinquent payments, which is immediately paid to the custodial parent. Going forward, the custodial parent's payments are guaranteed. "With billions of dollars of delinquent child support payments nationally, we will arrange loans to parents who are behind and will guarantee all future payments. This means money goes right to the children it needs to help," says Dee Benedict, President of Family Support of South Carolina, Inc., that is implementing the first in the nation program in South Carolina. "Our IP portfolio lets us grow nationwide to address the child support crisis," says Frank Kristan, President of National Family Support, Inc., "It is all about the children - and BlueIron makes this possible." "Financial technology or 'fintech' is a difficult field to get valuable patents," says Russ Krajec, CEO of BlueIron. "Our investment came after a lot of due diligence and study of the marketplace and existing IP. National Family Support's innovation solves a huge problem in a very creative and protectable way." About Family Support: Family Support of South Carolina, Inc., is a private service company organized to assist in the financing of child support payments. National Family Support, Inc. is its parent company. Information is at http://www.familysupportofsc.com and e-mail: info@familysupportofsc.com. About BlueIron: BlueIron provides patent-related financing for companies ranging from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost to create IP portfolios, insures those portfolios for enforcement and defense, and can provide $2-5M loans using IP as collateral. Information is at https://blueironip.com and email: russ.krajec@blueironip.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Contact Details Frank Kristan +1 843-801-6384 info@familysupportofsc.com Company Website https://familysupportofsc.com

July 07, 2020 11:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University to Host Best Selling Author and Brand Expert Martin Lindstrom and Crisis Communications Expert Richard Levick

LEVICK

Wake Forest University’s Center for the Study of Capitalism will host a July 9 webinar titled, “The End of Brand Neutrality: How to Be Good Corporate Citizens in an Age of Civil Unrest.” Bestselling author and one of the world’s leading experts on brand and culture transformation, Martin Lindstrom, and crisis communication expert Richard Levick, will participate in a conversation with the Center for the Study of Capitalism’s Executive Director Christina Elson. They will explore how companies standing at a pivotal crossroads can reevaluate their brands and cultures to secure transformative outcomes. Martin Lindstrom is one of the world's foremost business and culture transformation experts. He is a New York Times best-selling author and speaker, as well as a consultant to numerous brand-leading companies. TIME Magazine has recognized him as among the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. His book Brand Sense was hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “one of the five best marketing books ever published,” Small Data was praised as “revolutionary” and TIME Magazine wrote this about Buyology : “a breakthrough in branding.” Richard S. Levick, Esq. Chairman and CEO of LEVICK , an award-winning global communications firm, recently joined the Center for the Study of Capitalism as an Executive Affiliate. Levick is a pioneer of litigation communications, as well as an author, noted television news contributor on crisis and public affairs and regular columnist for multiple publications. He is a sought-after global keynote speaker and is a professor at both the Fordham and Wake Forest Schools of Law. “Companies today can no longer be neutral,” Levick said. “Nor can they handle the issue of unrest and cultural non-inclusion exclusively through advertising, social media, nascent recruiting, and corporate social responsibility. This historic moment requires new approaches to leadership.” This webcast is part of the series, “The Future of Capitalism,” hosted by the Center for the Study of Capitalism. “The goal of this effort is to confront the high-speed impact of unprecedented current events on society and the economy,” Elson said. The event is free and can be viewed live at bit.ly/CSCwebcast-corporatecitizens at 1:00 PM EDT on Thursday, July 9, 2020. For additional information on this event and the panelists, visit the website at capitalism.wfu.edu/upcoming-events . About the Center for the Study of Capitalism The Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University is a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 06, 2020 12:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Navigating Summer Fun with Ereka Vetrini

YourUpdateTV

This summer is going to look a lot different than past summers but that doesn’t mean summer 2020 has to be a letdown. There is still plenty of fun to be had and family time to enjoy inside and outside. TV Host and Lifestyle Expert, Ereka Vetrini, reveals her tips to help us scratch that summer entertaining itch. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ZJU6yYIrTXg Tips for enjoying time outside this Summer: Time outside means fun time and in order to have ample amounts of fun, the entire family needs to be protected from UV rays. Banana Boat Sunscreen is all about #ProtectingTheFun, anywhere under the sun! And while Summer may look a little different this year, staying protected from the sun’s rays remains equally important. The Banana Boat Ultra Sport Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50+ is water and sweat-resistant, making it perfect for families who don’t want to be slowed down when playing outside. The lightweight formula is also available in other forms like a stick or a spray, so whatever your preference, the Ultra Sport collection provides clinically proven UVA/UVB protection that lasts as long as the fun does. Banana Boat offers SPF options for everyone in the family and every preference - making it easier to say “yes” to more outdoor family activities and keep the fun going with protection you can trust. Instagram: @BananaBoatBrand Facebook: @BananaBoatUS Twitter.com: @BananaBoat #ProtectTheFun Summer Treats to Enjoy with your Family: July is National Ice Cream Month, and what better way to celebrate than with one of life’s best desserts: Ice Cream Cake! For birthdays, summertime fun or “just because,” cakes from I Love Ice Cream Cakes are sure to bring on the smiles, and make every moment a touch sweeter! Coming in lots of different sizes and fun flavors, like Carvel®, OREO® and REESE’S, they are a delicious treat and easy to have on hand in the freezer. You can find a variety of ice cream cakes in the bakery or freezer section of your local grocery store AND you can also order them online. Just go to ILoveIceCreamCakes.com and click on the Product Locator. Available in grocery stores nationwide: https://iloveicecreamcakes.com/product-locator/ https://iloveicecreamcakes.com/ Facebook: @ILoveIceCreamCakes Instagram: @LoveIceCreamCakes Health and wellness tip to help us kick off the Summer: The start of the summer is a great time for a healthy reset. Life gets busy, and sometimes it’s hard to maintain balance. The first-place to concentrate on is gut health. According to the Mayo Clinic, our bodies are home to TRILLIONS of bacteria and 80% of your body's immune cells reside in your gut. FRISKA’s has a lineup of 10 products that all feature a clinically proven probiotic and proprietary blend of digestive enzymes to make the nutrients in your food more bio-available Remember, if you’re looking for overall wellness, there is no place better to start than gut health! $29.99 available nationwide at CVS, Whole Foods Amazon and www.getfriska.com *Promo Code* FRISKA20 for 20% off your entire purchase till July 13th. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 06, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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NAMEPA Launches First Holistic CSR/ESG Program Designed for the Maritime Industry

North American Marine Environment Protection Association

NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association) has launched the first known comprehensive CSR/ESG (Corporate Social Responsibility/Environment, Social, Governance) program designed expressly for the maritime industry, with its corresponding “Maritime Sustainability Passport” (MSP) awarded to companies, organizations and individuals who meet the requirements of the platform. The program encompasses the three pillars of CSR/ESG: corporate governance, environment and the human element. The first company to qualify for NAMEPA’s Maritime Sustainability Passport is Cargill. Its ocean transportation business successfully completed all three phases of the program, including supplying supporting documentation for its claims. Their submission was then evaluated by a team of assessors to determine whether they met the criteria of the CSR/ESG program and were eligible to receive NAMEPA’s MSP Certificate and Seal. Cargill successfully demonstrated to the assessors their eligibility to qualify for the Maritime Sustainability Passport. “The maritime industry is rapidly recognizing the importance of demonstrating its commitment to sustainability” stated NAMEPA Chairman Joe Hughes of the American Club. “NAMEPA identified the need to provide the industry with a standard guideline of expectations relating to a company’s efforts in CSR/ESG. We are pleased to provide this tool for the industry to support its efforts towards sustainability.” “Cargill has made sustainable shipping a priority and an integral part of our business strategy,” remarked Jan Dieleman, Business Leader for Cargill Ocean Transportation. “We are working with partners and other industry leaders to accelerate progress across the maritime sector, with a particular focus on decarbonization.” “Our industry is changing at an unprecedented rate, with societal demands driving regulatory requirements driving technological change” observed NAMEPA Co-Founder/Executive Director Carleen Lyden Walker. “With an operating climate that is increasingly transparent, industry needs to match that transparency and demonstrate its commitment to core values contained in the CSR/ESG program. The program contains a uniform set of standards plus a toolkit for achieving them. Completion of the program results in the issuance of NAMEPA’s Maritime Sustainability Passport, which is renewed annually.” NAMEPA’s CSR/ESG program can be found at https://namepa.net/csr-esg . The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is a marine industry-led organization of environmental stewards preserving the marine environment by promoting sustainable marine industry best practices and educating seafarers, students and the public about the need and strategies for protecting global ocean, lake and river resources. Visit us at NAMEPA.net . Contact Details Carleen Lyden Walker +1 203-255-4686 executivedirector@namepa.net Company Website https://namepa.net/

July 01, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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