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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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Digital Ally, Inc. & ReviverMX, Inc. Named Winners of NAFA’s First-Ever I&E Innovations Showcase

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, just announced Digital Ally, Inc. and ReviverMX, Inc. as the winners of its inaugural Innovations Showcase at its annual Institute & Expo (I&E). Over a dozen leading companies within the fleet, technology and vehicle space presented their product launches and innovations in front of I&E attendees. Digital Ally Inc. presented EVO Fleet – a new fleet video system that utilizes the latest innovations in telematics technology. Compact in form factor yet rich in features, the EVO Fleet Vehicle Camera offers artificial intelligence providing immediate driver-assist feedback by recognizing pedestrians, distracted or drowsy driving, and lane drifting. ReviverMX presented RFleet, a bundling of digital license plate hardware with a software interface purpose-built to streamline management of vehicle fleets for commercial businesses. RFleet offers a suite of services, including automated vehicle registration and compliance, as well as a robust set of telematics, corporate messaging and safety features. RFleet is the only fully-digital registration renewal solution on the market. “Innovation is at the foundation of our industry, and we are thrilled to announce Digital Ally, Inc. and ReviverMX, Inc. as the winners of our inaugural I&E Innovations Showcase,” says Bill Schankel, CAE, CEO of NAFA. “Both companies are leading the fleet and mobility industry with the launch of EVO Fleet and RFleet. It’s products like these that will continue to inspire innovation for years to come.” Both winners presented their products alongside 14 other companies within the industry; AssetWorks, Cipia, Clean Fuels Alliance America, Derive Systems, Fermata Energy, Fleetio, Forward Thinking Systems LLC, Industrial Propane Service, Monro Auto Service, Tire Centers, Scent Renu, TigerTough, Utilimarc and Wagan Corporation. You can learn more about the Innovations Showcase and the presenters here. NAFA’s annual I&E convention brings together fleet managers and industry professionals from all across the industry for education sessions, networking opportunities, and a bustling Expo with new products and services. To learn more about NAFA, visit: https://www.nafa.org/ About NAFA NAFA Fleet Management Association is the membership organization for professionals who manage the mobility requirements of vehicle fleets that include commercial, public safety, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes; and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for corporations, governments, universities, utility fleets, and law enforcement in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.8 million vehicles that drive an estimated 84 billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well above $122 billion each year. For more information, please visit www.nafa.org, and communicate with NAFA on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Contact Details Keaveny Hewitt +1 919-622-5276 khewitt@onwrdupwrd.com Company Website https://www.nafa.org/

April 19, 2023 03:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time

News Release

Star Navigation Systems announces reseller agreement with APS Aerospace

Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd

Star Navigations Systems Group CEO Anoop Brar joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news about the company that provides in-flight Safety Monitoring Systems, including STAR-ISMS. The company provides real-time capability of tracking, performance trends and predicting incident-occurrences to increase flight safety. Brar tells Proactive the company has agreed to a re-seller agreement with Ottawa based APS Aerospace Corp. The deal will provide a complete end-to-end ecosystem of in-flight and post-flight analysis. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 18, 2023 12:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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NAFA Announces First-Ever Regional Council Leaders

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, today announced the leaders that make up the Regional Councils as part of NAFA’s new regional governance model rolled out earlier this year. “The new regional structure was born from a multi-year effort and driven by NAFA leadership, staff and groups of members that shaped a plan to allow all members to make the most of their membership regardless of where they work,” says Bill Schankel, CAE, CEO of NAFA. “We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest to serve on our new Regional Councils and know these leaders will be instrumental in our ongoing evolution of NAFA to expand our member value as our industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace.” +++++ The following individuals sit on NAFA’s eight Regional Councils: Northeast Jacqueline Agel (Chair) Hannah Abdoo Justin Flannery Chris Langlois Brian J. Scott Mid-Atlantic Brandon S. Boring (Chair) Oleg Cytowicz David T. Hayward Tadeh Issakhanian Robin N. Meritt Nancy L. Murray Lisa R. Nutter J. Darryl Syler Kyle Waters Midwest Chris Hartlep (Chair) Trevor Crawford Naomi Kislanski Donna Lind Jennifer J. Morgan Parthiban Parasuraman Elizbeth Stomberg Josh Wallace Russell Werra Nicolas Wilson Northcentral Kathy R. Wellik (Chair) Lance Flegel Michael Keim Michael McDonald David D. McFarland Peggy Schuette Northwest James Laverty (Chair) Eric Chitoubol Levi C. Clark Jacob Mahan Jason Rosete Michael Stoller Southeast Brenda Peshel (Chair) Timothy E. Coxwell Michael Naglieri Marie A. Pepper Dave Persad Cedric B. Roberts Shelley Warren Southcentral Thomas Christian (Chair) Amy Boone Tim Fortson Jeff G. Hill Brian Marshall Mike Mosakowski Bo Villarreal John T. Walden Wayne W. Westerholm Southwest Josh E. Turley (Chair) Elmer Andujar Mike Antich Gwen Black Patrick Collins Lorie A. Gill David Mattke Bradley J. Northup Desiree Taylor +++++ NAFA is pleased to welcome these dedicated individuals to the Regional Councils. Their service to the fleet and mobility world inspires innovation, creates progress and truly keeps our industry moving forward. Several events around the new Regional Governance model are set to take place during NAFA’s Institute & Expo in Baltimore this week including a regional leader coaching session and the NAFA Regional Forum and Leadership Experience Overview, which will provide an opportunity for members to meet with their home region and brainstorm ideas for goals within the new structure. It will also preview the 2023 NAFA Leadership Experience launching in early May. Additionally, a regional reception was held Monday evening to kick off the conference. To learn more about NAFA, visit: https://www.nafa.org/ About NAFA NAFA Fleet Management Association is the membership organization for professionals who manage the mobility requirements of vehicle fleets that include commercial, public safety, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes; and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for corporations, governments, universities, utility fleets, and law enforcement in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.8 million vehicles that drive an estimated 84 billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well above $122 billion each year. For more information, please visit www.nafa.org, and communicate with NAFA on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Contact Details Keaveny Hewitt +1 919-622-5276 khewitt@onwrdupwrd.com Company Website https://www.nafa.org/

April 18, 2023 10:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Executive VP & Director of Training Michael Jutt Talks Minuteman As We Celebrate 50 Years of Minuteman Press

Minuteman Press International Inc

As Minuteman Press International celebrates 50 years in business, we are continuing the celebration of our history. Michael Jutt first started with Minuteman Press as a press operator in the original Farmingdale shop in October of 1974, which was the second location that opened after Plainview. At just 19 years-old, Mike was hired by Roy Titus, and the rest is history. When Minuteman Press decided to become a franchise, Mike was promoted to Director of Training; he created the first Minuteman Press training program and became an integral part of the company’s expansion into franchising. Mike remains a huge part of our success today as Minuteman Press International’s Executive VP & Director of Training. How did you first get started with Minuteman Press and the Titus family? Mike Jutt: “I was hired in October of 1974 by Roy Titus. George Holzmacher worked for Roy already and he said I should meet with Roy about a job in Farmingdale. At the time, I was working two jobs, one being in printing, and I wanted to be an attorney. I wasn’t sure I wanted to commute to Farmingdale since I lived and worked in Merrick and was attending Nassau Community College. I went to the Farmingdale shop to meet with Roy. When he arrived, we went outside of the shop, behind the building. Roy and I spoke about what he wanted for the Farmingdale shop, as he was looking to make some changes. He asked me how much I was making. At the time, I was making $110/week at the printing job. Roy offered to match, but I explained the extra gas money and time I’d be spending on the commute. He smiled and then offered me $120/week to get started, and I accepted the offer. That’s how my time with Minuteman Press started, working in the Farmingdale shop that Bob Titus was managing. We worked very hard to get the business up and running, it was fun.” What was it like working in the Farmingdale shop when you first started? Mike Jutt: “I had worked in one other neighborhood quick print shop before Minuteman Press, and I was very impressed my first day of employment when I saw Bob Titus come back to the shop with a marketing assistant. The fact that they were out knocking on doors and direct marketing our printing service was to me very different and unheard of at the time for printers. I asked the other press operator who that was that just walked in, and he said that was Roy’s son Bob. The differences between Minuteman Press and other print shops were a few things. First, I saw that they were actively marketing to build the business. We had a ton of work. Second, the type of equipment that we had – Multi-Graphics equipment – had better capabilities than what other quick printers were using. Third, we also had a huge focus on customer service, shop appearance, and quality work. Another game-changer is when Roy came in one day and handed me a brochure for a new piece of equipment made by 3M, which was a superior plate system to enable multicolor printing. This was the missing piece of what we needed to bring Minuteman Press to the next level. We had the press, we just needed a better plate system that could handle color inks as well as it did black ink. We thoroughly tested the plate system with the press and evaluated the cost. The result was that we now had the perfect package to achieve multicolor printing when other quick printers did mostly single-color or just black. The 3M plate was the ticket.” When Minuteman Press started franchising, what was it like for you creating the first training program? Mike Jutt: “The next major thing that happened was Roy discussing expanding the business and moving into franchising. He promoted the business opportunity and brought interested parties into the Farmingdale location to see what we were doing. The interest was really high from the people that Roy brought in, and years later, Roy told me it was during this time where he really noticed and recognized my abilities as a hardworking young man. At age 20, Roy made me Director of Training, and it was my responsibility to teach the new franchise owners everything about our business.” What do you think are the key reasons for the success of Minuteman Press as the franchise kept growing? Mike Jutt: “I credit the success of Minuteman Press as a franchise to leadership, hard work (long days and long weeks), treating the owners as true partners, caring and supporting our owners, and helping them achieve their success. Roy Titus said you need to treat people like you want to be treated. Roy not only preached it, but he also practiced it, and that was one of the biggest keys of our success as we grew and expanded the company.” What are some of the key aspects of the original training program that remain as core principles today? Mike Jutt: “From the launch of the training department, we have focused and communicated the importance of owners becoming experts in 5 major areas: Customer service Marketing their business Delivering quality products Keeping an incredible top appearance of their business and anything that represents their business Management with an emphasis on financial management Within each of these areas, there is extensive training today covering every detail of what these items actually encompass.” What are some of the key ways that the training program and Minuteman Press have evolved over the years? Mike Jutt: “The biggest areas that we’ve always been at the forefront of are research, development, and technology. Printing technology and enhancements with 3M products in the early days got better and better. With that said, one of the big first big efficiencies was added when our first pricing program was developed. In 1977, a new franchise owner from Dallas, Texas named Cal Baker came to the training program. Cal previously worked for EDS (Electronic Data Systems). He noticed that all of our formulas were mathematically logical and that they could be automated to save hours and hours when pricing jobs. I was intrigued by Mr. Baker’s knowledge and what he was going to do, and after he wrote the software, I told Roy I had to go to Dallas to look at what he created. Roy told me, “Whatever you have to spend to research anything that helps our owners and our company, spend it. If it’s going to help our owners, it’s going to help all of us. So, I went to Dallas and saw that the computer was made by Radio Shack. The original model was called a TRS 80 and it had 16K of memory. The program was stored on a regular cassette and at the time, this was a real game changer. After the trip to Dallas, myself and Dave Scadin enrolled in a programming course offered by Radio Shack and we learned basic programming to enhance and modify what we had. We would never ask our owners to buy equipment such as a computer until we tested it. I contacted the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and convinced them to give us 10 computers as a trial, which we distributed to owners to test at 10 locations. We let the owners test it for 60 days and then they had to either give it back or buy the computer. 100% of the owners purchased the computer and none of us have ever looked back. From that point forward, we continued to invest in software development uniquely written to our policies and production. This protected us from software companies going out of business and gave us long-term advantages that we still benefit from to this day.” Mike continues: “Another key milestone for us was the advent of digital printing. The first Apple Mac computer that came with a printer was released in 1984. Digital printing technology emerged with desktop publishing thanks to companies like Apple, IBM, and HP. For our industry, this was great because we could create various different styles and designs on very economical equipment. It also replaced photo typesetting, which took a lot longer and was a very big investment. We quickly recognized that digital printing would evolve. In the beginning, we also recognized that the two technologies could coexist. Today, approximately 40 years later, that is absolutely what happened. The ability, production, and ease of use of the digital equipment has only made Minuteman Press an even better company. And partnering with our key suppliers Xerox, Konica-Minolta, and Hewlett-Packard has brought us improved productivity and profits.” Is there anything else you’d like to share? Mike Jutt: “Minuteman Press today has evolved to be so much more than what it was when we first started. We have developed and refined systems, policies, procedures, and a company that has a long-standing culture of caring for our owners in 5 countries. And from a personal perspective, with the diversity of products and the need for those products, the opportunity for entrepreneurs is incredible. I personally feel honored to be able to experience the emergence of such a fantastic company, Minuteman Press International.” For more information on Minuteman Press products and services, visit https://minuteman.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 18, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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U.S. Global Investors Chief Investment Officer sees US trends emerging in Europe

HANetf Holdings Limited

U.S. Global Investors Chief Investment Officer Frank Holmes visits the Proactive London studio to discuss latest from the world of civil aviation, including the demand for flights post-COVID, the shortage of pilots leading to pricing power for airlines, and the positive cash flow turnaround for the airline industry. He also highlights the potential for investment opportunities in publicly listed airports around the world. With changing demographics and increased remote work options, Holmes believes that the demand for air travel will continue to grow, making the airline industry an attractive investment opportunity. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

April 18, 2023 05:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NAFA’s Inaugural I&E 2023 Media Day Shines a Spotlight on Fleet Industry Innovations

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, today held its first-ever Media Day event at its annual Institute & Expo (I&E) at the Baltimore Convention Center. At Media Day, nearly a dozen leading companies shared breaking news, innovations, and other important announcements with industry reporters and publications in back-to-back press conferences. Media Day provided a unique opportunity for companies to showcase the latest developments in the fleet industry. Participants showcased a range of industry advancements in data analytics, safety technologies, electrification, and more. "It’s been fascinating learning about the groundbreaking technologies and solutions that companies are developing to tackle the challenges of the future and pave the way for a more connected, efficient, and sustainable world," said Bill Schankel, CAE, CEO of NAFA. “We are thrilled to have Media Day become a part of the I&E lineup, and look forward to seeing how the industry continues to innovate and push the boundaries in 2023 and beyond.” Below is a look at the breaking news presented during NAFA’s I&E Media Day 2023: Roadz (Booth 1134) Presented by Amit Jain, Co-Founder & COO Roadz presented a product that democratizes the ability for fleets to discover and buy curated fleet management solutions at discounted prices. Their product also includes pre-integrated data and unified dashboards for fleet professionals. Southgate Lease Services (Booth 1366) Presented by Nick Miota, President & Holly Miota, Account Executive Southgate Lease Services presented its plans to assist larger fleet management companies with their small fleet customers who have 30 or fewer vehicle fleets. Derive Systems (Booth 1465) Presented by Heather Lamm, Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer & Craig Montgomery, Chief Revenue Officer As a result of the Derive VQ technology, Derive Systems has introduced VQ Insight. This powerful new tool allows clients to see their vehicles' fuel savings and emission reductions in real-time. Teletrac Navman (Booth 1350) Presented by Doug Haebig, Sr. Product Manager, Transportation Teletrac Navman presented the launch of two new suites: The TN360 Compliance Suite with enhanced US-ELD, Canadian ELD, and iDVIR, and the TN360 Safety Suite with a new AI-powered IQ Camera. Both take a proactive approach to fleet management. Cruise Car by ICON (Booth 1700) Presented by Adam Sulimirski, Managing Partner Cruise Car by ICON announced its new line of lithium-powered heavy duty commercial carts, adding over 500,000 sq ft of additional assembly space in six plants nationwide. Its support network has expanded with hundreds of techs and a multimillion-dollar investment in parts for fleet support. Cruise Car by ICON will now deliver over 4,000 light utility carts monthly to thousands of municipalities, federal agencies, universities and nonprofits in over 30 countries. Shell Fleet Solutions (Booth 1067) Presented by Jim Perkins, Director of Fleet Solutions U.S.A., Shell Shell Fleet Solution announced the U.S. launch of Accelerate to Zero, a fleet sustainability management program. This program aims to help fleet and mobility managers better understand and reduce their carbon footprint and on-road emissions to net-zero by evaluating their options and developing a plan for decarbonization. Reviver (Booth 1461) Presented by CJ Meurell, EVP of Sales & Alex Dimitrijevic, National Fleet Director Reviver, creators of the groundbreaking, first-ever digital license plate and connected vehicle platform, announced the addition of RToll, an online tolling service, offering coverage on 98% of U.S. tollways with electronic toll collection services for commercial fleets. Cipia (Booth 1457) Presented by Israel Ronn, VP Aftermarket Business Cipia announced its new Cipia-FS10 Video Telematics Device that offers a forward facing dash cam and hybrid communication mode for improved fleet safety and efficiency. The new camera is an addition to Cipia-FS10's video telematics and driver monitoring system. Mullen Automotive (Booth 1083) Presented by John Schwegman, Chief Commercial Officer Mullen Automotive announced the launch of its Class 3 electric vehicles (EVs) this summer. These EVs will be more efficient and profitable for businesses with connected and customized solutions. ServiceUp (Booth 1378) Presented by Brett Dashe, Head of Revenue & Co-Founder ServiceUp announced ServiceUp for Fleets, an innovative product that adapts their award-winning consumer-based maintenance and repair platform to meet fleet managers, FMCs, drivers and repair centers' unique needs. Utilimarc (Booth 1257) Presented by Engin Ayaz, Account Executive Utilimarc is enhancing its business intelligence platform to include annual and real-time greenhouse gas reporting capabilities. About NAFA NAFA Fleet Management Association is the membership organization for professionals who manage the mobility requirements of vehicle fleets that include commercial, public safety, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes; and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for corporations, governments, universities, utility fleets, and law enforcement in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.8 million vehicles that drive an estimated 84 billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well above $122 billion each year. For more information, please visit www.nafa.org, and communicate with NAFA on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Contact Details Colleen Gallagher +1 315-447-2331 cgallagher@onwrdupwrd.com Company Website https://www.nafa.org/

April 17, 2023 04:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time

News Release

OPT deployment of next-generation Wave Energy Converter Buoys opens new chapter for customers

Ocean Power Technologies Inc

Ocean Power Technologies Inc (OPT) CEO Philipp Stratmann joins Natalie Stoberman from the Proactive newsroom to share how the latest deployment of next-generation Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Buoys is opening a new chapter for the company for elevated technology and cost-effectiveness for customers. Stratmann says this prototype represents a significant improvement in multiple aspects. The innovative design enables modularity and commonality for the next-generation buoy platform, making it more efficient in terms of transportation, serviceability, and maintainability. Additionally, the MOSWEC buoy will be more cost-effective for customers. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 17, 2023 02:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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NAFA Names the 2023 100 Best Fleets in the Americas at its Annual I&E Convention

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, today announced the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas for 2023. NAFA’s 100 Best Fleets in the Americas program recognizes peak-performing public and commercial fleet operations, and the winners were announced this morning during NAFA’s annual Institute & Expo (I&E) in Baltimore. The 100 Best program identifies and encourages the ever-increasing levels of performance improvement and innovation within the fleet industry. The goal of the 100 Best contest is to foster pride in the industry, build recognition within the national fleet community, increase levels of productivity and operational effectiveness and to encourage more individuals to consider fleet operations as a career choice. The contest was originally created by the late Tom Johnson, and NAFA will be holding a fundraiser for ALS in Tom’s name at the NAFA booth during I&E. “Announcing the 100 Best Fleets is always an exciting time for the NAFA community,” says Mike Camnetar, CAFM, NAFA Board President. “The fleet industry is experiencing a lot of change and innovation right now, and we are proud of how these fleets are leading and representing our industry. We look forward to seeing all they accomplish in 2023.” This year, the contest was open to commercial fleets and saw the addition of two new sub-competitions: The Fleet Professional of the Year Award, which recognizes the top fleet professional of the year, and the The Fleet Technician of the Year Award, which honors the top fleet technician of the year. The 2023 winners for each of the following categories: Best Public Fleet: Hillsborough County, FL Fleet Management Best Commercial Fleet: Spire Energy Inc. Fleet Professional of the Year Award: Robert Stine, Director of Fleet Management Department, Hillsborough County, FL Fleet Management Fleet Technician of the Year Award: Alex Gonzalez of Hillsborough County, FL The full list of the 2023 100 Best Fleets in the Americas can be found here https://www.nafa.org/100-best-fleets-2023/. NAFA is excited to host a 100 Best Webinar Series and Regional Roundtable events throughout 2023. Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the 100 Best fleet winners and leaders, discover the top five success trends for 2023 and understand what actions these top fleets have taken to become a 100 Best fleet. Attendees will walk away with initiatives and action steps they can immediately implement within their fleet. To register for this webinar series, visit: https://www.nafa.org/events/100-best-fleets-webinars/ To learn more about NAFA, visit: https://www.nafa.org/ NAFA Fleet Management Association is the membership organization for professionals who manage the mobility requirements of vehicle fleets that include commercial, public safety, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes; and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for corporations, governments, universities, utility fleets, and law enforcement in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.8 million vehicles that drive an estimated 84 billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well above $122 billion each year. For more information, please visit www.nafa.org, and communicate with NAFA on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Contact Details Colleen Gallagher +1 315-447-2331 cgallagher@onwrdupwrd.com Company Website https://www.nafa.org/

April 17, 2023 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time