A Guide for Busy Restaurants

Five Tips to Improve Your Private Events Bookings: A Guide for Busy Restaurants

1. Hire an Event Manager

When you are running a busy restaurant, it can be challenging to find the time to come up with effective ways of getting more private events bookings. So, it could be a good idea to hire an event manager to handle that part of your business for you.

By hiring a manager who solely deals with private events, you can much more easily promote your restaurant as an event venue and get more bookings.

The manager should handle all of the elements concerning private events bookings, from marketing your venue to creating promotions.

2. Use Specific Venue Management Software, e.g. for Wineries and Breweries

Whether you hire an event manager or not, your business should make use of venue management software to create greater efficiency and profitability and ensure all day-to-day operations run smoothly.

You should look at software solutions that are tailored to your specific needs. For example, if your restaurant also has a winery or brewery, you can use winery event management software to help you streamline how you manage private event bookings.

Specific venue management software gives you a centralized platform where you can easily do things like track bookings and billings, and much more. 

Not only does venue management software help you to save valuable time. It also enables you to simplify processes, increase referrals, manage timelines, and create amazing customer experiences.

3. Create an Event Page

One of the simplest and most effective ways of improving bookings for private events at your restaurant is to create a specific event page on your website. 

When you create a specialized page that mentions all of the key services and packages that you can provide at your venue, in addition to listing your contact details, links to your social media platforms, and customer reviews, you can promote your private events services more and reach a larger audience. 

Quite simply, if you want to get more bookings for private events, you must focus your efforts on promotion. 

Also, while online promotions are crucial, do not overlook “real-life” promotions. Try things like leaflet drops with local businesses and residents.

4. Consider Your Target Clients and the Types of Events You Could Put on

A great way of gaining more bookings for private events is to consider who your target clients are. 

Your restaurant is probably already catering for private parties of people celebrating things like birthdays and engagements, but you should think about other groups that could use your space for private events.

Corporate events are often held at restaurants, and companies tend to have larger budgets to spend, so consider targeting local offices with your promotions. 

Depending on the size of your restaurant, you could even consider putting on things like wedding receptions.

Evaluate the space you have, consider the needs of businesses and local people in your vicinity, and come up with a list of specific types of events your restaurant can put on and a list of your target clients. 

You will then be able to promote your private events much more effectively and gain more bookings. 

5. Put on Your Own Events

Another option is to put on your own events. That enables you to get more bookings and also showcase your restaurant to potential future clients. 

You could run a weekly wine-tasting event, a cookery class, or a culinary quiz, to name just a few ideas.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Five Tips to Improve Your Private Events Bookings: A Guide for Busy Restaurants appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Why Fundraising and Donations Are More Important Than Ever for Non-profit Organizations

The Coronavirus had a serious detrimental impact on the operations of non-profit organizations across the USA and the entire globe. Many charities have recently experienced an increase in demand for their services from more people finding themselves in difficult precarious situations. However, at the same time, during the pandemic there was a significant decrease in the funding charities could access. The impact of Coronavirus caused 75% of non-profit organizations to have to make cuts to their budget.

We have come up with some reasons why non-profits today are in need of donations from the public to support them more than ever before.

Funding Was Seriously Affected During the Pandemic

Coronavirus and the lockdowns were a difficult period for us all. The economy across the globe came to a sudden and unanticipated halt, and many people were put on furlough, forced to work remotely from home, or made redundant. Coronavirus had a big impact on the finances of individuals and families right across the country. Poverty levels in the USA soared as a result of the pandemic, and unfortunately 57.3% of households earning less than $35,000 a year experienced income or employment loss.

Logically, when people have less money in their pocket, their capacity to be able to give their spare money to non-profits is severely affected, as they have to make sure they can pay to cover their own bills, rent, mortgage, car, healthcare costs, and so on.

Most Fundraising Events Can Now Take Place

Since April 2021, most states have lifted stay-at-home orders and interstate travel restrictions. In virtually every state, you are now able to go to shopping malls, eat and drink in restaurants and bars, socialize in public spaces, go into the office, and so on. And guess what? The lifting of the lockdown restrictions means you are now able to go out and do fundraising activities for non-profits. So, get out there and raise money for a worthy cause.

You can get creative with your fundraising effort ideas too. Whether you decide to run a long distance and sweat loads in a fun fancy-dress costume, host a laughter filled trivia night, or put on a themed gala night where guests can be inventive and show off their best attire, it’s great to help non-profits out by hosting events to fundraise lots of money for them again. Looking to use a fundraising platform with no hidden fees that will make it easy for your supporters to donate money for your charity events? Then you may want to take a look at Givebutter and its people-centric online fundraising platform.

They Depend on Donations and Fundraising Efforts from Volunteers to Carry Out Their Work

Non-profit organizations rely a great deal on fundraising activities by volunteers, federal grants, monthly donations, and funding contributions from philanthropists to function properly as an organization, and to help out their beneficiaries and those who really need their support the most.

Without people’s generosity and their sense of humanity through kind heartfelt donations, a lot of non-profit organizations would simply not be able to provide valuable support for their cause or even be capable of surviving in 2021. Charities need money and donations to pay their salaried employees, cover expenses and running costs, and most importantly to support their cause and make a real difference.

How Non-profits Differ from For-profit Businesses

There are various ways that non-profit organizations differ significantly in how they operate from for-profit money-making private sector businesses.

One key way that non-profit organizations are different is that the beneficiaries of their services are not customers. For example, in a Children’s Cancer charity, children living with cancer and receiving a non-profit’s help and support are not their ‘customers’.  Whereas for-profit businesses create value for a customer, and gaining new customers provides them with an important source of revenue. Non-profits therefore have to be creative and work hard to come up with ways that they can generate money and continue with their vital charitable work.

There’s also the ethical element as the purpose of charities is that they are there to provide support for charitable causes. Non-profit organizations may be set up for a variety of reasons such as preserving a landscape, protecting wildlife, or supporting vulnerable people and those living with serious medical conditions and providing help to the loved ones supporting them. The goals and missions of non-profit charitable organizations and for-profit businesses are quite different.

So, show your humane side and go and support a worthy cause because non-profit organizations need your generous donations now more than ever in order to enable them to recover and bounce back from the impact the pandemic has had on their finances. The world is much better off thanks to all the support provided by non-profit organizations and their tireless efforts.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 3 Reasons Why Fundraising and Donations are More Important Than Ever for Nonprofit Organizations appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Digital Week Online’s Global Digital Transformation Day gathers top experts and industry leaders and showcase 4IR solutions in real case studies from around the world. The day was curated by citiesabc, openbusinesscouncil and intelligenthq, Digital Week Online’s official partners.

Society 5.0 and 4IR have been the main topics in the upcoming Digital Week Online’s Global Digital Transformation Day. Starting from 8.30 am GMT and running all day long until 7 pm GMT, experts, government officials from Malaysia and Pakistan and industry leaders such as Ben Goertzel, Dr. Efi Pylarinou and Edwin Diender has participated in a series of panels to give an in-depth view of how Society 5.0 and 4IR technologies are changing society. citiesabc, the leading global data platform for smart cities, openbusinesscouncil and intelligenthq will curate the Global Digital Transformation Day.

Global Digital Transformation Day started at 08:30 am with opening remarks. The first main panel followed at 09:00 am and run until 10:00 am. Under the title Digital Transformation – Society 5.0 – 4IR how to make it happen for cities and countries?, top government officials HE Saifuddin Abdullah – Minister of Communications of Malaysia, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui – Federal Minister for Information Technology & Telecommunication Pakistan, HE Oleksandr Bornyakov – Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for IT Development Ukraine, and industry representative Dr Edwin Diender – VP Digital Transformation Huawei will meet to provide a nation-based view to how to develop and implement Society 5.0. It will be moderated by Dinis Guarda CEO Founder ztudium /citiesabc / openbusinesscouncil.org.

At 10:30 am, the panel How to Reinvent Cities and Nations in a time of Covid-19? will take place. It will feature Rais Hussin – Chairman Malaysia MDEC, Micah Walker – CEO Grabba, Dr Kiran Fernandes – Associate Dean Durham University UK, Vice Chair National Commission UNESCO, Antonio Santos – Thought leader Ambassador Atos Siemens. Moderator Sebastien Ginalski – director openbusinesscouncil.org.

Between 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, the panel Government & businesses digital transformation challenges & Opportunities gathered worldwide personalities such as Tina Jabeen – CEO Startup Bangladesh, Jayne Chan – Head of StartmeupHK at InvestHK, Renata Ramalhosa – Director Beta-i Brazil, Dr. Ricardo Greenfield – Managing Director EurA-PT. The moderator will be Asad Sultan Strategist CEO Deutsche Malaysian Ventures.

At 1:30 pm, Jaewon Peter Chun – President World Smart Cities Forum, William Wu – CEO One4City, Joao Bocas – CEO at Digital Salutem will participate in the Smart Cities – trends, opportunities and challenges panel and moderated by Yu Xiong – Associate Dean International, University of Surrey, and President of UK International Innovation Centre.

Big Data and Cybersecurity for Nations and Businesses took the stage between 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm, featuring Helen Yu – Author Global Influencer Tech,  Dr Johannes Drooghaag – Speaker, Author, Coach, Chuck Brooks – Adjunct Georgetown University – Forbes writer, Nitin Kalra – Big Data strategist Country Manager Alqimi Group. Moderator Aghiath Chbib – Member board techabc CEO Seecra.

More 4IR technologies were highlighted in the next panel, titled Digital Transformation 360 – AI, Blockchain and starting at 3:45 pm. This panel will count with the presence of Ben Goertzel – author Founder of SingularityNet, Maya Zuckerman – Author, Researcher COO Luman, Shameer Thaha – author Global Chief Strategy Officer at Accubits ,  Moderator Dinis Guarda.

Between 4:45 pm– 5:45 pm From 4IR to Society 5.0 – Sustainability, Fintech, Data, Regulations, ESG panel gathered Dr. Efi Pylarinou – Author Influencer Tech Fintech, Kristof De Spiegeleer – Founder ThreeFold, Hirander Misra – CEO Founder GMEX Group, Moderator Hilton Supra – Vice-Chairman of ztudium / techabc.

Building on the success of the first global gathering in May 2020, which attracted 170 top-level speakers, 60+ professional investors and 1,500 attendees, Digital Week Online will be expanding to an even bigger community of innovators and entrepreneurs on 12th-16th October with the motto: “Keeping the tech world united – changing the future! Online. For everyone.”

All participants will enjoy virtual networking benefits during the entire week by joining one of the best intuitive AI-powered business matching platforms.

On Oct 12th, Digital Week Online will hold the “Global Blockchain Day” where top experts will tackle topics such as DeFi, central bank digital currencies, blockchain for corporates, institutional investments and mining.

Innovation Days run Oct 14-16th and are broken down by region for local tech gurus, mentors and investment community leaders to engage audiences on seven key tracks:

– Covid19, impact on economies, new opportunities
– Fintech
– Privacy & Cyber Security
– Digital Marketing
– Impact & Sustainability
– Corporate Innovation
– Gaming & Entertainment

InvestHK and Startmeup.HK, the department of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, and Grabba (https://grabba.com ), a leading identity verification solutions provider, have been confirmed as Gold Sponsors of Innovation and Digital Transformation Days. As in the case with citiesabc and the Society 5.0 panel, each track will be co-hosted by a reputable organization with deep expertise in that space. Global Blockchain Day (Oct 12th) is sponsored by its Platinum Sponsor – BTCU.

Keeping faithful to their core community, Digital Week Online will also host a start-up competition and pitch sessions, where budding entrepreneurs will get feedback from top-investors and experts. Given the current global pandemic, they have waived the fees to participate.

Digital Week Online will run until 16th October.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Digital Week Online Highlights Society 5.0 On Global Digital Transformation Day appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Building on the success of the first global gathering in May 2020, which attracted 170 top-level speakers, Digital Week Online will be expanding this global event to Governments, innovators and entrepreneurs on 12th-16th October with the focus on keeping the digital world united – changing the future Online for everyone. Given the current crisis and its impact on tomorrow DigitaWeek.online offers one of the most ambitious events of 2020 reflecting on the present and future of digital.

Digital Week Online offers a global cutting edge Digital 360 programme that highlights the latest trends and solutions regarding 4IR – 4th Industrial Revolution, Society 5.0 coined by the Japanese Government and explored by Malaysia 5.0, it includes Ministers and high profile personalities from Hong Kong, Ukraine, Startup Bangladesh, Pakistan, EU. It offers a program with the leading speakers, VCs and entrepreneurs in Digital transformation, AI, Blockchain, COVID19 Impact, Smart Cities, Digital Marketing, Fintech, DeFi, Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity, Corporate Innovation, Gaming & Entertainment, and more.

The program offers keynote and panels with speakers Jayne Chan, Ben Goertzel, Kiran Fernandes, Xiaochen Zhang, Edwin Diender, William Bao Bean, Patrick Tsang, Antonio Santos, representatives from InvestHK, UNESCO, Tencent, Siemens, SOSV, Hyundai, Deloitte, Draper Dragon Fund, PrivacyRules and the biggest VCs and fast growing startups.

Digital Week Online is an online Summit that unites digital and tech entrepreneurs, authors, investors, innovators, leading corporates, and key governments. Ivan Ivanov and Juliet Su the founders highlight: “DigitalWeek.Online in its most ambitious iteration yet offers the biggest event so far with the contributions of multiple personalities, governments, leading companies, startup ecosystems, VCs and authors. We want to highlight the best of digital and connect businesses, organisations and experts in an unique online platform”.

Gold Sponsors of Innovation and Digital Transformation Days (Oct 13th – 16th): InvestHK/Startmeup.HK – the department of the Hong Kong SAR Government responsible for Foreign Direct Investment, supporting overseas, Mainland and Taiwanese businesses to set up and expand in Hong Kong.

Grabba – a leading identity verification solutions provider. Receiving recognition from many government security agencies over that time, Grabba established a strong footprint in Australia, Europe, Middle East and the United States.

Platinum Sponsor of Global Blockchain Day (Oct 12th) – BTCU.io, a new-generation Bitcoin fork, combining the best ideas and achievements of the crypto world!

Digital Week Online provides a networking and matchmaking platform, virtual meetings, and e-booths regionally centered on APAC, AFRICA, MENA, EUROPE and NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA with top-quality content on the world hottest digital transformation topics.

In times of uncertainty, technology and digital experts need to come together with ideas and best strategies to build a narrative and solutions for the transformative future of humanity.

Dinis Guarda founder of citiesabc.com and a leading personality on AI, blockchain and Smart cities is this time a curator partner of the event. Dinis says about the event: “Digital Week Online brings a cutting edge program that brings together the brightest minds, authors, governments, universities to discuss and offer new ways to look at digital transformation, AI, Fintech, DeFi, blockchain, smart cities, picking the best people from around the globe.”

Digital Week Online presents over 200+ leading global speakers from over 100 countries from 5 continents and a direct reach of 5.000+ participants and indirect of 1 million with a digital streaming in social media that reaches around 10 million people.

The event is organized by the Euro Asian Center of Innovation and Digital Economy and Uvecon.VC,

Keeping faithful to their core community, Digital Week Online will also host a start-up competition and pitch sessions, where budding entrepreneurs will get feedback from top-investors and experts. Given the current global pandemic, they have waived the fees to participate. Startups can apply for pitch on the event website.

Hurry up to grab the ticket on http://www.digitalweek.online

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post The Future Of Digital: DigitalWeek.Online Most Ambitious Program With 10 Governments, 200+ Speakers Comes In October appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The International Association of IT Asset Managers hosts a virtual conference where members and annual conference attendees donate to local/national charities

The International Association of IT Asset Managers (IAITAM) has hosted their global Annual Conference and Exhibition (ACE) and those registering for the virtual conference were encouraged to donate to a COVID-19 relief charity of their choice.  The result: An unexpectedly massive outpouring of $15.6 million from attendees.

In response to this IAITAM initiative, the following relief efforts were donated to support individuals and businesses affected by the coronavirus:

· Over $15 million donated in the name of COVID relief, including Feeding America, United Way of Midlands, Foodbank for the Heartland, Second Harvest Food Bank, Midwest Food Bank, and Canadian Red Cross.

· 12,670 protective face masks were donated to police, fire, hospital, and other essential workers.

· Hundreds of pounds of medical supplies, food and other necessities were donated to Boston Children’s Hospital.

· More than 120 hours were volunteered to assist organizations like The Community Action Project, United Way, and COVID Relief Fund.

IAITAM President and CEO Dr. Barbara Rembiesa said: “I am blown away by the success of our COVID-19 relief charities.  This is the kind of leadership you would expect from IT Asset Managers. These unsung heroes protect the financial investment of the organization by ensuring the operational implementation of hardware and software is done efficiently and correctly. We have members within our network from Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, alike. Every agency or business owner in this digital age should be thinking about their IT assets and how they can increase return on investment and strengthen their data security with proper ITAM training and planning.”

ACE is the world’s largest IT Asset Management (ITAM) conference and explores key topics on ITAM and COVID-19 challenges. Those in attendance included CIOs, COOs, CTOs, IT Asset Managers, IT Professionals, Finance Managers, legal professionals and more. Attendees gained information that could assist them in starting new asset management programs or improve their existing ones.

The International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers, Inc., is the professional association for individuals and organizations involved in any aspect of IT Asset Management, SAM, Hardware Asset Management, Mobile Asset Management, IT Asset Disposition and the lifecycle processes supporting IT Asset Management in organizations and industry across the globe. IAITAM certifications are the only IT Asset Management certifications that are recognized worldwide.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post IAITAM Virtual Conference Raises $15.6 Million To Support COVID-19 Relief Charities appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Hosted at the AsiaWorld – Expo in Hong Kong, blockchain series of conferences CHAIN 2020 will gather top industry experts on January 15 to produce a comprehensive source of blockchain knowledge and help enhance mass adoption of the new technology in the region

As the global economy evolves and the world enters a new decade, new technologies are becoming increasingly necessary for us. Among these tech we can find blockchain, a distributed ledger technology reshaping the world as we know it now but still quite unknown for the wider public. That is exactly the purpose of CHAIN 2020, a series of educational conferences whose main objective is to promote blockchain in the Asian region, its multiple applications for different areas of society and shed some light on this revolutionary technology.

With the emergence of blockchain and other technologies, the world is becoming more united, forming a truly decentralised network. Unfortunately, many people are left behind due to the relatively low level of adoption of concepts such as blockchain, cryptocurrency, or DLT. There is where Chain 2020 enters as it is launching a series of educational conferences promoting blockchain in the Asian region, and aiming to become one of the key players locally and on a global scale.

These conferences will be broken down into 4 categories: Blockchain Technology; Future of Money; Future of FinTech and AI & Big Data. All of them have been carefully studied to give a better picture of what this and other new technologies can offer in the near future while following the event’s main missions to: “produce a comprehensive source of blockchain knowledge, enhancing mass adoption of the new technology in the region.Become the most influential and mind-captivating platform aiming to create connections and partnerships that will have a long-lasting impact on the industry. And advocate blockchain initiatives in ASIA and support mass adoption of the technology to advance business, science, and society.”

Hong Kong, as an international and modern city that embraces new technologies, has been selected as the host city, and the world-renowned AsiaWorld – Expo as the main venue. There, on January 15, 30+ top industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, professors, decision makers and politicians will gather to share their expertise about blockchain before a crowd of 10,000+ participants.

Among these speakers there will be the likes of:

· David Hanson – Chief Executive Officer of Hanson Robotics

· Henri Arslanian – PwC Global Crypto Leader and Asia FinTech Leader

· Zoran Djikanovic – President of the Capital Market Authority in Montenegro

· Susan Oh – Chair of AI & Blockchain for Impact at UN General Assembly, CEO of MKR AI

· Richard Chen – Co-founder and CTO of WaykiChain, former Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley

· Dr. Ben Goertzel – CEO at SingularityNET

· Dinis Guarda – Globally-recognized Top Influencer in Blockchain, AI, and Fintech

· Jay Liang – Founder and Co-chairman of Hong Kong Blockchain Association

· Jorge Sebastiao – Huawei, CTO Ecosystem

· Jenny Yang – Founder and CEO of BlockGlobe

· Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof – Bitnation Founder and Inventor

· Elene Grigolia – Representative of National Agency of Public Registry of Georgia and World Bank joint project

· Malik Kotadia – FinTech Expert, former SVP of Global Digital Transformation at Citibank

Blockchain is part of the called Distributed Ledger Technologies. Blockchain is a “write only” digital platform that records and verifies transactions. A blockchain is much like a database made up of rows, columns, and tables. Blockchain technology uses cryptography and digital signatures to prove identity, authenticity and enforce read/write access rights. All transactions within a block are visible so there is full transparency for every transaction. And, once an entry goes into a blockchain ledger, it cannot be altered or erased.

Blockchain’s most famous application is cryptocurrencies. In fact, Bitcoin was powered by the very first functional blockchain and most digital currencies that followed Bitcoin used blockchain too. But blockchain’s application doesn’t stop there. It can be used to securely record almost every transaction of data in almost every industry. Most of the major entities of the enterprise world have already created their own blockchain strategies, from Central Banks and financial institutions to energy suppliers.

Chain 2020, held in Hong Kong on January 15, will try to shed some light to blockchain and all its applications aiming to help enhance mass adoption of the new technology in Asia.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post “To Help Enhance Mass Adoption”: Hong Kong To Host Blockchain Event Chain 2020 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Mastercard Labs, SAP, SoapBox Labs and INFANT Research were among the companies that were honoured at the AI Awards 2019 ceremony. The event were held in Dublin and it recognized research and development in innovative solutions using AI technology.

The awards in their second year were held at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin and was organised by the non-profit, AI Ireland with support from Microsoft, and Alldus International. The awards will also be further supported by the IDA Ireland, Alldus, ISG, McKesson, Mazars, Mason Hayes Curran, the ADAPT Centre and GeoDirectory.

“The pace of innovation in AI is significant and the AI Awards have grown to highlight the bold, creative and scalable approach by Irish companies to AI. This approach reflects Microsoft’s mission to empower every individual and organisation on the planet to achieve more, and we are committed to achieving this in an ethical, responsible, and transparent way. This year’s winners demonstrate the positive impact that AI can bring to society and to industries like finance, healthcare, and education. Through our support of this year’s AI Awards, we can celebrate organisations in Ireland who are developing exciting innovations that have global impact,” stated Cathriona Hallahan, General Manager, Microsoft Ireland.

The winners

2019 Best Use of AI in Sector

SoapBox Labs (MSFT) – for its work on developing speech recognition technology for children. SoapBox’s plug and play API makes it easy for businesses to voice enable their products. Its near real time assessment capabilities ensure that the products it powers are more engaging, more useful, and more valuable to teachers, parents and the children themselves. SoapBox Labs has recently announced a partnership with Florida State University on a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative called Reach Every Reader. SoapBox Labs’ technology has been chosen as the assessment tool for the Reach Every Reader project which is a hugely prestigious win and affirmation of its best in class technology

2019 Best Application of AI in a Large Enterprise

Mastercard Labs – for Duka Connect, a Mobile Point of Sale (mPoS) solution for small merchants in emerging markets. Mastercard Labs has developed a deep learning computer vision model that can recognise and distinguish between the hundreds of different products. The solution works by allowing the shopkeeper to pass the customer’s products in front of the handset’s camera, the images from the camera are passed to the computer vision model, which classifies the images to identify the product, ultimately allowing the product to be added to the customer’s basket.

2019 Best Use of AI in a Consumer/Customer Service Application

SAP – for its Business Operations and Self-Healing (BoSh), an out of the box AI platform to support business automation in the business operations self-healing space from self-help to self-healing. This is an innovative and highly effective solution for existing enterprise systems, thus reducing the burden of more tedious tasks for service helpdesks. Utilising concepts such as sentiment analysis, natural language processing, search/recommendation algorithms and robotic process automation, SAP has created an effective assistant for end users and service helpdesk members.

2019 Best Application of AI in an Academic Research Body

Infant Centre, University College Cork – for its work using deep learning to detect neonatal seizure detection. INFANT is a uniquely multidisciplinary, patient-focused, research and innovation centre, headquartered at University College Cork. It has developed innovative AI and machine learning healthcare solutions that improve maternal, new-born and child health in both high and low resource settings. 66% of new-born seizures have no physical signs or symptoms. Currently detection is only possible through analysing electroencephalograms (EEG). Under normal NICU conditions, less than 10% of seizures are detected.

2019 Best Application of AI in a Start-up

Telenostic – for its work on deep learning or convolution neural networks (CNNs) to accurately model and predict Parasitic Infections (PI) within animals. Parasitic infections (PI) effect all animals globally. The economic cost of PI’s is estimated to be 10’s of billions of Euro annually. By using machine learning on captured images, Telenostic will provide an in-consult analysis at a fraction of the current cost. This will also allow treatment decisions to be made quickly allowing for proactive measures to be taken and preventing the infection from growing within the host and possibly to other members of the herd.

2019 Best Application of AI in a Student Project

Ciaran O’Mara, University of Limerick – for his work on Machine Learning Based Traffic Network Analysis Tool, using AI for traffic management. His project took a different approach to attempt to improve road network efficiency by presenting data which can be analysed and interpreted to in turn make improvements to road infrastructure, traffic planning, route planning to event planning.

2019 Best Use of RPA & Cognitive

ESB – for using AI to optimise its rollout of smart meter technology. Utilising Computer Vision and Machine Learning, the ESB ensures that its new smart meters are safely and correctly installed. The ESB can now easily identify meter readings from the photographs – a critical requirement for ESB Networks to ensure it could respond to any customer queries quickly.

Mark Kelly, Founder of AI Ireland & Chief Customer Officer at Alldus, commented: “The breadth of innovation recognised in these awards demonstrates that Irish organisations can deliver global impact through cutting edge AI research. In our second year, we have seen these awards flourish. It reinforces the need for Ireland to develop a robust national AI strategy in line with the EU.”

Founded in 2018, the AI Awards are part of AI Ireland, a Not for Profit Business which runs a number of community websites and monthly meetups supporting the area of Data Science, Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence in Ireland.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post AI Awards: Mastercard Labs, SAP, SoapBox Labs And INFANT Research Among The Winners appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The internet and digital marketing have levelled the playing field for SMEs, making it possible for them to compete against multinationals with big budgets in certain competitive niches and market their offerings on social platforms like LinkedIn.

And, in certain sectors, tech advances also make it possible to run remote teams in different local or international territories.

However, if you want to benefit from the latest business and leadership knowledge and meet potential investors and collaborators, the expense of attending events in person can pay off.

With that in mind, here are five must-go global business conferences for 2020.

1. Turing Fest, Edinburgh, Scotland

If you fancy mingling with the best brains in European tech between 4-5 August next year, you should attend Turing Fest 2020 in Edinburgh. The Scottish capital is Britain’s most beautiful city and past keynote speakers include Magnus Nilsson from Izettle, Hana Abaza from Shopify and Lego’s Melissa Pickering.

2. Academy of International Business Conference, Glasgow, Scotland

This is another Scottish-based conference worth jetting north of the border for between 2-4 April 2020. Held at the University of Glasgow’s renowned Adam Smith Business School, this year’s theme is ‘revisiting SME and MNE internalization in an era of paradox’ – register at aib-uki.org.

3. Summer CME at Universal Studios, Orlando, US

If Primary Care Medicine aligns with your enterprising vision, attending this event between July 20-23, 2020 at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is wise. Plus, hotel guests enjoy free theme park perks – business brainstorming and adrenalin rushes rolled into one! Find out more at a-crossmedicinereviews.com.

4. Cannes Lions, Cannes, France

Any SME trying to break into marketing, advertising or branding can learn truckloads of tips by heading to the 67th Cannes Lions Festival between 22-26 June 2020 on the Cote d’Azur. Sip a Kir Royale by the beach as you soak up knowledge from inspirational speakers representing the world’s most successful brands.

5. West Indies Economics Conference, Kingston, Jamaica

West Indies economies like Jamaica are performing strongly on many metrics these days and the wider Caribbean region offers investment opportunities in everything from tourism and minerals to medical marijuana. Attending the West Indies Economics Conference between March 12-13 could connect you with potential collaborators. Find out more details at inomics.com.

How to get there

Splashing out on an international business conference as an SME is always a calculated risk, but it can deliver an excellent ROI and there are ways to make it as affordable as possible.

For instance, you’ll find the best deals on flights from various UK hubs to all of our conference destinations on reliable comparison sites like kayak.com and skyscanner.net.

And don’t forget to check out Looking4 for cheap parking at Heathrow and a host of other international airports.

That’s our list, but please share your own 2020 business conference picks in the comments section – we can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 5 Must-Go Global Business Conferences For 2020 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The event, called Investment in Blockhain and AI, will be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre on 14-16 October

14-16 October 2019 will see one of the world’s major industry events about blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. Following their highly successful inaugural edition in London last October as well as their joint edition with the Maltese partners this May, the second edition of CC Forum London will connect global thought leaders, policy makers, investors and startups from across the world for a 3 day top content event. The summit will be attended by the industry leaders, think tanks, institutional and private investors, family offices and VC firms.

Bringing traditionally together the elite of the space the event is privileged to have some of the world’s most authoritative speakers, some of whom are global movers and shakers.

In this year’s edition, the line up of speakers will include the likes of Nouriel Roubini, global economist and RGE Monitor President; Lord Marland of Odstock, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Chairman, Roger Ver, Bitcoin.com Chairman and Founder or Brock Pierce, who currently holds the Chairman of the Board at The Bitcoin Foundation. And these are only few of the more than 100 that are already confirmed.

“Max and his team are at the forefront of knowledge transfer in blockchain and innovation. They put together a spectacular event in London. I’m sure the next event will be even better. Speakers and attendees were world-class interesting. Don’t miss the gala dinner, it’s worth bringing a tux for,” commented David Siegel, CEO of Pillar Project and 20/30, about last year’s event.

The programme of the event is highly intense: a muli-track conference, a buzzing exhibition floor, keynotes, panels, fireside chats, duels, pitching contests, workshops, round tables and a number of networking events.

The event’s highlights include:

• 2 500+ attendees
• 100+ speakers
• 70+ exhibitors
• Blockchain battle with a confirmed 100K pounds sterling prize draw
• Networking programme ranging from welcoming drinks reception to networking investors’ dinners

This time, the event will be returning to London for a second edition after last year’s success. Talking about it, Nick Ayton, CEO and Founder of Chainstarter commented: “The CC Forum in London was a revelation, a great event that engaged both the audience and the speakers in a format that was genius. CCF is now part of the event calendar for the true crypto evangelist and Blockchain professional. Max is a true professional and has raised the bar when it comes to Blockchain events. I look forward to participating more of Max’s events as they are a breath of fresher air and the format really delivers for the enthusiast and the professional looking to get to grips with the Blockchain Revolution. As one of the leading speakers and Blockchain evangelists I have spoken at many events all around the world but I have to say the CCF summit in London was one of the best events.”

The event’s agenda will address a wide range of issues including Institutional and Private Investment in the space, Blockchain & AI and Foreign Direct Investment and the Regulatory Framework of Blockchain & AI.

Part of the event’s programme are one-to-one duels where heavyweights will engage in heated public debates on the big issues of the space with the conference audience being involved.

The blockchain battle with a confirmed 100K pounds sterling prize draw will be held.

Last, but not least, the Forum abounds in a rich networking programme ranging from welcoming drinks reception to networking investors’ dinners. It will culminate in our traditional black-tie VIP Gala & Award Giving Ceremony on 15th October.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post CC Forum Event To Gather More Than A 100 Blockchain And AI Experts in London appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The winners of the 2019 Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London attended by hundreds of business leaders from UK’s leading retail brands.

Seven inspirational winners were selected by a judging panel of industry heavyweights including senior women from Barclaycard, Specsavers, John Lewis and Hotel Chocolat.

Choosing from 23 impressive finalists, the judges recognised outstanding women and men whose roles and businesses reflect the changing face of today’s retail industry and the ways it has evolved to encompass a wider range of career opportunities than ever before. The uncertainty of the high street, the rise of the digital economy, ecommerce and ever-changing customer expectations has created both challenges and opportunities within retail. Consequently, it is one of the most exciting careers out there today and this was reflected in the winners’ passion and enthusiasm towards this dynamic and important industry.

In the course of their deliberations, the judges discovered individuals who are making the connections between customer experiences and employee engagements, entrepreneurs channeling the power of social media to grow their businesses, and those who go above and beyond to engage others in retail careers, becoming influential role models within the sector. Whilst women currently make up the majority of the three million people employed by the retail industry, only 26% of director-level roles are filled by women, which is why shining a light on women pushing boundaries and forging successful careers is more important than ever before.

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman, comments: “This year’s winners showcase the inspiring female talent within the UK retail sector and the individuals that are changing the face of retail. It is clear to me that as the industry evolves, so must the role models we celebrate and this year’s winners are from some of the most diverse businesses, roles and career paths that we have ever seen. With an uncertain future for the high street and the evolution of new retail platforms and business models, the future of retail is a no doubt a challenging one, but also an exciting one to be a part of.

“Both everywoman and Barclaycard were impressed with the dynamism and passion for the industry displayed by each and every winner during the judging process. We are confident that the stories for this year’s winners will inspire the next generation of female talent into a career within retail, while continuing to act as inspiring role models for their peers,” Maxine continues.

Nicole Olbe, Managing Director of Partnerships at Barclaycard added: “Congratulations to the winners as well as the other nominees – all of whom have made a positive impact this year. It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate the huge level of talent across the industry as we navigate through new challenges and complexities within the retail sector. Each individual has shown true innovation and sheer determination in their roles and are truly worthy winners. Barclaycard is honoured to partner with everywoman and we look forward to showcasing the success of next year’s finalists.”

The overall Woman of the Year was awarded to Alice Boaten, Regional Manager at Sainsbury’s Argos, London. Alice joined Argos in 2002 as a temporary colleague recruited for Christmas and, over the course of her career, has at some stage undertaken the vast majority of retail roles giving her a deep understanding of the business. Her drive and ambition for change and career enhancement was spotted by the judges, and she stood out for her commitment to diversifying the work force and for her success despite a less than traditional career path.

Alice’s determination has brought the company’s vision to life by putting the customer at the heart of everything it does. She is a powerful listener and coach, and her passion and energy has filtered down through her team enabling them to deliver outstanding results in a region which previously never hit its customer metrics. Her story enabled her to be a role model for other women who want to take a less traditional route into retail.

Other category winners for this year include the founder of a fast-growing fashion brand, as well as women who spearheaded the most complex operations at some of the country’s largest retailers, such as Sainsbury’s Argos and Gap. Also celebrated was a Rising Star at the beginning of her career who has already contributed to unprecedented increases in sales, and a Male Mentor who was honoured for his work in actively supporting the advancement of women in the sector.

The 2019 Barclaycard everywoman in Retail Awards category winners are:

Above & Beyond Award – sponsored by SSE

• Tracey Gilbert, Women’s Store Manager, Gap, London. Tracey’s long-term and inspiring commitment to The Prince’s Trust stood out to the judges for the dedication she showed to young people. She leads life changing programmes across London to support over 205 young people entering a career at Gap and the world of retail. Tracey has changed the recruitment process at GAP and used her energy, enthusiasm and passion to develop how store managers interact with customers.

Customer Experience Excellence Award

• Helen Flaxman, Senior Customer & Communications Manager, Superdrug, London. Helen was responsible for the creation of the first Superdrug Vegan Pop Up, with the objective to reassure customers that they could purchase beauty regimes that are 100% vegan and cruelty free. Helen was responsible for developing the Modern Muse charity partnership, to support girls in finding the right career path, through a mentoring scheme.

Entrepreneur Award – Sponsored by Amazon

• Marisa Horden, Founder and Creative Director, Missoma Jewellery, London. Missoma was born out of Marisa’s childhood passion for gemstones which developed into something far more than just a childhood hobby. Marisa seeks to empower the next generation to work hard through collaboration and inspirational leadership. The judges were impressed by how she went from making jewellery at the kitchen table with a full-time job to creating a profitable business.

Leader Award

• Amber Kelly, People and Culture Director, Post Office, London. Amber started her career teaching IT before developing her skills further by becoming an accredited skills and business advisor with Business Link working with SMEs. Amber launched the Engagement Champion Network in 2016 to promote engagement throughout the business, and to encourage a proactive approach within teams when taking action. There are currently over 150 champions across each business area.

Male Mentor Award – sponsored by Specsavers

• Gary Pickering, Director of Sales and Retention, SSE, Cheltenham. Gary wanted individuals showing potential in their career to benefit from his past experiences and created a talent management and succession planning platform called Brilliant Minds. Designed to be a two-year long mentoring programme, it was open to both women and men, but had a significant female representation. What resonated with the judges was Gary’s business achievements and his impact on retaining staff in a company with a historically high turn-over rate.

Rising Star Award – Sponsored by Tesco

• Philippa Haigh, Senior Sales Executive, Farnell Land Rover Guiseley, Leeds. Philippa started at Guiseley Land Rover at 19 years old and has been identified as a Rising Star within the business for her fundamental work in helping the company achieve a higher than average CSI nationally. In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Pippa’s achievements at only 23 years old are outstanding. The judges admired her ability to turn down previous jobs that didn’t align with her values and her laser-like focus on what she wants to do.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Everywoman In Retail Awards: Winners Recognised For Their Dedication To The Industry appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.