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COD Women’s Track and Field Win Second NJCAA Championship

COD Newsroom

Defending NJCAA champion College of DuPage women’s track and field team are repeat national champions. Under the direction of Head Coach Robert Cervenka and his coaching staff, Michelle Stratton and Rachael Ramon, each member of the Chaps squad earned points at the Hudson Valley Community Track and Field Complex. The team title is COD's sixth in school history and is the first time it has repeated since the Chaps won three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. Sprinter Kiara Carter won both the 100- and 200-meter sprints, and Alexandra Ochab added to her long jump title with a victory in the 400-meter as the Chaps totaled 138 points to out-distance runner-up RC Gloucester, which finished with 111. Carter and Ochab each added a title in their one and only relays with Carter in the 4x100 meter and Ochab the 4x400. "Maximum efforts across the board and we could not be happier,'' said Cervenka. "Kiara is so talented and I think Alexandra's experience from a year ago was pivotal. Every one of our nine athletes scored in more than one event. That speaks volumes about their buy-in to the team and winning the title going away.'' The 2022 championship marks the second straight national event where the Chaps won all three relays; a point Cervenka emphasized. "It's a pride thing where we demonstrated skill and those relays capped our week,'' he said. "All nine ran at least one leg on a relay. That really says it all.'' Carter won the 100 in 12.40 seconds and added the 200 title in 25.88 seconds. "So proud of Kiara and for her to get the job done,'' said Cervenka. "Her maturity picked up. She's always had the talent and was such a big contributor for us.'' Ochab ran in just the 400, a day after winning the long jump by improving 30 centimeters over her previous best. "What can you say,'' said Cervenka. "She's another one who got the job done in spectacular fashion.'' The effort of Akira Lebron throughout the week was vital. She competed and scored in five individual events and ran on the winning 4x100 relay. "Akira is such a phenomenal athlete,'' said Cervenka. "We asked a lot of her and she responded so well. Her efforts in those five events took points away from the competition and she excelled.'' Lillian Buzani added a runner-up finish in the 800 and placed third in the 1500, while her distance teammate Bella Adduci was fourth in each event. Both ran on the 4x800 title relay. "Both Lillian and Belle showed their best when it mattered the most,'' said Cervenka. "Again, we really got the most of our nine athletes.'' Morgan Clifford was seventh in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the 400 hurdles. Alyssa Gaski was the only Chap who ran on all three relays, and Mya Mangan added to her pole vault title with a leg on the 4x100 relay. Paulina Stachura tied for fourth in the high jump and ran on the 4x400 relay. Cervenka was named NJCAA coach of the year upon conclusion of the event Learn more about Chaparral Athletics. Contact Details Mark Reinhiller +1 630-942-3761 reinhillerm@cod.edu

May 27, 2022 04:00 PM Central Daylight Time

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Why Influencer Marketing is Taking Over Online Advertising

TCM DIGITAL

TCM has launched NinjaInfluence, an all-in-one Influencer Marketing AI SaaS platform that provides an affordable yet powerful use of influencer marketing that enables eCommerce businesses to deal with increased ad costs and reduced marketing budgets due to unstable market sentiment. On Tuesday, May 24th, The Snap Company announced it will miss its projections due to decreased ad spending. The announcement triggered a spiral effect for most ad-driven super techs, such as Google and Facebook. This came as no surprise given the current environment, along with rising ad prices and macro headwinds likely to extend to every region of digital advertising. An article published by CNBC earlier this week states, “Social media companies were already having a rough year from the cutback in digital ad spending caused by rising inflation, supply chain challenges, and the war in Ukraine. Forecasts for the second quarter called for meager growth at best, and stock prices were getting hammered.” Following Snap’s disclosure, JMP Securities analysts shared, “Macro headwinds likely extend to all digital advertising.” They added that brand budgets, and especially digital ones, “are more at risk of being reduced as companies tighten ad budgets,” while direct response ads, or those that encourage viewers to take immediate action, are “more connected to consumer spend, particularly eCommerce.” Read the full CNBC article here. The eCommerce space is seeking alternative means to cut down advertising spending amid rising costs of social media ads in an environment that's highly volatile. Even now while ad costs rise, eCommerce has seen a massive uptick since the start of the pandemic, expected to total $5.55 trillion in 2022 and to grow by almost $11 trillion between 2021 and 2025. This increase can also be attributed to the effect of influenceres/online creators. An authentic and engaging presence online is critical to being disruptive in a saturated marketed experience. People want to be wowed, connect to something, and belong to a community. Enter influencers, a person valued by the audience much more than the classic pop-up ad. With such dedicated followings, you can shorten the sales cycle by standing apart from your competition. A strong brand doesn’t only optimize performance marketing in the short term but also makes it a source of sustainable growth. Stronger brands draw more organic acquisitions, retain more customers, and command higher sales. As the digital space becomes more crowded, brand identity and brand awareness will only become more crucial. When time is a critical commodity,one needs to be fast, agile, and ahead of its competitors. One needs to focus on brand equity and improve upon one's brand loyalty while maintaining one's ad spend. While inflationary pressure affects purchasing decisions, brands must strengthen their community reach and customer relationships. After spending over eight years operating within the eCommerce space both as an eCommerce seller and as a leading aggregator, we have experienced community creation, aptly named influencer marketing, first hand. But how do you go about finding the right influencers? Even if you do find the right influencers, how would you manage them, monetize, measure performance, and still be able to attend one's eCommerce business? Welcome to the solution of NinjaInfluence, TCM’s disruptive influencer marketing platform. With our dynamic and elastic AI search engine, we have curated a database of over 140 million influencers for you to filter and pinpoint the perfect brand representative. Each will be the champion brand ambassador and increase sales. Within the platform, you can conduct research, outreach, and campaign management along with tracking your real-time sales and social metrics. Even making payments to your influencers are just a click away using NinjaInfluence. You do not have to take the journey alone. Our team of Influencer Managers is here to oversee the entire process, from discovering and identifying the right influencer, to outreach and sending customized messages all the way to managing your entire marketing influencers funnel, your own dedicated Influencers Manager. With the assistance of the Influencer Manager, negotiate everything from partnership terms to campaign management as they set up eCommerce coupons, tracking links for sales, and social engagement. On June 1st at 9:00 am ET, the Ninjainfluence team will be conducting a live webinar. We invite you to join our live demonstration and roundtable discussion as we tackle the alternative means of online advertising and how to best engage with Influencers for the maximum outcome. To save your seat, click to register and write "Save my seat for the upcoming webinar." About NinjaInfluence NinjaInfluence is an influencer marketing software that supports users in easily managing their strategies and communicating with influencers/creators. Following up on its predecessor, NinjaOutreach, it provides access to over 140 million influencers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter. In addition to its established search engine, NinjaInfluence offers a multitude of features such as eCommerce integration, full analytics dashboards, smart search manager, internal payment platform, related profile recommendation engine and a consolidated CRM-like workspace. Scalable and effective through its use of powerful big data technology, NinjaInfluence searches through millions of creators to intelligently identify qualified influencer leads, and enable the launch of influencer campaigns with traceable ROI. For more information, a free trial, or to subscribe to NinjaInfluence, visit https://NinjaInfluence.com/. Contact Details Gabi Bar +1 845-709-8324 gabi@tcmdigital.com Company Website https://ninjainfluence.com/

May 27, 2022 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The ForeverLawn Black and Green Grass Machine Returns at Charlotte Motor Speedway

ForeverLawn

ForeverLawn, Inc. ® will continue their sponsorship of Jeffrey Earnhardt and the “Black and Green Grass Machine” at the Alsco Uniforms 300 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Saturday, May 28, 2022. This race is part of ForeverLawn’s multi-race deal with Earnhardt and the Sam Hunt Racing team and will be streamed live from Charlotte Motor Speedway at 1:00 p.m. ET on FS1. “Last year our race at Charlotte was filled with memorable moments, one being when Jeffrey hit the wall and as a result flew the Harvest Church back panel banner on national TV,” says Dale Karmie, Co-Founder of ForeverLawn. “This year with SHR, we are hoping to get noticed for a different reason: running at the front. We also want to honor and pay tribute to all the men and women who gave their lives to serve and protect this great nation. God Bless America.” Earnhardt will pilot the No. 26 ForeverLawn Toyota GR Supra with a revamped version of the 2022 Black and Green Grass Machine paint scheme, as seen in the SRS Distribution 250 at Texas Motor Speedway. Continuing their ongoing sponsorship participation alongside ForeverLawn are the Accredited Petroleum Association, LifeGR, STR, and Precision Products. Viewers can follow Earnhardt and the ForeverLawn car by watching on FS1 or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using #blackandgreengrassmachine. About ForeverLawn ForeverLawn ® improves spaces and communities through innovative synthetic grass solutions. Beginning in 2004 as the daring entrepreneurial venture of two brothers, ForeverLawn has consistently led the synthetic turf industry through groundbreaking approaches to products and practice. As the premium choice for synthetic surfacing, each product is engineered to solve unique consumer needs and desires while maintaining superior standards and natural aesthetics. Today the company services over eighty localized markets through their dealer network, with an impressive regional, national, and international project portfolio. Want to be a part of something bigger? Learn how you can be a person of impact through business ownership opportunities with ForeverLawn. For more information, contact opportunities@foreverlawn.com. Contact Details ForeverLawn, Inc. Julia Kontur +1 330-499-8873 julia@foreverlawn.com Company Website https://www.foreverlawn.com/

May 25, 2022 12:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ripken Baseball Expands Programming in Pigeon Forge

Ripken Baseball

Ripken Baseball, the leader in youth sports events, announced they are gaining access to four additional fields in the City of Pigeon Forge. As one of the most sought-after youth sports complexes in the country, Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge will be able to host teams from around the country on 10 total fields, including access to the newly renovated fields at Pigeon Forge’s Wear Farm City Park. The park’s four fields will be completely upgraded and reimagined prior to the start of the 2023 season. Similar to the original six fields at Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge which opened in 2016, each field at Wear Farm City Park will become a youth replica of famous Major League Baseball parks of the past and present. Residents of Pigeon Forge will benefit from the renovations as Wear Farm City Park will continue to host tournaments throughout the year on state-of-the-art artificial turf that closely replicates real grass. “Every year, our teams and their families take home countless fond memories of the Pigeon Forge area when they participate in The Ripken Experience™,” said Cal Ripken, Jr., who co-founded Ripken Baseball with his brother Bill Ripken. “The views are unbelievable and the feeling you have when you experience our complex is special. The demand to play here is through the roof. This is an exciting opportunity to expand and welcome even more baseball families to Pigeon Forge.” Wear Farm City Park’s four fields will be transformed into youth replicas of the following big league stadiums: St. Louis’ Busch Stadium, Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, and Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The $3 million renovation project will begin this summer. “Pigeon Forge’s partnership with Ripken Baseball is a successful one, as demonstrated by the annual increase in demand for the ball fields and the direct impact on our city’s tourism industry due to the many families who visit,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster. “The upgrades to Wear Farm City Park are a win-win for The Ripken Experience™ and our Pigeon Forge residents as these fields bring vast improvements for everyone to enjoy.” Pigeon Forge residents and local youth teams will enjoy the renovations immediately following completion. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge’s access to Wear Farm City Park applies primarily to daytime hours during the summer season, allowing the four baseball fields to remain available for Pigeon Forge residents during evenings, weekends, and most Fridays. The addition of artificial turf provides longer days during the winter months (November through early March), earlier year-round start times, and quicker turnaround during the event of rain. Wear Farm City Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The park, which also has soccer and youth football facilities, will continue to host youth baseball leagues. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge hosts more than 1,000 teams annually from over 30 states, traveling from as far away as California, Alaska, and overseas. Players’ families, many of whom are first-time visitors to Pigeon Forge, have a significant impact on the Pigeon Forge economy. A 2018 economic impact study attributed $33.8 million in visitor spending to The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge during the facility’s nine-month season that year. The appeal of Pigeon Forge as a family vacation destination was a major reason the city built the $22.5 million complex and contracted with Ripken Baseball to operate it. During seven seasons of operations, the facility has solidified Pigeon Forge as a major sports tourism destination. In addition, research indicates that 99 percent of those who visit the facility reside outside of Sevier County. Tournament participants, coaches, and their families contribute to the local economy through overnight lodging stays ticket purchases to area attractions, restaurant dining, and other purchases. Pigeon Forge is located in Sevier County just six miles from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since opening its doors in March 2016, more than 5,000 youth baseball teams and 250 high school softball teams have taken to the six fields at The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge. In total, more than 75,000 players and coaches have traveled to play ball on fields that offer unobstructed views of the Great Smoky Mountains, with an additional 1,000 teams expected to travel to the complex for competition in 2022. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge is located on a ridge above Pigeon Forge. Each field borrows its design inspiration from current and former ballparks highlighting the professional player progression from the Minor to Major Leagues, including Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The others are Calfee Park in Pulaski, Va., the oldest park in the Appalachian League; Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., known as “Little Fenway”; Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn., a filming location for the “42” movie about Jackie Robinson; BB&T Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M. The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge hosts tournaments nine months out of the year and offers year-round branded events in its 14,000-square-foot clubhouse. Tournaments are free to spectators, and parking is free at the complex. Visitor information about Pigeon Forge is available online at MyPigeonForge.com and toll-free at 800-251-9100. To learn more about Ripken Baseball and for The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge, visit RipkenBaseball.com. Cal Ripken, Jr. headshot and The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge facility images are available here. Photo credit: The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge About Ripken Baseball Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee). # # # Contact Details Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/

May 25, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Telematics can Now Issue Crypto Token for Driver Engagement, Powered by Damoov

Damoov

We are fast advancing to an age where the lines separating our real life from our virtual life are blurring. From Virtual Concerts to sites that let you buy virtual property anywhere in the world - it's all there already, and there is more coming up. In the latest development, Telematics major Damoov has announced the integration of the popular crypto networks of today, Solana and NEAR, to its Telematics platform. The integration opens up two significant possibilities. Firstly, companies building telematics-based apps can provide drivers with new ways of engaging by accruing crypto tokens for safe driving, eco driving or driver performance. The crypto tokens that have all known benefits and may be transferred to wallets across the entire blockchain ecosystem. On the other hand, gaming companies can easily build Play to Earn games where gamers can be rewarded with crypto for their real-life driving skills. Telematics is the field that studies vehicle movement and position data to arrive at actionable insights about driving skills, safety, and vehicle longevity. Companies like Damoov use machine learning to analyze the data to derive such insights. Damoov's APIs have been used by Automakers, Fleet Management Companies, Driving Schools, and Insurance companies to build their smartphone app for telematics. As per Ivan Shornikov, the CEO of Damoov, the promise is immense. " All existing smartphone telematics products are struggling with low driver's engagement. That is a game-changing step for driver engagement and future telematics. The new service unlocks huge opportunities to use crypto to improve safe driving, eco-driving, and driver performance," says Shornikov. " Most Importantly, this engagement feature doesn't require months of development. In as little as 30 mins, you can add crypto earning capabilities to your existing telematics-based apps for safe driving. " So, how does it work? Damoov's proprietary machine learning-based algorithm measures smartphone sensors data and translates it into driving behaviors, vehicle position and other variables to calculate Safe Driving Score, Eco Driving Score, and other performance metrics. These metrics can then be used as input for rewarding drivers as well as vehicle utilization. While such rewarding capabilities were already present in Damoov's telematics suite, the rewards get more real with the new developments. When it comes to Crypto gaming, we are also looking at some exciting possibilities. " We are in talks with Crypto Game Developers as well. We will soon see games where your real-life driving skills are linked to your virtual car and can reward you in the virtual world via crypto tokens," adds Shornikov. Damoov supports any 3rd party tokens launched on Solana or NEAR protocols, so Developers can launch their own tokens and connect them to Damoov platform. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Washington, Damoov has so far raised funding from Alchemist Accelerator and StartaVC. Contact Details Ivan Shornikov PR Contact connect@damoov.com Company Website https://damoov.com

May 25, 2022 07:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Spiceology Launches Two New Spice Blends With Chef Kwame Onwuachi, Bringing His Culinary Roots to Life

Spiceology

Spiceology, the fastest growing spice company in America, today announced its partnership and new product line with Kwame Onwuachi, James Beard award-winning chef and acclaimed author. This launch follows the release of Chef Kwame’s newest book, “ My America: Recipes From a Young Black Chef.” The two new spice blends capture key flavors represented throughout the cookbook and are inspired by the ingredients Onwuachi grew up with and still cooks with to this day. “I don’t remember a time where there wasn’t ‘house spice’ around,” said Chef Kwame Onwuachi, describing his mother’s secret spice blend that seasoned all of the food he grew up eating. “Trying to remember the moment when I was first introduced to house spice is like asking me the first time you had salt - it was just always there. I’m grateful Spiceology was able to help me bring these spice blends to life so that everyone can experience the flavors that sparked my passion for food.” The new blends created by Spiceology and Chef Kwame bring a modern twist to some of Onwuachi’s earliest memories: Kwame’s Mom’s House Spice ($14.95): This all-purpose blend embodies the flavors of Kwame’s mother’s secret recipe. The pairing possibilities are endless with flavor profiles of garlic, onion, black pepper, cayenne, and worcestershire. Intended to be eaten on and in “anything in your house,” Kwame’s Mom’s House Spice pairs with steak, chicken, Cajun food, curries, veggies, and more. Toasted Curry Powder ($14.95): This balance of spices that Onwuachi says “tastes like a symphony” is a combination of Jamaican and Trinadadian curry powders with notes of fenugreek, mustard seed, allspice, turmeric, and coriander. This blend goes beyond traditional curry dishes and can be used on popcorn, pickled veggies, rice dishes, potato salad, and jollof rice. “We’re firm believers in flavor innovation and storytelling with our collaborations and products,” said Chef Tony Reed, Senior Director of Innovation and Partnerships. “Being able to work with Chef Kwame helps us continue to push the needle, bringing his unique flavors to homes and dishes everywhere. These blends offer a complex yet approachable explosion of flavor and a way to experiment with new cuisines.” The blends are available for purchase on Spiceology.com and are available in 9 oz jars. Chef Kwame’s book can be found wherever books are sold. ABOUT SPICEOLOGY Founded in 2013, Spiceology is the fastest-growing spice company in America and is on a mission to bring the magic back to spices, the world’s first currency. The chef-owned and operated, one-stop spice shop develops innovative blends and offers over 400 ingredients that are ground fresh in small-batches and shipped fresh to consumers and chefs. Spiceology’s “experiment with flavor” ethos is not only embraced through excellent ingredients and unique combinations, but also through responsible business practices designed to create a better world with diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of the workforce. Spiceology products can be found on spiceology.com, in specialty retailers and grocers, in restaurants around the US, and as far away as Australia and Dubai. Visit spiceology.com for more information or to place an order, or follow Spiceology on Facebook and Instagram. For recipe inspiration, visit here. ABOUT CHEF KWAME Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef and author of the critically acclaimed memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef,” which is being adapted into a feature film by A24. Kwame’s resume is incomparable as he has been named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year, and is a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. He was featured on the TIME 100 Next 2019 List and has been named the most important Chef in America by the San Francisco Chronicle. Kwame currently serves as Food & Wine’s executive producer. In this recently-appointed role, Kwame collaborated on big brand moments and events including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, where he hosted cooking demonstrations and events. He also serves in the new role of Food & Wine’s pro ambassador to the hospitality industry and creator of “The Family Reunion: Presented by Kwame Onwuachi,” an annual multi-day event that takes place in Middleburg, Virginia and celebrates diversity in the hospitality community. In September 2021, Onwuachi hosted the esteemed James Beard Awards in Chicago. Kwame recently released his first-ever cookbook “My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef,” which is a follow up to his critically acclaimed memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef.” Contact Details Spiceology Cassidy Levine +1 908-770-7880 cassidy@spiceology.com Company Website https://spiceology.com/

May 24, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Metaverse UGC platform BUD raises $36.8M Series B

BUD

BUD, a metaverse user-generated platform, announces its $36.8M Series B round led by Sequoia Capital India with participation from ClearVue Partners, NetEase and Northern Light Venture Capital. Existing investors GGV Capital, Qiming Venture Partners and Source Code Capital also participated in the round. Founded in 2019 by former Snap engineers, Risa Feng and Shawn Lin, Singapore-headquartered BUD is a leading global metaverse UGC platform encouraging users to create and share 3D interactive experiences with its easy-to-use creation tools. To date, over 15 million 3D experiences and assets have been created on the platform and user-generated 3D assets have been traded more than 150 million times. Since its global launch in November 2021, BUD skyrocketed to the list of top 10 social apps in more than 38 countries around the world including North America, Southeast Asia and South America. With the right mix of technology and art, BUD greatly fulfills Gen Z's desire for entertainment, creation and sharing. It is becoming a preferred platform for Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha to socialize in 3D immersive worlds. In addition to customizing unique avatars, users can also create and explore millions of experiences ranging from hangout places to battle royale games. The mobile-native creation tools require no prior coding knowledge. Without providing any preset 3D templates, BUD allows creators to build 3D experiences from scratch by using geometric modules and interactive props. Apart from adding texts, pictures, music and videos to enrich experiences, lighting and sky-box can be adjusted as well to create an immersive environment. Many aesthetic scenes and interactive experiences in BUD can look like they are created using professional PC software by professionals but they are actually all created by users on their mobile devices.. BUD’s users are young and digital natives, most of whom are teenage girls who likely do not have any coding experience but are creative and love self-expression. BUD is a virtual platform for them to showcase this creativity and get to know others with similar interests. The company intends to use the fresh funding to further develop its creation tools, grow its global user base and roll out web3 products for its metaverse ecosystem. The company has revealed clear plans to launch its own NFT marketplace. "The media of the next era will not be limited to familiar forms like text, pictures or videos, but will turn to more immersive and interactive formats. BUD is such a user-generated platform for the 3D world where everyone, not just hard-core gamers or professionals, has the chance to create and share whatever they want," shared Risa, CEO and co-founder at BUD. Graduated from Cornell with a degree in Computer Science, Risa joined Snapchat’s AR Division in 2017 and worked on frontier Lens experiences prior to founding BUD. "While BUD makes 3D content creation possible for mainstream gen-z consumers, we will continue to bring blockchain to mainstream consumers and allow our creators to truly own and monetize their creations," said Shawn, co-founder at BUD. Prior to founding BUD, Shawn spent three years at Snap, working on its performance optimization, developer framework and user growth. “BUD is establishing itself as a social destination for GenZ while uniquely enabling ownership of content in the metaverse. Millions of users are creating content on BUD and sharing their creations on social media, aiding the inherent virality of the BUD platform. We are impressed by the passion with which the founders have built BUD, and are excited about their future plans for localisation and growth.” Aakash Kapoor, VP, Sequoia India. “The immersive and interactive experience created by BUD users brings happiness to GenZ around the world. We’re excited for the progress BUD has made and look forward to the launch of its new web3 products.” said Jenny Lee, managing partner at GGV Capital. “With the immersive 3D experience of the product and explosive growth among GenZ users around the world, BUD is rapidly growing as a leading UGC platform in the emerging metaverse,” said William Chen, Founding Managing Partner of ClearVue Partners. "We are excited to work with this innovative team and to bring together our resources and experience in the global consumer, media, and entertainment industries.” About BUD BUD is a leading global metaverse UGC platform encouraging users to create and share 3D interactive experiences with its easy-to-use creation tools. Former Snap engineers Risa Feng and Shawn Lin founded BUD in 2019, and have grown the firm into a team of more than 100 people strong. It is expected to reach 200 employees by the end of this year. Headquartered in Singapore, BUD will have localization teams across the world. To date, over 15 million 3D experiences and assets have been created on the platform and user-generated 3D assets have been traded more than 150 million times. Since its global launch in November 2021, BUD skyrocketed to the list of top 10 social apps in more than 38 countries around the world including North America, Southeast Asia and South America. BUD has become a digital social hub where millions of people come to create, play and hangout. Contact Details BUD Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmoood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.joinbudapp.com/

May 23, 2022 02:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time

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ZERO LATENCY PUSHES IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FORWARD WITH NEXT GENERATION PLATFORM RELEASE, AVAILABLE GLOBALLY NOW

Zero Latency

Zero Latency, the company that introduced the world to free-roam VR, has partnered with tech giant HTC to launch a first-of-its-kind multiplayer immersive entertainment platform. For the first time ever, groups as large as eight can discover Zero Latency’s award-winning experiences with nothing more than a headset – the game-changing HTC VIVE Focus 3. The new platform uses an exclusive remote rendering stack and the latest 6E wireless technology to seamlessly stream 5K VR to up to 8 players simultaneously, delivering up to 16x performance over traditional all-in-one headsets. With no backpack computers, sensors, or other distractions, Zero Latency’s world-first platform offers players the deepest, most effortless immersive experience available today. “With this new partnership, we’re taking a giant leap in the virtual entertainment space,” said Tim Ruse, chief executive officer at Zero Latency. “The evolution to remote rendering and 6E streaming not only improves performance, but removes the need for backpack PCs, cables, and other player distractions–it’s the most streamlined, natural experience yet for both our customers and our operators. Zero Latency has always invested heavily in innovation, and we’re excited to once again push the industry forward in partnership with HTC.” Zero Latency’s new platform is the best way yet to discover Zero Latency’s award-winning library of experiences, including Ubisoft’s AAA exclusive, Far Cry VR; cooperative zombie survival adventure, Undead Arena; mind-bending space mission, Singularity; and the all-action competitive world of Sol Raiders VR eSports. Players can take advantage of Zero Latency’s custom-designed VR gun controller to get in the thick of the action; the company is also investigating the use of hand-tracking in future titles. “Our customers often tell us Zero Latency is the best VR experience they’ve ever had,” said Scott Vandonkelaar, chief technology officer at Zero Latency. “Delivering experiences as deep and interactive as ours has never been possible with an all-in-one headset, so we built our own solution. Remote rendering and 6E wireless streaming means we can deliver our experiences at previously impossible performance levels, with less technology and fewer player distractions than ever. We’re blown away by the results and can’t wait for customers to experience it for themselves.” The new generation of Zero Latency is made possible in part through an exciting partnership with VR technology veterans HTC. “Partnering with Zero Latency to expand customer access to truly immersive virtual entertainment is a massive win for the industry,” said Thomas Dexmier, HTC Vive ANZ - Country Manager. “Bringing the VIVE Focus 3 headset to a company with the size and scale of Zero Latency reduces complicated hardware needs and ensures an interruption-free experience for players worldwide.” The VIVE Focus 3 headset brings a new set of unique capabilities to players, including: An innovative design: The VIVE Focus 3 is the most ergonomic and comfortable VR headset yet with an innovative counterweight design with equivalent front-back balance, perfect for intense, extended gameplay sessions. The new headset suits a wide range of both face shapes and vision types – including those with glasses High-resolution video: The headset features industry-leading 5K resolution (a combined resolution of 4896 x 2448 pixels), a wide 120-degree field of view, and a smooth 90-hertz refresh rate, delivering crisp and natural visuals Immersive sound: Featuring dual microphones with noise cancellation, the headset delivers 3D spatial sound and sound leakage reduction for unparalleled immersion Map sharing and LBE mode: Heavily customized for the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry, the VIVE Focus 3 headset allows users to create boundaries based on the available space and operate accurate co-location tracking to deliver a realistic, free-roaming experience Designed for high-traffic venues: Made with durable materials, the VIVE Focus 3 delivers long-lasting VR performance with its swappable battery, dramatically reducing the operational complexity in the venues. The headset is easy to clean with its magnetic cushions. And in an effort to optimize the customer turnaround, HTC’s patented quick-release button allows users to easily put on the headset to start playing without delays. For more information about Zero Latency, go to https://zerolatencyvr.com/. ### ABOUT ZERO LATENCY: Zero Latency is a global leader in immersive entertainment, working at the cutting edge of VR and location-based experiences. With 57 venues across 26 countries, Zero Latency is the largest free-roam VR network in the world. Since opening the world’s first free-roam VR venue in 2015, Zero Latency has thrilled more than 2 million players worldwide. Over the past year alone the company has seen a 124% jump in games played within the U.S. and 288% growth globally. Zero Latency is continuously innovating to raise the bar for customers, owners, and operators. Other first include: Partnering with Microsoft in 2019 to develop “inside out” tracking technology Launching Sol Raiders in 2019, the world’s first free-roam eSports game Releasing the AAA exclusive Far Cry VR experience alongside Ubisoft in 2021 SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Instagram and TikTok: @zerolatencyvr LinkedIn: Zero Latency VR Contact Details Jive PR + Digital Ashley Areeda +1 734-891-4013 aareeda@jiveprdigital.com Company Website https://zerolatencyvr.com/

May 19, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Play Globally Inc. Welcomes Stephen Crystal to its Advisory Board and Partners with SCCG Management

Play Globally

Play Globally, Inc., a worldwide provider of free-to-play gaming innovations, today proudly announced the appointment of Stephen Crystal to its advisory board as well as a new partnership with Crystal’s firm, SCCG Management. This partnership brings additional expertise in sports betting, iGaming, sports team marketing, affiliate marketing, intellectual property protection, product commercialization, esports, capital formation, M&A, joint ventures, casino management and legal affairs in the casino and iGaming industry. Crystal will join veteran Advisory Board members Susan Hensel and Victor Pronk, providing over 75 years of collective experience across the sports betting and iGaming space. These globally recognized leaders provide high-value strategic prowess to Play Globally’s seasoned executive team as the company prepares to launch its LuckyFans prototype. LuckyFans drives live and recorded in-play sports data into a poker engine to determine the outcome of a fast-paced poker game. LuckyFans is free-to-play and leverages advanced machine learning and GPS technology for contextual fan engagement, sweepstakes, and prizes. SCCG was founded by Stephen Crystal who has served as President/CEO of multiple casino holding and public gaming companies. SCCG brings a vast international network of strategic client partners including top sportsbooks and racebooks, sports and racing leagues, fantasy sports and rewards entities, communications and marketing platforms, authentication technology and casino entities. Crystal has worked as an investor and advisor on financial and M&A projects totaling over $4B and served as the President, owner and operator of four major Las Vegas casinos. In addition to Crystal, the SCCG team also includes David Hanlon who served as a C-level executive at gaming giants Caesars World, Inc., Harrah’s, the Rio, and IGT in addition to serving as an Advisor to the Wharton Entrepreneurial Program. Pierre Cadena also plays a key role on the SCCG team, having helped to position Playtika, Otter Media and Crunchyroll for acquisition, each totaling over $1B. During his tenure at Caesars Interactive Entertainment as the VP of Strategy and Corporate Development, Pierre helped build Playtika, one of the world’s largest social mobile games. “The addition of Stephen to the Play Globally Advisory Board and the addition of his SCCG team to Play Globally’s team provides our company with a wealth of expertise in our space,” says Play Globally’s President/CEO Stephen Dunham. “We’re excited to partner with such well-respected industry leaders and to join their global network of strategic partners.” “Play Globally’s ingenuity and strategic role in the sports betting space presents a unique opportunity for leagues, teams, fans, and aligned entities worldwide,” says Stephen Crystal. “The combination of Play Globally’s existing intellectual property, their executive and advisory team, new upcoming technologies, and strategic positioning in the industry, particularly when combined with SCCG’s extensive network and capabilities, makes this opportunity particularly exciting.” About Play Globally, Inc. Play Globally, Inc. is a developer of innovative free-to-play games that utilize live, real-time in-play sports and racing data to determine the results of a live poker game. The company’s LuckyFans product line is scheduled for release in 2022 for a variety of professional sports and racing contests, providing users the opportunity to win real money sweepstakes prizes. LuckyFans is legal in all 50 states and most jurisdictions around the world. About SCCG Management SCCG Management is a consultancy that specializes in sports betting, iGaming, sports marketing, affiliate marketing, technology, intellectual property protection, product commercialization, esports, capital formation, M&A, joint ventures, casino management, and governmental and legal affairs for the casino and iGaming industry. Contact Details Alex shapiro +1 732-770-9395 ashapiro@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.playglobally.com/

May 19, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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